Ongoing PowerBoost Pro Power Onboard generator fault

[snyce1]

Since i bought truck Nov 2021 7.2 Generator fault happens when truck gets wet ..driving in rain or snow or even a car wash . It does not reset until it dries out . I have reproduced this in car wash repeatedly and i car sits dry for hours it resets . This of course makes the trucks usability as intended unreliable if wet weather . Desler and Ford has always said was software issue . I have autoupdates on since day 1. Dealer cannot fix it . Ford had been unhelpful to date . No one has an idea how to find or correct the flaw. I wonder if the plug connections nehind left rear wheel below Generator panel in bed can be disconnected and reconnected with some dielectric grease to protect to keep dry from the spray from the wheel

Sponsored

 

[Gros Ventre]

Go look at the outlet panel in the bed. I took mine out to look at how it was wired. The periphery O-ring is very difficult to get back in place properly. If this leaks and lets water in on the backside of this panel it can short some connectors.

 

[snyce1]

Thanks for the insight . I have analyzed every connection and the one that has made most sense are the 2 that are below the outlet panel and get splashed by left rear tire when rolling . Most recently i wrapped them in saran wrap and then foil for a day or 2 . What i learned in dry day stretch was that trapping moisture with that wrap prevented the fault from going away until i unwrapped to let those dry and the generator worked again without flaw until snow and moisture returned . I wont seperate those connections unless Ford dealer does it as i dont want em to say i created an error . My dealer has failed for a year to come up with something to fix this . My truck was too expensive to get my money out but i learned lesson . Buy truck and buy seperate generator. Ford failing w grade F on this issue

 

[Meterman]

Go look at my thread for the fix. I have been dealing with this for a year and just got it fixed.

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/thr...-plugged-into-outlets.7386/page-6#post-306962

 

[Snakebitten]

My truck was too expensive to get my money out but i learned lesson . Buy truck and buy seperate generator. Ford failing w grade F on this issue

That's not the lesson I get from your experience. The vast majority of these Powerboost generators work exactly as they should. No problem at all.
And I don't think there's a quieter 7.2KW generator in the world. Nor more convenient and at an amazing bargain.

The lesson (to me) is that you MIGHT get one that shouldn't have passed the QC check. And if you are unfortunate to have one of those, the fix might be incredibly frustrating because the factory authorized warranty service industry doesn't have a clue what it is or how it works.

For the life of me I don't understand how they couldn't at least perform a process of elimination approach. You and @Meterman both have the obvious symptom of wet = fault. A true professional doesn't need much more than that.

Once Meterman's was fixed, didn't it suddenly make sense? ?
Not saying it will be exactly the same thing everytime, but they could start with some common sense testing.

 

[snyce1]

That's not the lesson I get from your experience. The vast majority of these Powerboost generators work exactly as they should. No problem at all.
And I don't think there's a quieter 7.2KW generator in the world. Nor more convenient and at an amazing bargain.

The lesson (to me) is that you MIGHT get one that shouldn't have passed the QC check. And if you are unfortunate to have one of those, the fix might be incredibly frustrating because the factory authorized warranty service industry doesn't have a clue what it is or how it works.

For the life of me I don't understand how they couldn't at least perform a process of elimination approach. You and @Meterman both have the obvious symptom of wet = fault. A true professional doesn't need much more than that.

Once Meterman's was fixed, didn't it suddenly make sense? ?
Not saying it will be exactly the same thing everytime, but they could start with some common sense testing.

Makes sense . My dealer just looked to ford each of several times i tried em . Oddly i had little fault in warm weather .now in cold and wet faults all the time . I work 80-100 hrs a week and little time for this detective work. Ive only amateur electrical experience so im not able to take chance of disconnecting and reconnecting everything. Ive brought my observations and data from these forums others have found but my dealer wouldnt twar it diwn and reconnect after i asked directly for tgat last winter when it was new .

 

[snyce1]

Go look at my thread for the fix. I have been dealing with this for a year and just got it fixed.

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/thr...-plugged-into-outlets.7386/page-6#post-306962

Guess i have my project for my next day off. Are you aware if it is possible to disconnect all the connectors and reconnect without harming those factory connections ?

 

[Meterman]

Guess i have my project for my next day off. Are you aware if it is possible to disconnect all the connectors and reconnect without harming those factory connections ?

No, I don't know. I disconnected the two in the attached pic that are near the bumper and added dielectric grease and had no issue. Is that the ones you are referring to?

 

[hedge]

Maybe it's my OCD but I like to use the Ford XG-12, kinda pricey but I think it's better than regular dialectric.

https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Ford...sprefix=ford+electrical+grease,aps,139&sr=8-2

 

[HammaMan]

Go look at my thread for the fix. I have been dealing with this for a year and just got it fixed.

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/thr...-plugged-into-outlets.7386/page-6#post-306962

After having played under the back of the truck, I was going to suggest the same. The plugs they use are rather underwhelming. I'm going to run my EV charging test again and check the wires for heat.

The inverter is always running when the truck is on to power the interior outlets. That's why it's able to fault if you turned it on or not, it's always running with the truck on.

 

[snyce1]

No, I don't know. I disconnected the two in the attached pic that are near the bumper and added dielectric grease and had no issue. Is that the ones you are referring to?
Yes the course and size are same.

 

[snyce1]

No, I don't know. I disconnected the two in the attached pic that are near the bumper and added dielectric grease and had no issue. Is that the ones you are referring to?

Indeed they are..

 

[Meterman]

Indeed they are..

I even did the dielectric grease and wrapped the crap out of it with bubble wrap shipping bag and it still tripped.

 

[Severdog]

Steve, would it make sense to get a set of rear wheel-well liners from Husky?

I've been fixing electrical things for the past 50+ years. Intermittents are always a bitch. The fact that yours works better in "warm" than "cold" is a big hint. Things swell in the heat. You might have one connection on the neutral return that has corrosion or is *barely* connected, and any change in the environment or temperature will affect the resistance of that connection and throw the system into fault.

 

[snyce1]

I even did the dielectric grease and wrapped the crap out of it with bubble wrap shipping bag and it still tripped.

I think very tough to get watertight without an adhesive.. also concern of trapping water in those connections. My observation is when warm and dries quick resets quick . Even concentrated the dryer at car wash at rear may have helped . Also last week while tripped i wrapped tight saran wrap then aluminum foil crimped to shield it before a dry trip for 340 miles .. never reset . Unwrapped , dried out (i presume) reset within hour or so then tripped when it rained a day later . 73, 000 truck and im a lab tech now ?

Sponsored