D. Frazier Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Have a 2014 MKZ Hybrid. When I stop, put it in park, then push the on/off button, this message displays on the center console screen: "System Off to Save Battery Please turn ignition off or start engine." Anyone have any idea what this means. Ignition is already off when it displays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Frazier Posted June 22, 2015 Author Share Posted June 22, 2015 This issue has resolved itself. No longer appears when I turn off the car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artxsosa Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 I get the same message. It's been going on for over a week. Any idea? Can it be my bluetooth phone trying to connect? The reason I mention the bluetooth is because when I turn on the car, the bluetooth shows it pairs (radio is off). If I turnoff the car I have to select the power off button on the radio display for the phone to un-pair and the radio display to turnoff. Any idea? This all started after the ver 3.8 Sync upgrade. I remember having to re-establish bluetooth sync from the radio, but I never told the phone to forget that sync device (the radio) to start with a new connection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hermans Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 I had this issue with my 2013 FFH when I first got it. Turns out the first two 12v batteries were bad. Then Ford came out with a TSB that changed the way the 12v battery charges. Never reappeared on the car the rest of the time I owned it. I have never experienced this with my 2013 MKZh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artxsosa Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 I get the same message. It's been going on for over a week. Any idea? Can it be my bluetooth phone trying to connect? The reason I mention the bluetooth is because when I turn on the car, the bluetooth shows it pairs (radio is off). If I turnoff the car I have to select the power off button on the radio display for the phone to un-pair and the radio display to turnoff. Any idea? This all started after the ver 3.8 Sync upgrade. I remember having to re-establish bluetooth sync from the radio, but I never told the phone to forget that sync device (the radio) to start with a new connection. Well reading this forum and the Fusion forum I got my answer. The car has now 1,500 miles and it appears that my short drives (10 miles each way / 30 to 35% on EV) is not enough to permit the engine/alternative to recharge the 12 volt battery. I charged the battery with a battery tender for about four hours. At first it did show that it had a low charge. Within three hours in went up to 80%. So it looks as if the message comes on between 70-75% of the total charge. Just a side note, this is my first American car in over 35 years. My last four cars were Mercedes. My wife purchased the 2015 MKC about eight months ago, I saw the MKZ in the show room and had to go back for it. I love the car. I tried running it on 100% ethanol but after two tank full I got the check engine light. Now I run in 50/50 gas/ethanol no light, no problem. It do get about 8-10% less gas milages but my money stays in the U.S.A. There is lots of miss information on ethanol in the internet, I suggest you look into yourself if interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcweber Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 (edited) Mine did this just tonight as I got in it while sitting in the garage. I did note I had left the FOB in the cupholder from pulling it in garage earlier in day.I do have the irritating once every few months the battery is dead issue by the way. Edited March 1, 2016 by pcweber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcweber Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 update, when I went out to garage this morning the MKZ was dead, had to put charger on the service connector under hood to turn it on and it charges from larger battery. So, 1 this affirms that display shutdown is sign it knows battery it going down and it shuts down to confirm it is not causing it. 2, the display must not be the cause because it shutdown and still went dead. 3, again I left the FOB in the cupholder and car unlocked. Will watch to see if that is a factor next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R2D2 Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Maybe you actually have a bad main battery. Have you brought it into a dealer for the problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcweber Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 (edited) I bought a digital voltmeter display from Amazon for $4, Wired it to some power under the driver side at fuse box. Found after sitting for even an hour the battery "standing voltage" was down to 10.5 volts. All night next morning was down to 9 volts many times. I pulled that toy battery and put one out of my small tractor that is a smaller form factor normal car battery. Fixed it, now standing voltage is 12v overnight. That battery is just too small. I will throw it back in sometime and take it to dealer but given all the Fusion posts it is just likely that the battery is too small. For $80 I am just going to put a larger battery in and not have the problem and have wife stranded over and over. This issue is not going to stop unless you have brand new toy battery. Edited March 5, 2016 by pcweber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R2D2 Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 From what you are describing, it still sounds like a bad battery, possibly one that is partially internally shorted or just cannot hold a charge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcweber Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Agree, It must have a bad cell. Given the amount of Fusion Hybrid