What folks with failed HVB modules have in common

[Maxx]

People that have already had failed HVB modules, please share your charging and driving habits. All of our HVB packs have cells that are closer to the edge than others. I am trying to see what conditions pushes them over the edge. Of course some packs have cells that are more suicidal than other packs. My truck was built around the same time as many others with failed batteries so there is a chance my pack is high risk. I am mostly interested in things we have control over to delay that dreaded day.

On charging:

• Did you typically charge to 80%, 90%, 60%..?
• On the average, at what SOC your pack spent most of its time before it failed?
• How many kWh of fast charging did you have before it failed?
• At what kW rates did you do your level 2 charging?
• How low and how often did you let your SOC go?
• How many 100% SOC charges did you have?

On driving:

• Did you drive in sport mode very often?
• Do you decelerate quickly at stop sign or very gradually?
• How often did you floor it?

Other:

• Do you live in hot climate, did your truck spent a lot of time under the sun in summer?
• When was your truck built? Or if you don’t know purchased?
• How many miles did you have on your pack when it failed?

If there is any other information you think may be relevant, please do share.

I am not sure if there is in fact a common condition that accelerates HVB failure, but if there is, I am hoping we can find it in this thread.

Relevant threads:

Stats on failiour, Photos, Some failures, Repair Video,

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[Tedmister2]

Mine had the trouble code when I bought it with 43 dealership miles. The module is being replaced this coming week. I have 7800 miles and have not noticed it affecting anything really.

 

[Piquette]

I have searched the Lightning Forums for an explanation of what causes battery module failures. To me it seems pretty much random. Ford probably knows, why they expect about 4% of Lightnings to have one or more battery module failures to occur, but they ain’t saying’. So to answer your questions:

On charging:

• Did you typically charge to 80%, 90%, 60%..?
• 
  I charge regularly to 85%, and only rarely to 100%.
• 
  
• On the average, at what SOC your pack spent most of its time before it failed?
• 
  My best guess is about 70%.
• 
  
• How many kWh of fast charging did you have before it failed?
• 
  I have only used a DCFC once (6 months before a module failed) and only added about 20 kWh.
• 
  
• At what kW rates did you do your level 2 charging?
• 
  About 6kw/hr
• 
  
• How low and how often did you let your SOC go?
• 
  lowest I have let the SOC go to is 25%, and that occurs about 1-2 times per month.
• How many 100% SOC charges did you have?
• 
  Maybe 15 times. Last time was on April 8 before going up to Vermont for the eclipse.

On driving:

• Did you drive in sport mode very often?
• 
  Never.
• 
  
• Do you decelerate quickly at stop sign or very gradually?
• 
  Gradually to get the maximum benefit of regenerative braking.
• 
  
• How often did you floor it?
• 
  Maybe 3 times in the 9 month I have owned the Lightning.

Other:

• Do you live in hot climate, did your truck spent a lot of time under the sun in summer?
• 
  My truck lives outside in central NH. It never gets really hot here, but it can get cold in the winter.
• 
  
• When was your truck built? Or if you don’t know purchased?
• 
  April/May 2022. It was a dealership’s mannequin. I bough it in August of 2023 with 5000 miles.
• 
  
• How many miles did you have on your pack when it failed?
• 
  11,000.

If there is any other information you think may be relevant, please do share.

Cell #96 in Module 9 failed requiring the entire module to be replaced. This occurred on February 1, 2024 after the truck had been sitting for 12 days while we were away on a trip. In addition, I usually drive the speed limit except for the interstates where I tend to do 55 mph.

I am not sure if there is in fact a common condition that accelerates HVB failure, but if there is, I am hoping we can find it in this thread.

Good luck in your search for a pattern. I would love to know the causes of these failures and what I can do to avoid having another one.

 

[Whammy Bar]

On charging:

• Did you typically charge to 80%, 90%, 60%..? Charge to 90% after it would dip below 50%. Didn't charge every day.
• On the average, at what SOC your pack spent most of its time before it failed? Somewhere between 50-90
• How many kWh of fast charging did you have before it failed? 500-1000
• At what kW rates did you do your level 2 charging? 48A
• How low and how often did you let your SOC go? Sometimes to the teens, but would charge next time it dipped below 50.
• How many 100% SOC charges did you have? 10?

On driving:

• Did you drive in sport mode very often? 10%
• Do you decelerate quickly at stop sign or very gradually? 1 pedal rate
• How often did you floor it? 100%

Other:

• Do you live in hot climate, did your truck spent a lot of time under the sun in summer? SoCal 92618
• When was your truck built? Or if you don’t know purchased? June 22
• How many miles did you have on your pack when it failed? 11k

 

[detansinn]

You've got an 8 year/100k mile warranty on the pack. I wouldn't lose much sleep over it.

