Dead 12 Volt Battery - 2013 Fusion Hybrid

[Eric McClain]

2014 Fusion Hybrid, 4 months old, 4K miles. About a month ago, car was dead. Dead dead. Called Ford roadside assistance, jumped it and it was fine, took it to the dealer anyways, they ran a "intensive" battery test, said it took several hours. They found nothing. the final determination was 1. it was kinda cold (about 25 degrees the night before) 2. just a "glitch". I was less than thrilled with the stellar commitment Ford had to getting to the bottom of the issue.

This morning woke to the same issue. No lights, no nothing. Call roadside assistance again, insisting to not jump it and deliver it to the dealership in the same condition that I woke to...dead. Sadly, the tow truck driver needed to jump the car to be able to put the car in neutral.

I am thrilled to pieces. Some please tell me this is going to get better.

[murphy]

When a starter battery (a wet cell lead acid battery) is completely discharged it usually is damaged. They are designed to provide a short burst of high current (hence the name starter) and then be immediately recharged. They are never supposed to be completely discharged. IMHO it is the wrong type of battery for the car since the car does NOT have a starter motor. I have a 2013 Energi and I replaced the battery with an AGM battery. It's expensive but it works and I've had no further problems. It's not an easy swap. I had to remove the battery tray and cut the end off of it to make the AGM battery fit. An AGM battery is not damaged by a low charge condition.

 

If you drive the car every day the battery should not go dead. In my case the car can sit for a week without being used. The always on computers in the car can drain the battery over time. If that is your situation I recommend a battery maintainer connected to the jump terminals under the hood to keep the battery charged.

 

There has been at least one case mentioned on the forum of the keypad on the B pillar going bad and flashing numbers randomly. The continuous load from it drained the battery.

 

I had the same problem with the 12 volt battery in my 2010 hybrid.

[lolder]

Insist they replace the battery under warranty. This is the single largest complaint about these cars and the dealer knows it. This has been going on for the five years the Gen II and GEn III (2010+) hybrids have been sold. The cars have a larger load when off than past vehicles, the battery is small and they may sit weeks in Mexico or on rail cars or on lots without proper charging. New software at the factory reduces the load until the dealer changes it but who knows how that is being managed.

[Easy Rider]

 

I am thrilled to pieces. Some please tell me this is going to get better.

 

This is not an uncommon complaint......especially for cars late in the model year that may have sat on the lot for a while, during which time the little battery probably went dead more than once.

 

You need a new 12 V battery.......whether or not there is another problem. Running them totally DEAD twice is a guarantee of future problems.

 

And the "amazing" thing is that a new battery will probably fix everything up just fine.

[FordService]

2014 Fusion Hybrid, 4 months old, 4K miles. About a month ago, car was dead. Dead dead. Called Ford roadside assistance, jumped it and it was fine, took it to the dealer anyways, they ran a "intensive" battery test, said it took several hours. They found nothing. the final determination was 1. it was kinda cold (about 25 degrees the night before) 2. just a "glitch". I was less than thrilled with the stellar commitment Ford had to getting to the bottom of the issue.

This morning woke to the same issue. No lights, no nothing. Call roadside assistance again, insisting to not jump it and deliver it to the dealership in the same condition that I woke to...dead. Sadly, the tow truck driver needed to jump the car to be able to put the car in neutral.

I am thrilled to pieces. Some please tell me this is going to get better.

Hi Eric,

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

I want to loop in your customer service manager on this. Please send me a private message with your VIN, mileage, best daytime phone number, full name (if it's not your username), and dealer name/location.

 

Meagan

[Barsoom]

There has been at least one case mentioned on the forum of the keypad on the B pillar going bad and flashing numbers randomly. The continuous load from it drained the battery.

 

That was from me. Along with replacing the keyless entry number pad, I hooked up a solar battery tender to the terminals directly on the battery. The solar panel is suction cupped to the corner of the rear window. The car sits in a parking lot every day. Edited January 1, 2015 by Barsoom

[hybridbear]

That was from me. Along with replacing the keyless entry number pad, I hooked up a solar battery tender to the terminals directly on the battery. The solar panel is suction cupped to the corner of the rear window. The car sits in a parking lot every day.

I don't have access to it now, but I recall reading in some part of the shop manual for the FFH that the battery should only be charged using the ports under the hood. There are other items attached to the battery terminals to determine its health, temperature, etc. Charging directly on the battery terminals could cause issues with those systems per the manual. Perhaps GrySql will be able to find that section before I do.

[airbusguy]

Speaking of killing batteries, while towing my HyTi behind my rv to AZ from Canada, my 12v discharged enough daily in freezing temps while towing, I had to purchase a portable booster so I could perform the tow procedure the next morning. Three mornings! Once the temps got reasonable, all was well. The reason - the heater behind the rear view mirror was active the whole time the ignition was off and the car was in neutral. I know this because of the two bare spots on the windshield in front of the mirror while the rest was covered in snow and ice. I haven't gone to a dealer in Scottsdale yet as that is a 30 mile drive from where we are. ( Closest one).

