Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP) 26B09 - GWM, APIM, TCU Update - Intelligent Backup Function

[chl]

Hope the 23 HIS owners affected are on this Forum and can tell us how well the update works, if it solves any issues.

I am happy with using the 240V 30A PPOB outlet for emergency backups through a transfer switch.

I wonder how the C-V2X on the new Ford UEV truck will work, i.e., will Ford have a particular requirement for an installer/inverter, will the software needed be built in standard or require an additional fee, will it work with the entry level smaller battery, what will the limits on current/voltage/power be, etc.

Have to look that up...AI tells me:

"For its 2027 Universal EV Platform (UEV) lineup—starting with an affordable ~$30,000 midsize electric pickup—Ford is revolutionizing vehicle-to-home (V2H) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) power. The system uses a consolidated "E-Box" that handles AC/DC power conversion, charging, and energy distribution in a single unit

Bi-Directional Charging: The UEV architecture natively supports both Home Backup Power (V2H) and Home Power Management (V2G)

The E-Box (Energy Management Unit): Ford has consolidated scattered electronic control modules into a single, highly serviceable unit. This unit facilitates transferring AC power directly back to the house during grid outages or scheduled peak energy hours

Grid Arbitrage: The system supports Ford Home Power Management software, which lets users automatically charge their EVs with cheaper, off-peak grid electricity and then use that stored energy to power their homes when electricity rates are higher

Battery Reserves: Drivers can use the app to set mileage limits or a minimum built-in reserve, ensuring the vehicle maintains enough charge to commute or reach a charger even after powering the house during an extended outage "

AI copied the above from this article apparently:

https://fordauthority.com/2026/07/ford-says-uev-supports-home-backup-power-home-power-management/

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[Jim Lewis]

And the fix is right after HIS is discontinued...

That's not quite correct. The HIS unit is still being sold. The FCSP is not. The FCSP is required to use the HIS unit. But if you already have an FCSP unit, you can still buy and install Sunrun's Home Integration System. Note the concluding line in the Sunrun quote below. I think Ford, by its pricing and lack of support, effectively killed the Home Integration System years ago...

Perhaps the reason for fixing HIS function now is more towards not having the shadow of a dysfunctional HIS system hanging over any battery backup systems offered with Ford's 2027 trucks and beyond. And based on the description of CSP BS2609, much of the dysfunction of BPT came built into your Ford truck, not the equipment on the wall.

Text on the Sunrun website: https://www.sunrun.com/shop/product...EkZzAkdDE3ODM1Njc0NzIkajYwJGwwJGg2NjUwNjg3ODc.

For the first time ever, you can back up your home with your truck – made possible by technology from Sunrun and Ford. With the Ford Home Integration System, your home and truck can sync seamlessly to send power where you need it, when you need it.

The HIS is only compatible with the Ford Charge Station Pro EV Charger. If you have any other EV Charger, the HIS will not function. Ford is no longer selling this EV Charger, but you may have been shipped one with the purchase of your F-150 Lightning. If you do not have a Ford Charge Station Pro EV Charger, do not purchase the Ford HIS.

 

[chl]

That's not quite correct. The HIS unit is still being sold. The FCSP is not. The FCSP is required to use the HIS unit. But if you already have an FCSP unit, you can still buy and install Sunrun's Home Integration System. Note the concluding line. I think Ford, by its pricing and lack of support, effectively killed the Home Integration System years ago...

Text on the Sunrun website: https://www.sunrun.com/shop/product...EkZzAkdDE3ODM1Njc0NzIkajYwJGwwJGg2NjUwNjg3ODc.

Is SUN RUN really still selling and installing the HIS equipment?

AI says:

The core HIS equipment (designed in partnership with Sunrun) is no longer actively sold. You can view the outdated product landing page on the Sunrun Home Integration System store.

But maybe AI got it wrong....

When I go to the referenced page, the 4000W inverter system price never changes when I select the 10kW inverter system and go to check out....so something is amiss there.

 

[Jim Lewis]

Is SUN RUN really still selling and installing the HIS equipment?

