Buzzing sound, complete propulsion loss, followed by magical recovery???

[krazyrunner86]

So I have a 22' Platinum that has been pretty reliable overall. I did have to have a battery module replaced last summer for the reduced power error, but that was resolved without much fuss. The only other problem I had was regarding the truck communicating with the Ford Pass app, which was finally resolved(seemingly) after replacing the 12v battery with an Ohmmu lithium. However on Monday I had a not so pleasant experience.

I was driving a family member to a medical appt in the early morning. We left the house and as I was driving out of the neighborhood, I thought I felt the rear wheels slip. It had been cold, so I just thought it was a little patch of ice. When I got onto a main road, I started feeling similar sensations, only the road was very clearly dry/salted without any ice. It was happening every 30 ish seconds or so, and as I paid more attention, it felt like the truck would lose propulsion for a split second, or that the regen would kick in for a split second. Very strange. After a few minutes of going 40+ mph, the sensations started getting more frequent, and my passenger commented on it. At that point I started hearing intermittent buzzing/crackling/popping sounds, seemingly coming from the passenger side rear wheel/axle area, but definitely from under the truck.

Within a minute the buzzing got a little louder and was continuous. The slips/power loss was happening every few seconds, and then a powertrain error message flashed on the screen. I was in the process of pulling over when the regen braking stopped working and the truck just coasted. I tried to accelerate a little bit to make it to a parking lot, but the accelerator did nothing when depressed, so we just kind of rolled to a stop. I turned the truck off, waited 10 seconds, and then turned it back on. The red wrench was illuminated on the dash, but the truck started moving when I hit the pedal, so we turned around and headed back to the house.

On the way, we basically went through the same sequence of events, but we were able to get into the driveway without complete power loss at least. I parked it, turned it off, and we used another vehicle to go to the appointment.

Later that morning, I decided to try and drive the truck to the Ford dealer(~5 miles away) instead of calling for a tow. I normally use Sport mode, but I turned it to Normal and turned off the regen braking, just to see if that makes a difference. Red wrench light still on, and same sequence of events occurred again. I had to pull over about a mile into my drive, turn it off and on again. After starting on my way once more, the problems happened much more rapidly and I only was able to make it about 300 yards down the road before I had a complete power loss again. This time just about every error message imaginable flashed on the dash. Adaptive cruise, parking sensors, cameras, regen braking, etc etc etc. Everytime I dismissed an error message another popped up. There were sounds playing with the messages, and they just kept cycling through even after being dismissed. Turning on the 360 degree camera showed a normal picture for a second, then it flashed green, then black, then it showed images for just the front and back, then sides, then green again, round and round with glitchy video.

At this point, I turned it off again, waited a full minute, and turned it back on. Error messages start cycling again right away, and no propulsion, accelerator does nothing. I turned it off, waited 5 minutes before turning it on again, same thing. Ended up turning it off again, and calling for a tow. I sat there for almost 30 minutes before the tow company let me know it would be another 2 hours before they could get there. I figured, may as well try again, so I turned it on, and just like that, no errors, red wrench gone, and it goes when i hit the accelerator.

I decide to try and drive the rest of the way really slow, so I turn on my hazards and drive less than 25 mph the entire way. Truck is behaving normally, no sounds, no weird jerks or slips, no error messages, nothing. Pull in, tell the techs this whole story, and go home with a rental. The next day they call me and say that they drove it, and it seems fine, no problems. I ask if they tested it in Sport mode, with regen on/off, and they did not, so they took it back out again. They call me and say they thought they might have heard a weird noise, but it was quiet and seemed to be coming from the front of the truck. They put it on a jack and tried to recreate the noise with it in the air, and nothing. Sounds normal, behaves normal, just normal normal normal.

I picked it back up today. I took it around town stop and go traffic. I jack-rabbited some starts and tried some abrupt stops. I tried so slow starts and gradual stops. I took it on the freeway fast and slow, up and downs hills, through some potholes/bumps, anything I could think of. Its running absolutely perfectly.

So I don't know what to make of this. Has anyone had anything like this before??? I was legit worried that something serious had broken or malfunctioned and now it's completely normal without any intervention at all. I'm at a loss, but I'm still nervous that this problem will randomly crop up again. I drive quite a bit for work, and I don't want this to happen on the freeway in the boonies, leaving me stranded for who knows how long. Really hoping someone has some insights into this they could share. Thanks.

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[GoodSam]

Gremlins... Or rats chewing or low, bad 12Vdc battery or loose cable or other loose wire. No diagnostic trouble codes found? Intermittent problems are the worst to find. Maybe bad high voltage contactor? That might act like a relay cutting in and out. Connector corrosion?

