Red ring issue

[timothyedwards]

I have the red ring issue when it’s below freezing and charging at home. Truck is parked outside year round. This is the first winter to have the issue. Took it dealer and they updated the system with 5 updates. It works fine using DC fast charging.

Still getting red ring when below freezing but interestingly I noticed the blue lights when I went out after remote starting. So when I got back from the trip I plugged in and got the red ring again multiple times so I left it plugged in and remote started from remote then it switched to blue charging lights.

Why would it do that? It’s helpful because now I can charge using AC but am curious.

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[chriserx]

Certainly interesting, maybe something is in an invalid state, but it'd have to be something it doesnt test for, leave the 12v unplugged for a bit and see if the behavior changes. Also check your stored codes, could be a relay or something failing but not quite failed.

 

[potato]

1. What EVSE are you using? Are there any warning/error indicators from it? If it's the Ford mobile charger, those are known to be crap and the first thing I would try is a different EVSE.

2. Do you have a charging window (preferred start/stop times) and are plugging in at a low-ish state of charge that will take up most of the charging window? I find the truck software to be brain damaged in that case. It will start charging early because it thinks it might not finish within the window, then realize that yes it could, so it stops, then repeats. It cycles through starting / waiting / stopping for a couple of minutes before reporting a charge fault. My truck does this pretty reliably if I plug in at 40-45% below my target charge. I have to do stupid workarounds like waiting until the charge window has started before plugging in, setting the target charge lower (must be plugged in to do this... ) then raising it again once charging has started, or just let it fault then do something later to "wake up" the truck at which point it evaluates the rules again. I have seen just walking by it with the fob work, but normally I'd just send a lock command through the app. I imagine your remote start would be doing the same thing.

 

[RickLightning]

Try another level 2 charger to eliminate the truck as the issue.

 

[chl]

I have seen that too.
My 12v battery is on a maintainer so rule the 12v system out.

I see it when I unplug my FCSP from the truck now and then when it is cold.

I even get a message that the EVSE had a fault in the FORD app sometimes.

Once the FCSP actually had a white light, so I used the house breaker to turn it off then on and it cleared that.

I think because it only happens when it's cold out, that maybe the FCSP is being used to heat the battery at the time I unplug it and so it creates a transient and the truck says "ooops there was a fault?"

After a few seconds of red ring, it clears.

The ghost in the machine due to funky programming.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Interesting the starting or remote starting the truck circumvents the failure!!

Hopefully you find other level 2 charging that doesn't cause a repeat of the red ring problem, but if the problem does follow, then I'm suspicious of the HVB contactor reliability or battery energy controls/charging having an issue.

 

[chl]

Ditto the above re reset the modules with a 12v battery disconnect and try another AC EVSE to see what happens.

Maybe also turn off the EVSE and then back on - maybe a glitch needs to be cleared in it?
-----
Why I think that:

If it were DC charging, I'd suspect the contactors or maybe the 12v system that activates them as recently mentioned above. But since the contactors work when you turn the truck on and when DC charging, something else is at play.

With AC charging I'd suspect the 12v system, or one of the modules involved with AC charging control or the J1772 connection/control signals, including a possible problem with the EVSE itself.

Since starting the truck clears it, well I ask myself, "what happens when you start the truck?"

One obvious answer is the HVB is connected to the DC-DC converter and the 12v system is powered, including providing voltage to the 12v battery trying to charge it.

However, one would think that a weak 12v system (battery) would also cause trouble with DC charging.

So my guess would be either a control module has a bad setting, or a communications issue with the J1772 control signals, maybe because the EVSE has an issue.

So, one thing to try would be unplugging the 12v battery for a period of time to clear any funkiness and reset the modules.

The other is try a different AC EVSE and see if that works.

-----
Any error codes detected if you did a scan?
If the above fails to clear the problem, get it to the Ford techs.

 

[Newton]

Does it turn on climate control when you remote start the truck? It seems a little trite but one possibility is that something is frozen and it melts when the truck gets above freezing. It could even be physical such as ice preventing a good contact with the EVSE plug.

 

[Grumpy2]

Confusing ... I can't explain why remote starting works ...
but when the temperature drops and your electrical demand increases in your panel perhaps you have a slight drop in voltage that your EVSE does not like ...
Was your EVSE professionally installed?

 

[chl]

Maybe try pushing the center button inside the red ring and see if that clears the red ring and allows AC charging?

I say that because...

As I posted earlier, I saw the red ring one time when I unplugged the CCS1 while the truck may have been using power to warm the battery one cold night.

I red somewhere that the red ring will appear if you are DCFC-ing and try to remove the plug without pushing the button. It also said that can persist because a pin may get misaligned.

I have never DCFC-ed the truck, however I decided I'd see if I pushed the center button on the ring before removing the CCS! what would happen.

So, last night I was about to run an errand.
My truck was plugged in and I could hear something running.
The truck was off and it was in the low 30's F.
I did not have a charge cycle scheduled, but the ring segments were flashing.
I pushed the center button on the ring and the flashing stopped.
When I removed the CCS1 plug, no red ring appeared.

I wonder if the OP had the button DCFC charging issue I read about and now the pin is misaligned and the red ring persists?

Not sure why starting the truck would clear it and allow AC charging, unless there is something that relates the pin, the red ring indication and the 12v system.

A mystery.

 

[timothyedwards]

Appreciate all the replies.

Some data points:

I have never used the ford supplied charger in the bag.

I have never setup up charging times or limitations.

I see the issue when I come home from driving so the vehicle is already warm internally. I am not sure but I would think the 12v system would be ~fully charged since I was driving it.

I use a Primecom.tech 32/40 amp charger. It is mounted in the garage but the cable is coiled and attached to the back of a shed outside. As part of my troubleshooting I did adjust the amps on the charger down to lower settings and it made no difference. I also have an older Clippercreek for the leaf and the problem remained.

I will try the 12v disconnect reset.

it is above freezing in Ohio now so the problem is not happening. We still have plenty more winter left though.

 

[chriserx]

Appreciate all the replies.

Some data points:

I have never used the ford supplied charger in the bag.

I have never setup up charging times or limitations.

I see the issue when I come home from driving so the vehicle is already warm internally. I am not sure but I would think the 12v system would be ~fully charged since I was driving it.

I use a Primecom.tech 32/40 amp charger. It is mounted in the garage but the cable is coiled and attached to the back of a shed outside. As part of my troubleshooting I did adjust the amps on the charger down to lower settings and it made no difference. I also have an older Clippercreek for the leaf and the problem remained.

I will try the 12v disconnect reset.

it is above freezing in Ohio now so the problem is not happening. We still have plenty more winter left though.

If you still have the Ford charger I would definitely give it a whirl and see if it's the primecom causing the issue. Up until you mentioned it, I had never even heard of it.

 

[RickLightning]

Since you also tried the ClipperCreek charger, and it did not work, you have an issue with the truck. Dealership time.

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