Electrical System Drain-Service Required Message

[Knobch33z3]

Check the stereo system amplifier. That was the culprit in my case.

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[Elctrnone]

Check the stereo system amplifier. That was the culprit in my case.

I will mention it to them. There haven’t been any issues with my sound system, but I will not leave any stone unturned at this point.
There is an engineer from Ford physically at the dealership right now helping them troubleshoot.

 

[Athrun88]

Did you by chance hardwire a dashcam or anything of that sort that may trigger a constant load on the 12V? I recently hardwired by Vantrue dashcam and enabled motion/impact detection. Been getting the same error ever since then. It is very intermittent and not at all consistent on when the error is reported. Could be a couple times a day to once a week. I haven't had a chance to reconfigure the dashcam yet but I'll report back when I do.

 

[Elctrnone]

No, I have never even used any of the Pro Power outlets or even the USB outlets. I use wireless Apple CarPlay and the induction charging pad for my phone while driving. I added some fun vinyl graphics but left everything else stock. I used to professionally install remote starts, custom audio and video systems (including owning my own shop for a few years), but that all stopped in 2007 when I started my current job. I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how nice the Platinum’s stock system is.

I also remember how challenging it was tracking down electrical issues and shudder to think what complications come when throwing computers into the mix. I still wonder if this is somehow a software issue instead of a hardware issue.

 

[DMM23]

Any updates? I seem to have the same gremlin. A month ago, my truck went into battery saver mode, and a BMS reset fixed it after the dealer did a once-over. Now it has returned and says there is a drain. I have zero things plugged in or aftermarket like you.

 

[Elctrnone]

Any updates? I seem to have the same gremlin. A month ago, my truck went into battery saver mode, and a BMS reset fixed it after the dealer did a once-over. Now it has returned and says there is a drain. I have zero things plugged in or aftermarket like you.

As of 9/30/2025, the issue may be resolved. The dealer had engineers from Ford physically come to look at the truck. They requested my permission to install “tokens” on various computer modules in my Lightning. I assume these are like cookies for a web browser, because I had to use DocuSign to give them permission to install these digital tokens. Apparently they let the engineers remotely track everything about how the vehicle is used and what these modules are doing at all times. The engineers then had the dealer perform manual forced software updates, to use the dealer’s words, “on a ****-ton of modules” (over 10). I was then allowed to take the truck home (on 9/19/2025) while the service ticket was kept open so the engineers could continue monitoring everything in the Lightning’s natural habitat. In the past 11 days, I have had zero problems. I am hoping to get a clean bill of health and my paperwork showing exactly what was updated in the next few days.

I am not sure why the first step taken by the service department at my dealer would not have been to ensure that every possible piece of electronics that uses software was updated. I can only guess that they are more accustomed to dealing with hardware issues. When I have more detailed information, I will post it.

 

[DMM23]

As of 9/30/2025, the issue may be resolved. The dealer had engineers from Ford physically come to look at the truck. They requested my permission to install “tokens” on various computer modules in my Lightning. I assume these are like cookies for a web browser, because I had to use DocuSign to give them permission to install these digital tokens. Apparently they let the engineers remotely track everything about how the vehicle is used and what these modules are doing at all times. The engineers then had the dealer perform manual forced software updates, to use the dealer’s words, “on a ****-ton of modules” (over 10). I was then allowed to take the truck home (on 9/19/2025) while the service ticket was kept open so the engineers could continue monitoring everything in the Lightning’s natural habitat. In the past 11 days, I have had zero problems. I am hoping to get a clean bill of health and my paperwork showing exactly what was updated in the next few days.

I am not sure why the first step taken by the service department at my dealer would not have been to ensure that every possible piece of electronics that uses software was updated. I can only guess that they are more accustomed to dealing with hardware issues. When I have more detailed information, I will post it.

Thanks!

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