12v battery problem can have serious consequences

dobdobdob

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Dear @Braric , it looks like @jdsimard2012 and I weren't the only ones from the (metric) Great White North with a 12v battery problem! Mine occurred during a major snowstorm, as explained in another post.

Sure, later on, one may calmly dissect what happened and figure out solutions, but on the spot, while it's freaking cold and you're stranded in the middle of nowhere, you switch to panic mode very fast.

Many of you guys showed great DIY skills with holes and plugs, and of course the OP could've smashed the window to get access to her little one, but come on, Ford needs to do something about this. At least, if it's a drainage problem or a battery management issue that can be solved via an OTA update, let's have it!

I'll do a follow-up after the dealer has a look at my MME. Why do I have a feeling I'll get something like "Sorry, we couldn't find anything"?...
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jdsimard2012

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Dear @Braric , it looks like @jdsimard2012 and I weren't the only ones from the (metric) Great White North with a 12v battery problem! Mine occurred during a major snowstorm, as explained in another post.

Sure, later on, one may calmly dissect what happened and figure out solutions, but on the spot, while it's freaking cold and you're stranded in the middle of nowhere, you switch to panic mode very fast.

Many of you guys showed great DIY skills with holes and plugs, and of course the OP could've smashed the window to get access to her little one, but come on, Ford needs to do something about this. At least, if it's a drainage problem or a battery management issue that can be solved via an OTA update, let's have it!

I'll do a follow-up after the dealer has a look at my MME. Why do I have a feeling I'll get something like "Sorry, we couldn't find anything"?...
Sorry to hear this. These are definitely "bugs" that need to be addressed.
 

jujaku

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Unfortunately this isn't just an MME issue. Almost all modern cars have no key hole anymore to manually open a door and obviously you can't open the hood if your 12v dies on any other vehicle either without being able to access the cabin and hood release.

IF there's an immediate need to get someone out when it's -30 then that's why God invented big rocks!

Otherwise you just wait for a tow to air-wedge the door open or if the 12v is dead use the hood release in the front bumper.
well, almost all cars (minus many EV models) still have key holes.
key fob has hidden blade key and key hole is right next to driver's door handle but mostly covered in plastic piece which can be pry opened with blade key.
 

Mr67gta

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All temperature sensors in the MME read Celsius natively, they are converted to Fahrenheit only for a select group of people. Still laughing?
Yeah, sorry but that's not true the modules do whatever is programed into them. It has nothing to do with the type of measurement, could be kelvins for that matter. You metric fanboys kill me.
 

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Mosworthy

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I read somewhere that the later production models and/or software updates have some fixes to protect the 12v battery . . . as far as I know that's just a rumor, but I'd love if someone could confirm it? :)
I have a "Job 2" car
This happened to me during a -30to-45C stretch over christmas where I am
I had to jump the frunk leads and pull some plastic to get to the 12v to get the car open
No baby involved and I was in my own driveway, plugged into the EVSE. I'm pretty sure the EVSE failed overnight and car went into hibernation
 

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well, almost all cars (minus many EV models) still have key holes.
key fob has hidden blade key and key hole is right next to driver's door handle but mostly covered in plastic piece which can be pry opened with blade key.
Some of those keyholes are just connected to some 12v wires too. No battery, no keyhole unlock and no opening the hood either.
 
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AlpaChino

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oh yeah, I almost forgot the holes I cut in my 'beauty panels' were partly for emergency charging in addition to Energy Export.... It really only takes 5 minutes if you have a 2" hole saw. Caps cost about a dollar each at a hardware store.

This was the first mod I did after I took delivery of me MME.
https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/how-to-add-access-ports-for-lvb-connection-points.4107/
I followed your steps and did this myself. I always meant to come back and thank you for your work. It makes me feel good knowing that this super easy mod makes any 12v jump so much more easy and accessible for me and anyone else who may have it in the future. Thanks again.
 

BilLongua

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Unfortunately not every roadside assistant guy knows how to jump start a Mach-E or other EVs. But it is also Ford's fault that made it so hard.

They should have added a mechanical lock at one door and a key you pull out of the fob. Then you could open the frunk. Oh and the jump terminals should have been under pull-up covers, not trims...

Btw Hyundai Kona EV has both a mechanical key and a 12v jump button that sends power from the HVB to the LVB so you don’t need external power or to find the terminals.
Totally agree. This 12V issue seems like a major screw up that they knew about fairly early on in production. Hooking up leads to pop the Frunk is an absolutely ridiculous solution. You should be able hook up to those terminals and pop open any doors with the key fob or keypad. And guys, stop making excuses for them. I love Ford and my Mach E - but you also have to own up to a bad design and fix it.
 

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I have a "Job 2" car
This happened to me during a -30to-45C stretch over christmas where I am
I had to jump the frunk leads and pull some plastic to get to the 12v to get the car open
No baby involved and I was in my own driveway, plugged into the EVSE. I'm pretty sure the EVSE failed overnight and car went into hibernation
A failure when plugged in. Now there are 2 of us. 3 times here so far. Did you get a charge fault in fordpass? 2 different chargers and 2 different voltages (120 and 240). I think it is the MME and not the charger. It was not in hibernation is my guess and it was wide awake draining your 12V. Happens in a time frame of a few hours. 3 times now and not once where I could not open the door. It would not start throwing melt down errors but so far the door has always opened.

