12v battery issue that Ford Service can't solve

[4thedawgz]

So for at least the past 6 months, my 2022 Lightning Lariat ER will not install updates. I am prompted every day to install the update(s), and they fail because "the battery level is too low". This will happen every time, even with 90% or more on the HVB and 100% SOC on the LVB.

I have taken my truck into my local Ford service department twice on this issue when it first occurred, and they were unable to resolve it or even figure out what's actually going on. The best they could do was temporarily block the notifications on the infotainment center, which were getting insanely annoying.

My warranty has since expired and the issue was never fixed. I then resorted to troubleshooting with Car Scanner and Forscan, and eventually reset the BMS (without and then with a battery disconnect), charged the 12v battery, but I still can't get updates to install. I've followed numerous posts, step by step processes, and nothing.

I already had the BMS replaced by Ford, as well as a new 12v battery under warranty.

What else can I try? Should I just go to a different Ford dealer?

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[chl]

I keep my 12v battery on a trickle charger to avoid premature death (its, not mine) and ensure OTAs will install.

For other methods see this from the mach-e forum - they have the same issues. The charging one worked for me when I could not get an OTA:

About the different ways to charge up the battery to get OTAs:

https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/how-to-get-failed-otas-to-install.29749/

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For more information about the issue read on:

Deep discharge, which the lightning algorithm allows, is not good for longevity of these batteries, and the high charging currents seen when the battery is low, are another bad feature of the lightning system of 12v battery management.

This post form the Mach-e forum goes into depth about these 12v AGM batteries:

https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/how-to-recondition-service-your-12v-battery.11069/


If the details about how AGM battery charging progresses are accurate, the truck will not, on it's own, top off the battery in many cases because of the time it takes. That makes a trickle charger even more important for longevity since it can be on the 12v battery for many hours at a time charging even when the truck HV is not.


And this one about the different ways to charge up the battery to get OTAs:

https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/how-to-get-failed-otas-to-install.29749/

Also several threads here about putting trickle chargers on the battery and how to make it easier by adding a trickle charger wire:

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/charging-12v-battery.16979/

This is what I did - I put a wire with an SAE plug on one end through a small hole I drilled next to the charge port hinge where it would not damage anything, and ran it to the battery compartment where I attached it to a fused wire with ring terminals that would fit the 6mm bolts:

 

[B177y]

I believe @rugedraw had a post somewhere about fixing this issue. IIRC you have to use ForScan to reset one or more modules. I truly don't remember the exact post so wait to see if he responds to his bat-signal ping.

 

[rugedraw]

I believe @rugedraw had a post somewhere about fixing this issue. IIRC you have to use ForScan to reset one or more modules. I truly don't remember the exact post so wait to see if he responds to his bat-signal ping.

@4thedawgz Message me the VIN. I need to see why they're failing to provide any insight.

 

[chl]

I suspect the BMS sensor or some other part of the BMS is malfunctioning so the system does not know your LV battery SOC correctly.

So if for some reason the recalibrating of the BMS did not take, I'd try the procedure again.
(Of course, the new BMS sensor might be bad, too - anything is possible.)

I assume when you charged the battery you knew the negative connection of the charger MUST be downstream of the BMS sensor (the thing on the negative terminal of the battery) but just in case.

Blue circles yes, red x's no.

I'd check for any apparently loose wires - someone posted an issue when the battery terminals were not tight enough - yes sounds crazy I know.

Any blown fuses?

Another possibility might be an issue with the CAN bus, the BCM or the PCM.

As I said above, it could be the replaced BMS sensor from Ford was bad.

So you have used FORscan. A read out might be able to identify the issue and which component is funky.

So I;'d suggest you take a screen shot or otherwise post the FORscan read out and someone on this Forum may have an idea.

Were any components showing errors - DTCs?

Did you run any of the built-in diagnostic tests?

Since your trouble arose before the warranty lapsed, and was never resolved, if thee is a bad component, Ford should still be liable for the fix. Might have to argue that with them.

Maybe contact the BEV team at Ford?

Here: FORD BEV Hotline 1-866-631-3788, or 800-392-3673, 571-831-5352

 

[chl]

Seems there were quite a few owners not getting OTAs in the past..

One Lariat owner apparently got it resolved this way: " The dealer had said they re-flashed the gateway module? Not sure if that is the reason it worked this time "

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...n-ota-update-service-was-clueless.7787/page-6

 

[chl]

This post describes the same issue you are having:

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...-not-installing-vehicle-battery-is-low.27395/

But the dealership said it was a low battery.

Be sure the 12V battery is fully charged before performing the BMS reset.

There was another "bug" that the truck would not install updates if the time to do it was set for midnight.

In another case it was the BMS.

However, dealer can install updates manually, but some say they don't like to.

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