Battery dead

[andrewwx]

Not so sure about that, mine is an SEL

[salman]

update on my car:

 

No electrical problems since my battery was changed, until today.

 

I looked outside this afternoon and all the car windows were open. This same thing happened in December, a day or two before I experienced a dead 12 volt battery/electrical system.

 

I've called the dealer and the Ford Customer Care manager to log the issue, and now need to plan another service visit to 1) figure out why the windows have gone down twice, 2) maybe disable the global power down feature for the windows, 3) and see if like last time I suddenly have a dead battery.

 

My reading suggests that weird electrical things can happen when a 12 volt battery is on the edge of going out.

 

Also, there is a TSB, # 12 12 06, that calls for adjustment of the rear hatch door. There have been reports of the hatch not always closing and, perhaps, not closing enough to always trip the hatch closed switch. Ford's technical expert told the customer care manager it would be a good idea to have the hatch on my car checked to make sure it is not intermittently sending a door ajar signal that would wake the electrical system and draw juice. I have not seen any door ajar warnings, so I doubt this is a contributing factor in my case, but I will get it checked.

 

The windows powering open all by themselves for the second time is another matter: worrying all by itself for rain and security reasons, but also worrisome in relation to the 12 volt battery failure I experienced in December.

[andrewwx]

Update on my Black SEL. The service dept had it for 9 days and it never dies for them. But they only drove it once a day. This leads me to think that there is one module somewhere that intermittently malfunctions on shutdown and since I start and stop it 4 or 5 times a day I actually see the problem fairly quickly. Ford roadside service said last time I called them that they cannot town a car parked nose in - so now I am being careful how and where I park so I can have it towed to them in a dead state. In the mean time I am keeping a little log of all my trips to show them. I am noticing how the Dash Panel lights up when I open the door (some times all three panels light up, sometimes just the speedometer center section lights up, sometimes nothing lights up but does after I hit the start button) 

 

I will call my Ford Customer care rep this afternoon.

 

I noticed my bank account was debted with my first loan payment yesterday with the car in shop, I am almost hoping that Ford offers me a buyback. I really like the Cmax when it is working but this constant in and out of the dealer is wearing me down.

 

Hoping you all have better luck

 

Cheers

 

Andrew

[Wbridge]

My SE was dead at noon time yesterday.  It started fine in the morning at -7F, but when I went out at noon, 14F, it was dead.  No signs of any life.  No lights were left on, no door was open ajar.  Doors locked when I left it in the morning.  Called Roadside assistance and AAA.  Both required 1.5 to 2 hrs to get to me.  I called the dealer and he came right over.  After about 1 minute with the jumper battery pack on the car it cleared its faults and allowed the engine to start.

 

Guess I need to call customer service and lodge the complaint formally.

 

The inside light went on this morning, wish me luck.

[salman]

Andrew

 

Please refresh our memory (and tally) as to how many times you've found your battery and/or 12 volt system dead? 

 

Thanks

[erwhitham]

Best of luck to all of you with battery and/or electrical issues. I am grateful everyday that my car has not repeated some reverse and MFT glitches. You all seem very reasonable and patient.

[salman]

Mbedit

 

may I confirm something with you via the forum's messaging system? I've left you a message that you can find by opening your account information.

[andrewwx]

Hi Salman

 

I have had to "jump" my Cmax 12 times so far.

 

It has been into service 3 times.

 

I bought it on Dec 11th.

 

57 mpg on my trip to work tonight. So many things to like - one big thing to dislike.

 

Cheers

 

Andrew

[erwhitham]

Andrewwx, how is your blood pressure? Please send us some good news soon

[salman]

Andrew

 

The Ford Customer Care manager I have been dealing with is a guy named Mark Coll. He is the manager or one of the managers for the West Coast, so I think there is a decent chance that you might be talking with him, too. I am in Los Angeles. Who have you been talking to at Ford?

 

My dealer is Buerge Ford in LA. Who is your dealer?

 

Last question: What parts, if any, have they changed out in your car? The 12 volt battery? Anything else? I know you have probably posted this info already.