AI says:

The core HIS equipment (designed in partnership with Sunrun) is no longer actively sold. You can view the outdated product landing page on the Sunrun Home Integration System store.

But maybe AI got it wrong....

When I go to the referenced page, the 4000W inverter system price never changes when I select the 10kW inverter system and go to check out....so something is amiss there.

You must be using less than a frontier AI model. ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, and Claude all say essentially what I said. Claude is the most negative of the lot. It says in summary:

Me: Can one still purchase the Home Integration unit from Sunrun even though the Ford FCSP is no longer being sold?

Claude: Technically yes, but it's not very useful anymore — the Home Integration System (HIS) still shows up as purchasable through Sunrun's site, but it only works with the Ford Charge Station Pro, and if you don't already have that charger, Sunrun tells you not to buy the HIS.

The price of the different inverter sizes has been the same since I signed up to buy the 4 kW version in January 2023.

 

[Pitbull2o08]

My 23 falls square in the date range and HIS has been I operable for 3 years. I just installed a battery into the inverter because I was planning on getting rid of the truck. I will get the update and report back.

 

[Jim Lewis]

Perhaps it's too soon for any notice of CSP 26B09 to show for affected owners, but I just got my monthly vehicle health report and visited my Ford account page. It shows no outstanding recalls or CSPs for my vehicle:

 

[chl]

You must be using less than a frontier AI model. ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, and Claude all say essentially what I said. Claude is the most negative of the lot. It says in summary:


The price of the different inverter sizes has been the same since I signed up to buy the 4 kW version in January 2023.

OK...strange the price stays the same.

I agree with you that "Ford, by its pricing and lack of support, effectively killed the Home Integration System years ago..." the HIS is way too expensive for what it provides...when it works.

The truck PPOB already has on-board a 7.2kW inverter output (240V x 30A in the bed of the truck) which can be used with a $400 transfer switch to power the emergency circuits.

What were they thinking?

 

[Jim Lewis]

The truck PPOB already has on-board a 7.2kW inverter output (240V x 30A in the bed of the truck) which can be used with a $400 transfer switch to power the emergency circuits.

What were they thinking?

Originally, control of Backup Power Transfer (BPT) was in the Ford app. With the truck in your garage plugged into the FCSP, you could monitor and control BPT from anywhere. You go away on vacation, either by flying or driving another vehicle. Your truck stays at home. You could remotely nurse your house backup for days through the Ford app. Ford was giving away thousands of dollars' worth of equipment during the initial sales of the Lightning, having not achieved economies of scale. Perhaps if they'd worked all the bugs out of the HIS system before its release and were willing to give some of that money away to make the HIS system a "loss leader," it would have gained more popularity. As it was, it certainly wasn't a gateway drug for anything but depression!

I don't know about the Generlink option, but you certainly can't plug an extension cord into your bed outlet or flip a transfer switch from another state. So, the supposed automatic backup ability and remote control of backup power transfer were probably what Ford was thinking about. You also don't have to run your truck for backup power transfer to work with the Home Integration System.

 

[chl]

Originally, control of Backup Power Transfer (BPT) was in the Ford app. With the truck in your garage plugged into the FCSP, you could monitor and control BPT from anywhere. You go away on vacation, either by flying or driving another vehicle. Your truck stays at home. You could remotely nurse your house backup for days through the Ford app. Ford was giving away thousands of dollars' worth of equipment during the initial sales of the Lightning, having not achieved economies of scale. Perhaps if they'd worked all the bugs out of the HIS system before its release and were willing to give some of that money away to make the HIS system a "loss leader," it would have gained more popularity. As it was, it certainly wasn't a gateway drug for anything but depression!

I don't know about the Generlink option, but you certainly can't plug an extension cord into your bed outlet or flip a transfer switch from another state. So, the supposed automatic backup ability and remote control of backup power transfer were probably what Ford was thinking about. You also don't have to run your truck for backup power transfer to work with the Home Integration System.

Yes the remote control and automatic aspects might be useful for some, I can see that must have been what they were after - too bad it was so poorly executed and took so long to debug, if the proposed update solves the issues.

