MKZ Hybrid 12v Battery Discharge

B

budpytko

Registered
Anyone with a Z -Hybrid had a problem having the 12v battery holding a charge? I've been fighting mine holding a good charge longer than 36 hours. It has something drawing it down but can not figure out what it is. All I have is a standard VOM...it's not a cheapo but with the new electronics you can not just start pulling fuses one by one anymore. The other prob is my body can't get into the positions to get to the fuse box behind the dash. I can see it, but can't see it and reach it at same time. It's really hidden.. Prob will have tp take it back to the Lincoln dealer. Yes, the battery has been tested. It's less than a year old and I did have it tested.
 
Hey, Bud.

You'd really need at least an ammeter to track that down effectively. I actually have a similar leak on the Mark that I've been meaning to track down, but "solved" it the lazy way instead with a Trickle Charger.. :)

I saw a video recently on tracing/diagnosing a voltage leak. It's not a Lincoln, but worth a watch. It'll at least let you know what you're in for.

 
Great vid but of NO use for me. The car was too old. On my Z if you open a door, hood or trunk the keep alive circuit springs to life and you see a LOT of current draw. I can fake the truck and doors in closed state by popping the latch to closed position but haven't found the cure for the hood yet. Guess where the main fuse box is ? As far as the passenger compartment fuse panel goes , it is stuck up behind the dash so far that I physically can not reach it and put meter leads up there at the same time. And I'd need to do that to see current draw on each fuse.
But after watching what happens to these new cars and when the car "goes to sleep" I found that in order for it to go to sleep in 15 min to an hour, you gotta lock the car, then hit the lock button on the key fob TWICE. The horn will beep ONCE. Did this 2 nights in a row and had no prob starting it next day. Too make sure that that was the only issue, I'll try for 2 nights in a row. Stay tuned.
 
budpytko said:
But after watching what happens to these new cars and when the car "goes to sleep" I found that in order for it to go to sleep in 15 min to an hour, you gotta lock the car, then hit the lock button on the key fob TWICE. The horn will beep ONCE. Did this 2 nights in a row and had no prob starting it next day.
Click to expand...

Interesting.

I think I actually accidentally did that to our Navigator once.

The reason I suspected as much is because the remote start refused to function. Then after manually starting it, the remote start magically worked again.
 
Man.. that passenger fuse panel location is as lousy as they come. Sorry to hear about that. I think the trick with the video was that he also had a logging oscilloscope to work with, so he could watch the current draw over time.

I do think you're onto something with the door locks though. There's probably all kinds of systems the car keeps "awake," just in case you come back. It really is a super complex car. I'll be looking forward to updates!
 
The car started normally this afternoon. It had set about 38 hours or more,.. It previously had only sat 24-30 hours when the battery had failed to do anything. Had to open it with the key that's hidden inside the key FOB. I will surely remember from now on to lock the car with the FOB, beep once. Next time I'm at my Lincoln dealer I will question them on this.
 
Do you have the power trunk lid? It is a known issue with them that it will continue to draw power after closing (the pull down motor). If so, that's where I'd start as it is a common problem. The fix is 1 of 2 things: Either a reflash of the module itself, or it may require replacement and then programming. You should consider joining the Facebook MKZ enthusuasts community page. There are CONSTANT bits of shared info.
 
No, the car is the basic MKZ -H. Standard truck release. But in testing I did use a screwdriver to fake the car into seeing the lid locked when doing voltage checks. ( Sprung the lock lever into the locked position).
 
For whatever reason it is behaving normally now and has been for a few weeks. But I have been using the key fob to lock the car with two clicks (the horn beeps once). Fingers crossed. Hoping that doing that turns the KEEP ALIVE system turned off faster than just using the door lock.
 
Bud, I am considering replacing my 2015 3.7 AWD CPO reserve with a newer hybrid model. Have you had any mechanic issues with yours? From what I've read, the 2.0H is a workhorse, no issues, no transmission hiccups, and since the 2.0 is the non-turbo ECOBURST model, coolant intrusion in to the cylinders is not an issue.
My CPO warranty is up in a few weeks. I am either going to purchase a ESP premium warranty through Zeigler Ford for about $2k, or replace the car since the water pump and PTU have already failed once (under warranty). The ESP coverage is less than most "common" repairs that might crop up with my Reserve.
Thanks for any insight. I dig the magnetic metallic color but want something other than ebony interior. I have also yet to find a reserve II with heated AND cooled seats. Remote start with heated / cooled
seats is a MUST for me as I have been spoiled the last 3 years.
 
I really like our 2015 Z Hybrid. As the battery problem really isn't a problem,( I found out I really just had to drive it more !), if you could find a leftover 2020 Z, I think you'd really like it. As Lincoln has dropped the MKZ line you obviously will not find a 2021 version.... they were gonna call it a Zephyr again. Too bad too, it was gonna be a rear wheel drive car.
 
If I would have (or yet do) sell my 15Z and knowing Lincoln dropped the Z line, I was thinking of this: https://www.lexus.com/models/UX-hybrid They are similarly priced, fuel mileage about the same and luxurious as Lincoln (or better). And I wasn't going to buy but lease so I could have a new car every 3 years.
 
I opted to purchase a Lincoln ESP warranty from Zeigler Ford for about $2k...I added some coverage to last through the remaining term of my loan. It's funny how they say "once you commit, you stop shopping" is true...I've "renewed my vows" with my 2015, at least for now. There are just not too many cars on the market (new or used) that tick all the boxes I have, and my Z does just that. If it only had Continental seats though (I'm too tall for my seats = the lower seat cushion, that is. It does not extend far enough forward for my comfort under my thighs...)
I am a service manager and I wheel a lot of different cars on a daily basis...and I have yet to get in to one that has the same level of comfort my Mark VIII's had or my grand Marquis...The rest of the car is perfect for me.
Thank you for your replies.
 
My ESP warranty just expired too.... as the ESP does NOT cover the lithium (HYBRID) battery is yet another issue strengthening the purchase of the Lexus hybrid as a 3 year lease .
 
I know the hybrid battery and all Hybrid components have a 8 year/100k warranty from its original "in service" date...That puts you to 2023 or 100k miles
 
I didn't know that !! I'll check that out..... are you sure it is included ion my 2015 model ? If it's true, I'll NOT be spending $$$$$$ on a new car and will get the ESP again.
 
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