Dead after a drive, won’t start

[bp174005]

Hey all, just want to try to troubleshoot as me 23 premium is on a tow truck headed to the dealer. Drove to Menards today, came out and it wouldn’t unlock via fob, app, or door pad. Battery was at 82% when I got into the store. Called for service. Guy couldn’t get the frunk to pop via the access panel. Had to pop a door to get in and open it that way. Checked the 12V and it had power. He had me try to start it again, nothing worked. I had accessory lights, seats moved, but other than that couldn’t get anything to power up. Tow driver couldn’t get it into neutral, but now it’s on the way to the dealer. I had it in last week for BlueCruise not working and a TSB for the charger never shutting off. I’m going out on a limb and saying it’s related. But it doesn’t help that I feel like I don’t want this car now after being stranded with my kids for almost 3 hours. Any guesses what it may be?

Sponsored

 

[HuntingPudel]

HV battery at 82% has no bearing on the 12V battery status. There have been several other recent posts like yours where the 12V had some juice but could not bring up the systems in order to open the doors or anything. The level of charge in the 12V was sufficient to interfere with the function of the emergency frunk leads, however. Your problem could still be with the 12V battery, given that the car would not shift to Neutral. ??

 

[Ford Motor Company]

Hey all, just want to try to troubleshoot as me 23 premium is on a tow truck headed to the dealer. Drove to Menards today, came out and it wouldn’t unlock via fob, app, or door pad. Battery was at 82% when I got into the store. Called for service. Guy couldn’t get the frunk to pop via the access panel. Had to pop a door to get in and open it that way. Checked the 12V and it had power. He had me try to start it again, nothing worked. I had accessory lights, seats moved, but other than that couldn’t get anything to power up. Tow driver couldn’t get it into neutral, but now it’s on the way to the dealer. I had it in last week for BlueCruise not working and a TSB for the charger never shutting off. I’m going out on a limb and saying it’s related. But it doesn’t help that I feel like I don’t want this car now after being stranded with my kids for almost 3 hours. Any guesses what it may be?

Hi there! Would you send us a private message with your VIN and dealership name and location? I’d like to look into this concern on my end.  

 

[Jerrytball]

HV battery at 82% has no bearing on the 12V battery status. There have been several other recent posts like yours where the 12V had some juice but could not bring up the systems in order to open the doors or anything. The level of charge in the 12V was sufficient to interfere with the function of the emergency frunk leads, however. Your problem could still be with the 12V battery, given that the car would not shift to Neutral. ??

I just happened to see this, but I was just thinking to myself, after seeing so many people talk about getting the car to be towed, can’t get into the car to put it in the neutral to be towed. My question can these cars be put in neutral after driving it, shut off and let’s say parked in the garage at home, put a block under the tires so it could be towed?

 

[RickMachE]

I just happened to see this, but I was just thinking to myself, after seeing so many people talk about getting the car to be towed, can’t get into the car to put it in the neutral to be towed. My question can these cars be put in neutral after driving it, shut off and let’s say parked in the garage at home, put a block under the tires so it could be towed?

No. Go try it and you will see.

 

[Jerrytball]

No. Go try it and you will see.

I figured that would be the short answer without trying it. I know I’ve left it in drive and turn it off and it goes to park. Thanks.

 

[Tampamike]

Seems like a rash of these almost-but-not-quite-dead 12v batteries stranding people. That’s not great …

 

[RickMachE]

I figured that would be the short answer without trying it. I know I’ve left it in drive and turn it off and it goes to park. Thanks.

So you know the answer.

 

[AKgrampy]

Seems like a rash of these almost-but-not-quite-dead 12v batteries stranding people. That’s not great …

Yes it does seem like there have been a few reported lately and the thing that stands out is they were all 23 models. But maybe I am not recalling correctly.

 

[RickMachE]

And many of them seem to be 2023s. Which says Ford still hasn't figured out how to maintain the 12v battery correctly?

Tow driver should have hooked up to 12v battery after popping door and THEN had OP try to start it or put it in neutral.

 

[rreddy3]

HV battery at 82% has no bearing on the 12V battery status. There have been several other recent posts like yours where the 12V had some juice but could not bring up the systems in order to open the doors or anything. The level of charge in the 12V was sufficient to interfere with the function of the emergency frunk leads, however. Your problem could still be with the 12V battery, given that the car would not shift to Neutral. ??

You might have discussed this previously Steve ... if so, I've forgotten the answer ... my recollection from a previous thread is the super capacitors for the doors are intended to retain some current to unlock and pop out the door if the 12v battery can't open the doors. Is it correct to infer that the baby 12v battery has to be totally drained for the capacitors to release their current and unlock/pop open the doors? Phrased differently, is it possible for the 12v battery to have enough juice left to interfere with capacitor function, but not enough juice to activate the electrics in the door? Or is it possible that something else is interfering with the capacitor operation?

 

[HuntingPudel]

You might have discussed this previously Steve ... if so, I've forgotten the answer ... my recollection from a previous thread is the super capacitors for the doors are intended to retain some current to unlock and pop out the door if the 12v battery can't open the doors. Is it correct to infer that the baby 12v battery has to be totally drained for the capacitors to release their current and unlock/pop open the doors? Phrased differently, is it possible for the 12v battery to have enough juice left to interfere with capacitor function, but not enough juice to activate the electrics in the door? Or is it possible that something else is interfering with the capacitor operation?

I’m not positive on this so it’s pure conjecture. It’s entirely possible that the mechanism being used to apply voltage from the super-capacitors to the door latch mechanism is similar to the mechanism for applying voltage to the frunk release from the bumper leads. Since the recent posts that illustrated inoperative doors and frunk releases, it seems that this is likely. I have not torn everything apart to study it so this is purely a guess on my part. ?‍?

 

[dtbaker61]

Seems like a rash of these almost-but-not-quite-dead 12v batteries stranding people. That’s not great …

well.... it is to be expected as all the 2021s have their 3 year anniversaries.

A smart owner would buy a new battery from rockauto, or make sure your local dealership has one on the shelf, and maybe a mobile replacement service van on call.

 

[bp174005]

And many of them seem to be 2023s. Which says Ford still hasn't figured out how to maintain the 12v battery correctly?

Tow driver should have hooked up to 12v battery after popping door and THEN had OP try to start it or put it in neutral.

We tried that. Still dead as could be.

 

[rreddy3]

I’m not positive on this so it’s pure conjecture. It’s entirely possible that the mechanism being used to apply voltage from the super-capacitors to the door latch mechanism is similar to the mechanism for applying voltage to the frunk release from the bumper leads. Since the recent posts that illustrated inoperative doors and frunk releases, it seems that this is likely. I have not torn everything apart to study it so this is purely a guess on my part. ?‍?

Sounds like a reasonable educated guess. I seriously doubt Ford engineers are just sitting on their hands while these issues are going on. I can imagine they are trying to work out whether software, or hardware, solutions or some combination of the above fix this situation.


Reading these posts and the ones on the doors refusing to open got me to thinking (that's dangerous territory ). My notes to self are make sure passengers know how to unlatch the doors from the inside if the power goes out, don't close the driver's door until any passengers including Ms. ? exit the vehicle, don't leave the phone laying in the car when I get out, and don't forget my notes to self! Umm, maybe I need to make seat back cards like we see in passenger airliners.

Sponsored