Tow truck issues when 12V battery dead

[JenC]

My Mach is dead. Was fine 2 days ago. Came out yesterday morning and nothing works. So, I research and it sounds like 12V battery is dead. Ok, so I look at a million posts about that. My son is a mechanic and it makes no sense to take it to a dealership when it's a simple 12V battery. Of course, it's not simple because of the stupid design to get a battery out which involves removing the entire frunk, lights in the frunk and the support bar. But we got it replaced finally. Then the real fun. Noting happens. There are people out there who say it automatically reboots itself after leaving it alone for 8 hours. So we tried that. NOTHING. I called the dealership and they said they have to use a computer to reset the PCM and it's not something that can be done at home. Super! So I call ford roadside assistance and they send a flatbed to my house to get this out of the garage. I told them, the car is dead. You cannot open the doors. We can't put it in neutral. It has to be someone equipped to handle this. 1.5 hours later the flatbed arrives. With nothing at all to get this car out of garage. I say, do you have dollies? You aren't dragging it out of my garage. Not only will that most likely damage the car, but it will also damage the new epoxy floor below it. So he says the "other guy" will take care of it. But I have to call. Call who? So I call ford assistance back and the same company has been dispatched again. I call this company and tell them, look, the car HAS to be put on jacks and dollies to be rolled onto flatbed! Oh, did I mention that ALL my work stuff is in the trunk? Which I can't access because I can't open the door, trunk, nothing. UGh. This should be much more simple.

Sponsored

 

[RickMachE]

Unless you are outside warranty, the first call should have been to Ford, for the tow truck. A simple jump and it's running, and then to the dealership for a new, free battery.

 

[JenC]

I have 50K+ so out of warranty for the 12V battery.

 

[zvez]

I have 50K+ so out of warranty for the 12V battery.

assume you tried jumping with a 12v source to the pigtails i the little door in the front bumper?

 

[AKgrampy]

assume you tried jumping with a 12v source to the pigtails i the little door in the front bumper?

They replaced the LVB to no avail.

 

[generaltso]

assume you tried jumping with a 12v source to the pigtails i the little door in the front bumper?

Just to be clear, that won't jump it. That will get the frunk open so that you can get to the 12V terminals under the hood to jump it.

 

[RickMachE]

I think the problem here is with the process. Instead of replacing the 12v, they should have charged it, and then tested it, to see if it needed to be replaced. If it did, and the new one is charged up, I don't know why it wouldn't just work. I suspect there is some other problem, and perhaps the 12v was never dead.

 

[ocdxfv]

So here's a question...if the 12v battery is NOT dead, then applying 12v to the pigtails to open the frunk should NOT work, correct?

 

[Jerrytball]

Hey look, I really can’t say much about this, but this is coming from somebody that really has not that much knowledge as everybody else here. But from watching Rosie, the mechanic videos with her Mach e, you don’t have to remove the frunk, just the covers, loosen the bolts slide the battery towards the windshield and out. But me with no knowledge because I’ve been reading everything on here, I would’ve tried the jumper box on the front bumper cables first if the front didn’t open then I would assume it’s not a dead battery, because that’s what everybody says. It has to be dead, but if it did pop the front open then try to jumpstart it.

 

[JenC]

Update: After waiting another two hours I had to leave for work. my husband got home and I took his car. I received a text saying that a tow truck would be there in 20 min. Then a few minutes later, I received a text that said sorry we are unable to complete the tow request. Are you kidding me? I called ford roadside assistance AGAIN and they said the problem was that they had been requesting a flatbed when we actually needed a truck with a dolly and stuff. I know my husband was going to try and figure out how to jump it now that he was home. You have to have a jump box, not regular jumper cables. He managed to get a jump box and jumped the new battery. It started right up. He drove it to the dealership to have them check it. They said they were surprised we were able to get a battery since there is a national shortage of them. There is probably nothing wrong with the car. I was at work at this point and while this was happening. And then, at 6 pm, after 9 hours of waiting for a tow, a tow truck arrived at the house.

 

[zvez]

So here's a question...if the 12v battery is NOT dead, then applying 12v to the pigtails to open the frunk should NOT work, correct?

that's correct

 

[zvez]

Hey look, I really can’t say much about this, but this is coming from somebody that really has not that much knowledge as everybody else here. But from watching Rosie, the mechanic videos with her Mach e, you don’t have to remove the frunk, just the covers, loosen the bolts slide the battery towards the windshield and out. But me with no knowledge because I’ve been reading everything on here, I would’ve tried the jumper box on the front bumper cables first if the front didn’t open then I would assume it’s not a dead battery, because that’s what everybody says. It has to be dead, but if it did pop the front open then try to jumpstart it.

the best vid on the subject, shows how to access the wires, then open frunk, what panel to remove and jump start.

 

[zvez]

They replaced the LVB to no avail.

just seemed odd to replace the 12v without apparently checking to see if the 12v was failing (ie charge the battery and see if it holds charge)

 

[Mach-Lee]

Update: After waiting another two hours I had to leave for work. my husband got home and I took his car. I received a text saying that a tow truck would be there in 20 min. Then a few minutes later, I received a text that said sorry we are unable to complete the tow request. Are you kidding me? I called ford roadside assistance AGAIN and they said the problem was that they had been requesting a flatbed when we actually needed a truck with a dolly and stuff. I know my husband was going to try and figure out how to jump it now that he was home. You have to have a jump box, not regular jumper cables. He managed to get a jump box and jumped the new battery. It started right up. He drove it to the dealership to have them check it. They said they were surprised we were able to get a battery since there is a national shortage of them. There is probably nothing wrong with the car. I was at work at this point and while this was happening. And then, at 6 pm, after 9 hours of waiting for a tow, a tow truck arrived at the house.

So you replaced the dead battery with another dead battery. Maybe could have just jump started it the first time?

just seemed odd to replace the 12v without apparently checking to see if the 12v was failing (ie charge the battery and see if it holds charge)

Yeah, everyone seems to think you can't recharge a dead battery these days and wants to replace it first thing.

Sponsored