Ford BMS Battery Monitoring System: How it Works and How to Properly Charge Your Battery!

[subquark]

Hey @ryyck long time no see! I don't drive mine much either (maybe a little more than you lol) and most of my trips are short commutes. This really never gives the battery time to charge and while it's sitting there's quite a bit of parasitic drain on them. I started using a battery maintainer on my '19 after the first battery died in 18 months and that seems to really help. Taking it out for long drives is good too but sometimes it's not always practical to do. If it were me (and being that it's a 2019) I would replace it and then add a maintainer on it. Here's the one I use (and several others here use it too) along with the extension lead which make it way more convenient.

It's on sale now for Black Friday too.

CTEK Maintainer:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CD44RQ...0W5WUIWA&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Extension Cable: **Make sure you ground this to the chases and not the negative post.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ADIHUVG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here's a battery many have purchased.

https://www.weizeus.com/products/we...otive-battery-140rc-850cca-36-months-warranty


Here's a post of mine showing where I grounded it and ran the extension wire. Don't mind the dirty engine bay.

https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/fordpass-app-message.20787/post-447866

This FTW!

I've run my CTEK exactly as Dave suggested and it's been on for over two years. I typically plug it in, overnight, a few times a week. When I did a battery test this summer, the OEM battery showed to be in perfect health.

98% of my driving is under two miles each way, so it rarely gets a chance at 20 minutes on the highway (maybe a few times a month).

BTW, that's a crazy good price on the CTEK that Dave has linked!

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[AzScorpion]

This FTW!

I've run my CTEK exactly as Dave suggested and it's been on for over two years. I typically plug it in, overnight, a few times a week. When I did a battery test this summer, the OEM battery showed to be in perfect health.

98% of my driving is under two miles each way, so it rarely gets a chance at 20 minutes on the highway (maybe a few times a month).

BTW, that's a crazy good price on the CTEK that Dave has linked!

I've never had to use a maintainer on anything except for power equipment that was used seasonal until I bought this truck. But most of my other trucks had less tech in them and back then I drove a lot more because I lived out in a hill town in MA where everything was a good 12+ miles away. Now my driving is very similar to yours where we drive only a few miles a couple days a week but every other week we go into Bentonville which is about 22 miles each way.

Regarding the bolded...I'm shocked you live that close to the dump!?

 

[SVTRondogg]

Here’s a view on our BS. I went with the CTEK charger.

That's exactly how I run the CTEK connection on my Shelby. Works great.

 

[SVTRondogg]

My Ranger is my second (third maybe - Explorer Hybrid?) BMS vehicle behind my wife's former Escape.

I replaced both the Escape battery and Ranger battery when I would start to notice weird things - the radio would not keep the last station or input I had it set on when I was last in the vehicle. Eventually the starts would get weaker and weaker and then DOA.

I did my Ranger's first battery swap at about 118k miles in August. I went down to the dealer with the original and the BAGM-94RH7-800 that was factory supplied did not come up in his system specific to the truck neither did the Rockauto suggestions, but I replaced with the exact same part # anyways based on what it shipped with.

Fast forward to today, I swapped the battery and all has been well EXCEPT it tends to forget my radio settings fairly frequently. I did a "BMS reset" I saw online maybe a week after swapping the battery which is the usual flash the brights and pump the brakes a few times sequence until the battery light flashed which seemed to indicate success.

Still to this day the radio is driving me nuts, and it seems to be impacting the 'memory' on an aftermarket electronic device that was dealer installed. I drive it everyday and have no need for a trickle charger like my other cars (I keep the Mustangs on the CTEK).

Should I try the BMS procedure again or what is the best course at this point? I obviously did not have the dealer swap the battery as I prefer to do my own maintenance/mechanics when possible and paying for labor on a battery seems egregious (they wanted $240 or so labor for 4 spark plugs that I did in 20 minutes).


Thanks all!

 

[RangerBill]

My Ranger is my second (third maybe - Explorer Hybrid?) BMS vehicle behind my wife's former Escape.

I replaced both the Escape battery and Ranger battery when I would start to notice weird things - the radio would not keep the last station or input I had it set on when I was last in the vehicle. Eventually the starts would get weaker and weaker and then DOA.

I did my Ranger's first battery swap at about 118k miles in August. I went down to the dealer with the original and the BAGM-94RH7-800 that was factory supplied did not come up in his system specific to the truck neither did the Rockauto suggestions, but I replaced with the exact same part # anyways based on what it shipped with.

Fast forward to today, I swapped the battery and all has been well EXCEPT it tends to forget my radio settings fairly frequently. I did a "BMS reset" I saw online maybe a week after swapping the battery which is the usual flash the brights and pump the brakes a few times sequence until the battery light flashed which seemed to indicate success.

Still to this day the radio is driving me nuts, and it seems to be impacting the 'memory' on an aftermarket electronic device that was dealer installed. I drive it everyday and have no need for a trickle charger like my other cars (I keep the Mustangs on the CTEK).

