DEAD CAR IN WINTER

[generaltso]

Evs like Hyundai Kona and Model 3 seems to work perfect in this weather so Its definitely something wrong with Mach-E and not all the EVs.

As long as we’re generalizing, most Mach-Es do too.

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[mkhuffman]

Drove in and out of the city yesterday -27C to -30C and it was quite, comfortable, good tunes, with all that torque that it has. Amazing car to highway drive. 70 Km, 1.25 hr departure and the 12V was at only 80% SOC when I got back. Why?

Edit: Has anyone seen the MME charge their 12V battery to 100%. Like dumb alternators?

This is not normal. I don't have a LVB issue, but I have been monitoring it and it has charged to 100% before. Usually after driving any significant distance, like you did, it is over 90% charged. So you definitely have some sort of issue - either the battery is damaged, or whatever maintains the LVB is not working right.

 

[emperor-kebab]

Wow, whatever is killing your 12V is killing it FAST

 

[TruWrecks]

Here is a good read about AGM batteries in very cold weather that might shed some light on the issue.

AGM and Cold Weather

 

[mkhuffman]

Wow, whatever is killing your 12V is killing it FAST

OBDII Scanner. It is fine if I don't have that plugged in.

 

[Dhruval Shah]

This is not normal. I don't have a LVB issue, but I have been monitoring it and it has charged to 100% before. Usually after driving any significant distance, like you did, it is over 90% charged. So you definitely have some sort of issue - either the battery is damaged, or whatever maintains the LVB is not working right.

They replaced LVB but it still dies if kept unplugged.

 

[Shayne]

Here is a good read about AGM batteries in very cold weather that might shed some light on the issue.

AGM and Cold Weather

This may be of interest Battery Freezing Math

OBDII Scanner. It is fine if I don't have that plugged in.

How do you know it is not doing the same thing if it is not plugged in? If fordpass was draining peoples phone batteries by 50% every 2.5 hours or so like that there would be a 100 page thread about it. The phone battery is also over 10 times less capacity than the 35 ah car battery in the mme. The app running the obd does not drain my phone like it is draining your battery 10+ times it size. Huge draw for a dongle it looks like it drains it in and like a heart beat.

 

[Shayne]

They replaced LVB but it still dies if kept unplugged.

Killing it in 15 to 20 minutes is a whole lot worse than mine I think. But it could be the case here also but it does not happen all the time just at those -28C's on two new batteries. Mine is plugged in when cold. I get charging faults in fordpass in the middle of the night and a time frame to catch it. Thinking the FP message and actual fault are the result of a low 12V and system crash.

Is yours repeatable every time (how many times) or random once in a while when it gets cold?

Understand trolls that say mine or others work are not helpful. Especially when they live down south. This should be fixed we just got caught in the figure it out phase not the oh we seen that one before. Not just first year model it is first year tech. It's a bummer I know stay on them.

Maybe someone here can run your vin for error codes (or OBD2) and provide them to you. Your dealer can see them from afar. I would be interested if the positive HV battery contact is sticking open? Maybe also 12V drain/freeze reaction?

 

[Ford Motor Company]

I live in Manitoba,Canada. I have towed my car 3 times in winters. My dealership replaced the batteries and the issue is still the same. It goes upto -30 and the car dies within 15/20 mins when left outside. The dealership gave up on the issue and i'm left with this piece of junk. Does anybody happen to live in extreme cold and has ever faced issue as mine? Someone please guide me on the matter! Thanks!

Good morning, Dhruval! Could you please send us a private message with your VIN and dealership information? I would like to look into this Mach-E power concern for you on my end. Thanks!

 

[mkhuffman]

How do you know it is not doing the same thing if it is not plugged in? If fordpass was draining peoples phone batteries by 50% every 2.5 hours or so like that there would be a 100 page thread about it. The phone battery is also over 10 times less capacity than the 35 ah car battery in the mme. The app running the obd does not drain my phone like it is draining your battery 10+ times it size. Huge draw for a dongle it looks like it drains it in and like a heart beat.

I don't have a measurement to prove it, but I have left my car unplugged a lot longer than it took to drain the LVB down to 10%, and the LVB didn't die. But it is a valid point.

Also, it is not the OBDII scanner that is causing the drain, I don't believe. I have been told that a scanner keeps various components inside the car alive, and that is what is draining the battery.

I will do a test tonight. I will be parking outside unplugged and the temperature is supposed to drop to 26 F overnight. I will not leave the scanner connected. Will report back with what I find.

 

[Sitdown]

Not even in the great northern tundra, but cold enough in Chicago to have all the same issues... our GT has been down, coming on a month now ?

 

[Shayne]

I don't have a measurement to prove it, but I have left my car unplugged a lot longer than it took to drain the LVB down to 10%, and the LVB didn't die. But it is a valid point.

Also, it is not the OBDII scanner that is causing the drain, I don't believe. I have been told that a scanner keeps various components inside the car alive, and that is what is draining the battery.

I will do a test tonight. I will be parking outside unplugged and the temperature is supposed to drop to 26 F overnight. I will not leave the scanner connected. Will report back with what I find.

It comes back on and charges it according to your OBD2 readings so no it should not die. Needs to do that every time it drains 10 iphones in 2 hours while not running much.

Nothing will happen at 26F I think you should be fine unplugged. It has nothing to do with not being plugged in or not I think. I am plugged in and it happens. It has to do with -15F here. A lead acid 12V at 40% soc should freeze when the temperature goes downs to 5F. If it is -15F and sitting at 40% soc one would think it can not be happy. I would think it sees a soc somewhere in between 40 and 90%. You can not let your 12V go to 40% soc up here in the winter. You also can not have a huge drain on the 12V which makes that condition happen over and over again. The fix will be interesting to see.

 

[Shayne]

Not even in the great northern tundra, but cold enough in Chicago to have all the same issues... our GT has been down, coming on a month now ?

Cheers from the great white north. 12V? Sorry to hear that, kinda, I am glad to see more coming to the party as it helps me feel less green. It is not easy being green . One would think it should help in speeding up a fix? At least get someone working on it.

 

[Sitdown]

There are clearly many here all in the same boat...

It was high single digit temps when ours was tripped (plugged in ~100% SOC on HVB). Lowest I saw my LVB battery was ~10v/17% SOC the following day... then after mult days on agm charger, 12+v / 97% soc, but still the same. Another member got a HVB Junction box & BECM, which I believe my dealer ordered last week... @Ford Motor Company did get me in touch with a Ford Rep who I believe was expediting parts, but sadly that was almost 2 weeks ago

 

[Dhruval Shah]

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There are clearly many here all in the same boat...

It was high single digit temps when ours was tripped (plugged in ~100% SOC on HVB). Lowest I saw my LVB battery was ~10v/17% SOC the following day... then after mult days on agm charger, 12+v / 97% soc, but still the same. Another member got a HVB Junction box & BECM, which I believe my dealer ordered last week... @Ford Motor Company did get me in touch with a Ford Rep who I believe was expediting parts, but sadly that was almost 2 weeks ago

Did getting HVB junction box and BECK solve the issue? Ny dealership is now doing the same.

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