Home backup power in Canada

[Jim Lewis]

To switch to speculating about the unlikely, it would be a nice, charitable touch by Ford if a future Home Integration System of theirs ever evolves to universal ISO-15118 bidirectional interoperability, that Ford just generously upgrades our cursed original Home Integration Systems that they haven't been able to make work reliably since it came out in 2022. ChatGPT says the truck itself is likely close to ISO-15118 interoperability, and the weakest, most expensive part to replace to gain ISO-15118 operability would be the HIS equipment (the Delta inverter, the microgrid interconnect device, etc.). @Ford Motor Company, maybe you can relay this brilliant suggestion of mine up the chain of command?!

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[chl]

To switch to speculating about the unlikely, it would be a nice, charitable touch by Ford if a future Home Integration System of theirs ever evolves to universal ISO-15118 bidirectional interoperability, that Ford just generously upgrades our cursed original Home Integration Systems that they haven't been able to make work reliably since it came out in 2022. ChatGPT says the truck itself is likely close to ISO-15118 interoperability, and the weakest, most expensive part to replace to gain ISO-15118 operability would be the HIS equipment (the Delta inverter, the microgrid interconnect device, etc.). @Ford Motor Company, maybe you can relay this brilliant suggestion of mine up the chain of command?!

It is definitely a selling point if they could ever get it right.

From what people have been saying, it seems to be mainly a communication problem between the truck and the HIS.

Using bluetooth seems to have been a bad idea, with all the hard-wired signal potential of the CCS1 plug that could have been used.

I would not be surprised if Ford had Siemens adapt an existing bluetooth system for the Lightning.

They could have used the same signalling that is used for DC Charging -

"...specifically Power Line Communication (PLC) or Controller Area Network (CAN) bus—via the charging cable to manage, monitor, and safely deliver power.

• How Control Works: The Electric Vehicle’s Battery Management System (BMS) communicates directly with the charger, regulating voltage and current in real-time to prevent overheating.
• What Bluetooth Does: While some mobile chargers or specialized off-grid DC-DC converters (like those in RVs) use Bluetooth for user monitoring or settings, public DC fast chargers (CCS, CHAdeMO) utilize wired, high-speed, and secure connections.
• Safety & Reliability: Wired connections are essential for the high-speed data exchange needed for safety, as Bluetooth is too unreliable for regulating 50kW–350kW+ power transfer. ..."

You can say that again!

I think Ford would have to change:

1) the FCSP logic and
2) the Ford software, and possibly
3) the Lightning logic (or what ever the new EV truck will be called).

Somehow I don't see retrofitting the HIS happening...alas.

 

[Jim Lewis]

It is definitely a selling point if they could ever get it right.

From what people have been saying, it seems to be mainly a communication problem between the truck and the HIS.

Using bluetooth seems to have been a bad idea, with all the hard-wired signal potential of the CCS1 plug that could have been used.

I just had an interesting conversation with Google Gemini 3. It seems to think that the issue for me is not Bluetooth, but the PLC line communication protocol. The reason it gives is (which may be spurious, given AI) is that the truck gets the wakeup call that grid power is out (the LED charge port lights come on as WHITE and stay so for 30 seconds). Gemini says during that time, PLC (Power Line Communication) should get the truck to set the high-voltage contacts and prepare for power transfer, but that fails because the LEDs go out after ~30 seconds. The truck is likely failing to recognize any PLC signal or timing out too quickly. Gemini claims the charging head unplug/replugs trick wakes the truck up, helps set the contacts, and alerts the truck to look more aggressively for the PLC signal. As to why automatic transfer now fails, when it worked for me in a brief window from December 2023 into April 2024, Gemini says the following:

The "April 2024" Turning Point

Around this time, Ford pushed several updates to the Gateway Module (GWM) and Secondary On-Board Diagnostic Module (SOBDM).

• The Handshake Window: Many users reported that after this specific update cycle, the "Automatic" trigger became essentially non-functional. The theory among the power-user community is that Ford tightened the timing window for the digital handshake to prevent the truck from "hanging" in a high-power state if the signal was weak.
• The "30-Second Blackout": Your observation of the port lights turning white and then going out after 30 seconds is the key. That 30-second mark is the exact timeout for the PLC (Power Line Communication) handshake. The truck sees the "Grid Down" signal, starts the white-light "negotiation" phase, but for some reason, the HIS or FCSP fails to send the final "Close Contactors" confirmation before the truck’s internal timer hits zero.