 

[TaxmanHog]

The only other problem I had was regarding the truck communicating with the Ford Pass app, which was finally resolved(seemingly) after replacing the 12v battery with an Ohmmu lithium.

Welcome to the forum, please search for threads with opinions about Ohmmu 12v batteries, you might decide to get rid of it after reading a few experiences.

 

[GoodSam]

Also, the wires grounding out behind the glovebox problem

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...hile-driving-pending-fix-48.33583/post-631084

 

[chl]

So I have a 22' Platinum that has been pretty reliable overall. I did have to have a battery module replaced last summer for the reduced power error, but that was resolved without much fuss. The only other problem I had was regarding the truck communicating with the Ford Pass app, which was finally resolved(seemingly) after replacing the 12v battery with an Ohmmu lithium. However on Monday I had a not so pleasant experience.

I was driving a family member to a medical appt in the early morning. We left the house and as I was driving out of the neighborhood, I thought I felt the rear wheels slip. It had been cold, so I just thought it was a little patch of ice. When I got onto a main road, I started feeling similar sensations, only the road was very clearly dry/salted without any ice. It was happening every 30 ish seconds or so, and as I paid more attention, it felt like the truck would lose propulsion for a split second, or that the regen would kick in for a split second. Very strange. After a few minutes of going 40+ mph, the sensations started getting more frequent, and my passenger commented on it. At that point I started hearing intermittent buzzing/crackling/popping sounds, seemingly coming from the passenger side rear wheel/axle area, but definitely from under the truck.

Within a minute the buzzing got a little louder and was continuous. The slips/power loss was happening every few seconds, and then a powertrain error message flashed on the screen. I was in the process of pulling over when the regen braking stopped working and the truck just coasted. I tried to accelerate a little bit to make it to a parking lot, but the accelerator did nothing when depressed, so we just kind of rolled to a stop. I turned the truck off, waited 10 seconds, and then turned it back on. The red wrench was illuminated on the dash, but the truck started moving when I hit the pedal, so we turned around and headed back to the house.

On the way, we basically went through the same sequence of events, but we were able to get into the driveway without complete power loss at least. I parked it, turned it off, and we used another vehicle to go to the appointment.

Later that morning, I decided to try and drive the truck to the Ford dealer(~5 miles away) instead of calling for a tow. I normally use Sport mode, but I turned it to Normal and turned off the regen braking, just to see if that makes a difference. Red wrench light still on, and same sequence of events occurred again. I had to pull over about a mile into my drive, turn it off and on again. After starting on my way once more, the problems happened much more rapidly and I only was able to make it about 300 yards down the road before I had a complete power loss again. This time just about every error message imaginable flashed on the dash. Adaptive cruise, parking sensors, cameras, regen braking, etc etc etc. Everytime I dismissed an error message another popped up. There were sounds playing with the messages, and they just kept cycling through even after being dismissed. Turning on the 360 degree camera showed a normal picture for a second, then it flashed green, then black, then it showed images for just the front and back, then sides, then green again, round and round with glitchy video.

At this point, I turned it off again, waited a full minute, and turned it back on. Error messages start cycling again right away, and no propulsion, accelerator does nothing. I turned it off, waited 5 minutes before turning it on again, same thing. Ended up turning it off again, and calling for a tow. I sat there for almost 30 minutes before the tow company let me know it would be another 2 hours before they could get there. I figured, may as well try again, so I turned it on, and just like that, no errors, red wrench gone, and it goes when i hit the accelerator.

I decide to try and drive the rest of the way really slow, so I turn on my hazards and drive less than 25 mph the entire way. Truck is behaving normally, no sounds, no weird jerks or slips, no error messages, nothing. Pull in, tell the techs this whole story, and go home with a rental. The next day they call me and say that they drove it, and it seems fine, no problems. I ask if they tested it in Sport mode, with regen on/off, and they did not, so they took it back out again. They call me and say they thought they might have heard a weird noise, but it was quiet and seemed to be coming from the front of the truck. They put it on a jack and tried to recreate the noise with it in the air, and nothing. Sounds normal, behaves normal, just normal normal normal.

I picked it back up today. I took it around town stop and go traffic. I jack-rabbited some starts and tried some abrupt stops. I tried so slow starts and gradual stops. I took it on the freeway fast and slow, up and downs hills, through some potholes/bumps, anything I could think of. Its running absolutely perfectly.

