Try This First - Powertrain Malfunction / High-Voltage Battery Warning / Service Vehicle Soon While Charging

[Mach-Lee]

Hi - I’ve had my ‘21 MME for almost 2 years with virtually no issues. I traveled from NY to Philly this morning and plugged into the charger at the hotel, and five minutes later I had a charging fault. Then a high voltage battery warning and power train malfunction on my display. The car would not reset the codes as per the instructions here. Only once have I used a charger outside of my house cord mobile charger (level 2). I feel stuck - should I just go to a dealer? Or is there anything they can do OTA to get me enough charge to get home?

I’d wait an extra long time (15 min) during the reset to be sure, and if there’s still a problem head to another charger. If Level 2 doesn’t work, DC charging may still.

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[Lubo83]

I have MME AWD extended range, build date 2022/26/07. Today, after 25 000 km (15 500 miles), I received a "High voltage battery warning" and a "Powertrain malfunction / reduced power" during swift driving. No change after several hours in the garage. So, on Monday I have to call the dealer.

How long does repair usually take? It is a time of a holiday and I would like to take this car for our trips.

Thank you.

 

[mkhuffman]

I have MME AWD extended range, build date 2022/26/07. Today, after 25 000 km (15 500 miles), I received a "High voltage battery warning" and a "Powertrain malfunction / reduced power" during swift driving. No change after several hours in the garage. So, on Monday I have to call the dealer.

How long does repair usually take? It is a time of a holiday and I would like to take this car for our trips.

Thank you.

If it is the HVBJB, it should only be a couple days if your dealer knows what they are doing.

 

[beymax]

Correct, the fault handing on some of these errors isn't very good. The reset procedure is a workaround until the software can become more fault tolerant. I have suspicions 4.x software may be causing some kind of new charging glitch with a subset of EVSEs since there has been a sudden uptick in faults.

Suspected trigger EVSEs:
-Autel MaxiCharger (old firmware)
-ChargePoint public L2 stations

Sharing my experience for ChargePoint- They only have ChargePoint EVSEs at my workplace, I got the charge fault error months ago, and another today. (I use the chargers 1 or 2x a week.) Error message cleared after I left the car off for 10 min.

 

[BigMach-E]

Is it possible to get this with a FMC? That’s all I use at home, just got a SVS, and wrench, right after charging, unplugging right before preconditioning the cabin completed. It was about 100 degrees out. Eventually got the PowerTrain Malfunction/Reduced power on FP, but I have the new HVJB, replaced 5k miles ago. No grey bars, no reduction in power. Stopped to get groceries, got back in the car, no SVS, no wrench.

 

[mkhuffman]

Is it possible to get this with a FMC? That’s all I use at home, just got a SVS, and wrench, right after charging, unplugging right before preconditioning the cabin completed. It was about 100 degrees out. Eventually got the PowerTrain Malfunction/Reduced power on FP, but I have the new HVJB, replaced 5k miles ago. No grey bars, no reduction in power. Stopped to get groceries, got back in the car, no SVS, no wrench.

Yes, there are other causes of SVS. If it went away, it is highly unlikely you have a HVBJB failure.

 

[BigMach-E]

Yes, there are other causes of SVS. If it went away, it is highly unlikely you have a HVJB failure.

Thank you, I am aware that there are many different things that can cause an SVS. I guess my question here is if the SVS goes away on next key cycle, what are the DTCs that are serious enough to warrant a visit to the dealer.

 

[mkhuffman]

Thank you, I am aware that there are many different things that can cause an SVS. I guess my question here is if the SVS goes away on next key cycle, what are the DTCs that are serious enough to warrant a visit to the dealer.

Post the DTCs and the smart people here will help you determine if they are serious.

 

[BigMach-E]

Post the DTCs and the smart people here will help you determine if they are serious.

I can search, it’s worthwhile going to the dealership, thanks for your help.

 

[mkhuffman]

I can search, it’s worthwhile going to the dealership, thanks for your help.

You can read them yourself with an OBDII scanner and the CarScanner app. It is a good tool to have anyway, if you like to see detailed data about your car.

 

[BigMach-E]

You can read them yourself with an OBDII scanner and the CarScanner app. It is a good tool to have anyway, if you like to see detailed data about your car.

Already did, and the codes make me think it’s worth a trip to the dealership.

 

[Blackpony]

Interesting thread. I wish I had seen it before last Thursday...we were getting ready to leave our house in Massachusetts to go to New Hampshire for our daughter’s wedding and we were going to take two cars–my Mach E GT and my wife’s 2007 Toyota Highlander hybrid which has over 275,000 miles on it and has the original battery. My Mach E was on my juicebox charger and was charged to 90%. I disconcerted the charger and backed the car out of our garage and was waiting for my wife when I got a bunch of warnings including something about the battery. Needless to say I was somewhat focused on other things so I just thought I would shut it down and restart it hoping it would clear whatever fault was causing it. I did that and when I tried to restart it the lights came on and the gear selector was locked in P. The car was bricked as far as I could tell. We moved the stuff in the Mach E to the Toyota and went to NH. I checked the car a few times via the Ford App and it showed 90% charge and 0 (zero) miles available. After a few days checking it the range went back to 250 or there about which was as expected. Thinking that it was the dreaded HVBJB problem, I called Ford to open a case and I called the dealer yesterday and explained what happened. I was told that it could be a bunch of things and to have to car towed to them this morning. When I went out to it I got in and started it and all is well. I have a call into the service people but, no call back yet. Does it make sense to bring it in so they can look at any codes or just chalk it up to this new (to me anyway) issue? What concerns me is that the charging had completed and when I started it to begin with everything seemed fine.