This didn't happen last year and all that has been changed is the reprogramming of the module that controls the A/C and defrosting items - seat heaters, side mirrors etc.- on remote start. My A/C button does shut the compressor off and on though. lol

This might have to wait until I get back to cold temps in the spring "so the tech can verify the problem" as this one on the surface is really hard to display in the climate here. Or may be Ford will figure out they fixed one problem but created another in the process.

I didn't check the voltage of the battery while "dead" but I doubt if it was fully discharged even though the car was totally black. The battery and car have performed as if nothing happened. I suspect there is a charge level below which the car kills everything as even none of the LEDs were lit.

[Barsoom]

I wondered about that, but it didn't seem to make sense that if they still had to be connected in the circuit somewhere, then why would it matter? Even if I connect it to the posts under the hood, it has to touch the batteries anyway. Unless it's being filtered through a voltage regulator?

 

Besides, we're talking about a 12V trickle charger with at best a 200mA current whose purpose is to overcome the "always on" nature of the can. So far, I have not seen the BS Message since doing this.

[FordServiceCA]

Speaking of killing batteries, while towing my HyTi behind my rv to AZ from Canada, my 12v discharged enough daily in freezing temps while towing, I had to purchase a portable booster so I could perform the tow procedure the next morning. Three mornings! Once the temps got reasonable, all was well. The reason - the heater behind the rear view mirror was active the whole time the ignition was off and the car was in neutral. I know this because of the two bare spots on the windshield in front of the mirror while the rest was covered in snow and ice. I haven't gone to a dealer in Scottsdale yet as that is a 30 mile drive from where we are. ( Closest one).

This didn't happen last year and all that has been changed is the reprogramming of the module that controls the A/C and defrosting items - seat heaters, side mirrors etc.- on remote start. My A/C button does shut the compressor off and on though. lol

This might have to wait until I get back to cold temps in the spring "so the tech can verify the problem" as this one on the surface is really hard to display in the climate here. Or may be Ford will figure out they fixed one problem but created another in the process.

I didn't check the voltage of the battery while "dead" but I doubt if it was fully discharged even though the car was totally black. The battery and car have performed as if nothing happened. I suspect there is a charge level below which the car kills everything as even none of the LEDs were lit.

 

Hey airbusguy,

 

Let me help with this. Have you booked an appointment with your dealer? Send over the odometer reading and name of your dealer in Scottsdale; I'll see how I can assist.

 

Nikki

Ford Service CA

[hybridbear]

That heating is to keep your Lane Keep Assist camera clear.

[airbusguy]

hybridbear

 

I realise the purpose but it shouldn't operate while the pushbutton ignition is off, essentially killing the car. There were defintely 2 spots, one is the lane assist camera - the lens really visible- and the other is about 2 inches above. I can't see anything there but it was definitely melted. Might be a light sensor for the auto high beams or alien detector for driving through New Mexico.

 

 

Nikki

 

I've got 35654 kms and I'll be using AutoNation Scottsdale on Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd.

I'll be trying to get it in late this week or early next week. Thanks in advance.

[hybridbear]

hybridbear

 

I realise the purpose but it shouldn't operate while the pushbutton ignition is off, essentially killing the car. There were defintely 2 spots, one is the lane assist camera - the lens really visible- and the other is about 2 inches above. I can't see anything there but it was definitely melted. Might be a light sensor for the auto high beams or alien detector for driving through New Mexico.

If the car is in Neutral to be towed can you really turn it off? Isn't it actually on?

[terryb]

Hi terryb,

 

Were you able to get into contact with your Service Adviser? Send me an update on how your Fusion's doing & any progress made. :)

 

Meagan

Hi Meagan,

The messages stopped the next day and so I did not bother with a trip to the dealer. It has just started happening again so I'll mention it in the visit for the upcoming Oil Change.

 

Thanks, I'll keep you posted.

[airbusguy]

hybridbear

Towing as per the manual leads one to believe the car is off. Start the car, run ICE for 1 minute, put transmission in neutral and select car off. The dash whines at you that the transmission is not in park but that stops after about a minute. Then the dash goes dark just as it would if shut down in park. If it had a key it would be off but you could not remove the key while in neutral.

[FordService]

Hi Meagan,

The messages stopped the next day and so I did not bother with a trip to the dealer. It has just started happening again so I'll mention it in the visit for the upcoming Oil Change.

 

Thanks, I'll keep you posted.

Sounds good! When you head to the appointment, also send over your mileage. :)

 

Meagan

[acdii]

This car has a massive battery in it, so why cant a small portion of it be used to power the 12V systems instead of having a starter battery, completely out of place in this car, doing it? We already know the DC/DC converter runs the 12V systems once the car is powered on,but how about an isolation circuit to eliminate the 12v wet battery altogether? How about build in a series of Lion cells to provide the 12V power right into the main pack? Could even save a few pounds over the heavy lead/acid battery.

[Easy Rider]

Sure that COULD be done or something very similar but the engineers at Ford have decided that layout is not the best......at the moment.

Why....?? Only they know for sure.

