Maximizing Battery Life

[TJC]

Agree about the captive post screw, but I could see no other way to physically bypass the BMS and get a direct connection. Maybe I missed it.

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[got3fords]

A quick question ... Which is the better way to disable the BMS, via ForScan, or simply unplugging the BMS sensor cable?

While I don't advovate for bypassing or disabling the BMS, I wonder if simply putting a short across it would work.

 

[TJC]

I don't think the BMS adversely affects the desulfator. It simply keeps it from coming on by keeping the charge voltage artificially low, below the 13.5v threshold needed to turn it on.... except when off throttle coasting or when the battery is below a SOC of 70%-75%.

I guess the test will be if that limited amount of desulfation is enough to significantly extend the life of the battery. You will know soon enough.

 

[RDJTX]

I have read all but two pages of this and now have a splitting headache. I really admire you guys who get into this stuff this deep. I do have a couple of possibly relevant observations however. when done feel free to ignore or not LOL

First - My 2015 Escape was the first time I had heard of the new battery tech and the ASS system (appropriately monikered apparently). the reading I got from the Escape forums was that ASS significantly degraded battery longevity and these batteries were expensive to replace. I hated the system and consequently turned it off most of the time. I think it disabled itself eventually becuase even when not turned off it never activated. I never did anything other than turn it off. That battery was still going strong when we sold it to Carmax and bought the 2023 Edge. I haven't been it much since it is the wifeys car so not sure what the current status is.

My 2019 Escape was the same way, it eventually just stopped activating and since I hated it anyway I didn't bother even investigating it

Second, on the 2023 Rangers at least there is an option to delete the ASS "feature" apparently. My Window sticker has the following on it:

AUTO START-STOP REMOVAL - 50.00
4G LTE WI-FI HOTSPOT REMOVAL - 20.00

so I am guess here that FORD even realized that it was so shitty that a sizable number of folks were diabling it they decided to have taking it (and the wifi) out as an option? don't know if it was an option to take it out on earlier models or not

 

[TJC]

ASS will disable automatically when the battery weakens sufficiently enough to cause the BMS system to disable the "Feature".

The only reason you see ASS and the Wi-Fi Hot Spot removed is due to chip shortages. It is not and never has been optional.

I wish my truck had neither.

Sorry for your headache!

 

[TJC]

It appears that I have reached a plateau with my Ranger Battery. It was cold last night with my garage temps in the low 50's. Truck sat unused for 15 hours overnight. Ran my tests and results follow.

Voltage = 12.76
Resistance = 3.35 mOhms
CCA = 834.8 (Rated at 720 CCA)

A 100% charged AGM battery should read 12.85v at 79F. I'm measuring at 50F and see a battery at 87.5% charge. I suspect this is a very good reading at 50F. So I am satisfied.

I did notice last night that my charge voltage has crept up to 14.4 peak, but only for a few seconds, then drops down to 14.1-14.2 range. This follows very closely to my 2005 Ranger charge pattern.

 

[OrangeStreak]

I've been getting this pop up on and off for the past two weeks. No electrical problems or issues. Battery is 2 yrs. & 8 months old and still under factory warranty. Suspect that battery is near the end of life. Will make an appointment with the Dealer tomorrow to have it checked.

 

[Ranger Roger]

A rhetorical question?

Actually they are all different vehicles and different batteries, but all are AGM, and all three lasted 7+ years, and all three autos had the onboard desulfafor installed. The Maxima had the largest dark power drain as it has the most electronics onboard. Curiously, its previous battery lasted 8 years, and the battery in it now was installed in 2016 and is still going strong.

Prior to this my batteries lasted 3 years or so. Didn't matter vehicle or battery type. I even tried several Optimas (red and yellow top). The early American made Optima batteries were great, the Mexican built batteries later were nothing special, except for the price.

And for what it is worth, the vast majority of batteries made in the USA come from 3 manufacturers.

• Johnson Controls (with over half the market)
• Exide
• East Penn

There are more much smaller manufacturers, but they make up a very small part of the market segment.

Who makes Interstate batteries?

 

[Ranger Roger]

I've been getting this pop up on and off for the past two weeks. No electrical problems or issues. Battery is 2 yrs. & 8 months old and still under factory warranty. Suspect that battery is near the end of life. Will make an appointment with the Dealer tomorrow to have it checked.

Just had mine replaced by Dealer at same timeframe. My warranty runs out in August. Have only seen that screen once.

 

[Ranger Roger]

Ford will not replace the battery under warranty unless it fails their ‘Rotunda’ test. When I had my oil changed their basic test said replace the the battery, which they would have gladly done if I was willing to pay. So, they ran their in-depth test and it passed and no new battery for me. That also included waiting another 3 hours for them to charge and then test the battery since the initial charge was too low for the Rotunda test.

I did a Load Test and the battery was Marginal. Told Dealer I wanted a new one since many are in same soon to be warranty expiration. They gave me a new one. Don‘t know what tests were done. They kept the paperwork since my A/S/S system issues are still not solved (per them). I‘ve had no issues since but I’m not telling them. They are escalating up to Ford Engineering.

 

[TXRangerTim]

I've been getting this pop up on and off for the past two weeks. No electrical problems or issues. Battery is 2 yrs. & 8 months old and still under factory warranty. Suspect that battery is near the end of life. Will make an appointment with the Dealer tomorrow to have it checked.

Are you connecting a battery maintainer? If not, then you might consider one.

 

[OrangeStreak]

Are you connecting a battery maintainer? If not, then you might consider one.

No, but I will consider that after the Dealer does the checkup and I find out the status of the battery.

 

[OrangeStreak]

Just had mine replaced by Dealer at same timeframe. My warranty runs out in August. Have only seen that screen once.

Glad to hear its covered under warranty.

 

[TXRangerTim]

No, but I will consider that after the Dealer does the checkup and I find out the status of the battery.

I have the motopower 2amp/4amp model. It uses common SAE connectors. Another popular brand is NOCO but it uses proprietary connectors.

 

[OrangeStreak]

Are you connecting a battery maintainer? If not, then you might consider one.

Are these needed under normal driving and weather conditions or special circumstances?

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