SOLUTION NOTIFICATION!!! 2024 XLT Hybrid Electronics Sending Computer to Panic Mode

[Whlsdn]

EDIT: I'm adding to the end of this the resolution of this frustrating problem. Relook at the first photo, then skip to what I've added at the end for the explanation. Be aware, this could happen to any owner, and it had NOTHING to do with being set up to flat-tow!

ORIGINAL TEXT....
First, let me tell you what responses I'm seeking.

1. Have you experienced this kind of problem with your Hybrid Maverick's electronics?
2. If your Maverick has suffered in this fashion, has it been resolved, and did that go well?
3. Is your Maverick flat-towed behind an RV? If so, would you highlight the details of your set-up?

I first became aware of problems while driving our Maverick XLT Hybrid just last week when my left rear turn signal quit working and left turn gave me fast flashing. It was about due for first service anyway, so I made an appointment at our selling dealer here in Longmont for that + a look at the turn signal issue. When they discovered we'd had our Mav adapted for flat-towing, I was told they'd have to keep it for 2 to 3 days to hook it up to Mother Ford and "Diag." They also told me I'd have to pay $180 for that since after-market stuff was installed AND it might make diagnosing the cause impossible. Oh, and the 2-3 days and $180 are just diagnosis. Repair time & cost could not be estimated.

[Be aware that came to Ford asking what they had we could flat-tow because we had just down-sized from a Class A to a small Class C (based on Ford Transit 350HD AWD with dailies and 3.5L Eco-boost V6), and our next stop was going to be our old go-to across the road: the Jeep dealer. They just happened to have a 2024 Maverick on the lot, we were sold, BUT they were unable to enable it for flat-towing. So we went to our old go-to Lampert Hitch. They set us up and just a few weeks later, we hit the road... took a 3500 mile trip. The Maverick has 4,600 miles on it now, and this electronic melt-down -- in our Maverick's mind, at least -- has only now begun, and it has been maybe 3 months since it has been hooked to the RV. I'm really doubtful the flat-tow set-up is the problem, but it's inevitable our dealer will play it that way, I suppose.]​

Well, at that point, the service writers huddled with me and we decided to wait until I could visit with Lampert Hitch in Denver, the shop that has prepped all our vehicles for flat-towing since we started motorhoming, though all before this Mav were Jeeps. Unfortunately, while driving the Mav running errands around town two days later, we got the dash readout you can see in this first photo.

I immediately drove to our dealer and we ended up with an appointment for a Diag beginning Monday. Oh, and one more thing: No loaners available; the Pinto is booked for several weeks out. (Actually, it was more like "Up yours" than that fictional response.)

But the service writers did share the following screens with me. They display our Mav's thoughts in real time, and they store that data. Truly, I do not see these things all played out in the behavior of our Maverick, but every time we even walk into the garage, the poor thing begins bleating for attention. The first photo below shows our Mav's thoughts at the time it was parked in the shops waiting area, and the other two shots step back in time.

RESOLUTION:

An alert technician at Lampert Hitch in Denver was double-checking all their connections related to flat-towing that we had paid them for, and he noticed that the Parking Brake lever appeared not to be fully in its upright position. The truck has been constantly displaying this dash error for a couple of weeks, thus we’ve driven it only when absolutely necessary. Anyway, the tech put 2 and 2 together and he dug this little fragment of plastic out of that gap and bingo, the alert went away and we’re all systems go! I cancelled our appointment for diagnostic imprisonment for 2 to 3 days next week!

Should you get this same dash alert or should the little red lightning bolt light up at the bottom of your dash screen and you start getting odd ALERT notices like SPEAKER #1 FAULT, REAR STOP/POSITION LAMP OUTPUT, ABS FAULT, ACM, maybe you got a tiny fragment of debris lodged in your Parking Brake lever.

That's millimeters, not inches!

