If you drive dirty roads, check under your frunk

[WXman]

I drive a mile of gravel road daily. At 4,500 miles I pulled my access panel to check my 12v battery connections and to my surprise the entire area behind the tub was COVERED in gravel dust and dirt. So bad that I couldnt' even read the label on the battery. It was horrible. I used compressed air from my shop compressor to blow a lot of it out. Sigh....I guess this will now have to be a frequent maintenance item.

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[MillieChliette]

It gets dirty under there no matter what, even on normal roads.

Why does it have to be clean?

 

[Andrewbens]

Why is this even a post.

 

[WXman]

Well, the fact that you guys don't understand "why this is a post" says all that needs to be said. I might as well talk to a wall because automotive forums aren't visited by guys who know anything about automotive anymore.

For the Cliff’s Notes version….there are components behind the frunk. Components that are used for thermal control of systems on your truck. And thermal control doesn’t work as well if it’s covered in dirt. There are also lots of electrical connections behind your frunk. And guess what? Electrical connections don’t work as well when they get dirty. And we won’t even discuss how frustrating it is for a service technician to get assigned to work on your vehicle when it’s covered in dirt.

But, nevermind. I can tell you guys are the type who just think “get in and drive” is all there is to know about a vehicle. So I’ll move along….

 

[Maquis]

Well, the fact that you guys don't understand "why this is a post" says all that needs to be said. I might as well talk to a wall because automotive forums aren't visited by guys who know anything about automotive anymore.

For the Cliff’s Notes version….there are components behind the frunk. Components that are used for thermal control of systems on your truck. And thermal control doesn’t work as well if it’s covered in dirt. There are also lots of electrical connections behind your frunk. And guess what? Electrical connections don’t work as well when they get dirty. And we won’t even discuss how frustrating it is for a service technician to get assigned to work on your vehicle when it’s covered in dirt.

But, nevermind. I can tell you guys are the type who just think “get in and drive” is all there is to know about a vehicle. So I’ll move along….

I’ve been driving gravel roads since the day I got my truck. Almost 3 years. I did notice the dirt buildup when I was checking my 12V BMS sensor. Initially, I had concerns similar to yours.
But I’ve never cleaned it and have yet to have any issues in that area. Time will tell because it’s just not practical to clean that out often.

 

[RickLightning]

It is designed to get dirty. While cleaning that area might seem like it makes sense, the rest of the frunk area you cannot get to is as dirty. Removing the covers and frunk tub to clean is totally unnecessary.

4/2025 - https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/lots-of-dust-in-12v-battery-area.26365/

 

[electricpig]

Well, the fact that you guys don't understand "why this is a post" says all that needs to be said. I might as well talk to a wall because automotive forums aren't visited by guys who know anything about automotive anymore.

For the Cliff’s Notes version….there are components behind the frunk. Components that are used for thermal control of systems on your truck. And thermal control doesn’t work as well if it’s covered in dirt. There are also lots of electrical connections behind your frunk. And guess what? Electrical connections don’t work as well when they get dirty. And we won’t even discuss how frustrating it is for a service technician to get assigned to work on your vehicle when it’s covered in dirt.

But, nevermind. I can tell you guys are the type who just think “get in and drive” is all there is to know about a vehicle. So I’ll move along….

Your post comes off as very condescending and arrogant . If you know something that is not common knowledge, just explain it . I'm quite sure I know plenty of technical things you do not, but I'm not going to act.superior because of it. I'm not superior and neither are you.

 

[Crosbo]

I drive a mile of gravel road daily. At 4,500 miles I pulled my access panel to check my 12v battery connections and to my surprise the entire area behind the tub was COVERED in gravel dust and dirt. So bad that I couldnt' even read the label on the battery. It was horrible. I used compressed air from my shop compressor to blow a lot of it out. Sigh....I guess this will now have to be a frequent maintenance item.

Thanx for sharing, WXman.

 

[proprepper]

Well, the fact that you guys don't understand "why this is a post" says all that needs to be said. I might as well talk to a wall because automotive forums aren't visited by guys who know anything about automotive anymore.

