Recurrence of battery failure

[lakeladyar]

I just had my first dead battery this week.  My husband had to jump it.  I took it into the dealer mostly because The clock wouldn't let me reset and the windows wouldn't go up unless I held the button.  They acted like this had never happened before.  Now I'm worried after reading everything here.

[eloquentgina]

My battery died the 2nd day off the lot. So far my car has died 6 times!!! Today at 4am is the most current... Last Friday I took my car in for the 3 recalls. In which, 1 was for the battery and supposedly it was fine. Not sure what else to do!!! Frustrated!!!!

[eloquentgina]

My battery died the 2nd day off the lot. So far my car has died 6 times!!! Today at 4am is the most current... Last Friday I took my car in for the 3 recalls. In which, 1 was for the battery and supposedly it was fine. Not sure what else to do!!! Frustrated!!!!

[FordService]

I just had my first dead battery this week.  My husband had to jump it.  I took it into the dealer mostly because The clock wouldn't let me reset and the windows wouldn't go up unless I held the button.  They acted like this had never happened before.  Now I'm worried after reading everything here.

 

 

My battery died the 2nd day off the lot. So far my car has died 6 times!!! Today at 4am is the most current... Last Friday I took my car in for the 3 recalls. In which, 1 was for the battery and supposedly it was fine. Not sure what else to do!!! Frustrated!!!!

 

Hi lakeladyar and eloquentgina,

 

Are you currently having dead battery concerns? If you are, PM me your name, phone number, VIN, mileage, and the dealer your C-Max is at, and I'll lend a hand. 

 

Ashley

[salman]

My battery died the 2nd day off the lot. So far my car has died 6 times!!! Today at 4am is the most current... Last Friday I took my car in for the 3 recalls. In which, 1 was for the battery and supposedly it was fine. Not sure what else to do!!! Frustrated!!!!

 

There is a lot of information in the Forum section on Maintenance, TSBs, Recalls on the battery thread. In addition to the reprogramming called for in the recent "recall", there have also been problems with bad electrical connectors and bad ground wiring of the body control module, and these have possibly caused some dead 12 volt batteries. If you read through the thread you will find a list Ford TSB's telling dealers to look for these problems when confronted with symptoms like a dead 12 volt battery. You probably need to tell the dealer to check these things. You might be best served by taking your car to a different and hopefully better dealer service department. Some are better than others.

[drdiesel1]

Hi lakeladyar and eloquentgina,

 

Are you currently having dead battery concerns? If you are, PM me your name, phone number, VIN, mileage, and the dealer your C-Max is at, and I'll lend a hand. 

 

Ashley

Why do you insists to have this a private matter instead of an open forum discussion ?

[Jon Beasley]

Our C-Max is my wife's 'driver', and we purchased it because we had so many miles on our other vehicles - wanted ONE reliable vehicle in our personal fleet.  Although we initially enjoyed the solid build and practicality of this vehicle, it is approaching lemon status.  It is currently in the shop for the 3rd time with the exact same problem - battery completely drained for no apparent reason other than "software".  It's been through two TSDs, and now we're on to a "Customer Satisfaction Whatever-the-$%&@ they're calling it".  My wife is 100% done with it, so now I'm stuck with this thing after we get it back from the dealer.

 

What irks the hell out of me is that Ford puts these TSDs out to the dealers and communicates NOTHING to the owners...just waits for the owners to get stranded.  If this is a random problem with the C-Max then why not communicate with the owners who have had multiple issues?  Our dealer offers no rental (even though we have a reliable standby Chevy Uplander with 180K miles), and obviously we're spending lots of time and fuel screwing around with picking up our "new" vehicle.  Our dealer service mgr. appears to empathize and appear as frustrated as we are, but he does nothing to really help us out - no offer for a rental, no offer to drop the car off at our house, etc.  Like everyone else, we don't have time in our busy days to be dealing with a "science project" like this. 

 

This whole thing has been ridiculous.  So we will get our car back tomorrow or Tuesday and will be sitting ducks until it dies for the 4th time.  If it occurs before the end of March, we will file under the IN Lemon Law. 

[PJFW8]

In reply to Drdiesel regarding using a pm...I understand that private messages may defeat the benefit of having a forum to share problems and solutions, but they have their place, I had a tough problem on my 2010 Fusion Hybrid.  The private message system allowed me to provide personal information (including my past vehicle purchases) and my vin number.  Within 2 days Ford sent an engineer to my dealer and corrected the problem. They have also answered questions regarding proprietary information that I agreed not to post! They will open a case and go to bat for you as an individual.  Were the information is helpful to us all they usually post it. I have had a similar great experience with them on the Explorer site when I had narrow questions about my 2.0 Ecoboost.

