Budman
Member
- First Name
- Rick
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2021
- Threads
- 3
- Messages
- 23
- Reaction score
- 84
- Location
- Minneapolis, MN
- Vehicles
- Mach e Select RWD
- Occupation
- Engineer
- Thread starter
- #1
As a soon to be MME owner I have been following the forum and reading the multiple Dead Battery, Car Won't Start, Stop Safely Now threads with interest. Thank you to the members that have spend a lot of time digging into this issue and identifying possible causes and steps to take to help resolve this issue. I am trying to summarize your work and recommendations in the Troubleshooting guide below. There are many threads relating to these issues and many of the recommendations get repeated over and over or links to previous discussions are given. I thought it would be good to put all that knowledge in one place and create a troubleshooting guide.
For all you members out there that have experienced this issue and the car experts that are more knowledgeable that me, please review/add/edit this guide. Once completed I can create a pdf version that can be easily shared in the future.
Level 1 Problem:
The car won’t start, or you get a “Stop Safely Now” message (could occur while driving and other messages may also be displayed). Gear selector may be disabled.
But the instrument panel is illuminated and accessories like door locks and cabin heating works.
Level 2 Problem:
The car won’t start. Accessories don’t work. You may be locked out of the car.
Possible Root Cause or Causes:
Level 1 Problem Troubleshooting Guide:
The following steps could be taken to get you going again. The steps are in increasing order of difficulty
Some 2021 Mustang Mach-E/F-150/Edge/Nautilus vehicles may require a reboot of the SYNC 4 system.
For vehicles equipped with a volume/power and right seek button, press and hold both the volume/power and right seek button for 10 seconds and the system will reboot.
For vehicles not equipped with a volume/power button, holding the seek right and volume down buttons on the steering wheel controls will reboot the SYNC 4 system. The Workshop Manual (WSM) is in the process of being updated with this procedure.
Level 2 Problem Troubleshooting Guide:
If you have a level 2 problem you may be locked out of the car. The car door locks and access to the frunk where the 12V LVB battery are located are disabled if the 12V LVB is dead or low on charge. Even if the 12V LVB is dead, the root cause of the problem may be some of the other equipment not doing it’s job and keeping the 12V LVB at the right state of charge.
For all you members out there that have experienced this issue and the car experts that are more knowledgeable that me, please review/add/edit this guide. Once completed I can create a pdf version that can be easily shared in the future.
Mustang Mach E
Car Won’t Start or Stop Safely Now Message
Troubleshooting Guide
(Version 1, 15Feb2022)
Car Won’t Start or Stop Safely Now Message
Troubleshooting Guide
(Version 1, 15Feb2022)
Level 1 Problem:
The car won’t start, or you get a “Stop Safely Now” message (could occur while driving and other messages may also be displayed). Gear selector may be disabled.
But the instrument panel is illuminated and accessories like door locks and cabin heating works.
Level 2 Problem:
The car won’t start. Accessories don’t work. You may be locked out of the car.
Possible Root Cause or Causes:
- Dead or weak 12V Low Voltage Battery (LVB)
- Phantom drain on the 12V system
- One service bulletin points to the Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) staying on, among other possible sources.
- Malfunctioning High Voltage Junction Box (HVJB)
- Malfunctioning Battery Energy Control Module (BECM)
- The HVJB and BECM connect the 12V LVB to the High Voltage Battery (HVB) and recharge the 12V LVB as needed. These components have been known to fail and replacing them has resolved this problem for some owners.
- Obstructed collision avoidance sensors
- Software bug that required a software update
- Software or hardware “freeze” that a soft or hard restart might fix
- Cold temperatures might be a contributing factor making this failure mode more likely. But MME owners have reported this issue in warmer climates as well.
Level 1 Problem Troubleshooting Guide:
The following steps could be taken to get you going again. The steps are in increasing order of difficulty
- Shut off the car. Close the doors. Walk away for 10 minutes to allow the car to “shut down”. Walking away is required to get the key FOB and your phone away from the vehicle to allow it to shut down. Return to vehicle and try starting.
- Turn hazard lights on for three cycles of the flashers (per a Ford service bulletin). Try starting the vehicle.
- If in a cold winter environment, make sure collision avoidance systems are free of snow/ice/frost. Turn windshield defrosters on and run fan on height for 10 or more minutes. At least one forum member has reported this works, maybe because of obstructed collision avoidance systems.
- The SYNC4 system may need to be restarted;
Some 2021 Mustang Mach-E/F-150/Edge/Nautilus vehicles may require a reboot of the SYNC 4 system.
For vehicles equipped with a volume/power and right seek button, press and hold both the volume/power and right seek button for 10 seconds and the system will reboot.
For vehicles not equipped with a volume/power button, holding the seek right and volume down buttons on the steering wheel controls will reboot the SYNC 4 system. The Workshop Manual (WSM) is in the process of being updated with this procedure.
- Attach a battery booster back or jumper cables from another vehicle to the jump points of the 12V battery. Wait 15 minutes for the LVB battery to accumulate a charge. Try starting the vehicle. You will need to remove the beauty panels from the rear and drivers side of the frunk to access the 12V battery. Search for the MME forum for instructions. If possible, check the voltage level of the 12V LVB. If below 12.0 volts the battery may be weak. If above 12.0 volts the battery is probably OK and boosting/jumping won’t help.
- Try disconnecting the negative terminal of the battery and leave disconnected for 10 minutes. This will do a reset of the software/hardware systems. Reconnect the negative terminal and try restarting the vehicle.
- Try installing a new 12V battery. 12V batteries for the MME are hard to find and require special steps to disable the HVB system from the LBV system. Take great care and read the manual before attempting this step.
- All steps have been exhausted, call Ford Roadside Assistance. A flatbed tow truck is likely needed. Likely steps for Ford Service team to take are checking the HVJB, BECM and installing all software updates and/or reinstalling software.
Level 2 Problem Troubleshooting Guide:
If you have a level 2 problem you may be locked out of the car. The car door locks and access to the frunk where the 12V LVB battery are located are disabled if the 12V LVB is dead or low on charge. Even if the 12V LVB is dead, the root cause of the problem may be some of the other equipment not doing it’s job and keeping the 12V LVB at the right state of charge.
- Getting access to a locked car with a dead battery. You will need a 12V battery or jump/booster pack. Remove the access panel on the front bumper and remove a pair red and black wires. Connect the external battery or jump/booster pack to the wires. This should enable you to open the frunk (this feature is disabled if the 12V LVB system is functioning as somebody could break into your frunk using an external power source).
- Once you have access to the frunk you need to remove the beauty panels from the rear and drivers side of the frunk to gain access to the 12V battery.
- Attach a battery booster back or jumper cables from another vehicle to the jump points of the 12V battery. Wait 15 minutes for the LVB battery to accumulate a charge. Try starting the vehicle. You will need to remove the beauty panels from the rear and drivers side of the frunk to access the 12V battery. Search for the MME forum for instructions. If possible, check the voltage level of the 12V LVB. If below 12.0 volts the battery may be weak. If above 12.0 volts the battery is probably OK and boosting/jumping won’t help.
- If the 12 V battery is OK, follow the additional steps outlined in the Level 1 Troubleshooting section for other actions to try taking to get your vehicle started.
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