2022 BS BADLANDS ongoing electrical issues

[Mark S.]

but didn’t know how that would dovetail with being able to lick the car at night for safety…

I think you can safely lick your car any time you like, but you might wait until after you run it through the car wash.

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[Vangie]

I think you can safely lick your car any time you like, but you might wait until after you run it through the car wash.

????‍?. Spellcheck is the pits! “Lock” definitely has different ramifications ??

 

[Ford Motor Company]

Help, please: My 2022 BS Badlands is continuing to have electrical problems that prevent me from being able to dispersed camp with it. Vehicle is currently in 2nd dealership for 6th attempt to ID problem and fix.
Primary problem —When camping, with engine off, interior lights ,exterior lights and radio off, NO use of any electrical outlets or spotlights, and fob in a faraday bag ( to stop fob’s Bluetooth signal to vehicle):
the opening/ closing of doors starts a cascade of electrical events: bilateral headlight fans come on for 15-45 minutes at a time ( fans come back on repeatedly if a door is reopened to take out gear); dash panel and/ or navigation panel and or panel lights under nav screen will come on the n a variety of configurations. The max i’ve been able to camp is 36 hours before receiving “emergency sleep mode/ drive the car” message . Most recent event also reset my door’s entry code to factory setting and knocked out radio settings.

Problems that intermittently happen with intown driving : bilaterally fans come on for excessive time; with engine off, while exiting car, radio spontaneously came on; periodic “ put hans on wheel message” while both hands are solidly in place; periodic message of “emergency deep sleep” after call has been in driveway overnight.

Ford factory technicians initially said i was to blame. and should take the battery out of the fob to ID if the fob is the problem. (i use a faraday bag as a safer alternative—with the repeated opening/ closing of doors still setting off the events that negate overlanding use).

Suggestions on how to procede? REALLY like this vehicle and don’t want to invoke CA’s lemon law ( supply chains are still a mess —and finding a replacement vehicle is my last course of action)…

As as a woman in my 60’s , without car repair expertise, any advice would be appreciated.

Hello there. Can you please send over a private message with your VIN and the name/location of the Ford dealer you are currently working with? I would like to see what I can do to assist with your Bronco concerns.

 

[Vangie]

Would be grateful! How do i send a private message??

 

[Mark S.]

Would be grateful! How do i send a private message??

Click the Ford logo above Ford Motor Company, then click "Start Conversation."

 

[Feint]

Would be grateful! How do i send a private message??

Don't bother dealing with the Ford social media people. They lurk these forums to make it look like they are trying to help. But in my personal experience, after contacting them, all they do is "set up a case number" (which was never sent to my dealer) and then tell you to contact a dealer for service. I did this, and the Ford dealer I spoke to didn't know anything about any case number and they said they couldn't see me for a few months. I reported back to Ford on these forums and they said to just keep interacting with the dealer and that they couldn't offer any further assistance. So it was a frustrating waste of time. Your experience might be different but I doubt it. Since you already have a relationship established with your dealer's service department, contacting Ford on these forums probably won't grease any squeaky wheels.

Back to your issue at hand:

You should not have to restrict your use of the car's features while driving. The alternator should/will charge your battery as long as you aren't doing a series of very short trips (under 10 minutes) over and over. If you are driving for longer than that to your destinations every day, you can use any electrical feature you want in the car and the alternator will charge your battery and run everything just fine (as long as your alternator is working). If your battery is still discharging while driving, or entering sleep mode, then most likely your alternator is bad and not properly charging your battery. This is VERY EASY for your dealer to check. They just hook up a multimeter or OBD reader and they can see the charging behavior of the alternator in real-time.

If you want more real world numbers to help you diagnose your issues, you can either buy a multimeter, or an OBD2 reader, and check the voltage at the battery both when the engine is off and when the engine is on. Or you can purchase one of these cigarette lighter volt meters. They aren't super accurate, but they should give you an idea of your battery voltage.
https://www.amazon.com/12V-24V-Digital-Voltmeter-Vehicle-Motorcycle/dp/B09726J6KQ/ref=sr_1_15?c=ts&keywords=Automotive+Replacement+Voltmeter+Gauges&qid=1676918557&s=automotive&sr=1-15&ts_id=15729811

Plug it in, put your car into accessory mode (put the start/stop button without depressing the brake pedal) and it should read 12 or higher. Then start the car and it should read higher than 12. As long as it stays above 12, you're in good shape. As you camp, you can plug it in from time to time and put your car back into accessory mode to test your battery level. I wouldn't leave it plugged in for more than a few days without running the engine. It doesn't draw that much power, but it draws a little that will add up over a few days/week of not driving.

OBD2 readers can be standalone or you can use the Torque App for iOS or Android and get a bluetooth OBD2 transmitter that works with your phone or tablet. Someone more familiar with Fords on here might be able to make a recommendation. I don't have one at the moment.

