Coming up on 3 years - replace 12V?

[MacherAWD]

my last car, a volvo, was just as bad. dead 12v every 3 years almost to the day, usually with zero warning and stranding me.

so while i 100% agree it's lame that a modern EV can't seem to keep the 12V charged and the longevity kind of sucks (esp considering it's an AGM), the phenomena of car's being stranded by a dead 12V definitely isn't new...

after have it happen to us twice on different cars (the others were hondas), i now routinely just replace the 12v in our cars just prior to 3 yrs to not deal with the risk/hassle.

Agreed this is a universal problem with 12vs, just wish Ford had thought ahead and made it accessible! I have changed every 12v myself my whole life, but I am not going to bother with removing the frunk liner to do so.

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[MoonRiver]

When it’s time to replace it I would do the same as someone in the forum did: lift the end of the cross bar by the battery, loosen up the other end, swing the bar towards front, loosen up the battery mounting rods, shift the battery towards the windshield, then lift it up out the car. Looks like no need to touch the frunk tub. The cross bar mount nuts are supposed to tighten up to 66ftlb which is less than wheel log nuts, it wouldn’t be too tight to loosen up.

 

[12 Bravo]

2022 Mach-e Premium coming up in February at 3 years - should I replace LVB?

Parts department cost is $138 My dealer says $675 installed. Nearby Ford dealer says $138 plus $90 to install.
Or, should I install it myself - not very good on this?

It's a bit of a pain in the keister to get to the 12V battery. I don't see paying the stealership one hour of labor to change. 30 minutes tops. Or watch the Youtube tutorial and do it yourself.

 

[mkhuffman]

When it’s time to replace it I would do the same as someone in the forum did: lift the end of the cross bar by the battery, loosen up the other end, swing the bar towards front, loosen up the battery mounting rods, shift the battery towards the windshield, then lift it up out the car. Looks like no need to touch the frunk tub. The cross bar mount nuts are supposed to tighten up to 66ftlb which is less than wheel log nuts, it wouldn’t be too tight to loosen up.

This method is very easy. But make sure you have a long wrench for the cross bar. I used a breaker bar, and the bolt came off very easily. It was impossible for me to loosen with a standard socket wrench, because I tried that first.

 

[Maquis]

This method is very easy. But make sure you have a long wrench for the cross bar. I used a breaker bar, and the bolt came off very easily. It was impossible for me to loosen with a standard socket wrench, because I tried that first.

I had to use a cheater bar on my 18mm socket / breaker bar to get them loose. I really don’t understand why it’s so tight. The torque spec is 60 FT-LBs, IIRC.

 

[GrayWolf]

It's really not "easy" to remove the cross-strut-mount bar if you don't have a breaker or "cheater" bar to help. Mine's so torqued down that it felt like it was cemented on. (EDIT: To be clear - I am not contradicting @mkhuffman or anyone else about the "ease" they experienced with the appropriate tools, mind you.)

Frankly, removing the frunk tub isn't -hard-. It's just a bit more time pulling the other beauty covers off and then removing 10 screws (8 are 10mm and 2 are flatheard / security types).

 

[MoonRiver]

This method is very easy. But make sure you have a long wrench for the cross bar. I used a breaker bar, and the bolt came off very easily. It was impossible for me to loosen with a standard socket wrench, because I tried that first.

let's do a math, say a socket ratchet is 8 inches long, to apply 66 ft lb you have to turn the ratchet with 99lb of force!

 

[Teslaeata]

2022 Mach-e Premium coming up in February at 3 years - should I replace LVB?

Parts department cost is $138 My dealer says $675 installed. Nearby Ford dealer says $138 plus $90 to install.
Or, should I install it myself - not very good on this?

WTF for??‍

If it ain’t broke what’s the point!

Are you going to change your right front tyre in case it gets a puncture next week?

 

[Sikkun]

WTF for??‍

If it ain’t broke what’s the point!

Are you going to change your right front tyre in case it gets a puncture next week?

The battery is a consumable. Now your tyre is also a consumable, you don’t replace it because you might get a puncture next week.

But I hope you are not driving around on bald tyres just waiting for them to explode out before replacing them….

You replace them when the tread gets low enough to hopefully avoid having to replace them because of a blow out, our because of an accident from losing control.

So if you don’t want to deal with not being able to get into your keyless vehicle from a dead battery, potential tow trucks, etc. Someone might also want to preemptively replace their 12v battery.

 

[Teslaeata]

The battery is a consumable. Now your tyre is also a consumable, you don’t replace it because you might get a puncture next week.

But I hope you are not driving around on bald tyres just waiting for them to explode out before replacing them….

No, but my battery works fine so am not wasting time & money swapping that out either.

 

[mkhuffman]

WTF for??‍

If it ain’t broke what’s the point!

Are you going to change your right front tyre in case it gets a puncture next week?

Dude. It fails without warning and you will be stranded. Maybe the doors will open, maybe not. Maybe you will have a jump starter handy (outside the car since you might not be able to get in) or maybe you won't. Maybe the leads in the bumper will open the frunk, maybe they won't.

Seems like a lot of risk to take when it is a 45 minute job for someone who has never done it before. So easy, with your experience you could easily do it yourself.

It will be cool to hear what happens when yours fails. Maybe you will be one of the lucky ones. I hope so for your sake.

 

[Teslaeata]

Dude. It fails without warning and you will be stranded. Maybe the doors will open, maybe not. Maybe you will have a jump starter handy (outside the car since you might not be able to get in) or maybe you won't. Maybe the leads in the bumper will open the frunk, maybe they won't.

Seems like a lot of risk to take when it is a 45 minute job for someone who has never done it before. So easy, with your experience you could easily do it yourself.

It will be cool to hear what happens when yours fails. Maybe you will be one of the lucky ones. I hope so for your sake.

I’ll probably here recounting how I left it burning by the roadside ?

 

[PA Bob]

Did they charge you to check the battery? Or they did it along other scheduled maintenance?

My dealer charges $100 for the load test, but it becomes part of the replacement cost if you have to replace. I believe replacement was $320.
My dealer also said you get a warning on the dash when the LVB is getting low. This doesn't seem to be true and I told him that. He seemed confused and surprised.
Can anyone recommend a Ford dealer near Philadelphia (especially Delaware County) where they know more about the MME?

 

[krafty81]

Dealer replacing mine for $165.00.

 

[MoonRiver]

Dude. It fails without warning and you will be stranded. Maybe the doors will open, maybe not. Maybe you will have a jump starter handy (outside the car since you might not be able to get in) or maybe you won't. Maybe the leads in the bumper will open the frunk, maybe they won't.

Seems like a lot of risk to take when it is a 45 minute job for someone who has never done it before. So easy, with your experience you could easily do it yourself.

It will be cool to hear what happens when yours fails. Maybe you will be one of the lucky ones. I hope so for your sake.

And, don’t forget Murphy’s law.

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