Edited January 20, 2014 by PJFW8

[FordService]

Why do you insists to have this a private matter instead of an open forum discussion ?

 

drdiesel1,

 

I request things via a PM so you guys don't have to share personal info, such as your phone number, publicly on the forum. :)

 

...  What irks the hell out of me is that Ford puts these TSDs out to the dealers and communicates NOTHING to the owners...just waits for the owners to get stranded.  If this is a random problem with the C-Max then why not communicate with the owners who have had multiple issues?  Our dealer offers no rental (even though we have a reliable standby Chevy Uplander with 180K miles), and obviously we're spending lots of time and fuel screwing around with picking up our "new" vehicle.  Our dealer service mgr. appears to empathize and appear as frustrated as we are, but he does nothing to really help us out - no offer for a rental, no offer to drop the car off at our house, etc.  Like everyone else, we don't have time in our busy days to be dealing with a "science project" like this.  ...

Jon Beasley,

 

Send me a PM with your name, phone number, VIN, mileage, and dealer info, and I'll take a look.

 

Ashley

Edited January 20, 2014 by FordService

[Jon Beasley]

 

drdiesel1,

 

I request things via a PM so you guys don't have to share personal info, such as your phone number, publicly on the forum. :)

 

Jon Beasley,

 

Send me a PM with your name, phone number, VIN, mileage, and dealer info, and I'll take a look.

 

Ashley

Ashley,

 

I can't find your e-mail (and not a Twitter user).  When I try to e-mail you through your profile, it says something to the effect that I haven't posted more than 5x and will not allow me to send a message.

 

Thanks,

 

Jon

[DaveofDurham]

Ashley,

 

I can't find your e-mail (and not a Twitter user).  When I try to e-mail you through your profile, it says something to the effect that I haven't posted more than 5x and will not allow me to send a message.

 

Thanks,

 

Jon

 

Jon -

 

You can fix this by making a few more posts.  There are many interesting topics here - find a few and tell us what you like or don't like about your C-Max, or about your experiences or adventures with your car.

 

OR

 

Ashley - 

 

You can PM Jon and then perhaps he can reply to you even if he has not made more than 5 forum posts.

[DaveofDurham]

Why do you insists to have this a private matter instead of an open forum discussion ?

drdiesel1 - 

 

Good to see you back on the forum.  I have missed your insightful contributions to technical questions.

[salman]

Our C-Max is my wife's 'driver', and we purchased it because we had so many miles on our other vehicles - wanted ONE reliable vehicle in our personal fleet.  Although we initially enjoyed the solid build and practicality of this vehicle, it is approaching lemon status.  It is currently in the shop for the 3rd time with the exact same problem - battery completely drained for no apparent reason other than "software".  It's been through two TSDs, and now we're on to a "Customer Satisfaction Whatever-the-$%&@ they're calling it".  My wife is 100% done with it, so now I'm stuck with this thing after we get it back from the dealer.

 

What irks the hell out of me is that Ford puts these TSDs out to the dealers and communicates NOTHING to the owners...just waits for the owners to get stranded.  If this is a random problem with the C-Max then why not communicate with the owners who have had multiple issues?  Our dealer offers no rental (even though we have a reliable standby Chevy Uplander with 180K miles), and obviously we're spending lots of time and fuel screwing around with picking up our "new" vehicle.  Our dealer service mgr. appears to empathize and appear as frustrated as we are, but he does nothing to really help us out - no offer for a rental, no offer to drop the car off at our house, etc.  Like everyone else, we don't have time in our busy days to be dealing with a "science project" like this. 

 

This whole thing has been ridiculous.  So we will get our car back tomorrow or Tuesday and will be sitting ducks until it dies for the 4th time.  If it occurs before the end of March, we will file under the IN Lemon Law. 

 

 

Jon 

 

The Customer Satisfaction "recall" explicitly called for dealers to pay for rental cars (and ford would reimburse them). You would be within your rights to go to your dealer and to Ford Customer Service via Ashley or Ford's 800 phone number and ask them for compensation, at least for this particular round of service.

 

If a 4th dead battery episode crosses your state's line for Lemon Law qualification, then you have a remedy. Ford seems to have a good track record in responding positively to lemon law complaints that are made on solid grounds with full documentation.

