Stall for no reason and voltage output regularly at 15.2 volts - is this an issue???

[cuckoo4watches]

Hi everyone.

hoping to get some thoughts / feedback on a potential issue I may have.

i recently purchased a 2021 GT, 6spd, no engine or intake modifications and only 6900 miles.

Now at 8200 miles and the other evening, when leaving the office, i got about a 1/2 mile down the road and stopped at a stop light.
Car in neutral, clutch released, and idling.
DIdnt even notice but all of a sudden I see something like 'Full Accessory Power Active' on the center display.
Then I notice the car had shut off and the start button flashing. no CEL on the dash.
was like wth?
so i restarted, drove down the road a bit farther and then onto the highway for my trip home and no noticeable issues.

thinking about it more and searching online (rabbit hole) I was reading about cam phasers and/ or alternator issues being a possible cause for a shut down of the vehicle.

that reminded me that the battery had already been replaced before I bought it at 6900 miles. (pre-owned Ford CPO)
is that typical for a barely driven 2 yr old vehicle to need a battery?
I wondered if it could be an alternator issue so I started monitoring the voltage and it seems to be what I consider as high at 15.2v.
I have never had another vehicle that high nor when I searched the forum did I see anyone mentioning a voltage that high.

Ford service writer said best to get it checked but of course if they dont find anything and there is no warranty work its like $198 diagnostic fee. :(
it is at the dealer now to be looked over.

has anyone ever had their car shut off for no reason?

what do you guys see when cruising and looking at the voltmeter in your center display?

thanks in advance
-Steve

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[17gt_charlotte]

Not sure how accurate the gauge is, I would turn the car on and read across the battery terminals with a voltmeter to see the real voltage. If it is still high, I would suggest the alternator is putting out excessively high voltage. Not sure if you can adjust voltage output or not on these cars. High voltage could be the reason it got a new battery, as in overcharge?
Edit: I usually see around 13.5V on my gauge.

 

[cuckoo4watches]

View attachment 788485

Not sure how accurate the gauge is, I would turn the car on and read across the battery terminals with a voltmeter to see the real voltage. If it is still high, I would suggest the alternator is putting out excessively high voltage. Not sure if you can adjust voltage output or not on these cars. High voltage could be the reason it got a new battery, as in overcharge?
Edit: I usually see around 13.5V on my gauge.

thank you !!!

that is sort of what I was thinking after looking at what I was seeing on my gauge.
a constant higher input of voltage would mess up the battery at some point.

in addition, i think i had seen some weeks back that the voltage was all over the place
but can't say for sure as It didnt really stick in my mind.
if an alternator or regulator was screwy, that could cause the stall

 

[17gt_charlotte]

View attachment 788485



thank you !!!

that is sort of what I was thinking after looking at what I was seeing on my gauge.
a constant higher input of voltage would mess up the battery at some point.

in addition, i think i had seem some weeks back that the voltage was all over the place
but can't say for sure as It didnt really stick in my mind.
if an alternator or regulator was screwy, that could cause the stall

Absolutely. Sounds like it should be an easy warranty repair but we all know how Ford is with repairs. Good luck.

 

[cuckoo4watches]

Absolutely. Sounds like it should be an easy warranty repair but we all know how Ford is with repairs. Good luck.

I'm new to the Ford group so this is all a learning experience.

I appreciate the quick feedback and info

 

[TopJimmyCooks]

What kind of battery is in it?

 

[Ruiner46]

Ford's battery management system (BMS) will vary the charging voltage based on battery lifetime, temperature, etc. If I remember correctly, the voltage range it can command is 12.3 - 15.2 V. When a new battery is installed, the system should be reset so it knows it has a new battery. If it thinks it has an older battery, it will use a higher charging voltage, but I wouldn't consider 6900 miles to be old. Keep an eye on it and see if the voltage varies. If you see it drop into the 12-13V range, then it's probably normal. You just caught it at a time when it thought it needed to charge up the battery before dropping to a lower voltage to save fuel economy or whatever they're trying to do with this system.

 

[cuckoo4watches]

Ford's battery management system (BMS) will vary the charging voltage based on battery lifetime, temperature, etc. If I remember correctly, the voltage range it can command is 12.3 - 15.2 V. When a new battery is installed, the system should be reset so it knows it has a new battery. If it thinks it has an older battery, it will use a higher charging voltage, but I wouldn't consider 6900 miles to be old. Keep an eye on it and see if the voltage varies. If you see it drop into the 12-13V range, then it's probably normal. You just caught it at a time when it thought it needed to charge up the battery before dropping to a lower voltage to save fuel economy or whatever they're trying to do with this system.

thanks for this info.

