ProPower Ground Fault

[glockcopbob]

Just found this post after successfully getting my Powerboost to run my RV & AC, which suggests that maybe it is a software issue after all? Even so, I'm curious if anyone has done any mods to better waterproof some of the electrical connectors?

"When I perform the self-test, it results in the Ground Fault detected. Ford has issued an SSM 50270 which says this: Some 2021 F-150 vehicles with ProPower Onboard may exhibit a message in the touchscreen stating Pro Power Onboard Turned Off Ground Fault Detected, after performing the Pro Power Onboard test function. This is a normal response after performing the test and full system function may be restored after pressing the on-screen RESET button. Inform customers that engineering is currently working on a solution for this condition and will be released via an over the air (OTA) software update expected in April of 2022."

The test feature always worked and let’s you reset. this is the same as pushing the test and reset button on the receptacle in your home bathroom and kitchen.

The actual problem is the system was going into GF without pressing the test button and would not reset. This prevents you from using the power. I could not power anything until the system could be reset. This could be less than an hour or it could be a full day to get the system to reset. Turning off and in the truck and driving around would not make a difference. If anything it made it more annoying; every time you would start the truck, it would display the trip in the screen. This would them send you an email, the app would trigger in my phone, and my watch would trigger. So running errands for an afternoon would send multiple alerts just to remind you that the system is broke.

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[KDPGame02]

The test feature always worked and let’s you reset. this is the same as pushing the test and reset button on the receptacle in your home bathroom and kitchen.

The actual problem is the system was going into GF without pressing the test button and would not reset. This prevents you from using the power. I could not power anything until the system could be reset. This could be less than an hour or it could be a full day to get the system to reset. Turning off and in the truck and driving around would not make a difference. If anything it made it more annoying; every time you would start the truck, it would display the trip in the screen. This would them send you an email, the app would trigger in my phone, and my watch would trigger. So running errands for an afternoon would send multiple alerts just to remind you that the system is broke.

Yeah, that's not been my experience. Mine always faults when tested as that post and Ford service message described. But I still have to play around with the ProPower a bit more. I hope you get your situation figured out. It would annoy the hell out of me as the generator was a big part of the reason we purchased this truck.

 

[glockcopbob]

Yeah, that's not been my experience. Mine always faults when tested as that post and Ford service message described. But I still have to play around with the ProPower a bit more. I hope you get your situation figured out. It would annoy the hell out of me as the generator was a big part of the reason we purchased this truck.

I guess I am confused. The purpose of the test is to put the system into Ground Fault. It is the only way to verify the system is working.

example: the GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) receptacle in your bathroom has a test button. When you push this button, it applies 5-10ma of current to the ground. The circuit measures this current leakage and trips the receptacle. You have to have the current leaking to test the system. It is not a “system test” or a “control circuit test”. This is an actual test of the life safety protection.

so what you are saying is a problem is actually a feature. The system is designed to Trip and needs to be physically reset when tested.

 

[KDPGame02]

I guess I am confused. The purpose of the test is to put the system into Ground Fault. It is the only way to verify the system is working.

example: the GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) receptacle in your bathroom has a test button. When you push this button, it applies 5-10ma of current to the ground. The circuit measures this current leakage and trips the receptacle. You have to have the current leaking to test the system. It is not a “system test” or a “control circuit test”. This is an actual test of the life safety protection.

so what you are saying is a problem is actually a feature. The system is designed to Trip and needs to be physically reset when tested.

Thanks, and I'm tracking what you're saying now. The difference for me is that after testing & resetting, I still wasn't getting any power to the outlets in the cab or the bed until 2 days ago when I tested the 240v outlet. This went on for a week following the heavy rains I experienced when I picked up the truck and drove it the first ~100 miles.

Which goes back to my first post asking about an update on whether anyone had any success on waterproofing the connections in theoretical hopes to avoid this.

 

[Severdog]

Appreciate the perspective. My truck has not faulted in weeks now. Car washes tolerated without GF. Realize the faults i had were long duration in cold dry winter and fall weather .
Humid spring no problem in weeks
Ford ????? Whats goin on w the engineers who are supposed to update OTA software

Steve, I put my truck up on ramps a week ago to take care of my differential rust, and to me the prime suspect would be the connector cluster that is directly beneath the electrical panel in the bed. I didn't think to take a picture but there's a big ugly cluster of exposed connectors that are open to the elements. AND...open to picking up spray from the driver's side rear tire.

It's almost too obvious that this is the *likely* root cause of your problem.

If I were in your shoes I would do the following:

• open all of those connectors, apply contact cleaner, and re-connect.
• wrap something around the connector cluster, even if it's saran wrap. Find a way to waterproof the connector cluster.
• put mudflaps/splash guards on your rear wheels. Also wheel well liners would work.

Or do nothing since it's working for you.

When I get under there again I'll take a picture and you'll see what I mean.

hope this helps....

 

[snyce1]

Steve, I put my truck up on ramps a week ago to take care of my differential rust, and to me the prime suspect would be the connector cluster that is directly beneath the electrical panel in the bed. I didn't think to take a picture but there's a big ugly cluster of exposed connectors that are open to the elements. AND...open to picking up spray from the driver's side rear tire.

It's almost too obvious that this is the *likely* root cause of your problem.

If I were in your shoes I would do the following:

• open all of those connectors, apply contact cleaner, and re-connect.
• wrap something around the connector cluster, even if it's saran wrap. Find a way to waterproof the connector cluster.
• put mudflaps/splash guards on your rear wheels. Also wheel well liners would work.

Or do nothing since it's working for you.

When I get under there again I'll take a picture and you'll see what I mean.

hope this helps....