 

According to Mark Coll, the Ford technical experts are recommending that changing out the 12 volt battery is one of the first things that should be tried in cases of dead 12 volt systems (my battery was swapped out by the dealer). After that, the tech experts are recommending that TSB 12 12 06 be followed to make sure the rear hatch latch is properly aligned to close fully to prevent any intermittent door ajar signals (has not been a problem on my that I have seen, but i will be having this done on Monday).

 

I will be talking to Mark Coll again on Monday and I think I need to try to straighten out what information Ford really has about all these different cases. 

 

Since my battery swap after xmas i have not had another dead 12 volt episode, but the other day I had my second episode of all the windows opening by themselves. The first time this happened was a day before my dead battery event in December. So far now it is two days since I found my windows down. Car is still starting as of last night.

[joe]

Today, I got out of the C-Max and noticed the parking lights were on.  I got back in the car and recyled the process of starting and turning off the car (keeping foot off brake to turn off).  (I have the keyless start system) Got out and locked the doors.  Parking lights still on.  I then got back in and pressed the starter without touching the brake.  Then turned system off.  Got back out, locked door, parking lights were out.  When I returned to the car with my wife, she discovered that the passenger door was not closed completely  We discovered that if the passenger door is ajar, the parking lights will stay on.  I suspect that when I closed the driver's door the last time, it jiggled the passenger door closed enough to make the car think the passenger door was now closed.

 

I don't know if this information helps, but it's something to consider.

[RachelnLa]

So the car locked? With the door ajar? My Tahoe won't and that's an indication something isn't shut. Hmmmm

[C-MaxJaxon]

I think if any door or the hatch isn't completely closed, the parking lights will stay on. I've noticed that a few times while in my garage.

[RachelnLa]

Something to pay attention to. My Tahoe gives a chirp when it locks properly. No chirp means not locked properly. I will have much testing on my car once it arrives. These are things I automatically know from having driven it so long. Time to start learning again.

[salman]

I do not think doors ajar have been an issue in my case. No door ajar signals on the dash, no running lights that don't shut off, etc. However, Ford is recommending checking the rear hatch per TSB 12 12 6 to make sure it is closing properly, and I think it is important to do that to eliminate the possibility.

 

I am still leaning toward the suspicion that the dead 12 volt systems are being caused by some combination of smaller 12 volt batteries and something in the electrical circuitry that is either A) overly sensitive and shuts down due to a drop in current or fluctuation from the 12 volt battery or B) drains power from the battery or, I suppose C) some combination of A & B.

 

It could be a safety switch that is shutting down for a good reason (as opposed to being over-sensitive) and thus protecting circuits from damage.

 

Bottom line is we still do not know what the bug is that has been causing the problems.

[eonore]

Add me to the list.  I purchased my basic C-Max in October and this afternoon found the car dead.  The car is garaged at about forty five degrees and driven a fair amount each day, so I would be surprised if the 12 volt hasn't been getting a fair chance to charge.   I should also add that nothing was plugged in the the outlet.  I am going to call roadside tomorrow morning and also get it to the dealer since it need its 5000 service.

 

Eric

[zhackwyatt]

If you press lock on the keyfob twice, it will chirp once when the doors are shut and locked, and twice if one is open.

[zhackwyatt]

Add me to the list.  I purchased my basic C-Max in October and this afternoon found the car dead.  The car is garaged at about forty five degrees and driven a fair amount each day, so I would be surprised if the 12 volt hasn't been getting a fair chance to charge.   I should also add that nothing was plugged in the the outlet.  I am going to call roadside tomorrow morning and also get it to the dealer since it need its 5000 service.

 

Eric

Is your C-Max asking you to take it in for service?  Depending on how its driven, it can last until 10,000 miles before needing service.

[Jus-A-CMax]

+1

 

AFAIK, it's 5K for the tire rotation and 10K for the oil change, should not need servicing otherwise. If anyone else knows any reason why there should be a set interval servicing, feel free to chime in.

[C-MaxJaxon]

The service interval for oil change and tire rotation is the same, whenever the display says it's due with a maximum or 10K miles of 12 months.