The GENERAC transfer switch is manual but can actually be made automatic so it connects to the 'external generator' when there is a power outage, however the external generator (Lightning PPOB) has to be on and ready for that to happen.

Leaving the truck ON and PPOB ready while away in another state is not something I would want to do for any length of time. Maybe PPOB on when truck if OFF would be a way, but using the PPOB seems to run down the 12v battery if not on a maintainer, and there is the minimum 100W load requirement to keep it from turning off.

Remote use is not something I can envision needing anyway.

I use it as a manual emergency backup when I am around and power goes out.

Of course, that hasn't happened since I got my system ready for it, all I've done is run tests for the Ford team working on a couple PPOB 'bugs' and a couple times I got it ready when a T-storm rolled through.

The HIS was used in TV ads around here back in the early days of Lightning promotion, and it got my attention enough for me to buy a FCSP on eBay from an owner who never opened the box or needed it. But then I read the posts and watched the videos about all the problems, and looked at the cost, and that changed my mind about the HIS. I thank you and all the others for posting about that!

Then I read about people using the PPOB for emergency backup so I made sure to find a Lightning with the 7.2kW in the bed to buy and bought a GENERAC 6853 manual transfer switch for around $400.

I have never gone above about 2kW of the 7.2kW available with the 10 circuits on my house backup which kind of surprised me. Funny I never calculated the everyday use - I'm an electrical engineer - my bad. So I am thinking about adding a small on-demand hot water heater to the backup system since I have the headroom.

I don't live in an area subject to regular outages (knock on wood). But when they do happen because a hurricane remnant or derecho comes through, they can last for days.

From what I've read, it looks like the new UEV truck will have built-in V2X with an on-board system eliminating the need for the HIS complexity and troubles. Time will tell if they get that right!

 

[Randall Stephens]

If the software is available there’s no reason you can’t do it yourself. But it’s free…so why would you if somebody else is footing the bill?

Three words, “stupid dealers.”

 

[chl]

Three words, “stupid dealers.”

Inexperienced techs can sometimes screw things up, as can inexperienced DIYers.

 

[Pitbull2o08]

Well this couldn’t have come at a worse time. I won’t have the truck after this afternoon because you know why.

you all take care and good luck.

 

[flux capacitor]

Mine also falls in the date range 5/23. I was at the dealer last Friday getting the recall done and my 30k service. I showed them the sample letter and asked if that could also be done, but they told me they can only do what is listed from Ford and nothing more. The link I saw in the beginning that supposedly lists the Vin numbers takes me to a Ford site that only allows someone with access and I do not have it. I do not have the Sunrun equipment, but thinking this may be useful at some point in the future. Is this a wait and see if you are one of the 23 or is there going to be a list available to the public?

 

[Jim Lewis]

I showed them the sample letter and asked if that could also be done, but they told me they can only do what is listed from Ford and nothing more.

Not sure why folks without the HIS unit are eager to have the updates done to their truck. The updates, despite the CSP bulletin's language, could be a regression. Automatic backup power transfer worked reasonably well for me between December 2023 and April 2024. Then I presume some truck update screwed things up, as automatic BPT never worked well after that. Urban legend has it that Ford reduced the wake time of the FCSP plugged-in truck during power outages to reduce 12V battery drain, making it harder for the truck and the HIS unit to properly synchronize. So, for hypothetical example, if that were true, Ford could revert affected trucks to a longer wake time, and everyone else might not benefit from that. The important thing is not what the exact problem and cure are, but not to assume it'll help you if you don't need it to get your HIS unit working.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Mine also falls in the date range 5/23. I was at the dealer last Friday getting the recall done and my 30k service. I showed them the sample letter and asked if that could also be done, but they told me they can only do what is listed from Ford and nothing more. The link I saw in the beginning that supposedly lists the Vin numbers takes me to a Ford site that only allows someone with access and I do not have it. I do not have the Sunrun equipment, but thinking this may be useful at some point in the future. Is this a wait and see if you are one of the 23 or is there going to be a list available to the public?

Your truck is probably not on the HIT LIST of TWENTY THREE vehicles !

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