While camping, the "sleep mode" is probably kicking in if you are opening and closing the doors over and over while camping, triggering the headlight fans each time. After the car enters sleep mode, do the headlight fans still come on while open the doors? I would think not, but IDK. If not, then you're good to keep camping without worries about becoming stranded.

Since you've already told the service technicians at your Ford dealer about this, and they have not expressed interest in checking that or they can't find an issue with the headlights, I would advise you call a different Ford dealer/service center and ask them about the normal run time for those headlights. I know San Diego has a wide range of temps. My sister lives there and inland it can be very warm. So it's possible it's a bad sensor in the headlights or maybe it's just a bad software design by Ford.

Either way, when camping, once your car enters sleep mode for the battery, it should be good to go after a long time without starting as long as you aren't using the battery any more. Like I said, I was just overseas and I didn't run my car for three weeks and it started right up. It also entered sleep mode or whatever it's called. But I was able to use the keyless entry on the door handle and start it.

BTW, I'm guessing that storing your key in a faraday pouch is unnecessary. Your car is always running the BLE (bluetooth low energy) and NFC (near field communication) radios to communicate with the key whether it's present or not.

Final tip, if you want a bandaid on this problem and peace of mind, buy a portable jump starter pack. There are a million to choose from out there but this one is probably good: TOPDON JS3000 I have one in my car that I used to use with my WRX before I replaced the old battery in it with a Die Hard. They are very small and light, you can store them in front of your spare tire under the cover and they can jump your car in no time. You can also use them to charge phones and tablets and they seem to last a long time without charging them. Just check them when after it has been cold out or after a few months of not using them to make sure they are still fully charged. Then you can camp knowing that you can always jump start your car if the battery dies.

 

[GA greek]

Click the Ford logo above Ford Motor Company, then click "Start Conversation."

?? Thanks, Mark!!

 

[GA greek]

Don't bother dealing with the Ford social media people. They lurk these forums to make it look like they are trying to help. But in my personal experience, after contacting them, all they do is "set up a case number" (which was never sent to my dealer) and then tell you to contact a dealer for service. I did this, and the Ford dealer I spoke to didn't know anything about any case number and they said they couldn't see me for a few months. I reported back to Ford on these forums and they said to just keep interacting with the dealer and that they couldn't offer any further assistance. So it was a frustrating waste of time. Your experience might be different but I doubt it. Since you already have a relationship established with your dealer's service department, contacting Ford on these forums probably won't grease any squeaky wheels.

Back to your issue at hand:

You should not have to restrict your use of the car's features while driving. The alternator should/will charge your battery as long as you aren't doing a series of very short trips (under 10 minutes) over and over. If you are driving for longer than that to your destinations every day, you can use any electrical feature you want in the car and the alternator will charge your battery and run everything just fine (as long as your alternator is working). If your battery is still discharging while driving, or entering sleep mode, then most likely your alternator is bad and not properly charging your battery. This is VERY EASY for your dealer to check. They just hook up a multimeter or OBD reader and they can see the charging behavior of the alternator in real-time.

If you want more real world numbers to help you diagnose your issues, you can either buy a multimeter, or an OBD2 reader, and check the voltage at the battery both when the engine is off and when the engine is on. Or you can purchase one of these cigarette lighter volt meters. They aren't super accurate, but they should give you an idea of your battery voltage.
https://www.amazon.com/12V-24V-Digital-Voltmeter-Vehicle-Motorcycle/dp/B09726J6KQ/ref=sr_1_15?c=ts&keywords=Automotive+Replacement+Voltmeter+Gauges&qid=1676918557&s=automotive&sr=1-15&ts_id=15729811

Plug it in, put your car into accessory mode (put the start/stop button without depressing the brake pedal) and it should read 12 or higher. Then start the car and it should read higher than 12. As long as it stays above 12, you're in good shape. As you camp, you can plug it in from time to time and put your car back into accessory mode to test your battery level. I wouldn't leave it plugged in for more than a few days without running the engine. It doesn't draw that much power, but it draws a little that will add up over a few days/week of not driving.

OBD2 readers can be standalone or you can use the Torque App for iOS or Android and get a bluetooth OBD2 transmitter that works with your phone or tablet. Someone more familiar with Fords on here might be able to make a recommendation. I don't have one at the moment.

While camping, the "sleep mode" is probably kicking in if you are opening and closing the doors over and over while camping, triggering the headlight fans each time. After the car enters sleep mode, do the headlight fans still come on while open the doors? I would think not, but IDK. If not, then you're good to keep camping without worries about becoming stranded.

Since you've already told the service technicians at your Ford dealer about this, and they have not expressed interest in checking that or they can't find an issue with the headlights, I would advise you call a different Ford dealer/service center and ask them about the normal run time for those headlights. I know San Diego has a wide range of temps. My sister lives there and inland it can be very warm. So it's possible it's a bad sensor in the headlights or maybe it's just a bad software design by Ford.

