I think 12V battery died

[Maquis]

Wow! That's brutal! Is it a problem with the model, or driving style, like lots of short drives/start/stops?
I killed my first Lightning battery with driveway shuffles in just over a year.

All I know is the first was replaced under warranty and the dealer said no issues with the vehicle. The charging system checked normal after I did the replacement.
I know one other person that had the same make/model and had a similar experience. They got rid of it after the second battery failed.
I suspect excessive vampire drain with this particular model’s design.

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[rzanzerkia]

You have a dashcam, how often did you use it in parking mode in the past 3 years?

https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/rexing-v55-dashcam-stays-on.26845/

Yes I do have it. It is possible it drained the 12V but there is more going on because even with jumper cables car would not go in Drive.

 

[rzanzerkia]

Were you connecting directly to the battery or to the cables on the bumper?

The battery doesn’t charge from the cables on the bumper. That’s just to open the hood.

I was connecting to + and - post inside the frunk (NOT at the leads in the bumper). It is definitely related to weak 12V but something else is going on beyond that.
Car is at dealer now, waiting to find out…

 

[rzanzerkia]

Update: Dealer called. It’s high voltage junction box they have to replace. He said there’s a TSB 25-2247. Day and half work. What is confusing is that I had all recalls done on the car, not sure how this was missed. Glad it’s getting fixed and I hope it’s covered by warranty.

 

[Adventureboy]

Update: Dealer called. It’s high voltage junction box they have to replace. He said there’s a TSB 25-2247. Day and half work. What is confusing is that I had all recalls done on the car, not sure how this was missed. Glad it’s getting fixed and I hope it’s covered by warranty.

Yep, that would do it. I'm curious if your HVBJB was replaced already and this is the second one. That is more common than it should be.

 

[T-Money]

My 4 years of trouble free days are over…
With the cold New England temps and car was not driven for the last 3-4 days.
So today my wife took the car to a store about 4-5 miles from the house.
After 2 hours when she tried to start the car she is getting all kinds of warning and can’t put the car in D.
So I went there with my other car, jumper box (Blue Fuel) and jumper cables.

Car locks and unlocks.
Pressing start gives all kinds of warnings (see pics).
Pressing off moves seat back.
I tried using a Jumpbox but no luck. (To the red post under the plastic cover on the driver side and negative terminal next to it, NOT on the battery itself).
I tried adding jump wires for good 20 minutes, no difference.
I locked up the car and left in the parking lot for the day.
I do have the Ford PremiumCare warranty ($50 72 months/60K, I am at around 24K miles.
I talked to local Ford dealer but too busy to let me talk with service adviser to see what is covered and what’s not.
If tow is covered I would have it towed to local Ford dealer.
Questions:
What should be my next steps to get the car at least home so I can trickle charge the battery?
Maybe use jump wires again tomorrow and charge for 1 hour or more?
Trying to avoid unnecessary two and potential damage to the car.
Clearly I am going to replace the battery (is it possible to DIY)?
Does PremiumCare cover tow and 12V battery replacement?
What about the diagnostics?

Thanks

I recently got a message on the Ford app warning me about my 12 V battery, "...soon your battery may not be healthy enough to start your vehicle." I advised me to have the battery tested at the dealer. It was such a random message on a Thursday afternoon, I have had my car for less than 2 years, and I had not noticed anything strange happening with my battery. So, I treated it as a software glitch, a message sent in error. Then Friday morning I got a call from Ford customer service, the rep said they had noticed a warning message about my battery. They offered to help me get a service appointment to have it looked at. I got the appointment and went in the next day (Saturday). It turns out, the battery was toast and needed to be replaced.

I am so glad they acted quickly, even though I hadn't taken it seriously. You can be guaranteed that I will from now on. Thankfully, the service was covered by my warranty.

 

[Mach-Lee]

I recently got a message on the Ford app warning me about my 12 V battery, "...soon your battery may not be healthy enough to start your vehicle." I advised me to have the battery tested at the dealer. It was such a random message on a Thursday afternoon, I have had my car for less than 2 years, and I had not noticed anything strange happening with my battery. So, I treated it as a software glitch, a message sent in error. Then Friday morning I got a call from Ford customer service, the rep said they had noticed a warning message about my battery. They offered to help me get a service appointment to have it looked at. I got the appointment and went in the next day (Saturday). It turns out, the battery was toast and needed to be replaced.

I am so glad they acted quickly, even though I hadn't taken it seriously. You can be guaranteed that I will from now on. Thankfully, the service was covered by my warranty.

Yes the "Check 12V Battery" messages should be taken seriously and you should replace the battery if you get the warning message. Even if the dealer says it's fine (they sometimes lie or don't test it properly). Not worth the risk.

 

[RodHower]

Yes the "Check 12V Battery" messages should be taken seriously and you should replace the battery if you get the warning message. Even if the dealer says it's fine (they sometimes lie or don't test it properly). Not worth the risk.

Is the "Check 12V Battery" something they added in a SW update or has it always been a feature?

 

[Maquis]

Is the "Check 12V Battery" something they added in a SW update or has it always been a feature?

Added in an update.

Details here.

 

[rzanzerkia]

Got the car back today.
HVJB changed.
They did verify my 12V is at 99% SOC. (They must have put on a charger). Though I am going to change 12V this summer.
This work (including rental) is covered under 8yr./100K warantee.
That gives me some assurance for the next 4 years.

 

[rhougey]

Got the car back today.
HVJB changed.
They did verify my 12V is at 99% SOC. (They must have put on a charger). Though I am going to change 12V this summer.
This work (including rental) is covered under 8yr./100K warantee.
That gives me some assurance for the next 4 years.

See post #37 above. I would change the 12V now, unless you want to risk being stranded and having to complain about the car again.

 

[Adventureboy]

They did verify my 12V is at 99% SOC. (They must have put on a charger). Though I am going to change 12V this summer.

If it were me, I wouldn't wait. A full discharge on your 12v in freezing temperatures for a few days is really hard on any battery, and yours is already an aged battery on borrowed time.

 

[Mini166]

Yes the "Check 12V Battery" messages should be taken seriously and you should replace the battery if you get the warning message. Even if the dealer says it's fine (they sometimes lie or don't test it properly). Not worth the risk.

I

Yes the "Check 12V Battery" messages should be taken seriously and you should replace the battery if you get the warning message. Even if the dealer says it's fine (they sometimes lie or don't test it properly). Not worth the risk.

I’m charged up and ready to travel to Monterey and back from Napa. I missed a message in my app from 2 weeks ago about checking the 12v. Should I not make this drive today? I scheduled an appointment for Monday, but I’m assuming I should not make this drive today. Thoughts?

 

[Vgkfan]

“The "Check 12-Volt Battery" Alert: Ford has enabled battery health alerts that will warn you on your dashboard and directly in the FordPass App when capacity drops below a healthy threshold. Owners generally report having anywhere from a few days to 3+ weeks to get the battery replaced after this initial alert.”
That is from an ai search, but I believe it’s accurate. I think I waited a couple of weeks but I wasn’t planning a trip. I would probably rent a car for the trip, or, if you have mobile service and the battery is at least 2 and a half years old, give them a call. They may be able to come out and replace it today.

 

[Mach-Lee]

I

I’m charged up and ready to travel to Monterey and back from Napa. I missed a message in my app from 2 weeks ago about checking the 12v. Should I not make this drive today? I scheduled an appointment for Monday, but I’m assuming I should not make this drive today. Thoughts?

If you are driving it should be okay, but get it replaced when you get back.

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