 

[Maxx]

You've got an 8 year/100k mile warranty on the pack. I wouldn't lose much sleep over it.

I lose sleep over going to dealer for any reason. I have seen too much.

 

[IdeaOfTheDayCom]

I've only used DC fast chargers on a few long trips, but otherwise I charge at home, but most of the time I only need to charge once a week unless I'm planning a long trip.

When I do, it charges from 12am to 8am. When I'm 40% or less that brings me to about 80% because I configured my charger to 5 Kwh per hour, so the most I can pick up in that 8 hour period is 40% (I have a Standard Range with a 100 Kwh battery, so 5 Kwh is 5% x 8 hours = 40%).

I drive in New York City, where the local speed limit is 25 Mph on most roads, 35 Mph on larger roads, and 50 Mph in highways.

There are speed trap cameras literally EVERYWHERE that ticket you when you go over 25, so most of the time I can't really hit high speeds.

Meanwhile even with the 50 mph highway speed, you're lucky to get to 40 with the traffic.

I rarely floor it or use Sport Mode, but coincidentally the day before my wrench icon, I did drive in NJ where the speed limit was 65 and I did floor it in sport mode getting onto the highway, but that's super rare for me.

My truck was delivered the last week of August of 22, which means it was made a month or so earlier.

It failed at the end of March, with temperatures hovering around 50˚ F.

 

[Maxx]

It failed at the end of March, with temperatures hovering around 50˚ F.

You must have forgotten to hang that rabbit foot on your mirror that day. The rest of your SOP does not seem that bad. May I ask if you had the recalls done before then? And how many miles you had on it?

 

[IdeaOfTheDayCom]

You must have forgotten to hang that rabbit foot on your mirror that day. The rest of your SOP does not seem that bad. May I ask if you had the recalls done before then? And how many miles you had on it?

No recalls were done before that. I had about 15,000 miles and about a 70% charge when the warning showed up.

I think I was just one of the unlucky 3-4% that were expected to have this problem, so it may or may not be something that can be linked to driving habits.

 

[RickLightning]

The reality of it is that these vehicles have battery components that have issues. It has nothing to do with usage. That is why Ford was able to state it was about 4% right up front. Doesn't matter how you use it, charge it, etc.

 

[Piquette]

The reality of it is that these vehicles have battery components that have issues. It has nothing to do with usage. That is why Ford was able to state it was about 4% right up front. Doesn't matter how you use it, charge it, etc.

I have reached the same conclusion. Your best strategy is to find a dealer with an outstanding service department.

 

[SmoothJ]

On charging:

• Did you typically charge to 80%, 90%, 60%..?
  90%
• On the average, at what SOC your pack spent most of its time before it failed? 90%
• How many kWh of fast charging did you have before it failed?
  100…if that.
• At what kW rates did you do your level 2 charging?
  8
• How low and how often did you let your SOC go?
  Weekdays… 75% Weekends 51%
• How many 100% SOC charges did you have?
  15… not many.

On driving:

• Did you drive in sport mode very often? No
• Do you decelerate quickly at stop sign or very gradually?
  Both but more gradually.
• How often did you floor it?
  I never floor it due to spin out. Maybe once a month I take it to the brink of 80-90 very quickly, but more often than not I just do a 10pm pull to maybe 55-60 (speed limit of the road) but not floor it… maybe 60-75% power. I just like to watch people catch up.

Other:

• Do you live in hot climate, did your truck spent a lot of time under the sun in summer?
  No… in NJ
• When was your truck built? Or if you don’t know purchased?
  June 2022 - original owner
• How many miles did you have on your pack when it failed?
  Shortly after the BECM update (around 15K) and right after my 20K maintenance (which was 18900 miles)

 

[TheBigBezo]

Do y'all think there is a mileage where you'd expect a module failure by? Let's say I have 21k miles, and most reported failures before 15k, could that be a confidence signal that I should not expect a module failure or is that a reach?

 

[Maxx]

The reality of it is that these vehicles have battery components that have issues. It has nothing to do with usage. That is why Ford was able to state it was about 4% right up front. Doesn't matter how you use it, charge it, etc.

You may be correct. Hopefully we will get enough responses to verify that.

 

[Maxx]

Do y'all think there is a mileage where you'd expect a module failure by? Let's say I have 21k miles, and most reported failures before 15k, could that be a confidence signal that I should not expect a module failure or is that a reach?

You definitely won't have a Battery failure between 21K-100K. False confidence in this case is not a bad thing.

The thing is that most folks that have high mileage Lightning, put all those miles on their truck in a short period of time. We don't know impact of time on battery failure. So any assumptions, will be just that but I like how you are thinking.

I am still under 15K.

I just like to watch people catch up.

I do the same. I just accelerate as much as needed. If there is a youngster with a noisy sport car, I just stay a few feet ahead so they think they could have done it, just if......

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