Either way, when camping, once your car enters sleep mode for the battery, it should be good to go after a long time without starting as long as you aren't using the battery any more. Like I said, I was just overseas and I didn't run my car for three weeks and it started right up. It also entered sleep mode or whatever it's called. But I was able to use the keyless entry on the door handle and start it.

BTW, I'm guessing that storing your key in a faraday pouch is unnecessary. Your car is always running the BLE (bluetooth low energy) and NFC (near field communication) radios to communicate with the key whether it's present or not.

Final tip, if you want a bandaid on this problem and peace of mind, buy a portable jump starter pack. There are a million to choose from out there but this one is probably good: TOPDON JS3000 I have one in my car that I used to use with my WRX before I replaced the old battery in it with a Die Hard. They are very small and light, you can store them in front of your spare tire under the cover and they can jump your car in no time. You can also use them to charge phones and tablets and they seem to last a long time without charging them. Just check them when after it has been cold out or after a few months of not using them to make sure they are still fully charged. Then you can camp knowing that you can always jump start your car if the battery dies.

Jon, thanks so much for the invaluable information---and taking the time to share/ teach.... As soon as i post this, i will cut/ paste the info in your two responses and start working on them. A jump starter sounds like a wonderful resolution to my concerns about being stranded while off-grid an. A multimeter sure makes sense so that i can monitor the status of the car as needed...

Regarding whether fans come on after "emergency sleep" notification: i honestly don't know --because as soon as the notice came in, i would head back home so as to not be stranded (often in areas with no cell service). Next time i go out, if the electrical issues persist with the fan, i'll sit tight and check it out...( with a jump starter guardian angel).

Have sent additional, historical information to the Ford Service Dept that i just changed to-- and hoping new folks looking at the car will bring a fresh perspective that will help resolve the issues. They are supposed to start evaluating the BL tomorrow.

And thanks for the feedback on the Ford social media rep... i actually thought Ford was using this platform to better serve customers....??‍?

Hope your travels abroad were positive experiences for you!

Thanks again for giving me food-for-thought and strategies to move forward with !!!

 

[GoHack]

While this won't solve the problem, but would a higher amperage battery extent the inevitable for a day or two?

 

[GA greek]

While this won't solve the problem, but would a higher amperage battery extent the inevitable for a day or two?

Gordon, thanks for the suggestion. i've changed to a different Ford service department --and folks are currently doing a deep dive into the electrical system. i had asked them if an upgraded battery would, at least, give me a more camping time before the battery/ electrical features began to get unhappy: They are first trying to isolate the cause --and we'll move forward from what they are able to ID. A huge shout-out to the folks at Kearny Mesa Ford for a team effort underway to try and resolve this....

 

[Mark S.]

They are first trying to isolate the cause --and we'll move forward from what they are able to ID. A huge shout-out to the folks at Kearny Mesa Ford for a team effort underway to try and resolve this....

Patience is a virtue sorely lacking in many these days, but if you have a service department you trust it usually returns the best results.

 

[GA greek]

Mark, i am beyond grateful for how the KM team responded to me: Because of this being my 6th sevice visit since receiving the BL, the service advisor (that i've just begun working with) arranged a meeting with this dealership's director, shop foreman and technician assigned to the Badlands. These guys were present, genuine, knowledgeable, and asked tons of questions--
and have begun investigating the battery /electrical issues to a degree that was never on the table at the previous dealership. And, yes; i feel confident in their judgement and integrity. Waiting in light of these new circumstances? Not an issue--- and i'm so relieved that this process has taken a giant step forward. ?

 

[Mark S.]

Mark, i am beyond grateful for how the KM team responded to me: Because of this being my 6th sevice visit since receiving the BL, the service advisor (that i've just begun working with) arranged a meeting with this dealership's director, shop foreman and technician assigned to the Badlands. These guys were present, genuine, knowledgeable, and asked tons of questions--
and have begun investigating the battery /electrical issues to a degree that was never on the table at the previous dealership. And, yes; i feel confident in their judgement and integrity. Waiting in light of these new circumstances? Not an issue--- and i'm so relieved that this process has taken a giant step forward. ?

Wow! It sounds like your dealership is really going above and beyond. If I were you I would take some time to let Ford know how important this team's effort is to you.

 

[Vangie]

Definitely will communicate my experience up the chain…. Fingers crossed on resolving the BL issues….

 

[Blue oval fan]

Definitely will communicate my experience up the chain…. Fingers crossed on resolving the BL issues….

Any update on this? I'm going to be doing a couple of nights car camping and thinking I might just disconnect the battery at night so I don't have all the lights and fans going if I get up in the middle of the night.

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