12V battery failure while driving 45mph

[NotPatel]

So the root cause of complete shutdown of the original posters Lightning was a failed high voltage battery module, not a 12v battery. So monitoring the high voltage battery levels would be more important than the 12v battery voltage level to prevent middle of the road shutdown.

Honestly, I need to do some research and figure that out. So far, I only know what they have told me. My battery is generally never under a 40% charge. I guess I never checked my 12 V battery until yesterday morning when I left the house and it was at 70%.

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[PJnc284]

Would've been curious to have seen what Car Scanner or a similar app showed for the module variation and %.

 

[El Duderino]

Would've been curious to have seen what Car Scanner or a similar app showed for the module variation and %.

Yep, this. Also curious if you could get in front of this potential problem by monitoring those parameters.

 

[Spirit]

Update: Hopkins Ford called me. They said they went out to the truck today and the 12v was totally dead. Turns out the inverter is bad so they ordered a new one. I asked about the 12V labor being covered now and he said he would see - which is insane to me. Happy to pay for the battery (though, it only died b/c the inverter was dead). Labor is useless.

On Saturday (1/3), I was driving down the road at 45 miles an hour. No warning, no issues, nothing in my Ford app. I get 28 different warnings (Powertrain failure being one of them) that pop up and the truck just dies like a total brick in the middle of the road. I lose power steering and can’t even put on my flashers. Just a sitting duck.

I get it towed to a Ford dealership after a jump does not work and they tell me that my 12 V battery failed. It’s not covered by the extended warranty so between the diagnostic, battery, and labor I’m about $600. On top of that, they have a separate issue they can’t clear with the Bluetooth that they want to treat us a separate issue and want me to authorize a $200 diagnostic. I bought my 23 Lariat in October. It never sits for more than 10 hours and it’s always plugged in because I drive it a lot (in three months I have put close to 7000 miles on it). I do not understand how the 12V could’ve failed so suddenly and so catastrophically. I’m lucky I did not get hit. For reference, I have Ford premium care warranty that I bought directly from Ford.

Has anyone experienced this? Also, is this what Ford Service is like? Feels like I am being nickeled and dimed. Lexus, Cadillac, and Tesla just took care of issues like this, especially with warranty. Even when I asked about warranty coverage for the potential issue, he wanted me to authorize the $200 to diagnose and then reach out to Ford myself for a warranty coverage. Additionally, no loaner. Once again, I have Ford’s premium warranty that I bought at the same time I bought my Lightnings

I understand I could have done the battery on my own - I wish I had. But I had a powertrain failure warning along with 27 others. Additionally, Ford’s roadside was not able to jump it, so I waited for a tow for 2 hours. My wife came to get me - we were able to jump it with another car right away, but Ford advised not to drive it due to the powertrain failure warning.

I assume I have a bad dealer? I tried to contact ford. Ford protect’s number (8005214144) is “dead” for 2 days now, and the general Ford 800 number keeps disconnecting me after telling me they have to transfer me to Ford Protect.

My first Ford - pretty terrible experience so far.

I bought one of these online .. very inexpensive and I can see what the LVB is doing all the time.. the cabin temp is a bonus!

 

[NotPatel]

I bought one of these online .. very inexpensive and I can see what the LVB is doing all the time.. the cabin temp is a bonus!

Awesome idea - just annoying that I would have to do that when I can call a ford dealer and service can just tell me my 12V battery %. If they can see it, I should be able to see it easy

 

[El Duderino]

Any update from the 2nd dealer? Still think it's a bad HV module? Ordered new one?

 

[NotPatel]

Any update from the 2nd dealer? Still think it's a bad HV module? Ordered new one?

I should get an update today by EOD. On Friday, he called me EOD to say it was the battery module + my passive entry in one of the doors was causing a PaaK code to pop up. Both ordered under warranty and I would hear by by Tues. I'll update in this thread.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Please update your vehicle data via this link.