PS: If you're near Denver and you need any kind of vehicle wiring or hitch work done, I highly recommend Lampert Hitch at 6250 W 55th Ave, Arvada, CO 80002. The do racks, suspension mods, etc as well, I believe.

Sponsored

 

[BradnChristine]

Well....
I tow my 2023 Maverick Lariat with a 2021 LTV Wonder...which is a 2020 Transit Van. Never had any issues with dash/brake issues, HOWEVER...

I get hyperflash from the right turn/brake light on a random basis. I do not think your brake issues are related.

I first used diodes to power the taillights, which are LED in the Lariat. RANDOMLY, I will get the hyperflash and the right (never the left) signal will cease to illuminate.

I took apart my wiring and reconnected it, thinking it was a problem I'd caused. Nope. When I took the first trip, I had driven about 700 miles before the first hyperflash event. It will sometimes clear up immediately, sometimes an hour later. I was just cognizant and careful when using my right turn signal. Then the last trip, I added one of those 6 ohm resisters that is supposed to put on enough of a load to prevent the hyperflash. Nope. Fine at first, then somewhere on the trip, it starts the random hyperflashing. I went to the Transit groups online and found this was a common issue as the Transit reportedly does not like "trailers" with LED lighting.

I have decided to abandon using the Maverick's tail lights and will add a set of incandescent taillights I have when I return home. I have a set of the old magnetic lights that used to be common, only I will mount them on a a bar, mounted on a plate connected to the hitch and then run the wires directly to them from the 6-pin. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C28NSHRK

Won't be as pretty, but I don't want to worry about the hyperflash and taillight failure. It is a TRANSIT issue, not a MAVERICK issue. Ford has gotten too damned complicated in that 7-pin connector, which is not fully activated unless the Transit is turned on AND there is actually something plugged into the 7-pin. If you try to measure voltage within the 7-pin with nothing connected, you will find very odd readings.

 

[The Real Maverick]

No no and no.

However, the codes listed are minor ones.

Have them fix the lamp under warranty.
Have them clear the codes. Don't pay anything extra.

There is also a no cost programming update for the tail lamps if yours has nothing physically wrong with them.

 

[Whlsdn]

Well....
I tow my 2023 Maverick Lariat with a 2021 LTV Wonder...which is a 2020 Transit Van. Never had any issues with dash/brake issues, HOWEVER...

I get hyperflash from the right turn/brake light on a random basis. I do not think your brake issues are related.

I first used diodes to power the taillights, which are LED in the Lariat. RANDOMLY, I will get the hyperflash and the right (never the left) signal will cease to illuminate.

I took apart my wiring and reconnected it, thinking it was a problem I'd caused. Nope. When I took the first trip, I had driven about 700 miles before the first hyperflash event. It will sometimes clear up immediately, sometimes an hour later. I was just cognizant and careful when using my right turn signal. Then the last trip, I added one of those 6 ohm resisters that is supposed to put on enough of a load to prevent the hyperflash. Nope. Fine at first, then somewhere on the trip, it starts the random hyperflashing. I went to the Transit groups online and found this was a common issue as the Transit reportedly does not like "trailers" with LED lighting.

I have decided to abandon using the Maverick's tail lights and will add a set of incandescent taillights I have when I return home. I have a set of the old magnetic lights that used to be common, only I will mount them on a a bar, mounted on a plate connected to the hitch and then run the wires directly to them from the 6-pin. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C28NSHRK

Won't be as pretty, but I don't want to worry about the hyperflash and taillight failure. It is a TRANSIT issue, not a MAVERICK issue. Ford has gotten too damned complicated in that 7-pin connector, which is not fully activated unless the Transit is turned on AND there is actually something plugged into the 7-pin. If you try to measure voltage within the 7-pin with nothing connected, you will find very odd readings.

Thank you for that detailed reply. I need to clarify my post some, I think, in regard to when the problem is occurring. The Maverick has not been connected to our Thor Gemini RV for the past few months; the events are occurring with the Mav independently.

