12v battery need to be replaced?

dbsb3233

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No errors when it boots just does not go into gear? Only time it would not go in gear for me is when the 12V was weak and it would spit lots of error messages at me as it failed to boot clean due to lack of juice. Charge it and all was good here. Can you read codes or maybe someone here can help you out.

Recommend drilling ports through the cover to hook up a 12V charger. It is not as frustrating when you need to put a charger on it. I have ports and the 12V charger in the frunk for those long trips after it stranded me once.
No error messages, at least yet anyway. I really haven't spent much time checking it all out yet since we got back though.

4 years ago I thought about drilling holes in the cover but then I had the HVBJB issue 1000 miles from home in 2022. Had to pull the panels multiple times (thinking it was the LVB at the time). Once you pull those panels a few times, the clips aren't nearly as tight and it rather easily pops off, so I didn't bother with holes. I don't even need a screwdriver to pry it off anymore.
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A few notes that I hope will help. BTW, I'll need to replace the 12V (LVB) battery before November which is my MME's 3rd anniversary.

First, search the internet for changing the LVB. I found several useful videos. I know previous forum topics have addressed this.

Second, a couple videos and Ford's information show that a reset procedure is needed after replacing the LVB. Probably a good practice to use the reset procedure.

Third, some videos appeared comparing AGA (lead acid) batteries versus lithium 12V (LVB) batteries, and replacing the 380A battery with a higher amperage battery. Don't replace with a lithium battery because the LVB health (SOH) system is not designed for lithium. Don't replace with a higher amperage battery for the same reason as lithium batteries, i.e. the higher amperage is not assessed by the SOH system accurately, so it could generate misleading readings.

Fourth, each door has its own capacitor that retains enough power to open doors up to four times. Be aware that trying to open a door more than that before replacing the LVB could result in not being able to open a particular door.

Hope this helps.
 

dbsb3233

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Update on mine: It goes into gear now. The parking break was stuck on. I never engage it myself so I didn't initially look for that when I assumed it was either a low LVB (after sitting for 2 weeks while we were gone) or the OTA that finally kicked in. I looked closer today. Something must have triggered it.

My LVB is 2.5 years old now. Not sure how long everyone is getting (dependably) out of theirs. Sound like 3 years is about the safe replacement time for these AGMs? Mine routinely sits in the garage unused for 3-4 days, so that probably doesn't help.
 

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Update on mine: It goes into gear now. The parking break was stuck on. I never engage it myself so I didn't initially look for that when I assumed it was either a low LVB (after sitting for 2 weeks while we were gone) or the OTA that finally kicked in. I looked closer today. Something must have triggered it.

My LVB is 2.5 years old now. Not sure how long everyone is getting (dependably) out of theirs. Sound like 3 years is about the safe replacement time for these AGMs? Mine routinely sits in the garage unused for 3-4 days, so that probably doesn't help.
Thinking of 3-year servicing, brake fluid. This is new to me because with all my ICE cars, I just made sure the brake fluid is at the proper level.
 

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Update on mine: It goes into gear now. The parking break was stuck on. I never engage it myself... Something must have triggered it.

Sound like 3 years is about the safe replacement time for these AGMs?
The parking brake auto engages every time you park.

Three years is the general wisdom, you'd get it free under warranty if you're in the 3/36 window. It could go longer, but they have a bad habit of not doing so.
 


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In addition to the automatic engagement, the parking brake should automatically disengage if you apply power while in gear and the brake is set. ??
 

dbsb3233

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The parking brake auto engages every time you park.

Three years is the general wisdom, you'd get it free under warranty if you're in the 3/36 window. It could go longer, but they have a bad habit of not doing so.
Yep, but I've never had to manually release it before. It's always released automatically when putting it in gear. Odd that I had to manually release it this time to even get it in gear.

I'm way past warranty (50 months and 70k miles now). I'm on my 2nd 12v battery. I had an early HVBJB (2022) before we knew much about it, and I had them replace the LVB then when it appeared to be that at first. Turned out not to be that.
 

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No error messages, at least yet anyway. I really haven't spent much time checking it all out yet since we got back though.

