Used PowerBoost's Pro Power during Hurricane Ian blackout

[HammaMan]

Fun fact, you can hook a 12v 2kw grid-tie inverter up to the battery on the power boost and pull another 2k off it bumping the system output to 9kW+ if you had such an inverter and the know-how to do it. You can also just connect a 2kW inverter up to the 12v under-hood battery and be good to go as well. The DC-DC converter outputs up to 3kW of 12v (actually 14v) in addition to what it feeds the inverter. The DC-DC converter is water cooled and will output its 220a continuously.

Also, the lightning has both the 2.4kW and 7.2kW inverters when the full pro power onboard option is chosen. The frunk gets the 2.4 feeding it while the bed gets the 7.2kW system. Fully independent. The base option in the lightning is the 2.4kW only feeding the frunk outlets, inside trunk outlets, and 1 bed outlet.

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[FrankThompson]

So I woke up to the truck running which at first I didn't think was that weird but then opened the door and noticed that I was down to three quarters of a tank. Can anyone think of why the truck decided to start running non stop all night? I didn't really change my load. It did get into the mid-60s but I wouldn't think that that would cause it to start running continuously.

@Snakebitten. I know you use the generator a lot. Any thoughts?

 

[scott011422]

What is your power usage?

 

[FrankThompson]

What is your power usage?

300watts maybe it spikes to 1600-1700w when we are using an appliance, but over night it should have stayed around 300w.

 

[GrandpaD]

Probably a dumb question but did you turn off the AC and other accessories?

 

[Snakebitten]

So I woke up to the truck running which at first I didn't think was that weird but then opened the door and noticed that I was down to three quarters of a tank. Can anyone think of why the truck decided to start running non stop all night? I didn't really change my load. It did get into the mid-60s but I wouldn't think that that would cause it to start running continuously.

@Snakebitten. I know you use the generator a lot. Any thoughts?

Are you saying that the truck burned a full quarter of a tank (~7 gallons) overnight in a light load (no air conditioner)?

That's a bit alarming. I can't imagine what would have the ICE running that much. That would be indicative to the truck just idling all night.

 

[FrankThompson]

Yes I even go so far to turn off the headlights and the center media screen.

Ac off, radio off, media screen off, headlights off.

 

[FrankThompson]

@Snakebitten, yes. That is what appears to have happened. All day yesterday it used maybe 1/20th of a tank

 

[Snakebitten]

Probably a dumb question but did you turn off the AC and other accessories?

Not a dumb question at all. But even that load wouldn't require more than 3 or 4 minutes per hour of ICE time.

 

[FrankThompson]

Heading back home. I appreciate the ideas. I didn't have Internet at home before (even the att wifi was gone this morning) but will check back when I can.

The only difference is that last night I was in the truck checking it and accidentally turned it off. I started it back up, turned on generator mode from the cab (did it from the bed yesterday morning). When I walked away it was not running.

 

[FrankThompson]

At home. It's running now and says it's using <200w on both circuits. I don't have gas for this

 

[FrankThompson]

Truck says it's on to charge the battery, but no way it should be running this long. Could it be trying to charge the 12v battery?!

 

[Snakebitten]

I think I'd have to chalk it up to some crazy anomaly that resulted in the truck getting stuck running. (there's so much software involved in this truck and its generator mode)

I know this sounds crazy...... but if that happened to me, first I'd cycle the truck for sure. Give it a chance to reboot all its systems.
Then the next time I went into generator mode I would also launch my Bluetooth/WiFi Obdlink monitoring app.

That would allow me to monitor all the PIDs that I monitor while I'm driving. I mean if you think about it, Generator mode IS the truck running, except it's in Park.

I would see that the Tachometer is continuously running.
I could monitor the Hybrid Battery SOC which should reflect the expected swing back and forth between ~42%<>60%

At the very least I would KNOW the truck isn't cycling on/off as expected.

 

[FrankThompson]

@Snakebitten you use android, right? Any suggestions for an app I can use to connect and monitor?

Btw I have cycled the truck multiple times. Each time it starts on battery and once it kicks over to engine it never shuts off.

 

[Snakebitten]

Truck says it's on to charge the battery, but no way it should be running this long. Could it be trying to charge the 12v battery?!

Technically the Hybrid battery charges the 12V battery, but I have no doubt that the BMS software on the Powerboost is mighty complex. Is it possible that a weak 12V battery triggers the ICE in order to energize the necessary electronics (DC/DC converter) for the Hybrid battery to charge the 12V?

I know you've read the multitude of CrAzY symptoms that a faulty 12V battery can cause on these trucks.

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