The basics kind of need to work which includes not just dying in yours or someone else's parking lot.
 

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well, almost all cars (minus many EV models) still have key holes.
key fob has hidden blade key and key hole is right next to driver's door handle but mostly covered in plastic piece which can be pry opened with blade key.
The design of the doors in Mach-E make mechanical opening impossible. It's more than a latch. There is a sort of electrically operated plunger that pushes the door open when you press the button and prevents it from closing and protecting your fingers. They would have to change the lock design completely to make it work with a mechanical key.
That detachable piece in the fob that looks like a screwdriver is intended to be used to open the small door in the front that covers the hood latch wires.
 

Shayne

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The design of the doors in Mach-E make mechanical opening impossible. It's more than a latch. There is a sort of electrically operated plunger that pushes the door open when you press the button and prevents it from closing and protecting your fingers. They would have to change the lock design completely to make it work with a mechanical key.
That detachable piece in the fob that looks like a screwdriver is intended to be used to open the small door in the front that covers the hood latch wires.
The cold lately here is what we call a normal cold winter. Snow sparkles in the field and creaks below your snowshoes. Not too cold.

If a next time it would be the first with the 21P22 update which has door module updates. Maybe the doors will not open next time now updated? Know mine was left for hours after the charging fault error message in fordpass and the 12V was not completely dead and the door opened. But the OP after just going into a store (how long?) the battery is so dead it can not operate the door plunger. Doors opened twice in -28C but the car would not start here. The end of the first time back last February the door worked over night (almost a day) but when I opened it that morning when a flatbed was coming I thought maybe I should not close that again and did not (wasn't feeling good). That was one of the reasons they gave me for the 12V dying; when they got there the door was open. ?

Maybe different 12V drain problems? Maybe a security loop hole update that doors not longer open without key when 12V/car is dead?

I have a extra 12V now on a trickle charge in the heat. Brings me back to driving the 39 chev in high school with a double battery. That was because the one that fit was expense for a kid and I had a old big one around that went into the trunk. Note they can blow up if they spark ;) especially old ones. It does not need to be close to anything. Battery heated, reconditioned, repaired, being maintained and good enough to go. Bit much for a new vehicle that is the most expensive I have bought which includes a 52 hp tractor with loader. Plug it in a few hours before and the diesel starts on an agm after sitting weeks in the cold for the last 5 years (6' snow blower). Seen the diesel slush up in the float and give me problems but it started and was running just no power (that's cold). Something is draining these batteries and quick. Not working right here.
 

Mosworthy

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A failure when plugged in. Now there are 2 of us. 3 times here so far. Did you get a charge fault in fordpass? 2 different chargers and 2 different voltages (120 and 240). I think it is the MME and not the charger. It was not in hibernation is my guess and it was wide awake draining your 12V. Happens in a time frame of a few hours. 3 times now and not once where I could not open the door. It would not start throwing melt down errors but so far the door has always opened.

The basics kind of need to work which includes not just dying in yours or someone else's parking lot.
It only happened once
I got the cahrge fault notification
FordPass said the car was in deep sleep
It was -40°C
Nothing likes it that cold, and the mobile charger is rated to -30, pretty sure the manual even says not to use outside of the temp range. Also was being used in a 120v circuit, I'm sure it didn't help
It was also outside, as I needed the garage for a project that week.
Invested in a Grizzl-E, and The Razor Crest will be inside during all cold snaps.
Dealer cleared all the codes it threw, updated modules with everything available, but diagnostically everything passed including the battery
I did have it on a trickle charger for a few days to get it to them
 

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It only happened once
I got the cahrge fault notification
FordPass said the car was in deep sleep
It was -40°C
Nothing likes it that cold, and the mobile charger is rated to -30, pretty sure the manual even says not to use outside of the temp range. Also was being used in a 120v circuit, I'm sure it didn't help
It was also outside, as I needed the garage for a project that week.
Invested in a Grizzl-E, and The Razor Crest will be inside during all cold snaps.
Dealer cleared all the codes it threw, updated modules with everything available, but diagnostically everything passed including the battery
I did have it on a trickle charger for a few days to get it to them
Grizzl-E extreme here and has been working flawlessly. You are saying you think it is too cold for the charger and it is not the car? Job #1 car here and it did it at -10C into 120V with the ford mobile sheltered in a garage with lead out. I think it should run in these typical temps. Not die in a day and a half. Something needs to be tweaked on mine is my opinion and it is not the chargers. Once the 12V is back up it is as bright as sunshine and all is well. The errors will occur again next time. I am up to date also module wise. Did your service not suggest what fixed the problem of draining it in the first place?
 

Mosworthy

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Grizzl-E extreme here and has been working flawlessly. You are saying you think it is too cold for the charger and it is not the car? Job #1 car here and it did it at -10C into 120V with the ford mobile sheltered in a garage with lead out. I think it should run in these typical temps. Not die in a day and a half. Something needs to be tweaked on mine is my opinion and it is not the chargers. Once the 12V is back up it is as bright as sunshine and all is well. The errors will occur again next time. I am up to date also module wise. Did your service not suggest what fixed the problem of draining it in the first place?
Mine was plugged into the provided Ford Mobile Charger, outside in -40C, into 120v
The manual for the mobile charger says it good to -30C
I woke up in the morning to the charge fault, and the car was flat dead in the driveway, last time I drove it was the previous morning.

I just installed a Grizzl-E in my garage to not get caught again
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