So I don't know what to make of this. Has anyone had anything like this before??? I was legit worried that something serious had broken or malfunctioned and now it's completely normal without any intervention at all. I'm at a loss, but I'm still nervous that this problem will randomly crop up again. I drive quite a bit for work, and I don't want this to happen on the freeway in the boonies, leaving me stranded for who knows how long. Really hoping someone has some insights into this they could share. Thanks.

Be wary of the ohmmu battery - there has been at least one, maybe two fires in the Lightning. If it was failing it could produce some of those issues you had.

 

[krazyrunner86]

Appreciate the feedback. The tech did not mention any trouble codes, but after reaching out about it they told me they had multiple codes that related to the truck basically dying, but none of them were diagnostic in any way, and nothing pointed them to any specific cause.

I've been driving it quite a bit since I got it back. It is working 100% normally. It's bizarre.



As for the Ohmmu battery, yes, I saw that person's post before, and I have read a lot about it. Speaking strictly for myself, I think there were some red flags in that post that were ignored, and maybe contributed to this bad outcome. Regardless, here is my experience:

My connection to the Ford Pass app was always somewhat unreliable. The truck would frequently not display the network connection icon on the infotainment screen. The app would not show the updated GPS of my truck for hours/days at a time. Refreshing the GPS would not change that. It would not show an up to date battery charge level, again hours/days behind. My ability to remotely activate the climate control was very limited, and in a cold climate, this was incredibly frustrating.

I tried clearing the app data/cache. Deleting the vehicle from account and re-adding. Uninstalling and reinstalling the app. Uninstalling and reinstalling on a different phone. I would unplug the 12v battery and that would fix the problem for a day or two, most of the time. The best it ever worked was completely randomly, it was rock solid for 1 week, then I drove to work one day and it was gone again.

I got frustrated enough to have the dealer look at it. They said my 12v battery was fine, and nothing seemed obvious wrong, but they also had difficulty maintaining the network connection while using their phone, so it seemed like 99.9% probability it was the truck. I have gotten all the software updates that promised better functionality, but nothing ever improved.

I ended up paying for a whole new modem/internet module for the truck, which wasn't cheap, and for a few weeks, things seemed better, but still not as reliable as I would expect. For reference, my wife's Rivian/app has never once failed to show updated location/charge and activate climate. But things were definitely better, so I tried to be patient. However, maybe after 3-4 weeks it seemed like everything was the same as before.

I brought it back, and asked them to look at the 12v again. I would periodically get the Infotainment message about turning off to save battery, so I suspected that the 12v was having problems. They again said it tested fine, but I asked them to replace it anyway. They did, and things were marginally better for a couple weeks, and then it again gave me the power save message. I was so fed up with things at that point that I decided to buy an Ohmmu just to see if things changed. In my mind I was convinced something about the OEM 12v battery was the root of my problems. I installed the Ohmmu a couple months ago, and I have not had a SINGLE problem with FordPass since. GPS, charge, climate, everything just WORKS. I was driving to work a few weeks back and I just happened to notice the network icon on the infotainment was missing, and thought crap, here we go again. But when I parked at work, I noticed it was back, which had NEVER happened before. And checking the app, it showed the correct charge level and location.

So I can't speak to everyone else, and I can understand some people have hesitation about these batteries. But it solved a problem that no one was able to get even close to before, so I'm going to stick with it. On zero degree days, being able to get into a nice warm truck for my drive home is such a quality of life improvement. During my propulsion problems, infotainment and dash screens were functioning fine, apps worked well, phone bluetooth and Android Auto were unaffected, speakers/music was fine, so to me it seems less likely that the 12v system is involved. Not impossible, but certainly not high on the suspicion list.

Related, I'm curious about their sodium battery. I almost got that, but I wanted to be able to use their battery management app. THAT, it turns out, is pretty crappy, but I'm wondering if anyone has any experience they could share re: the Ohmmu sodium.

Again, appreciate the feedback.

 

[RLXXI]

Appreciate the feedback. The tech did not mention any trouble codes, but after reaching out about it they told me they had multiple codes that related to the truck basically dying, but none of them were diagnostic in any way, and nothing pointed them to any specific cause.

I've been driving it quite a bit since I got it back. It is working 100% normally. It's bizarre.



As for the Ohmmu battery, yes, I saw that person's post before, and I have read a lot about it. Speaking strictly for myself, I think there were some red flags in that post that were ignored, and maybe contributed to this bad outcome. Regardless, here is my experience:

My connection to the Ford Pass app was always somewhat unreliable. The truck would frequently not display the network connection icon on the infotainment screen. The app would not show the updated GPS of my truck for hours/days at a time. Refreshing the GPS would not change that. It would not show an up to date battery charge level, again hours/days behind. My ability to remotely activate the climate control was very limited, and in a cold climate, this was incredibly frustrating.

