Check brakes warning light

[Grey]

My buddy tells me that certain FFH and MMilanH vehicles built before 5/16/09 can experience a check brake system warning light, if the computer gets an errant signal in the main wiring harness. It is not clear what generates the signal yet and it may be limited to vehicles that have added electrical accessories like remote start, dealer theft alarms, low jack, etc. or from certain cell phones or radar systems.

 

Normally when we apply the brakes (first inch or so of brake pedal travel), we are signaling the computer to use the electric motor as a generator (to charge the hybrid battery pack) and that slows the vehicle down. If the vehicle turns on the check brake system warning light, this feature will not work. The brake system is still fully operational, you just have to push the pedal down further than you have become accustomed to.

 

The TSB 09-12-13 tells the dealership to reroute selected wires around the main wiring harness if the vehicle exhibits the codes that triggered the warning light. Stopping the vheicle, turning the key off then back on resets the system and the computer sees that all is ok and goes back to what we feel as normal operation.

 

So, if you get the waring light, don't panic. When you have to stop, just press further down on the brake pedal. Cycle the key and reset the computer. Notify your service manager that you hae experienced the issue and ask for an appointment to have the wire rerouting operation performed on your vehicle. Report back here and let us know how it went and if there were electrical accessories added to your vehicle or if you were on Sync or perhaps passing buildings with radar based security systems.. Hopefully we can help Ford determine where the errant signal comes from.

[oldschool1962]

Took delevery of ours on 10/30 so I have to wonder if they fixed the light problem but didn't fix the "problem". The reason I say this is because almost half a dozen times now......the brake regen has not happened (little green swirly graphic or blue or green arrow to show charging) when I have applied the brakes and even lifetd off the accelerator (coasting). I mentioned this in the "something weird" topic. I have also had it in to Ford but they couldn't find an issue. Happened again today.....as I will mention again that it happens after I have driven the car a good long time...ie.battery/vehicle/etc.... adequately warmed up.......... and with the battery charge level gauge showing at or below a half charge.

Edited January 2, 2010 by oldschool1962

[Grey]

I think what you are experiencing is normal. It seems to have it's own mind when it decides to go regen If it does not recharge the hybrid battery during normal driving at any time, I would be concerned. But i think all of us have seen times when we thought it would normally go to regen, but it did not. If it not triggering a fault code, there is no sign of a concern that the deaelrship can fix.

[lolder]

My regen braking always works if the HV battery is not fully charged. That's with light to moderate braking and a minimum temp of 45 F. The first two panel displays, Inform and Enlighten, do not display the circular regen arrows. Regen braking quits below about 5 mph. I don't know about lower temperature behavior.

Edited January 4, 2010 by lolder

[SRACP]

My Regen Light comes on 99% of the time.

[oldschool1962]

I think what you are experiencing is normal. It seems to have it's own mind when it decides to go regen If it does not recharge the hybrid battery during normal driving at any time, I would be concerned. But i think all of us have seen times when we thought it would normally go to regen, but it did not. If it not triggering a fault code, there is no sign of a concern that the deaelrship can fix.

 

 

Hate to say it but "normal operation" and "mind of it's own" are comments that just don't sit well with the consumer side of my brain. That's considering we've all heard that schpeel before in many instances and even in those situations the comment holds equally contemptive thoughts.

 

It's like going to the Doctor and he/she say's......that pain like an elephenet sitting on your chest is normal..........it can happen from time to time because...........

 

It's my opinion that if some function on the vehicle works and then doesn't and.....even if it's something that has not thrown a code in the ECM, IC or any other computer module and for no explained reason.................. There is a problem with that vehicle.

 

If it were me.........and I had as much invested in this project as some have led us to believe Ford has...........and someone had an issue with a vehicle we were planning to be the platform for many newer vehicles like it.......I would be all-over ANY problem like flies on sh!t.

 

But this whole wait and see or dismissal by Service Advisors, Dealerships and even some of the more "educated" here.........Puts me off.

 

It seems to me that I'm not the only one to have spent upwards of 30,000.00 for this vehicle only to have problems. I also don't appear to be the only one to get the same non-answer answers from Ford. I'm not sure what role many of the more knowledgeable posters here play with Ford so this last comment is directed more to Ford and their Dealerships than anyone else............. In an age where image seems to be everything, why are we getting the impression from all angles that we are talking out our arse when we bring these things to the attention of the very people who/whom are meant to help resolve the issue??????

Edited January 4, 2010 by oldschool1962

[Oman]

Ford actually has found two problems, and has TSBs for both. One is the errant noise issue (fixed with the com line re-route) and the other is a harness connector issue. Both result in brake error lights whenever anything is wrong.

 

Now if I understand the Q part of the post, it seems that sometimes you don't see a regen indication when you thing there should be one. In the diagnostics guide there are about 9 reasons that you won't see a regen indication when braking (you never see one when using simulated engine braking - lifting off the accelerator even though it is the same thing) that are not error conditions. There are about 100 conditions that are error conditions and will cause a brake error light on the dash as well as a refusal to use regen mode. There simply isn't a condition that causes the regen to not engage that is either not "normal" or represented by an error light.

 

So the question seems to be "Why isn't it happening when I think it should". Without having an expert tech go on a drive with you hand having him try to establish in each instance why regen is not happening - there isn't a real way to answer your question other than to list all the normal reasons why regen is not happening.

 

The only time I have seen regen not engage when I think it normally does is when (twice now) the battery has been in its refresh mode. It would be nice if they gave a dash indication about it but they currently don't. The one time it happened I was on the highway and the car did not drive jarringly differently. The other time I was doing a few very short trips and it took much longer and was much more noticeable.

 

Jon

 

 

 

 

Hate to say it but "normal operation" and "mind of it's own" are comments that just don't sit well with the consumer side of my brain. That's considering we've all heard that schpeel before in many instances and even in those situations the comment holds equally contemptive thoughts.

 

It's like going to the Doctor and he/she say's......that pain like an elephenet sitting on your chest is normal..........it can happen from time to time because...........

 

It's my opinion that if some function on the vehicle works and then doesn't and.....even if it's something that has not thrown a code in the ECM, IC or any other computer module and for no explained reason.................. There is a problem with that vehicle.

 

If it were me.........and I had as much invested in this project as some have led us to believe Ford has...........and someone had an issue with a vehicle we were planning to be the platform for many newer vehicles like it.......I would be all-over ANY problem like flies on sh!t.

 

But this whole wait and see or dismissal by Service Advisors, Dealerships and even some of the more "educated" here.........Puts me off.

 

It seems to me that I'm not the only one to have spent upwards of 30,000.00 for this vehicle only to have problems. I also don't appear to be the only one to get the same non-answer answers from Ford. I'm not sure what role many of the more knowledgeable posters here play with Ford so this last comment is directed more to Ford and their Dealerships than anyone else............. In an age where image seems to be everything, why are we getting the impression from all angles that we are talking out our arse when we bring these things to the attention of the very people who/whom are meant to help resolve the issue??????