Battery Drainage due to Ford App & Telematic Unit sending Data to Ford

[RRR]

I sent this email to Nate at Start-X and hope this helps others with a Maverick Hybrid battery drainage and the reason why. Bottom line: Stop using any car companies App. The App spy's on you sending data to your insurance company via 3rd party. This continuous spying drain the battery. Also, another person posted to remove fuse#11 which connects to the telematic unit to send the data. See instructions below. I did this and no battery drain and my Start-X works all the time at least for now.

Nate, open this link below. It's a short page along with watching at least part of an 8 min. video. This becomes the greatest selling point to own a Start-X remote start. The car company's app such as the Ford App for my '23 Ford Maverick spy's on you collecting data about your speed,, driving characteristics such as aggressiveness in cornering, stopping distance when braking before a stop sign, activities in the car including sex scenes, etc. Bottom line, DO NOT USE A CAR COMPANY'S APP for remote start. Instead use Start-X which I hope does not spy on you or collect data to sell to 3rd parties, who then sell the data to your insurance company, who then raises your premiums. Cancelling my Ford App and pulled 5amp 3 prong fuse for fuses 11 &12 and replaced with a 2 prong 5amp fuse for fuse #12. This fuse#11 elimination stops the telematic unit from sending about your vehicle. After doing this, I no longer have the continuous battery drain. When I first bought my Maverick, I replaced my factory toy battery with a real 760 CCA AGM battery. But still had major battery drain, enough the trickle charger couldn't keep up. Once I eliminated fuse#11, my Start-X remote now start my Maverick in the mornings after sitting all night long. Nate, use this info to help others. I hope my Start-X issue is now resolved.
https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/news-selections/national-news/newer-cars-collect-driving-data-sent-to-insurance-companies-and-police

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[Ozarkbeard]

The Hybrid absolutely does not need a 760 CCA 12v battery. The 12v battery power is not used to start the Hybrid's gasoline engine - That power comes from the High voltage battery.

 

[mwolze]

I just love all of the conspiracy theorists here. So the modem that is in our trucks is the same as a MiFi or the cellphone on your pocket, not that much current draw. What I am wondering about is how many computers are on line 24/7 on the vehicle and the I have sat in the car for an extended period of time after turning it off, I here something like relays and solenoids every few minuets. How much current draw and what is all of that for, those are mechanical devices that draw WAY more current! While it is true that they can harvest all kinds of data, you agreed to let that be done basically by starting your car for the first time, ask a lawyer. If you think that your car snoops on you take a second look at the phone and all of the apps that you have on it and not just the car apps! Those are even worse! Your phone has a microphone, speaker and a GPS, kinda the same as the cars now. So go ahead and disconnect you modem, but do not bring your smart phone or anyone else's for the ride! And don't forget your tinfoil hat!

Yep this vehicle does not have a traditional starter!!! So the CCA will not help you.

 

[Donaldw]

We returned from a month in Mexico. While there I got a couple alerts that the truck back home had a low battery problem and remote connects were stopped. I just went out to the truck and the door unlocked fine with the fob. Started and ran fine. No panel notifications of an electrical problem. We keep the fob in a faraday envelope. WAG, the truck went for an extended period with minimal interaction with the phone or fob. A conclusion was arrived at, by Ford Pass was that there was a lack of battery when in reality there was a lack of interaction due to distance and circumstances. But who knows.

 

[OB1e]

In 2015, china hacked the Office of Personal Management and stole the names and ssns of every government employee. If ford wants to tell my insurance company I use my horn a lot, that's the least of my worries.

 

[Eggflipper]

I’m all in favor of a good conspiracy theory, if it has some legitimate arguments. That being said, with all of this electronic programming that makes “our lives easier”, I also have zero expectation of privacy.

 

[SLINGSHOT]

"activities in the car including sex scenes, etc." The front buckets are too uncomfortable and the back seat is too small. But, If you have found a work around, PLEASE let the rest of us know.
For purely educational purposes, of course.