Why Manual Works but Automatic Fails (Revisited)
Since we’ve ruled out grid noise, the difference between the two modes is likely Initialization Priority:

• Automatic: The HIS has to "wake up" the truck using a low-level signal across the Pilot pins. If there is any delay in the HIS getting its own internal inverter ready, the truck times out before the HIS is actually ready to pull the load.
• Manual (Re-plug): By physically plugging the truck back in, you are resetting the truck's "Ready to Handshake" state from scratch. This gives the HIS a fresh 30–60 second window to negotiate while it is already awake.

Gemini has a very negative view of any possible fix coming from Ford:

The Verdict: Why a "Fix" is Likely in Permanent Limbo

While technically possible, a software "undo" for the Home Integration System (HIS) is increasingly unlikely in 2026. Here is the candid reality of why this first-gen tech is being "sunsetted":

• The Hardware is Dead: Ford has officially ended production of the all-electric Lightning, pivoting instead to EREV (Extended-Range) architectures for 2027. The original CCS-based HIS is now considered "legacy" hardware.
• Engineering Brain Drain: Following massive layoffs in late 2025 (over 11,000 positions), the team that built the original backup protocol is largely gone. Remaining engineers are focused on the new Universal EV Platform, not debugging finicky 2023/2024 proprietary handshakes.
• The Interdependency Trap: Reverting the Gateway Module (GWM) to an older version isn't a simple "undo." Those updates often include critical 12V battery management and cooling patches. Ford won't risk breaking a truck’s drivability to fix a "niche" backup power feature.
• The Support Gap: While Ford promises 10 years of support, that usually means keeping parts in stock, not rewriting code for a discontinued ecosystem. Moving to a universal standard like ISO-15118 would require paying third parties (Sunrun/Delta) to update home units—an expense Ford is unlikely to swallow after taking a $19.5B restructuring charge.

Bottom Line: Your manual "unplug/replug" workaround is likely as good as it’s going to get. For those who need 100% reliability, the "exit strategy" is moving to a third-party V2X controller that treats the truck as a simple battery and provides its own "brains" for the house.

 

[tearitupsports]

I just had an interesting conversation with Google Gemini 3. It seems to think that the issue for me is not Bluetooth, but the PLC line communication protocol. The reason it gives is (which may be spurious, given AI) is that the truck gets the wakeup call that grid power is out (the LED charge port lights come on as WHITE and stay so for 30 seconds). Gemini says during that time, PLC (Power Line Communication) should get the truck to set the high-voltage contacts and prepare for power transfer, but that fails because the LEDs go out after ~30 seconds. The truck is likely failing to recognize any PLC signal or timing out too quickly. Gemini claims the charging head unplug/replugs trick wakes the truck up, helps set the contacts, and alerts the truck to look more aggressively for the PLC signal. As to why automatic transfer now fails, when it worked for me in a brief window from December 2023 into April 2024, Gemini says the following:

Gemini has a very negative view of any possible fix coming from Ford:

The problem is that there is no line communication. That is not how they implimented it. That is why systems like Sigenergy are much better, because they do use the hard wire lines through the charge cable (CCS1 protocol). There is zero chance that Ford is going to change anything else now on this system.

For your personal tests have you ever tried the system while the truck is on? I would leave the truck on (with timer disabled) overnight and then see if it auto backs up in the morning.
I disabled my HIS so I can't test this myself.

Maybe you just leave the truck on 24/7 from now on...

 

[Jim Lewis]

The problem is that there is no line communication. That is not how they implimented it.

@tearitupsports, Gemini provides the following reply along with references to two Ford TSBs that indicate it's not just Bluetooth. TSB 25-2065, from March 2025: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2025/MC-11015557-0001.pdf
TSB 25-2065 also references an older TSB, 24-2266. Unfortunately, that document appears to have been removed from the NHTSA website. I have attached TSB 25-2065 to this post for anyone interested.

