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PowerBoost will not shift out of park unless seatbelt is on

Longdeck

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Is this common occurrence or future government mandate buried in software that somehow got activated?

I was stuck at Grocery store for a while. After trying different things, start, stops, and getting out of truck and fresh re-entry. All I notice on display is truck running on electric with start/stop button blinking.

After calling Ford for a tow, called family member to come get groceries while I kept trying different things. After about sitting there 25 minutes trying different things, it occurred to me to try buckling up. That fixed it and allowed me to shift out of park.

What is reasoning for this? I always put on my seatbelt before driving on the road. When I got back to house, I tested several times and couldn’t get it to repeat problem with putting into gear before buckling up.

Current software version is 4.2.2.2 on 2023 F-150 Platinum PowerBoost
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Snakebitten

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I am just guessing, but either a coincidence that buckling the seat belt was timely, or in some very strange way it completed a procedure that corrected another that was hung up.

Regardless, it's an example of a few one-off occurrences that have been mentioned over the last couple of years around here.

A Powerboost statistically has the most likelihood of a bug like this appearing and then gone. There are so many "if this/then that" conditions in its code just to get the truck rolling.
My suggestion is to not be too quick to call for a tow or even a jump. Instead, shut everything back down, exit, lock, walk away. Then start all over.

If that doesn't get you a Ready light and a shift out of Park, tap the throttle and see if the ICE will fire up. You might have a High Voltage battery SOC below the allowed threshold for "all systems go".

If the ICE doesn't start right away, leave the truck in not Ready Mode for a few minutes, because it's possible the 12V low voltage side of the truck is starving one or more modules of the necessary voltage to operate properly. The wait is similar to hooking up jumper cables to another vehicle and giving it some time to bring the 12V battery(s) up some.

One other possibility is as simple as when these trucks wake up, sometimes the communications network fails to support successful handshakes between specific modules. In fact, it's more common than you might think. Especially on a truck with 40 or more modules. If one of the failed handshakes is a mission critical one, the truck just isn't going to be all systems go without a reboot.
If you scanned for codes everytime you booted up your truck, you might be surprised how un-rare communication failure codes populate. If you are OCD, don't do it. :)
 

Gros Ventre

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So, how many lines of code are there? 10,000, 100,000, or 1,000,000 or more... It costs real money to do a line by line check of software, so it's rarely done. There could be a fault in there (Maybe more than one? Perish the thought :) ). So-o-o... might be a flaw, might be a missed line of code or other error. That's why the walk away and start over makes a difference. There's one more avenue: In some cases you may want to disconnect the main 12VDC Battery and the small "Keep Alive" battery in the back seat area. That would reset everything... I had to have my dealer do that once...
 

Snakebitten

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There's one more avenue: In some cases you may want to disconnect the main 12VDC Battery and the small "Keep Alive" battery in the back seat area. That would reset everything... I had to have my dealer do that once...
That's the REAL "Reboot"!

I completely agree.
I'd do that before I called for a tow or jump as well.

You might figure out how to access that second battery before you are in a lurch. Then you'll be ready if/when?
 

bfastr

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so I had a weird similar experience. mind you my truck is a regular 5.0 gas motor.
but I pulled into a parking space in an open lot, nothing in front or behind me. but the lot was slight incline, maybe 5 degrees. not steep

once I hopped out I realized I was about 2 feet short of the line, so I popped back in to pull forward, of course I did it with the door open, one leg hanging out and no seatbelt on.
hit the button, dropped into drive. hit the gas, not moving. tried reverse. no movement. engine wud rev, but the truck was planted. wasnt even rolling. Of course I panicked thought for sure this was it. then I drew my leg in and closed the door. problem solved.

so I didnt have hill assist or whatever it is called turned on, but clearly the truck has a built in feature to prevent old men from running over themselves. which isnt so bad once you figure it out
 

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powerboatr

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I am just guessing, but either a coincidence that buckling the seat belt was timely, or in some very strange way it completed a procedure that corrected another that was hung up.

Regardless, it's an example of a few one-off occurrences that have been mentioned over the last couple of years around here.

A Powerboost statistically has the most likelihood of a bug like this appearing and then gone. There are so many "if this/then that" conditions in its code just to get the truck rolling.
My suggestion is to not be too quick to call for a tow or even a jump. Instead, shut everything back down, exit, lock, walk away. Then start all over.

