****REGARDING DEAD HYBRID MAVERICKS ISSUE****

[Mach 1]

Yoby, thx for posting that chart, mine runs at 12.3vdc which is 60% charge. This cable is not your ordinary cable, its either aluminum or even worst an alloy, then they tried to solder/weld/braze to a plated connector/terminal. This combination is not for the faint hearted. This process is very tight and requires no mistakes or you get a bad joint out. Looks like process drifted and QC didnt catch the defects.

I f you are to repair this yourself, please educate yourself first as it has to be 100% perfect.

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[mamboman777]

Anything under 11.5 shows at least one bad cell if it won't go to 12.2 when engine is off, be prepared for a bad battery.

If the voltage is jumping all over the place, the cable may need replacing. Someone could wiggle the cable with the car in accessory mode while you watch the voltage.

Helpful Reference used Industry Wide.

This is great. Now, please help me understand, if you do.

A lower voltage could indicate a poor solder, a bad battery, or both, correct?

In other words, it's possible that the battery does not require replacement, just the cable, right?

 

[YOBY]

This is great. Now, please help me understand, if you do.

A lower voltage could indicate a poor solder, a bad battery, or both, correct?

In other words, it's possible that the battery does not require replacement, just the cable, right?

This gets a little sketchy. I don't have the schematic, so at this point I can only assume the cable runs from the battery to the lug under the hood where pictures have shown a solder failure. From there, I can only assume (unless someone has a schematic from the shop manual) it powers all the accessories and starts the truck.

Now the plug-in voltmeter will give the actual voltage value from the battery. Without the engine running a fully charged battery should read around 12.2/12.3 volts with the accessories on. Now if the battery is getting into the 11.0-volt range and the truck cannot charge it back to 12.0 to 12.4 volts something is going on with the battery. When you start the truck, it should go to around 14.7 volts to charge the battery.

If you are reading low voltages below 11.0, have somebody move the cable around while you watch the meter. If the voltage is fluctuating all over the place, it's probably the cable. any trouble with the battery will register a pretty steady voltage whether high or low without wild fluctuations.

Remember the truck has smart circuitry to prevent a heathy battery voltage from going so low it will not allow the truck to start.

Hope that helps and if anybody would like to add anything, be my guest.

 

[joegreen]

Are we sure this is an aluminum cable and it’s not just the solders silver color on copper wire? I wasn’t aware you could solder to aluminum easily.

 

[Mach 1]

My Mav runs 12.3vdc which is only 60%. I dont understand why it doesnt stay @12.6 at least, charge to 12.9 or so then drop off to 12.6(100% charge)..

The only other voltage you will see is 14.5vdc when the ignition is on, i find these voltage levels strange, so when the ignition is on it charges full all the time, when ignition is off its 60% charged?

Charging should only be 14.1vdc to maximum of 14.3vdc, not 14.6vdc?

Help me understand.

 

[Mach 1]

Aluminum doesnt solder very easily, aluminum alloy is even tougher to solder, especially to a metal claded connector, it is 2 different metals. You got to have special flux and special solder to make this connection correct. Heat temperature is critical as well and has to be consistant and accurate.

I can see why its a problem, the vendor has a very delicate solder/weld/braze responsibility to perform to 2 different types of alloys, the process has to be spot on, if it drifts just a little bit, then you get some serious defects which werent caught before they got shipped to the assembly line. We had incoming inspection in order to catch these kinds of defects.

We had a pull test rating on cables like these that would have caught this defect.

 

[Mach 1]

The negative 12v battery cable at the battery is copper and the cable is crimped to the battery terminal not soldered.

 

[mamboman777]

Anything under 11.5 shows at least one bad cell if it won't go to 12.2 when engine is off, be prepared for a bad battery.

If the voltage is jumping all over the place, the cable may need replacing. Someone could wiggle the cable with the car in accessory mode while you watch the voltage.

Helpful Reference used Industry Wide.

Checked mine today...12.6. will keep an eye out.

 

[JPerata]

This gets a little sketchy. I don't have the schematic, so at this point I can only assume the cable runs from the battery to the lug under the hood where pictures have shown a solder failure. From there, I can only assume (unless someone has a schematic from the shop manual) it powers all the accessories and starts the truck.

Now the plug-in voltmeter will give the actual voltage value from the battery. Without the engine running a fully charged battery should read around 12.2/12.3 volts with the accessories on. Now if the battery is getting into the 11.0-volt range and the truck cannot charge it back to 12.0 to 12.4 volts something is going on with the battery. When you start the truck, it should go to around 14.7 volts to charge the battery.

If you are reading low voltages below 11.0, have somebody move the cable around while you watch the meter. If the voltage is fluctuating all over the place, it's probably the cable. any trouble with the battery will register a pretty steady voltage whether high or low without wild fluctuations.

Remember the truck has smart circuitry to prevent a heathy battery voltage from going so low it will not allow the truck to start.

Hope that helps and if anybody would like to add anything, be my guest.

Hello, I just would like to point out that your last sentence in the first paragraph is incorrect. The ice is started by the hvb.