I wonder if the previous Ford dealer that I bought the car from did a reset on the system when they installed the new battery for the original owner?

the car will sit at 15.1-15.2 on average while driving, the entire time.
for instance, my commute is 25-30 min and its at that level for the duration.
bad?

now I wonder if the service guy didnt tell me to bring it in to make a quick ~ $200 diag fee?

I work in electronics for a worldwide tool company but not in the battery side; however, i do know that battery management systems can be complex.
I did however think that continuous 15.2v seemed high for a 12v battery in a vehicle.

 

[cuckoo4watches]

What kind of battery is in it?

not sure.
I will have to check what the battery is that they swapped in once I get the vehicle back.

it should be a Ford battery as it was replaced under warranty; which one, i dont know

 

[mustangdriver]

If it has a battery with removable caps check the electrolyte level, at that charge rate it
might be low.

 

[cuckoo4watches]

just got a call from the dealership and service writer said...

"no codes in the ECU and voltage meter is just a general number to go off of
and that everything looks fine."

of course there is no way to tell if the engine shut off will occur again or not.

I sorta figured no code as there was no CEL on dash.

At least its documented and in the system as far as my experience and what I was seeing for voltage values.

I still just dont understand how a constant 15.2v reading is considered ok and not something that could damage the battery.

as far as the shut down with no dash lights, could it be an evap purge valve solenoid?

now its going to worry me if it will happen again or worse, leave me stranded.

is it possible to have a hiccup with a contaminent in the gas and cause a 1x stall/ shutdown?
(I am hoping so)

it sucks not having a hookup at the Ford dealer.
I have always been a VW guy and have always had some sort of connection to help me out.
now i'm in a whole new realm

 

[WItoTX]

Start your car and throw a volt meter on the battery terminals. Then you will know what the system is actually producing.

Then shut off the car, and make sure the battery holds a charge. Let the car sit for an hour, get a voltage reading, then check again an hour after that (Ideally 12 hours later if you can). When you do let the car sit, pop the hood, leave it open and lock the doors. Leave the key in the house when you come out to check voltage at the terminals. Dozens of thread on here explaining why to do it this way.

If your battery holds a charge, you know it isn't the battery. Then from there, the next step will depend on what you find out.

 

[cuckoo4watches]

Start your car and throw a volt meter on the battery terminals. Then you will know what the system is actually producing.

Then shut off the car, and make sure the battery holds a charge. Let the car sit for an hour, get a voltage reading, then check again an hour after that (Ideally 12 hours later if you can). When you do let the car sit, pop the hood, leave it open and lock the doors. Leave the key in the house when you come out to check voltage at the terminals. Dozens of thread on here explaining why to do it this way.

If your battery holds a charge, you know it isn't the battery. Then from there, the next step will depend on what you find out.

thanks for this suggestion

I should have mentioned earlier that when I got in the car this morning, before starting and just ignition on, the voltage was at 12.4v which I think should be correct.
so, holding a charge, right?

maybe the BMS reset is what is partially needed to make the system realize a new battery had been replaced?
(as mentioned above by Ruiner46)

but I’m still unsure as to why the car just shut off with no lights or warnings?
welp, guess just gotta keep my fingers crossed.

[edit] service manager called and said they went ahead and reset the BMS because the battery had been replaced before and no way to tell if the other dealership did the reset as it isnt stored in the logs.
they also said no charge for the diagnostic

 

[WItoTX]

Lots of posts on your question. Short of getting a voltage meter and testing yourself, no way to confirm if the dash is correct, but I'd say that's within reason.

I've had my power steering and mag ride just stop working. I feel like a read another post on the car just stopping too. Try searching this forum, I think it was fairly recent.

Good luck!

 

[cuckoo4watches]

Lots of posts on your question. Short of getting a voltage meter and testing yourself, no way to confirm if the dash is correct, but I'd say that's within reason.

I've had my power steering and mag ride just stop working. I feel like a read another post on the car just stopping too. Try searching this forum, I think it was fairly recent.

Good luck!

woah.. power steering going out had to be scary?

what does it feel like if the mag ride shuts down?

was it only a one time thing?

did you have any codes in the computer?

as for my car, I picked it back up around 530p today and voltage reading was now at 14.5v.

I’d say that is more in line and acceptable than 15.2v.

Perhaps the BMS reset did adjust just enough to lower the input to the battery to a less-volatile level.

I will have to keep an eye on it as well as keep my fingers crossed it doesnt shut off again.

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