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/account/account-details

 

[RLXXI]

In a half-hearted defense of Ford's training of mechanics:

In the first round of AI funding in the 1980's I developed an expert system to diagnose a complicated high-speed packaging machine. This system, it turned out, diagnosed a problem that 3 trained industrial mechanics could not diagnose and fix in a full shift (thus 24 man hours). The mechanics never fired up the expert system. Their boss did, and had the machine running in 15 minutes.

Mechanics can find diagnosing complicated cars difficult, despite well-intentioned corporate training programs. Many are in way over their heads.

All the systems that run a Lightning are algorithmic, aside from some visual recognition stuff. Given the apparent inability of mechanics to understand what is happening with the Lightning, perhaps an expert system could help. They should be better than the antiques I developed. Every dealership should be able to diagnose these issues via the simplest version of AI. These vehicles are just not that complicated (as compared to an automated machine that took up about an acre of floor space, and had a couple thousand inputs and outputs.)

I feel a rant coming on. I'll quit here.

I can tell you from personal experience as an ex Ford tech and have been to all the schools Ford had at the time except auto transmission. The issue isn't so much with the training or the mechanics/technicians, it's Ford themselves and their SLTS.

They have some super tech squirreled away in a clean room taking apart and putting back together every Ford ever built to come up with labor times for warranty pay. So they claim.

Ford refuses to pay techs a living wage to handle all these technical systems. Their super tech can diag and change a part in less time than any tech on the planet. So they claim thus they formed SLTS as a direct result and all the mechanics/techs left for greener pastures and all they can get are kids still wet behind the ears to jump in for the jobs.

It's been going on since the 80's I'm told, it got me in the 90's. When you can't afford to buy a new Ford from your own dealer, it's time to move on. I left them over 20 years ago after suffering thru their warranty pay for 11 years.

Had to quit Ford to be able to afford a new Ford. That's the bottom line.

 

[PJnc284]

I can tell you from personal experience as an ex Ford tech and have been to all the schools Ford had at the time except auto transmission. The issue isn't so much with the training or the mechanics/technicians, it's Ford themselves and their SLTS.

They have some super tech squirreled away in a clean room taking apart and putting back together every Ford ever built to come up with labor times for warranty pay. So they claim.

Ford refuses to pay techs a living wage to handle all these technical systems. Their super tech can diag and change a part in less time than any tech on the planet. So they claim thus they formed SLTS as a direct result and all the mechanics/techs left for greener pastures and all they can get are kids still wet behind the ears to jump in for the jobs.

It's been going on since the 80's I'm told, it got me in the 90's. When you can't afford to buy a new Ford from your own dealer, it's time to move on. I left them over 20 years ago after suffering thru their warranty pay for 11 years.

Had to quit Ford to be able to afford a new Ford. That's the bottom line.

And Farley whines that they can't find techs....

 

[MountainAlive]

I can tell you from personal experience as an ex Ford tech and have been to all the schools Ford had at the time except auto transmission. The issue isn't so much with the training or the mechanics/technicians, it's Ford themselves and their SLTS.

They have some super tech squirreled away in a clean room taking apart and putting back together every Ford ever built to come up with labor times for warranty pay. So they claim.

Ford refuses to pay techs a living wage to handle all these technical systems. Their super tech can diag and change a part in less time than any tech on the planet. So they claim thus they formed SLTS as a direct result and all the mechanics/techs left for greener pastures and all they can get are kids still wet behind the ears to jump in for the jobs.

It's been going on since the 80's I'm told, it got me in the 90's. When you can't afford to buy a new Ford from your own dealer, it's time to move on. I left them over 20 years ago after suffering thru their warranty pay for 11 years.

Had to quit Ford to be able to afford a new Ford. That's the bottom line.

This might explain why every Ford tech I’ve met so far is about as happy as a postal worker.

 

[RLXXI]

This might explain why every Ford tech I’ve met so far is about as happy as a postal worker.

It's across the board from what I've gathered from others over the years. Ford GM Ram etc..

 

[RLXXI]

And Farley whines that they can't find techs....

They should have fired him years ago.

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