owners having the issue (far more cars shipped, but same car) it seems the battery is under sized as even 3-6 months after getting them replaced at dealers people report seeing the "System shutting down to save battery" display. From my volt meter experience I sense that happens when the battery voltage is at around 9.8V. I agree I could go to dealer and likely get a new battery but until I hear of a TSB that they are replacing the battery tray to fit a larger battery it is not worth my time wasting half to a full day to only get a small mini battery put back in. My wife went back to driving her Sonata because she dont trust the MKZ so I want a solution to the core issue. So if you see that system shutting down message within 1-2 hrs of just driving your car your battery is likely bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcweber Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Here is a pic of the $4 voltmeter I rigged up. Note that reading is standing voltage. When car is turned on the system goes immediate to 14.4V. Note, I know for a fact it does this weather engine or not running. Also when you get in car and hit power button without touching brake and the green light flashes it starts charging then too, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R2D2 Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 I have had my 2014 MKZh for about 18 months now and approaching 20K miles and I have not seen this issue. Also the size of the starting battery should be related to the cranking amps needed for starting but not running. As the 4 cyl engine is small I am not afraid of it being a smaller battery then what is found needed for an 8 cyl engine.I noted you mentioned that your battery is a "toy" battery. I guess you are being sarcastic by using that term but I would not classify the battery the same as you would find in a handicap scooter or a toy electric car if this is what you meant. Just for the heck of it I just went and measured mine, after it sat all night (I got back about 7:30PM), and it is measuring 12.2 V measured with a Fluke DVM which I consider to be a fairly accurate meter. I also see you are in Nebraska (brrrrr) so the cold weather could also be affecting the performance of a marginal battery. As a thought, what are he odds that you have something wrong elsewhere that is rapidly discharging the battery? Like a trunk light switch or similar..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drolds1 Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 More info on the FFH forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcweber Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 The 12V battery in trunk is not used to start the engine ever. It simply "turns" the car systems on. If it is not at a certain voltage the car electrical sysem falls on its face. (I will say one recurring symptom I found before I installed the voltmeter was the trunk would not release or self close when battery was at that low state the car would not turn on) I will take a pic of the battery tomorrow of it in my shop beside a beer can for reference. I agree, mine is one of the many with a bad cell more than likely. I just am choosing not to waste 1/2 of a day of my life gambling the dealer will replace it because driving int here the battery will be full charged unless I stay for 2-6 hours and they dont turn the car on and it gets a huge drink of charge from the large battery. I wish the cig. lighter ports were hot all the time and it would make it simpler for folks to see their batt status. If you look on Fusion-H forums there are threads 12-15 pages long about the battery stranding many people and they have to send a child through trunk to release the safety trunk release to jumper/ charge it. (not that it cant be done under the hood on the + acc terminal) If you are at a standing voltage of 12V overnight you are fine. Anyhow, I am going the route of self healing with a larger battery with a larger reserve and driving it for a week to observe data and confirm the issue is gone and that there is no parasitic drain. (Google that) Thus far it has been nails, never got in car overnight with the standing voltage below 12V. I will answer any questions, report my results, and tell my story but wont endure the dealership hell just yet. Also note I could at any moment put the old battery back in and choose to endure a day of dealership sitting. It is not an eliminated chess move. Just one I choose not to do yet, but also may never do. R2D2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ITFlyer Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Read my post: http://lincolnmkzforum.com/topic/770-2013-mkz-hybrid-battery-going-dead-over-night/?p=6123 There is a TSB outstanding for a trunk control module that is draining the battery overnight. We kept getting a dead battery, and after this TSB was done, it hasn't happened again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcweber Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Thanks for that info ITFlyer. Will try to get that done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcweber Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 (edited) Here is pic of the battery out of the MKZ sitting by the battery out of my daughters 2012 Kio Optima 4 cylinder. As an update it has been 2 weeks and I have never got in the car and seen my "standing voltage" from sitting overnight below 12v. Edited March 15, 2016 by pcweber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artxsosa Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 I had the same issue. I put a battery tender over night the message went away for a few days. It came back, this time I started to get a tool range light. My key fob stopped working. Took in for service, they found the issue it was 12v battery. No more warning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.