 

The forum has sections on Lemon Law cases and also on TSBs & Recalls. Lots of information there.

 

Some dealer service departments are better than others. Some take on the challenge of trying to solve problems, others tend to do the minimum necessary, and some are worse than that. You can switch to a different service department if you are dissatisfied. At the same time, it is not yet clear that Ford has figured out how to fix the 12 volt problems. The track record is not yet conclusive or long enough to be conclusive. Several repairs seem to have made a difference in specific cases but no one can say yet that Ford has definitively tracked down and resolved all sources of the problems. Time and experience will be the proof. Even the best dealerships and mechanics have been struggling with the 12 volt problems (the worst ones tell you it is the owner's fault, the bad ones don't struggle, the mediocre ones don't offer rental car replacements).

[FordService]

Ashley,

 

I can't find your e-mail (and not a Twitter user).  When I try to e-mail you through your profile, it says something to the effect that I haven't posted more than 5x and will not allow me to send a message.

 

Thanks,

 

Jon

 

Jon,

 

I sent you a PM. I'm pretty sure you'll be able to respond with no problem. :)

 

Ashley

[pad]

I am also a victim of the dead battery syndrome. It happened twice, once after 13-07-10 was done. Since I have been regularly recharging the battery in maintenance mode.

 

I received a 13B12 recall letter and when I contacted the dealer, I was told it was not necessary as 13-07-10 was "similar". Given that the battery failed after 13-07-10 had been done, I found it odd that they would not want a second kick at the can. 

 

My first attempt at getting a confirmation from Ford has been unsuccessful as the Ford of Canada Customer Relationship Centre representative basically repeated the information obtained from the dealer. Is there no one at Ford who knows whether 13B12 is the same as 13-07-10 or not?

 

I am also trying to obtain a statement on the effects of this problem on the useful life of the battery. No luck there either.

 

I will be making a second attempt at obtaining an informed response from Ford but if anyone has information regarding the above, I would appreciate hearing of it.

 

Thanks.

 

Seems odd that a company with Ford's resources can design and build a vehicle but cannot diagnose and repair the problem. Reverse engineering anyone?

[jwpapp]

I have not previously participated in this discussion, but I have now experienced a second dead 12v battery.

I have an early SE, purchased in October 2012. The first battery problem was in January of 2013 and the dealer replaced the battery, but did not mention or list any software changes on the repair order. Things have been fine until this morning. I didn't drive car yesterday except for moving a few feet to shovel snow. This morning was COLD (about 6 degrees) and battery was dead.

I will be heading back to dealer, where a new battery and reprogramming will probably be done, but judging by other members experiences, I don't think this will be the end of this!

 

One thought/question; Has anybody installed a battery low voltage shutoff switch? From what I found on the web, these will monitor battery voltage and if voltage drops below a preset value, they will disconnect the battery from the car, thereby keeping battery from going totally flat. Then you can reset it upon finding it tripped and still have enough juice to get started.

[pad]

As I stated in a related thread, my Service Manager informed me this morning that 13B12 is exactly the same as 13-07-10 but was ready to install 13B12. Another poster was told the opposite by his Service Manager. Ford should clear up this matter ASAP.

 

He also accepted to replace my battery, even though we both agreed that there was no guarantee that this would solve the problem. We also agreed that using the charger was indicated, especially with the frigid temperatures we have been experiencing.

 

Still waiting on Ford's response and will pass it along if it ever comes.

[Jon Beasley]

Jon,

 

I sent you a PM. I'm pretty sure you'll be able to respond with no problem. :)

 

Ashley

Nothing in my 'Inbox' nor in my 'Spam'.  luv4beer99@yahoo.com

[Jon Beasley]

Jon 

 

The Customer Satisfaction "recall" explicitly called for dealers to pay for rental cars (and ford would reimburse them). You would be within your rights to go to your dealer and to Ford Customer Service via Ashley or Ford's 800 phone number and ask them for compensation, at least for this particular round of service.

 

If a 4th dead battery episode crosses your state's line for Lemon Law qualification, then you have a remedy. Ford seems to have a good track record in responding positively to lemon law complaints that are made on solid grounds with full documentation.

 

The forum has sections on Lemon Law cases and also on TSBs & Recalls. Lots of information there.

