2021 Ranger XLT Tremor - Deep Sleep in cold weather

[awd.nv]

2021 Ranger XLT Tremor ~28k miles

Hello,

Since it cooled here in the Vegas area (lows under 50f) the truck is basically always entering deep sleep when it is parked. I try to use the remote start to warm the engine up ahead of time but even the scheduled starts don't work due to the deep sleep. Always has a quick start, no slow cranking.

Anyone have experience with this? Tempted to just buy a new Optima/Odyssey battery.

More info--------

Just had an oil change done at the dealer and battery tested ok. Through the scan gauge ii I can see with engine off it settles at 12.1v-12.2v. I have not tested for volt draw with engine off yet.

Battery is charging over 14.0v, highest sometimes 14.8v. On a long 1hr drive it might drop to 13.8v but in the summer it would usually be in the 13v range.

So, how should I feel about this? I am tempted to just buy a new battery. I saw Optima has a larger battery for the Ranger, have to check Odyssey to see if they have the larger battery too. I am more aware of these issues since we tow and camp. I always have a jump starter on hand but I also do not want to strain the alternator because it is always charging at a higher rate.

Thanks,
Anthony

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[Blmpkn]

I've read multiple people on here claim a lot of these trucks battery issues are from Ford only setting it to charge to 70%.

They say by changing the charge level to a higher percentage using forscan fixed the issues.

 

[Joeiconic]

How long does the truck have to sit before it goes into deep sleep?

 

[Bsthroop]

What I have done to keep the battery at optimum level- up the charging target to 90%, these batteries need to stay fully charged for long life. I also installed a battery maintainer that I keep plugged in when parked in the garage. There is a great deal of draw on the battery all the time so it needs to be kept on a trickle especially if you don't drive every day.

 

[gtyates]

Using Forscan, set battery percentage to 90%. SInce I did this no more deep sleep, no more slow splash screens and slow screens in general, and other little things are no longer occurring. Interestingly, my fuel mileage has actually gone up 1 mpg in commuter traffic. I am now seeing 21 mpg in daily commute. Why Ford chose 75% capacity is beyond me to understand. Everything I have read about AGM batteries indicate the closer to 100% charge the better. I see some mention using a trickle charger, and I am sure that helps as well, but when driving it the system will still let the battery charge fall before charging kicks in.

 

[awd.nv]

Ugg, I guess I may need to play with Forscan aferall.... It is all stock, I haven't changed anything. If Ford only has this thing charging to 70% capacity, I can see why this happens in cold temps.

I did put a "smart" trickle charger on it last week and it really only helped for that morning. By the next day I was back to deep sleep.

I can see MPG going up, since there could be less load on the alternator if the battery is always closer to max capacity, less charging is needed so it is just handling the current load needs.

I will complain about it when I take it in before I decide to flash anything with Forscan, really wanted to avoid doing things like that with this truck but the darn thing is under 2yr old.

How long does the truck have to sit before it goes into deep sleep?

I would say within an hour it is in deep sleep. Just last night one of my boys had hockey practice which is 1hr, entered deep sleep before practice was over so I couldn't remote start while in the arena.

 

[EJH]

Ugg, I guess I may need to play with Forscan aferall.... It is all stock, I haven't changed anything. If Ford only has this thing charging to 70% capacity, I can see why this happens in cold temps.

I did put a "smart" trickle charger on it last week and it really only helped for that morning. By the next day I was back to deep sleep.

I can see MPG going up, since there could be less load on the alternator if the battery is always closer to max capacity, less charging is needed so it is just handling the current load needs.

I will complain about it when I take it in before I decide to flash anything with Forscan, really wanted to avoid doing things like that with this truck but the darn thing is under 2yr old.




I would say within an hour it is in deep sleep. Just last night one of my boys had hockey practice which is 1hr, entered deep sleep before practice was over so I couldn't remote start while in the arena.

Honestly it sounds like a bad battery to me. However, you live in Vegas which is very hot in the summer. How long do your other vehicle batteries last?

My truck will be 2 years old in January. I regularly park it in my garage in Bend, Oregon for 2 weeks give or take a few days. I rarely have the truck going into power save mode, even over two weeks. Today is one week since I last started the truck, no deep sleep.

I have never checked the BMS charge percentage with Forscan but now I am curious what it is set at. However, if they are all at 70% from the factory then mine is at 70%.

 

[awd.nv]

Honestly it sounds like a bad battery to me. However, you live in Vegas which is very hot in the summer. How long do your other vehicle batteries last?

