12V battery app notification - Questions

[SummerlinBob]

Point of information, back when I had my 2021, the Ford Techs were in and out of the Frunk panels on a regular basis. On several occasions (one of which I missed) they broke the panel tabs. Make certain that before you leave the dealer that you check the panels to ensure that they are secured properly, and all the tabs are functional.

Sponsored

 

[Fremont Kid]

I agree with these comments. The dealer should have ensured the battery was fully charged before installing, then installed, then performed the BMS. All those codes are evidence that they did not ensure the battery was sufficiently charged to provide power to all the battery functions. I recommend arguing this logic: The battery provides power to accessories and other low-power functions. The fact that the codes generated immediately after battery installation is evidence that the dealer did not ensure the battery met requirements to function as needed. They created the condition. They need to fix.

 

[Nikos]

Hey yall, I am at the dealership right now for the 12 volt battery notification i got from the app. It failed there test and needs to be replaced.

I went to Tasca Ford in NY for it, and the price for the entire service is about 1k. What exactly is the Battery Terminal Service? I asked the guy and said its recommended since replacing the 12V, but didnt go into anymore details.

Do these prices seem correct to you for replacing? Just generally curious.
- 12v : $495.08
- Battery Terminal Service - Perform BG Battery Service: $174.75
- Also charged $259 for diagnostic — which is the first time im ever hearing about this for EVs or in general while coming here.

Bare with me as this is the first time ever having to deal with any of this.

Too much for the battery. The battery that is used is an AGM type. Stands for Absorbent Glass. Mat battery. My dealer sold me one for $245. $15 core return fee. Autozone has the same battery for $235. Do it yourself kinda prices. The location of the battery is another issue. Apart from taking the covers(plastic), you going to move the cross bar that passes directly over the battery. There is no room/space to remove the battery without having to move the cross bar. Battery terminal service is BS. The diagnostic fee is a ripoff. Diagnostic for what? You already know that the battery is weak.
Unfortunately, you are not the first person who had to deal with scrupulous dealers. It is part of owning any vehicle. All of us here in this forum have stories to tell about our life experiences with dealerships.
You will learn quickly.
Stand your ground and say NO.
My dealer would have changed the battery for the same price I bought the battery from them. Warrant the battery for three years also. In my case, I had to travel 50 miles to rescue my wife with the new battery.
If you ended up paying those fees in a time of need, I suggest to look for another dealer.

 

[Jessnyc]

Yeah this is crazy! I am NOW being told that they want to charge me $440 plus tax because there are 2 modules that need to updated - which according to him was the reason why I got some of the error codes.

I asked him what the 2 modules are, and why all of a sudden this popped up when the car was FINE before swapping the 12volt. After the swapped, now we have these 2 problems? Like give me a break here.
- Update: He stated that these codes were there since 5/31/25 and because the system got reset with the new 12v, it now shows up.

Also, they did state the "new" 12v battery comes with warranty. 2 years if you choose to deal with another dealership and 3 years if I go back to them to get it addressed.

 

[astrorob]

sounds like it might be time to involve the ford BEV team. my understanding is that dealers don't have to do module updates free of charge and when the warranty is expired they can't charge anyone but you. not sure if the BEV team can help but this seems like a really bad customer service experience.

clearly there was nothing wrong with the car before they changed the battery, so this smells very scammy. seems unlikely that your problem is related to module software versions.

i'd ask them if they actually charged that battery up first and if they did the BMS reset in the first place.

 

[CT3]

what a hassle !

 

[Aza]

Have you

David McDavid. $130 for battery and $25 labor

Have you had them service your Mach E? Curious if they are EV knowledgeable. I was considering AutoNation off Bryant Irvin but I’m not far from David McDavid either.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Yeah this is crazy! I am NOW being told that they want to charge me $440 plus tax because there are 2 modules that need to updated - which according to him was the reason why I got some of the error codes.