I tried clearing the app data/cache. Deleting the vehicle from account and re-adding. Uninstalling and reinstalling the app. Uninstalling and reinstalling on a different phone. I would unplug the 12v battery and that would fix the problem for a day or two, most of the time. The best it ever worked was completely randomly, it was rock solid for 1 week, then I drove to work one day and it was gone again.

I got frustrated enough to have the dealer look at it. They said my 12v battery was fine, and nothing seemed obvious wrong, but they also had difficulty maintaining the network connection while using their phone, so it seemed like 99.9% probability it was the truck. I have gotten all the software updates that promised better functionality, but nothing ever improved.

I ended up paying for a whole new modem/internet module for the truck, which wasn't cheap, and for a few weeks, things seemed better, but still not as reliable as I would expect. For reference, my wife's Rivian/app has never once failed to show updated location/charge and activate climate. But things were definitely better, so I tried to be patient. However, maybe after 3-4 weeks it seemed like everything was the same as before.

I brought it back, and asked them to look at the 12v again. I would periodically get the Infotainment message about turning off to save battery, so I suspected that the 12v was having problems. They again said it tested fine, but I asked them to replace it anyway. They did, and things were marginally better for a couple weeks, and then it again gave me the power save message. I was so fed up with things at that point that I decided to buy an Ohmmu just to see if things changed. In my mind I was convinced something about the OEM 12v battery was the root of my problems. I installed the Ohmmu a couple months ago, and I have not had a SINGLE problem with FordPass since. GPS, charge, climate, everything just WORKS. I was driving to work a few weeks back and I just happened to notice the network icon on the infotainment was missing, and thought crap, here we go again. But when I parked at work, I noticed it was back, which had NEVER happened before. And checking the app, it showed the correct charge level and location.

So I can't speak to everyone else, and I can understand some people have hesitation about these batteries. But it solved a problem that no one was able to get even close to before, so I'm going to stick with it. On zero degree days, being able to get into a nice warm truck for my drive home is such a quality of life improvement.

Related, I'm curious about their sodium battery. I almost got that, but I wanted to be able to use their battery management app. THAT, it turns out, is pretty crappy, but I'm wondering if anyone has any experience they could share re: the Ohmmu sodium.

Again, appreciate the feedback.

Two posts up, on the ohmmu battery.

 

[krazyrunner86]

Two posts up, on the ohmmu battery.

That post is about the issue with the Ohmmu Lithium, not the sodium.

 

[RLXXI]

That post is about the issue with the Ohmmu Lithium, not the sodium.

There's been reports on both.

 

[TaxmanHog]

@krazyrunner86 how is AT&T cell reception in your travel & living region? Spotty services can be a contributing factor, it's needed of all telematic functions, binding to your home or work wifi networks won't mitigate issues like remote monitoring of truck functions and adjustments.

 

[MountainAlive]

I’ve never heard of an experience like this one. I gave your post to Gemeni AI and here’s what it had to say:

That is a classic, "ghost in the machine" Ford Lightning story. Since you're active on the forums, you know these trucks can be incredibly sensitive to communication errors between the various modules.

Based on the symptoms described—the "slipping" sensation, the crackling noises, the Christmas tree of dashboard errors, and the glitchy cameras—there are three likely culprits.

1. The 12V Battery / Ohmmu Connection
It is highly suspicious that the owner mentioned replacing the stock 12V with an Ohmmu lithium battery to solve previous FordPass issues. While Ohmmu is a popular swap, the Lightning's Battery Management System (BMS) is calibrated for a Lead-Acid/AGM charge profile.
If the BMS isn't playing nice with the Lithium voltage curve, or if the terminals are even slightly loose, it can cause a "brownout" on the low-voltage data bus (CAN bus). When the voltage dips, the sensors for the motors and cameras start sending garbage data, leading to exactly the kind of glitchy behavior and "limp mode" the user described.


2. A Failing Half-Shaft or CV Joint
The "buzzing/crackling/popping" specifically from the passenger rear wheel area suggests a mechanical-meets-electrical failure.
• The Scenario: A failing CV joint or a loose tone ring (which the computer uses to measure wheel speed) could be sending erratic signals.
• The Result: The truck's Traction Control and Stability Control systems think a wheel is slipping or locking up. It "stutters" the motor to compensate (the slipping sensation) and eventually gets so confused by the conflicting data that it throws a Powertrain Error and shuts down propulsion to protect the drivetrain.

