Do-it-Yourself Fixes For What Ails Your Mach E

[Mopey]

Today I got one of those pesky pop-up type Mach E alerts that have been appearing more frequently than most of us would like. In my case, I received a number of pop-ups on the driver's display related to Bliss and Cross Traffic. The alert in FordPass was:

I did the standard "Turn off, wait, restart" drill - but the problem persisted. The car ran fine other than the display errors so I ran some errands. While out and about, I noticed the driver window control and mirror retract also didn't work. Annoyed, I called my local Ford Dealer for an appointment and dutifully left a message describing the problem on their answering machine.

I'm not particularly mechanically oriented but I am very interested in systems integration. While waiting for their call back I got thinking about the error itself. I couldn't understand how the driver's door controls and obstacle detection could be related. After actually reading the Ford Pass alert, my brain grabbed on to the last three words "door control module". I looked in the fuse section of the owner's manual and saw separate fuses for both the driver's door module and the passenger's door module. As a quick test, I tried the window control on the passenger side and 'voila' it worked - suspected problem narrowed down.

Of course, the door module fuses are not in the "stand on your feet" frunk fuse box but in the "stand on your head" fuse box in the front passenger footwell. So using a flashlight and pair of long needle nosed pliers I removed fuse 14 and used the flashlight to examine the filament of the 30A fuse. Alas, it was fine. So I reinserted the fuse and closed the footwell cover.

Hoping that the fuse removal and reinsertion might have reset the driver's control module and cleared the error I started the car and 'Eureka', the errors were gone and the driver's side window control panel worked. Up and down, up and down, up and down. So happy.

If the problem returns, I'll, of course, take it to the dealer. I can remember somewhere on the forum someone reported an error that wouldn't clear and after taking it the dealer (and expecting a long delay waiting for parts) was shocked when their Mach E was returned the same day. The dealer reported they only needed to 'reset one of the modules'. Module resetting doesn't necessarily involve dealer magic, apparently.

So...for all you owners experiencing some the Mach E's annoying software glitches you might first try checking the owner's manual to see if there is a fuse for that system. If the fuse is blown, replace it. If it blows a second time, stop trouble shooting and take it to the dealer. Even if the fuse is fine (as mine was), you may have reset the offending module and cleared the problem. None of us likes these too frequent problems common in new model cars but 5 minutes of self diagnosis could save you hours\days at the dealer. Check out pages 273-281 of the pdf owner's manual. You will see fuses for virtually every module for which forum members have been reporting problems.

And, YES, you can remove the cable from the 12v battery terminal to reboot most of the car modules but then you have to reset your defaults and preferences system wide. Also, if it is a blown fuse, you won't be any closer to figuring out the problem if you only cycle the 12v battery power.

P.S. Apparently the Blind Spot Detection Alert above occurred because the flashing blind spot alert light on outside mirrors receives its power from the drivers side window control panel. (Oh yes, the dealer returned my call and can see my car in 7 weeks - 8 Dec. For now I'll keep the appointment on the books in case the problem reoccurs.)

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[OH2AZ2OH]

Glad you found a way to avoid a dealer trip!

My car remembered all my settings after disconnecting the 12v. The estimated range reset to something incredibly conservative, but that was it.

 

[HuntingPudel]

Sounds like a corrosion issue on either the fuse legs or the in-car contacts. The wiping action of the remove/reinstall process probably wore through the corrosion.

 

[Mopey]

Glad you found a way to avoid a dealer trip!

My car remembered all my settings after disconnecting the 12v. The estimated range reset to something incredibly conservative, but that was it.

Yep, but if your 12v battery reset doesn't work you are going to want to check the fuses anyway.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Yes, if you can figure out what fuse is for a particular module and can get to it for a reset, go for it. However don't go pulling fuses if you aren't sure what you're doing, I've seen cars where owners messed up all the fuses on trying to solve a problem which makes diagnosis 10x times harder than if they left it alone. Sometimes the negative battery terminal is easier/safer for people to get to and disconnect.

Most of the current problems on the Mach-E are software related rather than actual hardware issues, cycling the power just resets the program. If the problem comes back after resetting power, then you should take it to the dealer for diagnosis or software updates for a permanent fix.

It is exceedingly rare to find a blown fuse on a new car, the problem will be with the module itself, the software, or a bad connection rather than a blown fuse.

FYI the blind-spot system monitors the integrity of the indicator lights as safety-critical, if the wiring to the light or the door module isn't working the entire blind-spot system shuts down as a safeguard against giving you an incorrect indication. So it's very picky, if you unplug a mirror it disables the whole system.

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

For different projects, I’ve disconnected my 12v battery several times. Never had to reprogram any settings.

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