Should I try the BMS procedure again or what is the best course at this point? I obviously did not have the dealer swap the battery as I prefer to do my own maintenance/mechanics when possible and paying for labor on a battery seems egregious (they wanted $240 or so labor for 4 spark plugs that I did in 20 minutes).


Thanks all!

Have you updated your Sync to version 3.4.23188? This version fixes some problems that previous versions had. It may fix your radio settings.

 

[SVTRondogg]

Have you updated your Sync to version 3.4.23188? This version fixes some problems that previous versions had. It may fix your radio settings.

I just checked it is on 23188. I leave it on WiFi at home with auto updates on.

 

[ryyck]

This FTW!

I've run my CTEK exactly as Dave suggested and it's been on for over two years. I typically plug it in, overnight, a few times a week. When I did a battery test this summer, the OEM battery showed to be in perfect health.

98% of my driving is under two miles each way, so it rarely gets a chance at 20 minutes on the highway (maybe a few times a month).

BTW, that's a crazy good price on the CTEK that Dave has linked!

 

[ryyck]

Just a quick follow up...

I used the NOCO Genius 10, charged the battery, left it on the full charge to let it trickle charge for about 2 hours. Have had no more issues with the low battery screen, and systems turned off on the truck, since I did this...approximately 2 weeks. I still haven't driven it a lot. But when I do, the FOB unlocks the truck, and it starts with no warning screen. I'm still carrying the NOCO jump pack to back me up.

I, and the boss, are driving down to Atlanta in a few days for Christmas. I want to ask my son to attach his meters to see where the battery is. We are going to change the oil...I hate cold weather oil changes.

I'm really curious to see how this works out.

 

[subquark]

Just a quick follow up...

I used the NOCO Genius 10, charged the battery, left it on the full charge to let it trickle charge for about 2 hours. Have had no more issues with the low battery screen, and systems turned off on the truck, since I did this...approximately 2 weeks. I still haven't driven it a lot. But when I do, the FOB unlocks the truck, and it starts with no warning screen. I'm still carrying the NOCO jump pack to back me up.

I, and the boss, are driving down to Atlanta in a few days for Christmas. I want to ask my son to attach his meters to see where the battery is. We are going to change the oil...I hate cold weather oil changes.

I'm really curious to see how this works out.

I think that even the occasional charge helps tremendously. It desulphates the battery and does a gentle but deep charge.

And a battery pack FTW! =)

I still carry jumper cables but love the ease of the battery pack. I know mine will work since I use it when working on the old FJ40.

I probably should free up my storage and just leave the jumper cables at home.

I feel that the battery pack also introduces less liability if I'm trying to jump start a stranger. I may be naive in that thought.

Since I'm ever overlanding and away from civilization any time, the battery pack alone is probably ample (plus I have AAA too).

one in Soupie and one in Kate's car

 

[gfitzge2]

Hope I don't jinx myself but:

My 2019 ranger with the original battery has been giving me system shut down to conserve battery messages on my phone. Some as soon as I shut it off. And only the drivers outside door unlock button works. Put it on my NOCO charger over night for two nights and now everything is back to normal.

My 2016 Focus RS also with original battery is going strong. It spends a lot of its time as a garage queen with a battery maintainer on it. I mostly drive it in the summer, a few thousand miles. Last summer it took me to Florida for vacation. With an 8 year old battery I took a jumper pack with me, but no issues.


On the other hand my wife's 2015 Taurus is on its fourth battery. One only lasted 2 weeks! As the latest one failed, it decided to shut off the power steering after startup until it ran for a few minutes. That was a bit scary. All the voltages and charging looked normal and there were no codes that I could see. Charging over night did not help. Took it in for service and a new battery and alternator ( $1000) later it is back to normal.?

This battery stuff is somewhat confusing to me.

 

[ryyck]

Hope I don't jinx myself but:

My 2019 ranger with the original battery has been giving me system shut down to conserve battery messages on my phone. Some as soon as I shut it off. And only the drivers outside door unlock button works. Put it on my NOCO charger over night for two nights and now everything is back to normal.

My 2016 Focus RS also with original battery is going strong. It spends a lot of its time as a garage queen with a battery maintainer on it. I mostly drive it in the summer, a few thousand miles. Last summer it took me to Florida for vacation. With an 8 year old battery I took a jumper pack with me, but no issues.


On the other hand my wife's 2015 Taurus is on its fourth battery. One only lasted 2 weeks! As the latest one failed, it decided to shut off the power steering after startup until it ran for a few minutes. That was a bit scary. All the voltages and charging looked normal and there were no codes that I could see. Charging over night did not help. Took it in for service and a new battery and alternator ( $1000) later it is back to normal.?

This battery stuff is somewhat confusing to me.

That seems to be my experiece.

My youngest son used to have an Acura fancy car. It was always tearing up batteries, and I had to take it in for battery replacement. I finally asked the service manager to check for electrical shorts (I was tired of showing up every month) as my son was a traveling EE for Lockheed.

Seems the seat had a short that was draining the battery. Long story short, after the service, I never went back.

I suppose the stories are endless with no common denominater and very few common solutions. I've learned to start with the simplest problem and solution. This forum has been really great with the experience and information from the members.

And sometimes, you save money.

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