Charging Sys-Question for Phil / Ford Techs / Anybody

[Dr3wDrop]

If I did solar, I would probably do something like connect semi-permanently under the hood with an easy to access connector and just pull the charger out of the back seat and set it on the hood or ground. Assuming they would be weather proof.

These guys have lots of different options. Looks like they would be open to making a ranger specific option since there are so many available now.

https://www.cascadia4x4.com/collections/vss-system-hood-mounted-solar

Sponsored

 

[got3fords]

These guys have lots of different options. Looks like they would be open to making a ranger specific option since there are so many available now.

https://www.cascadia4x4.com/collections/vss-system-hood-mounted-solar

They do have some cool stuff, kinda pricy though. Not sure I would something laying on top of my hood all the time.

 

[dtech]

I disconnected my BMS sensor yesterday to see what happened. It stayed at a constant 14.4 volts, never varied.

Congrats you now have a temporary membership in the " I survived a BMS disconnect" To become a lifetime member it must remain so. A badge that can be affixed to your Ranger will be available soon.

 

[Rene Michaels]

And I have a Lariat with no changes to the BMS and I've not used a maintainer at all and I'm coming up on 4 years with the original battery - and no signs it is getting close to giving up. So I'm guessing there is more than one issue in play here.

Same story here, no issues (2019 Lariat 4x2)! Although I did install an A/S/S/ eliminator early on. But after reading about all these battery problems on here, I am about to purchase one so I am ready if/when the stock battery fails.

 

[Dgc333]

My wife has a 21 Jeep Cherokee that has auto start/stop, it also has all the electronic goodies that my Lariat has plus a heated steering wheel and a panoramic sunroof. The battery is an AGM and there is a sensor (looks just like the one on the Ranger) on the negative terminal of the battery. I am on a Cherokee forum and of course folks have had battery issues but no where to the extent that it has been on the Ranger forum plus the current Cherokee platform has been around since 2014. There has been zero discussion regarding a battery management system.

With all that being said I decided to monitor the battery voltage on the Jeep today (it is easy since battery voltage is one of the engine parameters you can display in the dash). In the 50 miles round trip picking up the grand kids the battery voltage did not vary from 14.5 volts. For the return trip back home I decided to turn on the ASS to see if that would have an impact. Nope still a constant 14.5 volts. When the engine shut down at a stop the voltage would drop to 12.8 to 12.9 volts as I would expect but it would slowly continue to drop and one extremely long stop at the Dunkin Donuts window it dropped all the way to 11.8 volts. As soon as I took my foot off the brake the engine started and the voltage went back to 14.5 volts.

Seems Jeep is not trying to squeeze every .1 mpg out of their vehicles by minimizing the load the alternator has on the engine by keeping the charging voltage at 14.5 volts. Based on what I have been able to read the 14.4 volts the Ranger produces with the BMS sensor unplugged is a healthy charging voltage for an AGM battery that prevents a chronic under charge state that is killing batteries I am going to leave it disconnected until such time I see some evidence that suggests it needs to be connected.

FWIW, cars used to have amp gauges that would clearly show you whether the battery was discharging or being charged. Not sure why they moved away from them. My 68 Barracuda has an amp gauge. When you crank the engine you will see an instantaneous discharge spike that settles out at around 50 amps until the engine starts. As soon as the engine starts the amp gauge will jump to the charge side and within a few seconds to a minute will settle out on the charge side that equals the current draw of all the electrical accessories that are being used.

 

[dtech]

Exactly - in most all but very extreme circumstances the AGM can stay healthy and live a longer life with 14.5 V . Ford has proven that one cannot serve two masters - mpgs and battery longevity .
Only thing I wonder based on Airline tech analysis is whether the charging system defaults to 14.5 or 13.8 volts, no matter though , point is taken and proven.
Sorry Airline Tech we cannot wait, our very battery lives are at stake here - we are moving into that 5th dimension, boldly entering the realm of the disconnected , do not adjust your Forscans , a dimension of unregulated voltage, a journey into the depths of the BMSless zone.

 

[dtech]

.

FWIW, cars used to have amp gauges that would clearly show you whether the battery was discharging or being charged. Not sure why they moved away from them.

Don't the full sized pickups still have gauges ? One reason the industry moved away from them is possibly charging systems became a lot more reliable - that is until stuff like the BMS was gifted to us. Could also be cost or like the case of incremental temp gauges - people that don't understand charging systems behavior would overreact to needle fluctuations - but when a red light is lit is usually gets their attention.

 

[Dgc333]

Don't the full sized pickups still have gauges ? One reason the industry moved away from them is possibly charging systems became a lot more reliable - that is until stuff like the BMS was gifted to us. Could also be cost or like the case of incremental temp gauges - people that don't understand charging systems behavior would overreact to needle fluctuations - but when a red light is lit is usually gets their attention.

Not sure if any manufacturer provides an amp gauge these days. I know in the case of my Barracuda and other Chrysler products of the time the shunt for the amp gauge was part of the gauge so the output of the alternator has to be routed from the alternator through the bulkhead connector to the gauge then back out through the bulkhead connector to the battery. Over time those two sets of contacts in the bulkhead would corrode resulting in dead batteries or worse over heated connections and fire. Would have made sense to have the shunt out near the battery.

 

[airline tech]

Dearest Airline Tech - generators in cars became a thing of the past , distant past as in the 60s, you are showing your aviation background.

.

True, but even today in the Service Manual, it is called a generator, and the charging control circuits are (GenCom) & (GenMon)

 

[airline tech]

Just a quick update: My factory 75% test is almost complete; I just need a couple of day drives when the temp is below 32 deg, just to see if it reacts the same way as driving at night.
I have watched the charging at night and verified that if the temp is 31 deg and below it charges in the 14-volt range and 32 and above in the 13-volt range, now keep in mind that this is (OAT) that I am using, the charging system is using the battery temp it receives from the BMS sensor (the battery has the blanket) so I have to factor that in.

I have verified that driving at night the charging voltage holds steady 13 / 14-volt range depending on temp with no regenerative charge boost on deacceleration, like it does with during the day drives ( i just want to see what it does below 32) during the day

Being that now I know for a fact that temp plays into the system, I may revisit the 80% SOC and redo it, plus while in that setting I did not know to watch the voltmeter when I let off of the gas pedal. Who would have thought to look at that. I did note fluctuations while there, but I did not notice that it was happening only when deaccelerating.

I also added to my vast array of tools, I bought a TopDon - Battey Tester, have not played with it yet though.

 

[airline tech]

Thought I would further explain how the decoupling works on the Alt/Gen drive pulley.
During acceleration the pulley in coupled and when you let off of the gas pedal, the pulley decouples and when it is decoupled the (Alt/Gen) pulley is now spinning faster by inertia (freewheeling) thus providing a larger voltage output. Now from what I can tell your driving speed (Engine RPM) will influence the speed of the (freewheeling) so in town driving stoplight to stoplight you will only see a momentary charging voltage boost vs driving down the hi-way and letting off the gas pedal.

 

[Rocketeer61]

Hi AT,

I have said before....The Ranger Owners manual is a poorly written document.

best,
Phil

Well, they only had a few years to get it right.

 

[Bsthroop]

True, but even today in the Service Manual, it is called a generator, and the charging control circuits are (GenCom) & (GenMon)

Correct, generator is a general term covering AC and DC. Alternator is an AC generator.

Sponsored