I did that exact experiment this past winter .
I carefully wrapped each of those in self adhering silicone wrap to envelope each of those connections . To no avail . Removed the silicone wraps in the last week of March. April was the month for the promised OTA update . April has come and gone and Alas , no OTA from Ford . Not surprised. What was surprising is that during April i noted that the Generator was faulting less .in fact would reset if it did fault which was a definite improvement. By end april it was resilient in car wash, wet road spray and when raining (which had always faulted the generator since day 1). Been thru rain, road spray and car washed several times and it wont fault . I strongly suspect Ford updated the software without an announcement or allowing us to see in order that they would not facilitate customer ability to create class action regarding the months of non functioning generator systems yet we payed in full . I am happy my truck works now .Judging from the lack of Fords response here ..i think they wont acknowledge there was ever an issue .

 

[Snakebitten]

I do not think Ford secretly performs OTA updates. There's just way too many eyes watching every single line of AsBuilt data on these trucks. It wouldn't go unnoticed.

However I am thrilled to hear that you are getting improved results from your ProPower generator. It's so odd that it improved over time since that's not the nature of electronics ordinarily.
Makes me wonder if moisture of some kind was trapped in some area during manufacturing/assembly and that area is sealed and would take a long time to dry out? Perhaps months. But since it's sealed, it isn't subject to increased or new moisture.

There's so much circuitry and module housings and such that are waterproof after assembly, but could have had some trapped internally?

Your truck was certainly unique as far as I have seen.

 

[glockcopbob]

What do you mean by your truck is unique? This has been a problem for hundreds of powerboost owners.

It’s not possible to start with moisture in the connections as the problem only starts once you visit a car wash or drive in the rain.

my problems mysteriously disappeared during April. I didn’t do anything so ford must have figured it out and sent an update.

Over the weekend I drove my truck into the lake at a boat ramp and no problems. I then immediately plugged in the camper just to test the system. It works perfectly.

 

[dh4234]

My last issue was also in the April timeframe. I’ve been waiting to see what happens come July, August, September here in the southeast. Humidity seems to be more problematic than the rain itself.

 

[glockcopbob]

I just remembered that I had to re-program (set the user presets) my radio twice in April. It was pissing me off that it kept re-setting. So now I think it could be prof for a factory update.

 

[RossRR]

Steve, I put my truck up on ramps a week ago to take care of my differential rust, and to me the prime suspect would be the connector cluster that is directly beneath the electrical panel in the bed. I didn't think to take a picture but there's a big ugly cluster of exposed connectors that are open to the elements. AND...open to picking up spray from the driver's side rear tire.

It's almost too obvious that this is the *likely* root cause of your problem.

If I were in your shoes I would do the following:

• open all of those connectors, apply contact cleaner, and re-connect.
• wrap something around the connector cluster, even if it's saran wrap. Find a way to waterproof the connector cluster.
• put mudflaps/splash guards on your rear wheels. Also wheel well liners would work.

Or do nothing since it's working for you.

When I get under there again I'll take a picture and you'll see what I mean.

hope this helps....

I picked up my PowerBoost this past Monday and decided today to look into the ProPower. I opened the "Feature" screen and selected ProPower. The first thing I noticed is the "Test" tab at the top and thought "what better way to start my adventure with my new generator than conduct a test of the system". Well, long story short, I pushed the test button and up pops warning message about a ground fault amd my phone vibrates in my pocket. I hit the reset and try again...same results. Well now I'm kicking myself for running the truck through the carwash yesterday with the undercarriage spray system. It's going to be near 100 for the next couple of days so I'l see if that makes the problem go away, and if it does, I'll be under there finding some way to shield those globs of connectors from water. I already have the wheel well liners and mudflaps, but they won't protect them from carwashes where the water sprays straight up.

 

[Snakebitten]

Hitting the test button is supposed to throw the fault. That's the test.

 

[Snakebitten]

The best way to test the generator is to use it?

 

[glockcopbob]

I picked up my PowerBoost this past Monday and decided today to look into the ProPower. I opened the "Feature" screen and selected ProPower. The first thing I noticed is the "Test" tab at the top and thought "what better way to start my adventure with my new generator than conduct a test of the system". Well, long story short, I pushed the test button and up pops warning message about a ground fault amd my phone vibrates in my pocket. I hit the reset and try again...same results. Well now I'm kicking myself for running the truck through the carwash yesterday with the undercarriage spray system. It's going to be near 100 for the next couple of days so I'l see if that makes the problem go away, and if it does, I'll be under there finding some way to shield those globs of connectors from water. I already have the wheel well liners and mudflaps, but they won't protect them from carwashes where the water sprays straight up.

Not sure that you understand the problem. The test is supposed to do exactly what it did for you. By National Electric Code, it has to physically trip the power off. Just like the GFCI recepticals in your bathroom and kitchen at home (anywhere water can be touched or stepped in). they are also typically located in basements and garages. Some homes have the GFCI protection built into the circuit breaker instead of at the recepticals.

The problem some of us are having is that it goes into trip when we do not push the test button. It happens in the rain for some and the car wash for others. Once it trips, it cannot be reset until the fault clears (presumably when the water dries out of where ever it is getting in). In my case it typically took the rest of the day and overnight to clear. Every time I would start the truck, I would get the alarm again in the truck, on my phone, and in my Apple Watch. Adding salt to the wound of the system faulting from a car wash.

 

[RossRR]

Thank you for that clarification...I saw that mentioned previously but uncertain if it had been verified by anyone. I couldn't find any documentation from Ford discussing the ProPower test. I still may fabricate a plastic shield to insert below those connection groups beneath the bed outlets. I'm sure the connectors used are probably environmental connectors but keeping liquid off them couldn't hurt; particularly considering the accumulation of slush and ice we get under our vehicles in the winter.

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