 

Some dealer service departments are better than others. Some take on the challenge of trying to solve problems, others tend to do the minimum necessary, and some are worse than that. You can switch to a different service department if you are dissatisfied. At the same time, it is not yet clear that Ford has figured out how to fix the 12 volt problems. The track record is not yet conclusive or long enough to be conclusive. Several repairs seem to have made a difference in specific cases but no one can say yet that Ford has definitively tracked down and resolved all sources of the problems. Time and experience will be the proof. Even the best dealerships and mechanics have been struggling with the 12 volt problems (the worst ones tell you it is the owner's fault, the bad ones don't struggle, the mediocre ones don't offer rental car replacements).

Thanks for the info...much appreciated, Salman. 

 

My dealer has tried to be "the nice guy" with all this, but they've only done the minimum...only fixed the problem and offered nothing else.  They never once tried to even sell me on an oil change or tire rotation let alone offered a rental!  I would have taken them up on the oil change & rotation, but I was too distracted with the big problem.

[drdiesel1]

As I stated in a related thread, my Service Manager informed me this morning that 13B12 is exactly the same as 13-07-10 but was ready to install 13B12. Another poster was told the opposite by his Service Manager. Ford should clear up this matter ASAP.

 

He also accepted to replace my battery, even though we both agreed that there was no guarantee that this would solve the problem. We also agreed that using the charger was indicated, especially with the frigid temperatures we have been experiencing.

 

Still waiting on Ford's response and will pass it along if it ever comes.

Have your dealer PRINT both TSB's and give them to you. The TSB will tell you exactly what it's for, what needs to be done, and if it applies to your vehicle. Don't take anyone's word for anything.

 

These dealers blow more smoke than the forestry department in LA.

 

Also make sure that anything done to your car is well documented on your copy of the repair order. Any software updates should also include the ID numbers of the updated software.  It looks like this (see image below) on the IDS and it can be printed for your records. Demand they give you proper documentation, every-time your car is worked on. It's your record of what was actually done.

 

Without it, you're at the mercy of some clueless clown that spews garbage.

 

Here's an update from the IDS. Documentation and more, documentation.

 

Always insist on it or just let them have their way with you. It's your only hope, Luke :victory:

Edited January 25, 2014 by drdiesel1

[wab]

"Jon Beasley

Posted Yesterday, 07:39 PM

Nothing in my 'Inbox nor in my 'Spam"

 

Jon

Did you find the “PM” from Ashley?

If not, go to the top of this page on the black bar where you log in/out.

There’s an icon that looks like an open envelope, this is the PM icon.

 

You can edit (bottom right corner) post # 68 to remove your email.

 

Hope this helps

wab

[Jon Beasley]

"Jon Beasley

Posted Yesterday, 07:39 PM

Nothing in my 'Inbox nor in my 'Spam"

 

Jon

Did you find the “PM” from Ashley?

If not, go to the top of this page on the black bar where you log in/out.

There’s an icon that looks like an open envelope, this is the PM icon.

 

You can edit (bottom right corner) post # 68 to remove your email.

 

Hope this helps

wab

Found it, but it won't let me reply.  Again about having 5 posts.  This is silly...

[DaveofDurham]

Found it, but it won't let me reply.  Again about having 5 posts.  This is silly...

 

Jon -

 

Yup, that is nuts that you can read an incoming message butnot be able to reply to it.

 

Looks like you have 5 posts now.  Maybe you have reply status now.  Or maybe they mean more than 5 and you will have to post one more time.

[FordService]

I have not previously participated in this discussion, but I have now experienced a second dead 12v battery.

I have an early SE, purchased in October 2012. The first battery problem was in January of 2013 and the dealer replaced the battery, but did not mention or list any software changes on the repair order. Things have been fine until this morning. I didn't drive car yesterday except for moving a few feet to shovel snow. This morning was COLD (about 6 degrees) and battery was dead. ...

 

jwpapp,

 

Send me a PM with your name, phone number, VIN, mileage, and dealer info. I'll see what I can do to help!

 

 

Found it, but it won't let me reply.  Again about having 5 posts.  This is silly...

Looks like you're at 5 posts now, Jon Beasley. It should let you reply. If not, you can always call our Customer Relationship Center at 1-800-392-3673.

 

Ashley

[jeffkruse]

Ashley, as a prospective CMAX buyer I am glad to see you are helping people out with these issues.  More importantly I am glad some of them are following up and posting their experience here.  I really want a CMAX but this 12V battery thing has me concerned.  You following up helps.  Thanks.