2 Week Airport Parking

[FordLightningMan]

That's IF it kicks in. Documentation I've seen posted shows it sits for 48 hours before charging the 12v, so IF you keep playing all day long...

What if you checked on the app for SOC and pressed the start button in the app? Would that be worse or better for the 12v? 15 minutes of climate boost would hardly use any of the HVB, would it charge the 12v too?

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[Mike37]

Thanks for all the advice. To complicate my decision, I also got the recent customer service program letter 23B70. Since I haven’t received any OTA updates since I took delivery in November, I assume the 12v sensor may not be reporting properly. I wasn’t able to schedule a service appointment until after I return from my trip. While I may be willing to test the unit, my wife isn’t sold on EVs as a whole and refuses to take a chance that we could return to a truck that won’t start, particularly with the late flight we have scheduled. I guess we’ll be taking her ice car for this particular trip.

 

[RickLightning]

What if you checked on the app for SOC and pressed the start button in the app? Would that be worse or better for the 12v? 15 minutes of climate boost would hardly use any of the HVB, would it charge the 12v too?

2 starts is the limit, then a physical start. 15 minutes is not charging anything.

 

[roddiaz1]

My experience was that the truck went dormant after 7 days (as others have said) and I was unable to remote start it when we landed. It was pretty cold out (7 degrees F) and a warm cabin would have been nice to get into. Other than that, no issues as most have said.

 

[TheBigBezo]

In the warmer months, when I've been gone 5-8 days I could land and remote start it before I was off the plane. I noticed on this most recent trip my truck did download a new update and my 12V was weak, so I could not remote start it but I could connect via Bluetooth. I was warned by the truck that it was going to stop listening for Bluetooth due to low charge (screen also didn't power up either). I drove it a bit and it's all good now.

So all that to say it depends on your 12V charge, outside temps, so on, but either way the truck should hopefully not let the 12V die and you won't lose anything from the HVB.

 

[F150ROD]

My wife and I will be taking a trip and will need to park at the airport for about two week in Baltimore. I assume we will have used about 30% of the charge getting to the airport. We’ll have a similar need returning home. Has anyone had any experience with parking their Lightning for that period without a charge? Am I pressing my luck? Should I just use the ICE case for the trip?

You’ll be fine. We took a trip to Hawaii for a week and only lost a total of 5% charge.

 

[RickLightning]

You’ll be fine. We took a trip to Hawaii for a week and only lost a total of 5% charge.

Shouldn't have lost anything in a week. Or multiple weeks.

 

[F150ROD]

Shouldn't have lost anything in a week. Or multiple weeks.

Except I was refreshing almost every hour…….

 

[Adventureboy]

That's IF it kicks in. Documentation I've seen posted shows it sits for 48 hours before charging the 12v, so IF you keep playing all day long...

Curious if you've had a bad experience? I know Ford changed the charging strategy over a few updates last year. I monitored it for a couple of months (late 2023) and found it consistently kicked in and charged the LVB when SOC dropped below 50% either plugged in or not. I was on earlier 6.x.x when I did the tests.

 

[RickLightning]

Curious if you've had a bad experience? I know Ford changed the charging strategy over a few updates last year. I monitored it for a couple of months (late 2023) and found it consistently kicked in and charged the LVB when SOC dropped below 50% either plugged in or not. I was on earlier 6.x.x when I did the tests.

Nope. Just seeing what others experience. Any Mach-Es have had failed 12v batteries. Different charging logic? Older batteries? Or just bigger sample size?

 

[Adventureboy]

Thanks for all the advice. To complicate my decision, I also got the recent customer service program letter 23B70. Since I haven’t received any OTA updates since I took delivery in November, I assume the 12v sensor may not be reporting properly. I wasn’t able to schedule a service appointment until after I return from my trip. While I may be willing to test the unit, my wife isn’t sold on EVs as a whole and refuses to take a chance that we could return to a truck that won’t start, particularly with the late flight we have scheduled. I guess we’ll be taking her ice car for this particular trip.

The wife is always right. Although you should not have a problem, you can show her when you get home that the truck starts up just fine. The truck will take care of the 12v battery. I think the charging strategy could be improved to get better longevity out of the 12v battery but it will not fail just because you don't drive it for 2 weeks. See my post here, where I did a full plugged-in and not plugged-in test for multiple days while tracking the 12v battery. https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/update-failed-12v-battery.16533/post-338964

23B70 is for the sensor under-reporting the SOC causing updates to fail unneccessarily. It shouldn't affect your 2-weeks away. I have the same CSP for my truck (scheduled for replacement next week).

Do not be afraid to drive the truck. I've owned lots of trucks and I like this one the best so far.

 

[TheWoo]

Thanks for all the advice. To complicate my decision, I also got the recent customer service program letter 23B70. Since I haven’t received any OTA updates since I took delivery in November, I assume the 12v sensor may not be reporting properly. I wasn’t able to schedule a service appointment until after I return from my trip. While I may be willing to test the unit, my wife isn’t sold on EVs as a whole and refuses to take a chance that we could return to a truck that won’t start, particularly with the late flight we have scheduled. I guess we’ll be taking her ice car for this particular trip.

Don't be afraid of your truck. It's a truck. It'll work.

 

[LightningCanuckNB]

LIghtning loses very little charge while parked... the phantom drain is near 0. I have never left mine two weeks, but I have left it at the airport for 5 days and noticed 0 power loss.

You may want to throw a 12v jump pack in the dash, and bring you rkey fob (which has the physical key) just in case though... if the 12v battery is dead you pop open the frunk manually then "jump" it enough to start it and get the HVDC system to engage.

 

[Zprime29]

I left mine in the sun, in Phoenix, in June (110F heat) for 10 days last summer. Had 76% when I parked, had 76% when I remote started at the airport upon return. I agree with others, you'll be fine. I think I checked in on it once every 2-3 days (couldn't help myself).

 

[Mike m]

You’ll be fine. We took a trip to Hawaii for a week and only lost a total of 5% charge.

Is there any thing to pay attention to for parking such as conditioning etc.. Dont want a Tesla experience. I am leaving mine for 4 days in Minneapolis.

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