Battery Pack MODULE Replacement: '22 Pro SR @ 62,000 miles

[hturnerfamily]

it has begun:

Battery Pack MODULE Replacement: '22 Pro SR @ 62,000 miles


history:
- 62,000 miles, towing camper 1/2 of those miles, with nary any issue before now... 3+ years, so far... and lovin' it : )

- last week, suddenly the truck would not take a Level 2 240v 30amp Charge, at home, as it has effortlessly for the first 3 years
- red ring
- using the Ford Mobile EVSE on either 240v or 120v adapters - same outcome: red ring.
- driving the truck was not any issue
- drove to a local DC Fast Charger, Tesla 350kw brand new 'Other EV' Blue oval network capable with Plug-N-Charge - same outcome: red ring.

- this exceptional EV truck has graced the presence of a Ford dealer only twice, before now: tire rotation/30k mile 'checkup'(all good), and later 'grease-leakage' from the driver rear short drive axle, from the tire-side boot. Ford replaced at no cost, under 'Electric Powertrain Warranty', at 40,000 miles.

- Local FORD Dealer looked online at the truck's Software/Electronic alerts and feedback, just by entering the VIN#
- one alert was "Powertrain Malfunction / Reduced Power", which I've seen before, but never revealed itself as any long-term issue, generally resolved at the next ON/OFF cycle. The 12v battery level was excellent, although I had also tried to reset the NEGATIVE terminal as part of my 'reboot' process when this red-ring charging issue first happened. I had also put a 12v charger on the small battery for a while, just to make sure it had a reasonable SOC level. I had also already checked for dealers who had this battery in stock, thinking that this issue might only be a 'low' 12v battery.
- another notification on the Dealer's screen showed something like "Hybrid/BEV Battery" issue, which is likely a tip-off of a cell not holding it's charge, or voltage level.
- they kept the truck for a tech to start some deeper diagnosis

- the next day, I got a call that the diagnosis showed that one of the battery pack modules needed to be replaced, per Ford. Not necessarily what I wanted, or expected, to hear, but if that's what it takes to resolve the charging issue - o.k., and under the extensive 10yr/80,000 mile Electric Powertrain Warranty'.

.... they have received the replacement MODULE, in a crate, and have started the replacement process: will update when completed, today or tomorrow...

Sponsored

 

[boggle]

Sorry to hear of your woes. At least it seems like you have a good dealer who knows what they're doing. Will be curious about your total replacement timeframe at the dealer.

Would also like to see any part replacement paperwork you are willing to share from the dealer, specifically which module and what the specific errors/troubleshooting they cited before replacement.

 

[fhteagle]

Thanks for the thorough write-up. I'm amazed they let you into the shop to see any of the process, by cool that they did.

Best of luck with repair....

 

[TaxmanHog]

Watching for your fixed report, hopefully it won't take much time.

 

[hturnerfamily]

The service writer allowed me to stand next to them and look over the pages of information about the truck... nice. While they have replaced a harder-to-replace MachE module, they had not done this with a LIGHTNING - although, the Lightning is probably an easier job, easier to get to the pack, etc.

I think the 'time' is mostly in the waiting:

- waiting for someone to schedule for the diagnosis of the issue
- waiting during the day-long, or multi-day, diagnosis
- finally receiving a call that Ford has approved the ordering of the new Replacement Module
- waiting several days/or even more if over the weekend, for the dealer to receive the module
- waiting for the tech's scheduled 'time' to start the process
... it's been a week and a half, so far...

I stopped by, in my wife's EV9, at the end of the day yesterday, to 'look' at my baby. She was in an open bay, right next to the Dealer's sales floor entry door, with no one around.
It looks like they've removed all the bolts from the Battery Pack cover, and those from the top of the Module crate... but, I couldn't tell if that means the new module has already been replaced, or not.

it looks like today is the day. maybe.

At least the FORD App allowed me to 'see' when they turned the truck ON, or moved it, etc., during the first so many days. Now it just tries and fails to connect to the server, which I take to mean that the 12v battery is detached, while under replacement.

 

[RickLightning]

Once the new module(s) are in, they have to balance it. I believe that takes many hours. Then, for 22 days (if I recall) the BMS balances things more.

Make sure to check the level of your coolant after a few days, there are often air pockets.

 

[hturnerfamily]

right, I'm sure the balancing will be over a long period... I'll probably not chance a 'long' trip, too soon... but enough miles to allow it to have a reason to charge, often...

yes, I can imagine that disconnecting the chilling/warming hoses could allow for some air pockets when reconnecting...

 

[hturnerfamily]

along those lines of 'balancing', after this first happened, and after I had driven the truck back to my home, while they waited on the MODULE delivery, I plugged it into my normal 240v 30amp EVSE. Surprisingly, it started charging....




and, did so, while I checked on it with my FORD App, periodically...


until, after about an hour or so, I noticed that the KWh dropped from 7 to 1... I knew something might then be amiss...

it then stopped charging, and sent an ALERT to the app - "Charging ERROR"


what I realize is this: the miles to the dealer, and back home, used several kw of power, lowering the battery pack SOC by a few percentages... this, then, took the SOC down below the 'level' of the low cell, allowing then the whole pack to 'accept' charging, at least for a while, and up to the SOC of that low cell... maybe.
This is what confirmed, to me, that the dealer was correct in their diagnosis.

 

[GoodSam]

extensive 10yr/80,000 mile Electric Powertrain Warranty

" electric motor and key drivetrain components for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Additionally, the high-voltage battery is covered for 8 years or 100,000 miles, ensuring protection against defects and excessive capacity loss. " right?

 

[hturnerfamily]

per FORD's website:

What is the warranty on the F-150 Lightning?

Our New Vehicle Limited Warranty will help give you peace of mind with the following:

• Electric Vehicle Component Coverage: Eight years/100,000 miles (whichever occurs first), with retention of 70% or more of the original high voltage battery capacity over that period
• Powertrain Coverage: Five years/60,000 miles
• Bumper to Bumper Coverage: Three years/36,000 miles
• Safety Restraint System Coverage: 5 years/60,000 miles
• Corrosion Coverage (perforation only): 5 years/unlimited miles
• Electric Vehicle Roadside Assistance Program: 5 years/60,000 miles

it doesn't differentiate between 'Powertrain' and 'Electric Vehicle Component', although a battery-electric MOTOR would certainly seem to make sense as an EV component, as well as anything that has any connection to/from the HV battery... certainly most anything that is not part of the typical gas or diesel vehicle types.
'Powertrain' does make sense for the drive axle from the motors, etc.

 

[GoodSam]

Is there a description of the parts covered by the warranties for the EV Components (8yr/100Kmiles) vs. the Powertrain (5yr/60Kmiles)?

Granger site:
https://www.grangerfordprotect.com/...ghtning-warranty-coverage-costs-and-benefits/

Powertrain Warranty	5 years / 60,000 miles	Covers the electric motor, transmission, and key drivetrain components
Battery & Electric Components Warranty	8 years / 100,000 miles	Covers battery pack, electric drive components, and high-voltage electronics

Sponsored