 

[Bosquebass]

"activities in the car including sex scenes, etc." The front buckets are too uncomfortable and the back seat is too small. But, If you have found a work around, PLEASE let the rest of us know.
For purely educational purposes, of course.

In my wilder days I drove a '77 Vette. All I can say is when a person is young and eager anything is possible.

 

[RRR]

I just love all of the conspiracy theorists here. So the modem that is in our trucks is the same as a MiFi or the cellphone on your pocket, not that much current draw. What I am wondering about is how many computers are on line 24/7 on the vehicle and the I have sat in the car for an extended period of time after turning it off, I here something like relays and solenoids every few minuets. How much current draw and what is all of that for, those are mechanical devices that draw WAY more current! While it is true that they can harvest all kinds of data, you agreed to let that be done basically by starting your car for the first time, ask a lawyer. If you think that your car snoops on you take a second look at the phone and all of the apps that you have on it and not just the car apps! Those are even worse! Your phone has a microphone, speaker and a GPS, kinda the same as the cars now. So go ahead and disconnect you modem, but do not bring your smart phone or anyone else's for the ride! And don't forget your tinfoil hat!

Yep this vehicle does not have a traditional starter!!! So the CCA will not help you.

My issue with my '23 Hybrid was battery drainage; 3amp trickle charge couldn't the battery fully charged. I pulled fuse#11 for the telematic unit and the issue is gone.

 

[mwolze]

I sent this email to Nate at Start-X and hope this helps others with a Maverick Hybrid battery drainage and the reason why. Bottom line: Stop using any car companies App. The App spy's on you sending data to your insurance company via 3rd party. This continuous spying drain the battery. Also, another person posted to remove fuse#11 which connects to the telematic unit to send the data. See instructions below. I did this and no battery drain and my Start-X works all the time at least for now.

Nate, open this link below. It's a short page along with watching at least part of an 8 min. video. This becomes the greatest selling point to own a Start-X remote start. The car company's app such as the Ford App for my '23 Ford Maverick spy's on you collecting data about your speed,, driving characteristics such as aggressiveness in cornering, stopping distance when braking before a stop sign, activities in the car including sex scenes, etc. Bottom line, DO NOT USE A CAR COMPANY'S APP for remote start. Instead use Start-X which I hope does not spy on you or collect data to sell to 3rd parties, who then sell the data to your insurance company, who then raises your premiums. Cancelling my Ford App and pulled 5amp 3 prong fuse for fuses 11 &12 and replaced with a 2 prong 5amp fuse for fuse #12. This fuse#11 elimination stops the telematic unit from sending about your vehicle. After doing this, I no longer have the continuous battery drain. When I first bought my Maverick, I replaced my factory toy battery with a real 760 CCA AGM battery. But still had major battery drain, enough the trickle charger couldn't keep up. Once I eliminated fuse#11, my Start-X remote now start my Maverick in the mornings after sitting all night long. Nate, use this info to help others. I hope my Start-X issue is now resolved.
https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/news-selections/national-news/newer-cars-collect-driving-data-sent-to-insurance-companies-and-police

Did your car ever not start due to the system being connected? I am guessing that the answer is no and when you got in it, it still started. However you also installed a separate remote start system that it is powered differently that the one in the vehicle already since it is after market.

I have read many posts that claim that this fixed their issues, but I am guessing that in many cases that the system was still experiencing the same issue with that system disconnected. But now the owner was now satisfied that the issue was no longer showing on the app, which it would not, since what was sending the data was now disconnected. However once you get in the vehicle you may not know either that it went into deep sleep, there is no message for it on the dash indicating the state. This is the modern equivalent of covering up the light on the display with electrical tape. There are many stories about the BMS and vehicle behavior. I had one happen to me the same week I bought my hybrid Maverick, I saw the messages coming in but I also have my 2018 Escape attached to the app as well, that was the vehicle going into deep slope and my wife had been driving it and had no clue. That was when I began to research what was going on. One symptom that the Escape did have for 2 plus years was the engine idle stall had stopped working. I thought nothing of it and did not want Ford to trouble shoot it, I did not see the value in that. What that really was was the first indicator of the battery going bad, but I did not know and maintenance visits to the dealer reported that the battery was okay. I knew that the battery was beginning to have issues last winter because it cranked slower the it started in the cold, but again passed all maintenance tests. When I did change the battery, the engine stall worked again at the first stop sign that I got to taking the core back to the auto parts store. The whole thing is pretty smart on Ford's behalf, if the car is running do not stop the running car if the battery is questionable, we just won't tell that part to the driver just yet, that makes no sense to me.

