DEAD CAR IN WINTER

[Dhruval Shah]

I live in Manitoba,Canada. I have towed my car 3 times in winters. My dealership replaced the batteries and the issue is still the same. It goes upto -30 and the car dies within 15/20 mins when left outside. The dealership gave up on the issue and i'm left with this piece of junk. Does anybody happen to live in extreme cold and has ever faced issue as mine? Someone please guide me on the matter! Thanks!

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[Crilly]

When super cold, or just cold, my mache is ether plug in or left on. Turn off the 30 minute turn off.

 

[Nklem]

there is a recent bulletin on a power drain to the 12V battery due to the speedometer screen staying on. Search for that and make sure you are following the procedure to make sure that turns off when you turn the car off until the update is done. If your dealer will not help you, escalate it to another competent dealer or to Ford. -22F certainly cold.

 

[RickMachE]

Numerous threads of our Canadian and very northern US owners having 12 volt battery issues in the cold. Also a posting of a Ford document saying that below 15% HVB charge the 12 volt battery is not charged.

So yes, to the OP's question.

 

[ChasingCoral]

I live in Manitoba,Canada. I have towed my car 3 times in winters. My dealership replaced the batteries and the issue is still the same. It goes upto -30 and the car dies within 15/20 mins when left outside. The dealership gave up on the issue and i'm left with this piece of junk. Does anybody happen to live in extreme cold and has ever faced issue as mine? Someone please guide me on the matter! Thanks!

Sounds like something @Ford Motor Company should look into.

 

[2021mustangdan]

Threads like this have me worried as here in Sudbury , we been having -30C to -45C with windchill the last 2 weeks.

 

[Budman]

I live in Manitoba,Canada. I have towed my car 3 times in winters. My dealership replaced the batteries and the issue is still the same. It goes upto -30 and the car dies within 15/20 mins when left outside. The dealership gave up on the issue and i'm left with this piece of junk. Does anybody happen to live in extreme cold and has ever faced issue as mine? Someone please guide me on the matter! Thanks!

This is the post somebody else refered to about a possible source of a drain on the 12V battery.

https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...ith-ota-ford-power-up-2-1-0.13232/post-333154

 

[Dhruval Shah]

Threads like this have me worried as here in Sudbury , we been having -30C to -45C with windchill the last 2 weeks.

If I keep my car unplugged even for a while in this temps, 12v battery dies instantly.

 

[Dhruval Shah]

My dealership keeps saying it needs to be plugged in and I dont think its just the issue because batteries dont die in a few minutes no matter what the temparature is.

 

[Carsinmyblood]

If I keep my car unplugged even for a while in this temps, 12v battery dies instantly.

So, you have discovered an inconvenient work-around. Like others who plug in block warmers when parked, bring an EVSE and park where you can plug it in.

Ima guess that you are in that statistically small group that shouldn't buy a MME yet. The next advancement in battery technology may, or may not be the solution to -30* environments.

I'd waste no time in working with Ford directly.

 

[ChasingCoral]

It's a real shame y'all are running into this. I thought they had solved this issue with software updates after I had one of the first such system crashes a year ago.
https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...e-battery-lvb-followed-by-stuck-in-park.3490/

 

[Mach-e4x]

My dealership keeps saying it needs to be plugged in and I dont think its just the issue because batteries dont die in a few minutes no matter what the temparature is.

The battery is getting drained from something, I would tell them to keep until they find it.

 

[ChasingCoral]

So, you have discovered an inconvenient work-around. Like others who plug in block warmers when parked, bring an EVSE and park where you can plug it in.

Also, when at home it may make sense for you to keep a battery tender on the LVB during really cold periods.

I'd waste no time in working with Ford directly.

I'll disagree. This is a problem Ford engineers need to solve so they can ship the solution to the dealers to implement. The folks in Dearborn were critical in finding a solution when this happened to me and some other early car recipients last year
https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...e-battery-lvb-followed-by-stuck-in-park.3490/

I had thought the problem they implemented last year had this behind us. I guess not.

Time for me to go make sure Marlin will wake up. He wasn't plugged in over night!

 

[Dhruval Shah]

So, you have discovered an inconvenient work-around. Like others who plug in block warmers when parked, bring an EVSE and park where you can plug it in.

Ima guess that you are in that statistically small group that shouldn't buy a MME yet. The next advancement in battery technology may, or may not be the solution to -30* environments.

I'd waste no time in working with Ford directly.

You need block heaters if you leave car attended for a couple days. You leave any car for a few hours battery dont die. There's definitely something wrong with the vehicle.

 

[2021mustangdan]

In the past manufactures would do winter testing in Winnipeg / Manitoba, or north of Timmins /Ontario. Guess that was not done for the Mach-E ? I remember reading in 2012 that Nissan tested the Leaf in the cold.

Dan

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