This gets a little sketchy. I don't have the schematic, so at this point I can only assume the cable runs from the battery to the lug under the hood where pictures have shown a solder failure. From there, I can only assume (unless someone has a schematic from the shop manual) it powers all the accessories and starts the truck.

Now the plug-in voltmeter will give the actual voltage value from the battery. Without the engine running a fully charged battery should read around 12.2/12.3 volts with the accessories on. Now if the battery is getting into the 11.0-volt range and the truck cannot charge it back to 12.0 to 12.4 volts something is going on with the battery. When you start the truck, it should go to around 14.7 volts to charge the battery.

If you are reading low voltages below 11.0, have somebody move the cable around while you watch the meter. If the voltage is fluctuating all over the place, it's probably the cable. any trouble with the battery will register a pretty steady voltage whether high or low without wild fluctuations.

Remember the truck has smart circuitry to prevent a heathy battery voltage from going so low it will not allow the truck to start.

Hope that helps and if anybody would like to add anything, be my guest.

regarding your last sentence in the firest paragraph. The ICE is started by the HVB, NOT THE 12 volt battery.

 

[YOBY]

Hello, I just would like to point out that your last sentence in the first paragraph is incorrect. The ice is started by the hvb.

regarding your last sentence in the firest paragraph. The ICE is started by the HVB, NOT THE 12 volt battery.

Without the 12volt battery, no electronics and car it dead.

 

[YOBY]

Are we sure this is an aluminum cable and it’s not just the solders silver color on copper wire? I wasn’t aware you could solder to aluminum easily.

I don't know, but from experience the cut cable would show some copper color. You can solder aluminum, but it takes special preparation of both pieces for it to work.

After looking at the pictures more closely, I don't believe this was a solder joint. I believe they tried to push enough current through the wire to try and spot weld everything together. Looks like not enough current or voltage to marry the wire to the lug. Both the wire and lug should have been immersed in liquid aluminum before attempting the weld.

Little more practice and I think it would work.

I have done hundreds of these connections and Ford should have done what every electrician does every day instead of trying to be creative.

Burndy Crimp Instructions for Aluminum - Bing video

 

[Gullzway]

I'm buying this today to keep an eye on the voltage.

Amazon.com: USB C Car Charger Adapter with Voltage Display, 30W Cigarette Lighter Type C Fast Charge Power Delivery & Quick Charge 3.0 (PD & QC), Volt Meter Battery Monitor, Compatible With iPhone 12 Galaxy Pixel : Cell Phones & Accessories

For those that already have an OBDII adapter, apps like Torque can show Voltage as well.

 

[mamboman777]

For those that already have an OBDII adapter, apps like Torque can show Voltage as well.

Ok, please tell me how you did this and list any apps or devices you used. I really want these screens.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

Anything under 11.5 shows at least one bad cell if it won't go to 12.2 when engine is off, be prepared for a bad battery.

If the voltage is jumping all over the place, the cable may need replacing. Someone could wiggle the cable with the car in accessory mode while you watch the voltage.

Helpful Reference used Industry Wide.

I am using a different brand one in my hybrid first edition. When the dc converter is charging the battery mine reads 14.7v. Once I saw 14.1 so I believe the 12v was becoming almost fully charged and the charging was dropping into float mode. The charging of the 12v can happen at any time whether the truck is in ready state or not. As long as the HVB has a high enough charge the charging can happen. When you put truck in park and push the button to turn the ready state off. The you may have to wait the (30?) Seconds for the lights and radio and etc to go off as they may be pulling enough current to keep the DC converter active in which case mine reads (generally) 14.6-14.7 when the delay off happens mine sometimes drops to 12.8 or less. Once I saw a 12.1 was worried. Went out some time later and it read 12.7 so the 12v was charged some. The monitor I have the specs for it says it's accurate to +/- 0.1 volts. I believe the 12v battery is used off and on and as such it makes it hard to get a reading through the dash PowerPoint as by showing up and opening the door you have activated at least something so the reading could be taken several feet from the battery terminals with something else running. If you are using a key and just turn it to accessory you may just get battery reading easier than I can with the *"&/ start/stop button. Dunno. I may order this on posted as it has a larger display than mine has. Mine alternates the voltage on the buss with the amps charging whatever I have plugged in.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

My Mav runs 12.3vdc which is only 60%. I dont understand why it doesnt stay @12.6 at least, charge to 12.9 or so then drop off to 12.6(100% charge)..

The only other voltage you will see is 14.5vdc when the ignition is on, i find these voltage levels strange, so when the ignition is on it charges full all the time, when ignition is off its 60% charged?

Charging should only be 14.1vdc to maximum of 14.3vdc, not 14.6vdc?

Help me understand.

I have 14.7 almost all the time. I have running lights on and ac on at 71 with fan at speed 3. I had a Honda CR-V 2012 and it would not keep battery charged unless daytime lights and fan motor going to require alternator to keep voltage up. As far as the 14.7 volts I believe the 12v battery is an AGM. and it takes more voltage than a flooded lead battery also has different top off charging. I also see 12.8v BUT MY MONITORS Specs SAY ITS ACCURATE TO +/- 0.1volts.

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