On the other hand, I have been considering the same solution you're describing. I have one of those old magnet-base taillight sets you intend to use, and I'm thinking I'll pull those devices out of my Maverick's taillight wiring and revert to using that ancient set of lights. Perhaps they are what are driving my Maverick's computer mad right now, even without being hooked up for flat-towing.

Unfortunately, I also, as law demands in most states, I also use a supplemental braking device by RVi, so it has some electronics attached under the hood. Hopefully, that won't enter into the discussion as well.

 

[Whlsdn]

No no and no.

However, the codes listed are minor ones.

Have them fix the lamp under warranty.
Have them clear the codes. Don't pay anything extra.

There is also a no cost programming update for the tail lamps if yours has nothing physically wrong with them.

Thanks for your response! I'll check on that programming update... though I would have thought they'd check for that kind of thing when I checked in for routine service. But I should know better than to expect that.

 

[BradnChristine]

Thank you for that detailed reply. I need to clarify my post some, I think, in regard to when the problem is occurring. The Maverick has not been connected to our Thor Gemini RV for the past few months; the events are occurring with the Mav independently.

On the other hand, I have been considering the same solution you're describing. I have one of those old magnet-base taillight sets you intend to use, and I'm thinking I'll pull those devices out of my Maverick's taillight wiring and revert to using that ancient set of lights. Perhaps they are what are driving my Maverick's computer mad right now, even without being hooked up for flat-towing.

Unfortunately, I also, as law demands in most states, I also use a supplemental braking device by RVi, so it has some electronics attached under the hood. Hopefully, that won't enter into the discussion as well.

I use a 20+ year old Brake Buddy Classic (before they even called them that, used on 8 other toweds)....NO connection to anything but 12 volts (direct from the positive terminal and the Negative taken AFTER the BMS sensor), a simple trailer brakaway switch, and a clasp on the brake pedal. It is set to the lowest sensitivity and about 10 PSI. It is purely there for legal compliance and breakaway protection. My Transit brakes do a fine job of stopping the total of 16,000 lbs.

In about 6000 miles of towing the Maverick, I have actuated the BrakeBuddy exactly twice...both on the same day in Elko, NV (very short yellow lights, coupled with very big intersections) so I know the Brake Buddy will absolutely plant the Maverick if needed.

The ancient lights will certainly be the simplest and hopefully will stop th hyperflash. My Transit is not under warranty any longer, and I wouldn't want to get the dealership to chase down such a random hyperflashing.

 

[Whlsdn]

I use a 20+ year old Brake Buddy Classic (before they even called them that, used on 8 other toweds)....NO connection to anything but 12 volts (direct from the positive terminal and the Negative taken AFTER the BMS sensor), a simple trailer brakaway switch, and a clasp on the brake pedal. It is set to the lowest sensitivity and about 10 PSI. It is purely there for legal compliance and breakaway protection. My Transit brakes do a fine job of stopping the total of 16,000 lbs.

In about 6000 miles of towing the Maverick, I have actuated the BrakeBuddy exactly twice...both on the same day in Elko, NV (very short yellow lights, coupled with very big intersections) so I know the Brake Buddy will absolutely plant the Maverick if needed.

The ancient lights will certainly be the simplest and hopefully will stop th hyperflash. My Transit is not under warranty any longer, and I wouldn't want to get the dealership to chase down such a random hyperflashing.

Thanks for that encouragement! I've decided that, in vehicles at least, old is good. I do not know why I keep buying new vehicles.

 

[BradnChristine]

Thanks for that encouragement! I've decided that, in vehicles at least, old is good. I do not know why I keep buying new vehicles.

Well, there has never been a vehicle that ticks so many of the towed boxes. My Cmax had no bed, had no spare tire...but it did have 4 doors and get 40+ mpg. Didn't have a heated steering wheel either. I do love my Maverick. I was tempted with the 25 having AWD, but didn't want to wait for a new baseplate to be designed, so I'll keep my 23 and deal with this dumb light issue.

Sponsored