Toasted Maverick.

[Guv]

You know coolant, gasoline and oil are all flammable. But even in hot ass South Texas, none of these will combust sitting in the hot Texas all day.
So a cold engine has very little chance of getting hotter than the sun.

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[Automate]

High voltage wires run under the hood too, as well as the electric drive motor and generator.

But the high voltage wires are de-energized when the vehicle is off. There is a contactor near the battery that shuts off. This contactor is controlled by 12V. That is why the vehicle can't be started if the 12V battery is dead.

 

[Traegorn]

Only with a source of heat, (spark or flame).
This does not include a filthy, dirty 12V battery.

The 12 volt system is active under the hood when the truck is shut off.

The high voltage isn't.

A poorly installed, defective, or damaged cable can spark under the right (or wrong) circumstances, and ignite a number of things under the hood.

 

[Guv]

The 12 volt system is active under the hood when the truck is shut off.

The high voltage isn't.

A poorly installed, defective, or damaged cable can spark under the right (or wrong) circumstances, and ignite a number of things under the hood.

Rat nest, left over burrito wrappers…

 

[LSchicago]

Any idea what year / build month it was from ?
Saw you confirmed the fire department said it originated from it but your original post also says the same thing. More curious than anything how did he know the origin ?

Glad everyone is ok..not gonna lie. This has me little nervous.

He said he waited a year for it, and got it in December. It's a 2022, probably built the month before, But that I don't know for sure.

 

[LSchicago]

You know coolant, gasoline and oil are all flammable. But even in hot ass South Texas, none of these will combust sitting in the hot Texas all day.
So a cold engine has very little chance of getting hotter than the sun.

Well it wasn't in Texas, but northern Illinois. At 4 AM it was in the 60's temperature wise. Pretty sure the cold engine did not combust on it's own. An electrical issue can. I guess the bigger question is what is causing all these 12 volt batteries to discharge and go into deep sleep? That's not normal for any other vehicle, and could be related. My 25 year old van is always 12.8 or higher volts even after sitting days. And that battery is at least 6 years old. What is draining power?

 

[Automate]

Well it wasn't in Texas, but northern Illinois. At 4 AM it was in the 60's temperature wise. Pretty sure the cold engine did not combust on it's own. An electrical issue can. I guess the bigger question is what is causing all these 12 volt batteries to discharge and go into deep sleep? That's not normal for any other vehicle, and could be related. My 25 year old van is always 12.8 or higher volts even after sitting days. And that battery is at least 6 years old. What is draining power?

Your 25 year old van probably has a V8 and therefore needs a large battery to start the start the engine. This large battery has lots of capacity to maintain the voltage when the engine is off.

The EB has a small I4 and the hybrid does not even need 12V to run a traditional starter so they have a much smaller capacity battery.

In addition vehicles now days have a lot more parasitic load, they have to run even when the vehicle is "off". Think of the Telematic Control Unit Module and the Radio Transceiver Module that have to be always powered on to allow FordPass and wireless remote unlock and start.

 

[Guv]

So there should be a rash of 12v batteries catching fire because of the similarity of all new vehicle electronics, correct.

 

[LSchicago]

So there should be a rash of 12v batteries catching fire because of the similarity of all new vehicle electronics, correct.

Why would you assume the battery caught fire? The fire started under the hood. The battery is under the back seat.

 

[Guv]

Why would you assume the battery caught fire? The fire started under the hood. The battery is under the back seat.

Did not know that, but it makes sense because our C-Max battery was in the back, 2.0 has it under the hood. Also, lots of comments related to the engine spontaneously combusting.

 

[LSchicago]

Did not know that, but it makes sense because our C-Max battery was in the back, 2.0 has it under the hood. Also, lots of comments related to the engine spontaneously combusting.

The engine combusting by itself cold really doesn't happen. needs heat or electrical energy to make that happen. Since the engine was stone cold, we can rule out heat. Pretty safe to say 99% chance it was caused by something electrical.

 

[Guv]

Totally agree.

 

[tozalazz]

Neighbor called FD and told them the truck had an engine fire.

So, is Ford going to take responsibility and take a new truck for your uncle?

 

[LSchicago]

So, is Ford going to take responsibility and take a new truck for your uncle?

Not my uncle, but it's being handled by insurance. Whether they go after Ford or not is their call. Probably not unless the exact cause is pinpointed and documented.

 

[colinl]

The engine combusting by itself cold really doesn't happen. needs heat or electrical energy to make that happen. Since the engine was stone cold, we can rule out heat. Pretty safe to say 99% chance it was caused by something electrical.

It looked to me like it was scorched the worst in the 12V terminal area. I don't have a hybrid but I think there's a high voltage connection and high current fuses in that spot.

I hope your relative did not modify anything electrical under the hood.

If my Maverick caught on fire, I have a feeling someone might ask about the 4ga wire with the 60A fuse. I have also seen many YT videos where people splice in fairly high current accessories without soldering or shrink tubing. Lighting vendors. It's not uncommon and it's usually fine... until it isn't.

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