Gemini's "smoking gun" analysis of why PLC between truck and FCSP (and RS-485 between FCSP and HIS unit) is involved: (ChatGPT also says a final PLC connection is required for safety reasons, too; a BT "close or open contacts" communication protocol does not provide a suitable, reliable safety margin):

1. The Undeniable "PLC" Proof (DTC U019B:00)

On page 1 of the TSB, it lists the specific error code the truck throws when the system fails: DTC U019B:00 stored in the SOBDMC.

• The Fact: U019B is the industry-standard code for "Lost Communication with DC-to-AC Converter Control Module."
• The Hardware: The SOBDMC (Secondary On-Board Diagnostic Control Module C) is the physical gateway for the PLC modem. In Ford's EV architecture, this module is the only one connected to the Control Pilot (CP) pin on your charge port.
• The "Killer" Argument: The SOBDMC has no Bluetooth radio. It is a hardwired module. If the communication were via Bluetooth, the error would have to be logged in the APIM (Sync module). The fact that the failure occurs in the SOBDMC proves the "lost communication" is happening on the hardwired PLC line inside the charging cable.

2. The Evidence for "Timing"
The TSB identifies the fix as a series of software updates to the GWM (Gateway), APIM (Sync), and TCU (Modem).

• In technical terms, these updates are "Latency Optimizations."
• Ford engineers found that the GWM (the PLC "translator") was timing out too quickly while waiting for the HIS unit to respond during a grid outage.
• The "Patience Update" (as it's known in tech circles) increases the millisecond window the truck waits for that PLC handshake before it assumes there is a fault and shuts down to save the 12V battery.

3. The 12V Battery Warning
The TSB explicitly warns technicians:

"Verify the negative cable of the charger is installed on a chassis... and not the 12V battery negative terminal to prevent the battery saver mode from activating."

This is the exact "BMS bypass" issue we've been discussing. If the truck's computer thinks the 12V is low (even if it isn't), it depowers the PLC modem (SOBDMC) to save juice.

There are some errors in Gemini's overanalysis of TSB 25-2065, but I think it gets the main idea right. BT authorizes BPT, and the main data exchange occurs through Ford's proprietary PLC protocol, where out-of-sync timing or too short timing windows can cause problems. Both a failure of BT authorization or a failure of proper PLC communication can cause BPT to fail.

View attachment TSB-25-2065 MC-11015557-0001.pdf

 

[Jim Lewis]

Gemini has a further comment on BT vs. PLC (could be AI hallucination, as was the quote it says you can find in TSB 25-2065), but here's what it says:

You are making a valid point: if Ford uses a proprietary protocol, using a global standard as a benchmark is a "landmine" in itself.

To address this without guessing, I looked for evidence of what the F-150 Lightning actually uses.

1. Is it ISO 15118?
Yes. Despite being a Ford-exclusive feature, Intelligent Backup Power (IBP) is built on the ISO 15118 standard.

• The Evidence: The Ford Charge Station Pro is manufactured by Siemens, and its technical datasheet specifically lists compliance with UL 9741. This is the standard for "Bidirectional Electric Vehicle Charging System Equipment," which relies on ISO 15118-20 for the digital handshake.
• The Physical Link: The "proprietary" part of Ford's system is the software layer (how it talks to the Sunrun HIS unit), but the Physical Layer (how the truck talks to the charger) uses HomePlug Green PHY PLC over the Control Pilot pin. This is the industry-standard "language" for any CCS-based bidirectional power transfer.

2. The Bluetooth vs. PLC "Fork in the Road"
You mentioned Ford's emphasis on Bluetooth. Here is the distinction that often causes the debate:

• Bluetooth's Role: It is used for Authorization. It’s the "security badge" that tells the charger it’s okay to start the process.
• PLC's Role: It is the Data Pipe. Once authorized, the actual commands to "close the contactors" and "send 9.6kW of DC" travel over the wired PLC connection.

MS Copilot critique of Gemini's analysis:

(Correct in that: )
Bluetooth only unlocks the charger.
All real control happens over PLC, but Ford adds a proprietary layer on top of the standard CCS handshake.
(Incorrect or oversimplified in that: )
• Incorrect that UL 9741 implies ISO 15118‑20
• Oversimplifies Ford’s proprietary PLC layer
• Ignores the timing‑window bug that explains your automatic BPT failures
• Overstates how “standard” Ford’s implementation is

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