3. High-Voltage Cable Chafing or Connector Issues
There have been documented cases of the wiring harnesses near the rear drive unit rubbing against the frame or suspension components.
• If a data wire or a shielded high-voltage cable has a tiny breach in the insulation, it can cause intermittent "arcing" or EMI (Electromagnetic Interference).
• This would explain the "popping" sounds and why the 360-degree cameras went haywire—EMI can wreak havoc on digital video signals.

Why did it "fix" itself?
In most EV systems, a "Deep Sleep" or a long power-down cycle (like the 30 minutes waiting for the tow truck) allows the modules to fully discharge and reset their error states. If the physical trigger (like a specific vibration or moisture) isn't present during the dealer's test drive, the truck will appear "Normal, normal, normal."

The Verdict: If I were that owner, I’d check the 12V terminal tightness first, then have a tech specifically inspect the rear passenger wheel speed sensor and the wiring harness near the motor for any signs of rubbing or rodent damage.

 

[chl]

That post is about the issue with the Ohmmu Lithium, not the sodium.

The OP said:

" The only other problem I had was regarding the truck communicating with the Ford Pass app, which was finally resolved(seemingly) after replacing the 12v battery with an Ohmmu lithium...."

 

[krazyrunner86]

I’ve never heard of an experience like this one. I gave your post to Gemeni AI and here’s what it had to say:

That is a classic, "ghost in the machine" Ford Lightning story. Since you're active on the forums, you know these trucks can be incredibly sensitive to communication errors between the various modules.

Based on the symptoms described—the "slipping" sensation, the crackling noises, the Christmas tree of dashboard errors, and the glitchy cameras—there are three likely culprits.

1. The 12V Battery / Ohmmu Connection
It is highly suspicious that the owner mentioned replacing the stock 12V with an Ohmmu lithium battery to solve previous FordPass issues. While Ohmmu is a popular swap, the Lightning's Battery Management System (BMS) is calibrated for a Lead-Acid/AGM charge profile.
If the BMS isn't playing nice with the Lithium voltage curve, or if the terminals are even slightly loose, it can cause a "brownout" on the low-voltage data bus (CAN bus). When the voltage dips, the sensors for the motors and cameras start sending garbage data, leading to exactly the kind of glitchy behavior and "limp mode" the user described.


2. A Failing Half-Shaft or CV Joint
The "buzzing/crackling/popping" specifically from the passenger rear wheel area suggests a mechanical-meets-electrical failure.
• The Scenario: A failing CV joint or a loose tone ring (which the computer uses to measure wheel speed) could be sending erratic signals.
• The Result: The truck's Traction Control and Stability Control systems think a wheel is slipping or locking up. It "stutters" the motor to compensate (the slipping sensation) and eventually gets so confused by the conflicting data that it throws a Powertrain Error and shuts down propulsion to protect the drivetrain.

3. High-Voltage Cable Chafing or Connector Issues
There have been documented cases of the wiring harnesses near the rear drive unit rubbing against the frame or suspension components.
• If a data wire or a shielded high-voltage cable has a tiny breach in the insulation, it can cause intermittent "arcing" or EMI (Electromagnetic Interference).
• This would explain the "popping" sounds and why the 360-degree cameras went haywire—EMI can wreak havoc on digital video signals.

Why did it "fix" itself?
In most EV systems, a "Deep Sleep" or a long power-down cycle (like the 30 minutes waiting for the tow truck) allows the modules to fully discharge and reset their error states. If the physical trigger (like a specific vibration or moisture) isn't present during the dealer's test drive, the truck will appear "Normal, normal, normal."

The Verdict: If I were that owner, I’d check the 12V terminal tightness first, then have a tech specifically inspect the rear passenger wheel speed sensor and the wiring harness near the motor for any signs of rubbing or rodent damage.

The 12v connections are all snug and tight, but a good idea to check for sure. As for the Ohmmu, it is certainly possible that it's involved. It seems strange that my network problems would be 100% improved from that battery, while at the same time it is also causing HV propulsion problems, but it's all possible. For now, I'll plan to keep watching everything for funny business I guess.

 

[krazyrunner86]

The OP said:

" The only other problem I had was regarding the truck communicating with the Ford Pass app, which was finally resolved(seemingly) after replacing the 12v battery with an Ohmmu lithium...."

The end of my second large post was asking if anyone had any personal experiences with the sodium battery.

 

[krazyrunner86]

Also, the wires grounding out behind the glovebox problem

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...hile-driving-pending-fix-48.33583/post-631084

That's an interesting thread that did not come up on my searches of the forum, thank you for linking. Not difficult to imagine something like happening, and it sounds like a nightmare if it happens... :/

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