If that doesn't get you a Ready light and a shift out of Park, tap the throttle and see if the ICE will fire up. You might have a High Voltage battery SOC below the allowed threshold for "all systems go".

If the ICE doesn't start right away, leave the truck in not Ready Mode for a few minutes, because it's possible the 12V low voltage side of the truck is starving one or more modules of the necessary voltage to operate properly. The wait is similar to hooking up jumper cables to another vehicle and giving it some time to bring the 12V battery(s) up some.

One other possibility is as simple as when these trucks wake up, sometimes the communications network fails to support successful handshakes between specific modules. In fact, it's more common than you might think. Especially on a truck with 40 or more modules. If one of the failed handshakes is a mission critical one, the truck just isn't going to be all systems go without a reboot.
If you scanned for codes everytime you booted up your truck, you might be surprised how un-rare communication failure codes populate. If you are OCD, don't do it. :)
sounds like its like waking up a saturn 5 launch to the moon...
 

DW2020

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I think the start / stop light blinking is an important clue to what might have happened.

I have found if I hit the start button without my foot firmly on the brake it goes into that blinking (which is like accessory mode). With it not being really “on” it won’t allow the shift out of park.

This usually happens to me when I’m rushing (eg trying to get the trailer out of a busy fuel lane) and my finger gets to the start button before my foot gets the brake depressed enough to be recognized. And then I have to go back to “off”, foot on brake, short pause, and then back to on.

You might be able to recreate the behaviour by trying start button without brake pedal….that could confirm it is “normal” and not a glitch.
 

JIMFOUNTAIN

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I think the start / stop light blinking is an important clue to what might have happened.

I have found if I hit the start button without my foot firmly on the brake it goes into that blinking (which is like accessory mode). With it not being really “on” it won’t allow the shift out of park.

This usually happens to me when I’m rushing (eg trying to get the trailer out of a busy fuel lane) and my finger gets to the start button before my foot gets the brake depressed enough to be recognized. And then I have to go back to “off”, foot on brake, short pause, and then back to on.

You might be able to recreate the behaviour by trying start button without brake pedal….that could confirm it is “normal” and not a glitch.
I had a similar experience. And it is reproducible. I jump in. Door closed. Foot hits brake. Almost simultaneous stab of the start button. Grabbed shifter and pushed shifter button... Wouldn't come out of park. Upon examination no Ready light. It is definitely possible to beat the boot up and have the start button ignored.
 

{tpc}

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I had a similar experience. And it is reproducible. I jump in. Door closed. Foot hits brake. Almost simultaneous stab of the start button. Grabbed shifter and pushed shifter button... Wouldn't come out of park. Upon examination no Ready light. It is definitely possible to beat the boot up and have the start button ignored.
Otherwise known as a “software race”. You win! 😉
 

Cobra427

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This has been a low-level problem since the 14th gen was introduced. My '21 PB Lariat has it infrequently. Like most of you, I devised a workaround. There is a safety pin somewhere in the shifter mechanism that will not allow shifter movement under certain conditions, like brake not depressed, door open, and others.

Mine seems sensitive to how firmly or how long I hold down the brake pedal before attempting to shift out of Park.

My workaround is what we have come to call the Windows '97 Fix. Shut down, foot off brake, open door. Breathe. Start over with gentle brake apply.

Annoying, to be sure.
 

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Gros Ventre

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RE: Software race... Absolutely correct. There is a sequence of software loading that begins when you approach the truck with a Key FOB. Then open the door. Then push the brake pedal and press the start button. If you're too quick in this sequence the truck won't register what it needs to start and will refuse. As an aside, wonder if this could be used to prevent/reduce theft?
 

notabot

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I always put on my seatbelt before driving on the road.
Fess up LD, your truck knows the truth. Our new AI masters know all, see all and F! with all... You must have violated seat belt protocol somewhere and this was your punishment. Behave "properly" and your truck will start when they want it to....
 

tbinmd

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I've done that more then once in the PB, because the engine doesn't start, I think its on & ready, only to find I can't move the shifter. Then see the start button light is flashing. Power cycle the button again and off I go. Something with the timing and out of sync with the brake pedal.
 

wrgrimes

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Threads like this suggest the need for a force quit or option to reboot
Ctrl-Alt-Delete
Certainly some combination of buttons can be programmed
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