[salman]

Add me to the list.  I purchased my basic C-Max in October and this afternoon found the car dead.  The car is garaged at about forty five degrees and driven a fair amount each day, so I would be surprised if the 12 volt hasn't been getting a fair chance to charge.   I should also add that nothing was plugged in the the outlet.  I am going to call roadside tomorrow morning and also get it to the dealer since it need its 5000 service.

 

Eric

 

Eric

 

a couple of suggestions:

 

1) Please call Ford's Customer Care Hotline as well as your dealer (800-392-3673). This will help you and all of us by making sure Ford's corporate office knows there is another dead 12 volt case.

 

2) Consider having the car towed to the dealer rather than jumped. Just about all of us so far have had the car jumped. Then the car seems to start normally after that (i.e we drive it, shut it, and it can be started again) so the dealers never see the car when it does not work. My suggestion is to call Ford's customer care line and also call the dealer, and ask them both to consult with technical experts. The dealers have a "Hotline" for technical issues. If you can get these people to talk to each other, then they will pull up the records from other cases and I think they ought to agree to pay to have your car towed rather than jumped.

 

Please let us know what happens. Take good notes on everything the dealer tests and tries.

[eonore]

Eric

 

a couple of suggestions:

 

1) Please call Ford's Customer Care Hotline as well as your dealer (800-392-3673). This will help you and all of us by making sure Ford's corporate office knows there is another dead 12 volt case.

 

2) Consider having the car towed to the dealer rather than jumped. Just about all of us so far have had the car jumped. Then the car seems to start normally after that (i.e we drive it, shut it, and it can be started again) so the dealers never see the car when it does not work. My suggestion is to call Ford's customer care line and also call the dealer, and ask them both to consult with technical experts. The dealers have a "Hotline" for technical issues. If you can get these people to talk to each other, then they will pull up the records from other cases and I think they ought to agree to pay to have your car towed rather than jumped.

 

Please let us know what happens. Take good notes on everything the dealer tests and tries.

I will do both first thing in the morning.  I may not be able to get it towed since it is nose first in the garage.  Either way, it is going to the dealer.

Thanks for the advice.

 

Eric

[jonathan3d]

Add me to the list, too. Our C-Max battery was dead this morning. We drove it normally yesterday, got home around 8 pm. Then this morning it was completely dead. I hooked up a battery charger for about 5 minutes and then everything was back to normal. Usually it takes 15-20 minutes to charge a battery that's dead, which tells me there's some switching problem somewhere. We'll take it to the dealer later today.

[Laurel]

Jonathan this list is getting long!  Sorry that it has happened to you too.  Do you have a SE or SEL?

[salman]

 this morning it was completely dead. I hooked up a battery charger for about 5 minutes and then everything was back to normal. Usually it takes 15-20 minutes to charge a battery that's dead, which tells me there's some switching problem somewhere. We'll take it to the dealer later today.

 

Jonathan

 

There is lots of relevant information in this and the other battery threads:

 

1) please call Ford's Customer Care center and log your experience there and ask for help, as well as bringing the car to your dealer. The Ford # is 800-392-3673

 

2) ask your dealer's service department to call the Ford tech hotline. They will have the number.

 

3) Jumping the CMax does not require 5 minutes. As soon as the terminals are connected you can start the car because the 12 volt battery does not crank the engine via a starter motor, as in gas engine cars. The 12 volt merely awakens the CMax's electrical systems so it can draw power off the LiOn battery.

 

4) Although there is some reason to wonder about the quality and condition of the 12 volt batteries in the CMax, and also reason to wonder if there is a phantom power drain that saps the 12 votl battery, I am inclined to agree with you that there might be a relay or switch that is getting triggered to shut down for some reason (and then is rebooted when the car is jumped). But, so far, despite dozens of cases of dead 12 volt systems, neither we nor Ford has an explanation for what has been going wrong. The thread is full of posts about these problems - well worth reading before you talk to your dealer and Ford Customer Care.

Edited January 29, 2013 by salman