I asked him what the 2 modules are, and why all of a sudden this popped up when the car was FINE before swapping the 12volt. After the swapped, now we have these 2 problems? Like give me a break here.
- Update: He stated that these codes were there since 5/31/25 and because the system got reset with the new 12v, it now shows up.

Also, they did state the "new" 12v battery comes with warranty. 2 years if you choose to deal with another dealership and 3 years if I go back to them to get it addressed.

Those are normal Mach-E codes that don’t need to be addressed. Just pay to have the 12V battery replaced and that’s it, no diagnostics or programming needed. You can reset the BMS yourself for free.

 

[astrorob]

Those are normal Mach-E codes that don’t need to be addressed. Just pay to have the 12V battery replaced and that’s it, no diagnostics or programming needed. You can reset the BMS yourself for free.

they apparently did replace the battery and then subsequently the car threw a bunch of codes/errors on the IPC. the supposition upthread is that they did not charge the 12V battery before putting it into the car; the battery had a label from 8/2024 IIRC.

so the question is is it OK to reset the BMS if the new 12V is not at 100% SOC? or should the battery be removed from the car, charged, and then replaced (and then reset the BMS?).

 

[Mach-Lee]

they apparently did replace the battery and then subsequently the car threw a bunch of codes/errors on the IPC. the supposition upthread is that they did not charge the 12V battery before putting it into the car; the battery had a label from 8/2024 IIRC.

so the question is is it OK to reset the BMS if the new 12V is not at 100% SOC? or should the battery be removed from the car, charged, and then replaced (and then reset the BMS?).

I would just charge the car for 3+ hours (which also charges the 12V) and reset the BMS. No need to remove the battery again. It should take care of itself after that.

Yes, the battery might have been low from sitting almost a year, and caused some codes initially after installation due to low voltage. They should have charged it up first. And the service manager is either an idiot or crook for trying to bill that much for a simple LB battery replacement.

 

[astrorob]

I would just charge the car for 3+ hours (which also charges the 12V) and reset the BMS. No need to remove the battery again. It should take care of itself after that.

Yes, the battery might have been low from sitting almost a year, and caused some codes initially after installation due to low voltage. And the service manager is either an idiot or crook for trying to bill that much for a simple LB battery replacement.

OK, thank you. what i was unsure about was if the car could properly charge the 12V battery all the way up in the absence of a BMS reset.

 

[Mach-Lee]

OK, thank you. what i was unsure about was if the car could properly charge the 12V battery all the way up in the absence of a BMS reset.

It won’t initially try as hard if the SoC parameter is messed up (e.g. charging voltage may be lower), but it will eventually figure it out and get the battery to where it should be over the next several days of use. The most important thing is to ensure bare minimum the BMS is reset (at any SoC) when the battery is replaced, everything else will adapt.

 

[mateo]

Dealer is ripping you off. ?

Related question ... Should the notification in the app go away automatically?

I too got this notice recently right before a road trip. Voltage was just above 12V; didn't want to risk it, so I rushed over to the dealer and bought a battery from them (~$140) and I installed it. Charged the 12V overnight, tested voltage, then I did a magic reset with the stalk and pedal, which I assumed worked since the battery icon flashed... Several days later, the message is still there in the app.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Related question ... Should the notification in the app go away automatically?

I too got this notice recently right before a road trip. Voltage was just above 12V; didn't want to risk it, so I rushed over to the dealer and bought a battery from them (~$140) and I installed it. Charged the 12V overnight, tested voltage, then I did a magic reset with the stalk and pedal, which I assumed worked since the battery icon flashed... Several days later, the message is still there in the app.

I have a couple questions about this. Is the message still showing up as an Active Alert in the service tab of FordPass, or are you just seeing it in message history? Also, have you driven the vehicle yet after resetting the BMS?

 

[tuminatr]

The local Ford dealer charged my $200 installed. I thought that was a little much but not horrible

Sponsored