For the Cliff’s Notes version….there are components behind the frunk. Components that are used for thermal control of systems on your truck. And thermal control doesn’t work as well if it’s covered in dirt. There are also lots of electrical connections behind your frunk. And guess what? Electrical connections don’t work as well when they get dirty. And we won’t even discuss how frustrating it is for a service technician to get assigned to work on your vehicle when it’s covered in dirt.

But, nevermind. I can tell you guys are the type who just think “get in and drive” is all there is to know about a vehicle. So I’ll move along….

Those areas are critical. My 22 with only 23k miles had a electrical connection corrode(of course just out of warranty) requiring wire splicing because the parts unavailability.

 

[Mike G]

I've removed my frunk tub three times now for various reasons and have cleaned out under there with shop air each time. It does get nasty. Because of where I live I'm also looking out for mouse nests and stuff that squirrels may have deposited. Also, a lot of people overlook the lower intake for the HVAC condenser in the center of the bumper area. I've now installed a screen so I don't have to occasionally remove a bushel of leaves and other debris (like the dead bird I found).

I like keeping the 'underhood' areas clean in all my vehicles, so the Lightning is no different.

 

[Rip]

I drive a mile of gravel road daily. At 4,500 miles I pulled my access panel to check my 12v battery connections and to my surprise the entire area behind the tub was COVERED in gravel dust and dirt. So bad that I couldnt' even read the label on the battery. It was horrible. I used compressed air from my shop compressor to blow a lot of it out. Sigh....I guess this will now have to be a frequent maintenance item.

After reading all the replies here, I can see that it is probably a good thing to do periodically. Anyone have a link to instructions for this? I mostly drive regular paved roads, but in the winter they are often covered with salt and sand, and I think it's probably not great to let that build up anywhere. Do you think a springtime cleaning would suffice, or would you do it twice a year? I haven't disassembled anything on the truck yet, so I'm not sure what's under there. Could it be cleaned out with a pressure washer, or would that risk electrical issues?

 

[Baja Lightning]

Well, the fact that you guys don't understand "why this is a post" says all that needs to be said. I might as well talk to a wall because automotive forums aren't visited by guys who know anything about automotive anymore.

For the Cliff’s Notes version….there are components behind the frunk. Components that are used for thermal control of systems on your truck. And thermal control doesn’t work as well if it’s covered in dirt. There are also lots of electrical connections behind your frunk. And guess what? Electrical connections don’t work as well when they get dirty. And we won’t even discuss how frustrating it is for a service technician to get assigned to work on your vehicle when it’s covered in dirt.

But, nevermind. I can tell you guys are the type who just think “get in and drive” is all there is to know about a vehicle. So I’ll move along….

My other car is a 2008 Land Cruiser 200 series with no dust protection under the hood, at 170,000 miles you should see how dirty it is…AND… guess what….it still runs great….
Despite your superior intellect us hillbillies trust the smart engineers at Ford to close areas that needs closing so that we just “get in and drive”
have a great day sir, and relax a bit!!!!

 

[RickLightning]

After reading all the replies here, I can see that it is probably a good thing to do periodically. Anyone have a link to instructions for this? I mostly drive regular paved roads, but in the winter they are often covered with salt and sand, and I think it's probably not great to let that build up anywhere. Do you think a springtime cleaning would suffice, or would you do it twice a year? I haven't disassembled anything on the truck yet, so I'm not sure what's under there. Could it be cleaned out with a pressure washer, or would that risk electrical issues?

NEVER USE A PRESSURE WASHER!

 

[Joe Dablock]

How about spraying with a garden hose? I often spray the engine compartment with a garden hose on ICE vehicles.

 

[MountainAlive]

I appreciate the warning to periodically clean under the frunk area. Luckily I don’t drive much at all on dirt or gravel roads but if I did I’d be a little concerned about caked on dirt and dust on all those connectors too. I’ve kept all my previous vehicles for 15 to 20 years and speaking experience, those types of connectors are some of the first things to go when vehicles age. But I’m probably in the minority here worrying about this truck in 15 years time

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