My truck will be 2 years old in January. I regularly park it in my garage in Bend, Oregon for 2 weeks give or take a few days. I rarely have the truck going into power save mode, even over two weeks. Today is one week since I last started the truck, no deep sleep.

I have never checked the BMS charge percentage with Forscan but now I am curious what it is set at. However, if they are all at 70% from the factory then mine is at 70%.

Yeah, I suspect battery too. If I can get a free battery from the dealer I should take it but I want to look into the larger Optima battery that they say will work. Who knows if they even did an actual battery test on it during the service. Of course it said it was ok though.

https://www.optimabatteries.com/sea...=1&eng=L4 2.3L GAS&ymmType=AUTO&sortType=DESC

I have only eye balled it and there is extra room for a wider battery but my concern is the post being too close to the engine bay panel.

Our Honda Pilot has a yellow top Optima that is about 3yr old now, it is a little weak but still good. It only gets driven maybe 3-4 times a week which is half the issue with it I think. My wife only has to go into the office 2 days a week. I just put it on the trickle charger maybe once a month to top the battery off, its an older battery, not like the one in the Ranger which is only about 1.5yr old.

 

[Msfitoy]

50 is cold?!

 

[awd.nv]

50 is cold?!

haha well below 50f meaning between 34f-48f is what our lows are right now but yeah, I can't complain. I am happy to not have to deal with snow in the winter.

 

[Joeiconic]

I would say within an hour it is in deep sleep. Just last night one of my boys had hockey practice which is 1hr, entered deep sleep before practice was over so I couldn't remote start while in the arena.

You definitely either need a new battery, or you’ve got an issue with the battery management system (BMS). I would want the dealer to rule out a BMS problem before I invested in another battery. Deep sleep is a built in protection, but it usually on occurs after sitting for two weeks or more.

 

[awd.nv]

You definitely either need a new battery, or you’ve got an issue with the battery management system (BMS). I would want the dealer to rule out a BMS problem before I invested in another battery. Deep sleep is a built in protection, but it usually on occurs after sitting for two weeks or more.

Yeah so today I let it sit on the smart charger till it was full. The truck has not entered deep sleep today since then but it still keeps the voltage above 14.3v during operation which seems to be a bit high. 13.8v-14.0v would be what I would expect over the years and what this truck seems to have done too.

When I power down after driving, the scan gauge ii is reporting 12.2-12.3v rather quickly. Fresh off a drive I would expect to see the battery stay at 12.6v.

So, I suspect the BMS can be cooking the battery, or yeah the battery is bad. I think the dealer will be looking at this before I upgrade the battery.

 

[Big Blue]

You definitely either need a new battery, or you’ve got an issue with the battery management system (BMS). I would want the dealer to rule out a BMS problem before I invested in another battery. Deep sleep is a built in protection, but it usually on occurs after sitting for two weeks or more.

I agree, if the battery has a bad cell it would also explain the charging voltages you are seeing. If the battery cannot hold a charge the BMS is going to try to charge it to the higher voltage.

Side question. How long did it take for them to check your battery and say it was OK? I ask this because the Rotunda test to check the battery for warranty replacement takes quite a while and is very intensive. It also gives them a printout that they need to submit to Ford to get paid for the replacement. I know because mine died at 34 months. The replacement battery cost is like $370.

 

[awd.nv]

I agree, if the battery has a bad cell it would also explain the charging voltages you are seeing. If the battery cannot hold a charge the BMS is going to try to charge it to the higher voltage.

Side question. How long did it take for them to check your battery and say it was OK? I ask this because the Rotunda test to check the battery for warranty replacement takes quite a while and is very intensive. It also gives them a printout that they need to submit to Ford to get paid for the replacement. I know because mine died at 34 months. The replacement battery cost is like $370.

I just took it into the quick lube side for an oil change last week I think it was. They don't do work on that side but the check list showed the battery was good. So either they didn't check it or they use a Midtronics tester that didn't catch a bad battery.

I have procrastinated on taking it into the service because the dealer is so slow. With an appointment they have been telling me the last few weeks that it may not even get seen the same day. So basically 2 days just to get a diag. We had a lot of RV trips but now with a few weeks without towing I can risk having it sit at the dealer a week.

Also have a bad backup camera (intermittent, probably harness) and the E-Brake switch is too sensitive combined with the boot being too stiff in the cold weather.

 

[Dr. Zaius]

Does your auto stop/start still work?

ASS no longer working was the first sign of my battery going bad.

It was replaced under warranty.

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