I do believe that Ford is filtering thorough all of that data and will hopefully with the pending battery fix will resolve the issues. For me I am suspect of what ever I hear clicking on and off while it is just sitting there and that occurs intermittently for 30 minuets after the vehicle is shut down. That process starts all over again just turning on my bed lights that come with my Lariat, I would believe that is is why I have seen a few people lock their cars in the garage with the fob, they believe that the car is fully shut down by doing so.

FWIW, the video mentioned nothing of the remote accessing having anything to do with any battery live of the vehicles that they are in. But also given all that I have read, I see a new battery in your future sooner than later.

 

[Ozarkbeard]

My issue with my '23 Hybrid was battery drainage; 3amp trickle charge couldn't the battery fully charged. I pulled fuse#11 for the telematic unit and the issue is gone.

I believe you. I pulled fuse#11 early on in the ownership of my Hybrid. I've never had anything not work, due to a low battery, which is still the original flooded lead-acid, not an AGM.

 

[Shelbyv8]

My xl still has everything it came from the factory with. 0 issues in 15 months. I have been on this forum for about 1 years, it looks like keyless start and bad batteries are the main problem. If you are concerned about security get rid of your cell phone, it shares 100 times the information your vehicle does. I think this is advertising for X Start, whatever that is.

 

[raymaines]

All I can say is when a person is young and eager anything is possible.

Young, eager, AND flexible

 

[RRR]

I believe you. I pulled fuse#11 early on in the ownership of my Hybrid. I've never had anything not work, due to a low battery, which is still the original flooded lead-acid, not an AGM.

Ozarkbeard, you seem to be quite knowledge about Maverick's. I have a 2023 Maverick XL Hybrid with only 350 miles. I've already had three safety recalls done, another notice for rear camera freezing, and a future notice for the wiper motor. From the beginning of ownership, I couldn't keep my battery charged up with a trickle charger. I replaced the battery with a 760CCA AGM battery. The issue still ongoing until I pulled fuse #11, the telematic unit. Yet others commented the battery usage is negligible. Not enough to drain the battery. But yet when I pulled fuse #11 the battery drainage stopped; why? Furthermore, while my truck was in the garage, I now have an Alert on the instrument panel stating, 'Front Camera Fault Service Required' & 'Pre-Collision Assist Not Available'. The solution is reprogram the IPMA using Ford software (FDRS) and do a IPMA alignment procedure. Can I do this myself in Forscan? The second reason for the two alerts is due to a faulty camera module. Any guidance or recommendations? Ron

 

[Dad]

Ozarkbeard, you seem to be quite knowledge about Maverick's. I have a 2023 Maverick XL Hybrid with only 350 miles. I've already had three safety recalls done, another notice for rear camera freezing, and a future notice for the wiper motor. From the beginning of ownership, I couldn't keep my battery charged up with a trickle charger. I replaced the battery with a 760CCA AGM battery. The issue still ongoing until I pulled fuse #11, the telematic unit. Yet others commented the battery usage is negligible. Not enough to drain the battery. But yet when I pulled fuse #11 the battery drainage stopped; why? Furthermore, while my truck was in the garage, I now have an Alert on the instrument panel stating, 'Front Camera Fault Service Required' & 'Pre-Collision Assist Not Available'. The solution is reprogram the IPMA using Ford software (FDRS) and do a IPMA alignment procedure. Can I do this myself in Forscan? The second reason for the two alerts is due to a faulty camera module. Any guidance or recommendations? Ron

To clarify: Are you saying that after you pulled fuse #11 you started getting Front Camera & Pre-collision alerts?

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