 

You can buy a Li battery to replace the one in the 12 V system today but they are EXPENSIVE and it probably would not be cost effective in the long run.

 

I think maybe the KISS principle has something to do with it.

But even then it seems that many of the so-called "technicians" at the dealers can't seem to figure it out.

Edited January 26, 2015 by Easy Rider

[swright]

I've had my hybrid since March 2013 and have seen this before, but it resolved itself; now it's back and I've seen the 12V battery voltage drop from 13.7V when I shut the car off to 10.4V just 4 hours later. Nothing plugged in, no lights on, and I get about 2 seconds of accessory mode when I shut off the car before it goes into power saver mode. I'm going to the dealer on Saturday in the hopes that they'll swap out the battery and that'll take care of it. Is there anything in particular I should mention or anything else I should know about the issue beforehand? Does this fix still seem to be working for most cases? Thanks.

[smr2112]

I (and others) have had this exact issue with the 12V battery. I had 2 dealers check my battery and they say it was fine - both before

I did the below and I was getting the 2 second shutoff as well. Both dealers told me the same thing - the battery was 100% fine and

it would not be replaced under warranty unless it came back showing a bad cell - which it did not.

 

That was in the coldest weather driving a short commute. I put the battery on a tender, topped it off over night and have not had

the problem since in over a month. Don't want to have to do this often, but will likely have to live with this way or I pay for a new

battery myself.

[Easy Rider]

That simple fact should be enough to convince them that the battery is bad......or that something is "stuck on" and draining it down.

 

You may have to argue with them a bit though. Sometimes a simple "load test" will lie.

[Easy Rider]

I (and others) have had this exact issue with the 12V battery.

If your issue really is EXACTLY the same........that is, the voltage dropping below 11 volts just sitting there for a few hours.......then you should go back to the dealer and talk to the service manager (not just another service advisor) or the owner and demand to have it fixed......whatever it takes.

 

You should NOT have to put up with incompetent service like that.

 

If, OTOH, you haven't actually taken any voltage readings, then maybe your situation is not exactly the same.

[camelot]

Hello and happy holidays to everyone. I owned a 2013 fusion hybrid up until about a year ago. The car went back at least 4 times each for check engine light and going into battery saver mode. Both times it took calls to ford to get it fixed right. The check engine light ended up being a canister purge valve. And the battery saver mode was 2 bad batteries. The first one was replaced after 2 mos. What the dealer ended up doing for the second was as he put it" burn off the surface charge" then test it. It failed. They then replaced the 2nd battery that had been tested twice and passed. Again a case was started and a lemon law threat. I ran the car for close to a year and a half didn't have anymore problems. In December of 2013 I bought my wife a new c-max that sat on a lot for 2 mos. They drove it 80 miles to the dealer in my area. It sat in the garage for at least a month as my wife broke her wrist and it started fine. We've had the car since dec 2013 and have had absolutely no problems with it. Recalled once for a computer recalibration or something. My son now has the Fusion and has not called me about any problems. Which I'm sure he'd let me hear about! So good luck guys and be persistant . The mileage is worth it. Best tank was 505.1 total ev 246.9 on 10.66 gals. 47.3 mpg. It was a daily commute of 20 miles in the spring no a/c of course. Great car! Cmax is also Yes low fuel light came on.

Edited April 3, 2015 by GrySql

[FordService]

I've had my hybrid since March 2013 and have seen this before, but it resolved itself; now it's back and I've seen the 12V battery voltage drop from 13.7V when I shut the car off to 10.4V just 4 hours later. Nothing plugged in, no lights on, and I get about 2 seconds of accessory mode when I shut off the car before it goes into power saver mode. I'm going to the dealer on Saturday in the hopes that they'll swap out the battery and that'll take care of it. Is there anything in particular I should mention or anything else I should know about the issue beforehand? Does this fix still seem to be working for most cases? Thanks.

Hi swright.

 

Let me know how your dealer trip goes, I want to see how I can shed some light on the subject. Also, please let me know your mileage. :)

 

I (and others) have had this exact issue with the 12V battery. I had 2 dealers check my battery and they say it was fine - both before

I did the below and I was getting the 2 second shutoff as well. Both dealers told me the same thing - the battery was 100% fine and

it would not be replaced under warranty unless it came back showing a bad cell - which it did not.

 

That was in the coldest weather driving a short commute. I put the battery on a tender, topped it off over night and have not had

the problem since in over a month. Don't want to have to do this often, but will likely have to live with this way or I pay for a new

battery myself.

Hi smr2112,

 

When was your most recent to the dealer for this? I'm happy to hear it hasn't happened in a month. If the symptoms return, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. :)

 

Meagan

[swright]

Unfortunately, my dealer trip didn't go too well. As I feared, they charged it and tested it, and of course it tested fine. Charging it also made the message go away...for about 20 hours. The next day it happened the first time I got in the car. My trips have been longer than 20 minutes and it's been averaging temps around 80F here in Vegas. Planning on returning to the dealer on Thursday. I have about 23400 miles on the car.