 

[jackwilliam1]

Interesting thread. I wish I had seen it before last Thursday...we were getting ready to leave our house in Massachusetts to go to New Hampshire for our daughter’s wedding and we were going to take two cars–my Mach E GT and my wife’s 2007 Toyota Highlander hybrid which has over 275,000 miles on it and has the original battery. My Mach E was on my juicebox charger and was charged to 90%. I disconcerted the charger and backed the car out of our garage and was waiting for my wife when I got a bunch of warnings including something about the battery. Needless to say I was somewhat focused on other things so I just thought I would shut it down and restart it hoping it would clear whatever fault was causing it. I did that and when I tried to restart it the lights came on and the gear selector was locked in P. The car was bricked as far as I could tell. We moved the stuff in the Mach E to the Toyota and went to NH. I checked the car a few times via the Ford App and it showed 90% charge and 0 (zero) miles available. After a few days checking it the range went back to 250 or there about which was as expected. Thinking that it was the dreaded HVBJB problem, I called Ford to open a case and I called the dealer yesterday and explained what happened. I was told that it could be a bunch of things and to have to car towed to them this morning. When I went out to it I got in and started it and all is well. I have a call into the service people but, no call back yet. Does it make sense to bring it in so they can look at any codes or just chalk it up to this new (to me anyway) issue? What concerns me is that the charging had completed and when I started it to begin with everything seemed fine.

It's certainly an interesting experience you've had with your Mach E GT. It's understandable that you were focused on other matters during the preparations for your daughter's wedding. It seems like your initial issues might have been a momentary glitch or hiccup in the system, as the car eventually started up and showed the expected range.

Since your Mach E appears to be functioning normally now, you might want to consider a few things before deciding whether to bring it in for service:

1. Check for Error Codes: It's a good idea to connect an OBD-II scanner to see if there are any stored error codes. This can provide valuable information about what may have caused the initial problem.

2. Consult with the Service Team: Continue to try and get in touch with the service department to discuss the situation and see if they have any insights or recommendations. They may have experience with similar issues or know about any known problems with the Mach E that could explain the situation.

3. Keep an Eye on the Vehicle: Monitor the vehicle closely over the next few days to ensure it continues to function correctly. If you experience any more issues or if the problem reoccurs, it would be a good idea to schedule a service appointment promptly.

4. Warranty Consideration: If your Mach E is still under warranty, any service or diagnosis should be covered, and it might be a good idea to have them investigate the issue thoroughly for peace of mind.

Ultimately, the decision to bring it in for service will depend on your level of comfort with the situation and any guidance you receive from the service department. It could be a one-time occurrence or indicative of a more significant problem, and professional evaluation might help provide clarity on that.

 

[Panzer948]

If you were just charging your Mach-E and got these error messages:

• Powertrain Malfunction / Reduced Power
• High-Voltage Battery Warning
• Service vehicle soon
• Stop safely now

Please follow the steps below to reset your car before taking it to your dealer. The EVSE/charger you were using may have cause this error.

Powertrain / High Voltage Reset:

Perform steps exactly in this order.

1. Unplug the charger from the vehicle.
2. Turn OFF the vehicle completely.
3. Open and close the driver's door.
4. All screens should go black.
5. Do not open or close any doors during the waiting period. You may sit inside the car if you don't touch anything.
6. WAIT A MINIMUM OF 5 MINUTES with the car unplugged and completely off (10 min recommended).
7. Press the brake and start the car. Observe if any error messages are still present in the instrument cluster after restarting.

If the error messages are gone, then they were likely a glitch caused by a charging fault, try again. You only need to take your car to the dealer if the "Service Vehicle Soon" message persists after the reset procedure was carried out correctly.

Second Charging Attempt:

1. Start the car and verify no error messages are shown on the display (see above for reset).
2. Authorize the charger if necessary (DC or public charging).
3. Insert the charger plug FULLY until it CLICKS with a firm push.
4. Immediately observe the charging indicator ring lights and verify they light up BLUE and begin pulsing.
5. If the indicator lights do not light up blue or turn RED, there is still a problem with the charging station or your car.
6. Move the car to a different charger, perform the above powertrain reset procedure again, and try charging again.

NOTE: The vehicle must be reset after each failed charging attempt that generates a powertrain fault.


Explanation: Certain charging stations or EVSEs can produce errors that cause the Mach-E to enter a "HV battery disabled" state. This state can only be cleared if the vehicle is unplugged and completely powered down for at least 5 minutes. These errors may be caused by a faulty EVSE, incompatible DC charging station, an incomplete plug connection, or failed HV components on the Mach-E. Fiddling with the gear shift knob without pressing the brake pedal can also cause a powertrain fault if you have outdated gear shifter software.

The fault could be with a particular EVSE, it may have a communication issue that requires a firmware update or replacement to solve. An OBCC module update may be required from your dealer to solve DC charging station compatibility issues.

Thanks for your post. This just worked for me after we got a charging fault and then the powertrain malfunction upon starting. So glad I looked here before taking it to the dealer. I think the fault was due to our home charger since my wife was using the treadmill at the same time as charging. Those treadmills seem to cause glitches in general as I had to put it on a seperate circuit to keep from tripping fuses.

 

[ChehRob]

Is the car 'fully off' when you push the 'off' button after parking, close the door, (and lock it)? Or is it like a computer and has 2 or 3 'offs'.

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