4 years ago I thought about drilling holes in the cover but then I had the HVBJB issue 1000 miles from home in 2022. Had to pull the panels multiple times (thinking it was the LVB at the time). Once you pull those panels a few times, the clips aren't nearly as tight and it rather easily pops off, so I didn't bother with holes. I don't even need a screwdriver to pry it off anymore.
There was a csp for corroding rear park brake wiring to fix the rear from locking on. It is always my fronts that stick on after parked a while and it needs juice to break them loose. But it does go in gear. My park brakes engage once in a while on a hill (it tells me) but normally I feel the park pin and no brakes.

I was the first HVJB fail and that is exactly how it failed by killing the 12V. Port holes made it a lot more manageable. The first defective HVJB killed the first 12V and it was replaced. This second one has over 3 years on it and will not be changing it until we see how it dies. AGM have lasted a lot longer than flood at the farm in the tractor, trucks and trailer. 3 years would definitely mean something is not right with the BMS logic on this car as all it does is boot a computer no CCA required to crank a V8. We know the 12V's were abused at the beginning hoping that has work itself out a bit.

You sound like a man that needs new clips and ports holes ;)
 

dbsb3233

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There was a csp for corroding rear park brake wiring to fix the rear from locking on. It is always my fronts that stick on after parked a while and it needs juice to break them loose. But it does go in gear. My park brakes engage once in a while on a hill (it tells me) but normally I feel the park pin and no brakes.

I was the first HVJB fail and that is exactly how it failed by killing the 12V. Port holes made it a lot more manageable. The first defective HVJB killed the first 12V and it was replaced. This second one has over 3 years on it and will not be changing it until we see how it dies. AGM have lasted a lot longer than flood at the farm in the tractor, trucks and trailer. 3 years would definitely mean something is not right with the BMS logic on this car as all it does is boot a computer no CCA required to crank a V8. We know the 12V's were abused at the beginning hoping that has work itself out a bit.

You sound like a man that needs new clips and ports holes ;)
It doesn't crank a starter, but it does power the heater and A/C which is a pretty big (and constant) draw vs a 2 second starter crank. But yeah, the BMS has always seemed questionable in the MME, especially for keeping the LVB sufficiently charged when there's a massive power source sitting right there to charge it.

I changed my mind yesterday and went ahead and drilled 2" holes (and ordered some plugs from Amazon). Mostly because the OTA I was stuck on for 4 months just happened to complete the morning after I had it on the trickle charger. Might just be pure coincidence, but that's a helluva coincidence and combined with past evidence that OTAs are picky about needing a high LVB charge, I decided screw it, just start using the trickle charger frequently. It's pretty easy to yank the cover (doesn't even need a screwdriver now) but if I'm gonna connect the charger perhaps monthly now, it's worth making access easier.

We shouldn't *need* to do that in a $60k car, of course, but it is what it is. The OTA are supposed to fix some of these things, but only if you can get them.
 

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It doesn't crank a starter, but it does power the heater and A/C which is a pretty big (and constant) draw vs a 2 second starter crank. But yeah, the BMS has always seemed questionable in the MME, especially for keeping the LVB sufficiently charged when there's a massive power source sitting right there to charge it.

I changed my mind yesterday and went ahead and drilled 2" holes (and ordered some plugs from Amazon). Mostly because the OTA I was stuck on for 4 months just happened to complete the morning after I had it on the trickle charger. Might just be pure coincidence, but that's a helluva coincidence and combined with past evidence that OTAs are picky about needing a high LVB charge, I decided screw it, just start using the trickle charger frequently. It's pretty easy to yank the cover (doesn't even need a screwdriver now) but if I'm gonna connect the charger perhaps monthly now, it's worth making access easier.

We shouldn't *need* to do that in a $60k car, of course, but it is what it is. The OTA are supposed to fix some of these things, but only if you can get them.
I was under the understand that the cars heater and a/c were ran off the dc to dc converter/power supply the same one that is to charge the 12V and is not drawing down the 12V if the voltage is over 13 volts from the converter. Sitting there and being woke up all the time with the app was a big culprit and it is the OTA updates I think that are now killing them. At least if they are not frozen solid because they are kept at a too low state of charge. Need to close those contacts to update or at least charge the battery before. You drain it too low with an update it can be hard the recover. Appears especially when the 12V is 3 years old ;)

Welcome to the port club. No coincidence and when they update through FDRS you need a mega charger hooked up. I also had an update fail twice told me to call for help put the 12V charger on it and that was the only help required. Lot easier and less frustration when it becomes easy to do and you do not need to start ripping covers off all pissed off about it. 80K here and agree but then reality of what you bought sets in.
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