Maximizing Battery Life

[Big Blue]

So they are intentionally using a charging system that compromises battery life to use a small amount of energy that would wasted, and not really missed. For the sake of some minor increase in fuel mileage that almost no one will even realize or notice. Only the EPA on their ridiculous unrealistic drive cycle.

Yup, makes perfect sense!

Oh yeah, I forgot they won't tell us how it works. Cause we might figure out how to circumvent it. Read, make it work better.

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[got3fords]

More evidence the OAP (alternator clutch) has nothing to do with the alternator charging. If I let off the gas, the charge voltage increases. If I put it in nuetral downhill, the charge voltage remains low. If, while coasting downhill in nuetral, I put it back in gear, it stays at low charge. Something tells the alternator when and how much to charge.

 

[got3fords]

huh?

Your post is an empty quote.

 

[dtech]

Your post is an empty quote.

Probably cause my brain is the same way, when I use my cell phone I'm not as my best being in my 70s

 

[TJC]

So they are intentionally using a charging system that compromises battery life to use a small amount of energy that would wasted, and not really missed. For the sake of some minor increase in fuel mileage that almost no one will even realize or notice. Only the EPA on their ridiculous unrealistic drive cycle.

Yup, makes perfect sense!

Oh yeah, I forgot they won't tell us how it works. Cause we might figure out how to circumvent it. Read, make it work better.

My thoughts exactly.

Wanna make it work better?

Pull the plug! on the BMS Sensor (or turn it off with Forscan)

 

[TJC]

Something tells the alternator when and how much to charge.

Could be any number of things... A sharp change in vacuum for instance., or ignition timing, or any trigger in the software in the PCM from a combination of readings.

 

[TJC]

Since we believe the BMS knows the battery SOC. Why does it need to leave room for the regenerative charge? Couldn't it just not boost the voltage if the battery didn't need it?

Or am I just over thinking this and being logical.

No, you are not over thinking this, and Yes, you are being logical.

Second question answer. They are trying to squeeze every possible fuel savings to the point of compromising the system. They must pass ever tightening CAFE standards... at the expense of replacing batteries more often. EPA doesn't measure and monitor battery life. They are only worried about the ever present boogeyman man of CO2 emissions. Ford marches to the directive given them. I think this is why you can not toggle the ASS button, EPA probably wouldn't allow FORD to count the MPG savings if the customer could permanently disable the ASS with the flick of a switch.

The BMS sensor is simply another more sophisticated way to measure battery condition. It's there primarily to enable the ASS system. Which is there to theoretically increase MPG and meet CAFE standards.

I pulled this excerpt from an article discussing BMS. It backs up my contention.

"How the battery sensor works: it measures the current to and from the battery. The sensor may also monitor the voltage, state of charge and state of health of the battery (aging). In some cars, it even measures the temperature of the battery.​

​

The function of the battery sensor is particularly important in vehicles with Stop-Start feature, as the battery management system must verify that the battery has enough charge to re-start the vehicle. If the battery is low on charge, the Stop-Start feature is disabled. The charging system current is also often higher in vehicles with Stop-Start feature. For this reason, in some vehicles, if the sensor has been disconnected or the battery has been replaced, the Stop-Start feature might not work for some time, until the computer (BCM or PCM) re-learns the parameters of the battery."​

Reading the above excerpt seems to indicate the BMS system is needed pretty much for ASS (BTW, I think this acronym is highly appropriate). We know that if the sensor fails, ASS is turned off and the charging system reverts to the old conventional charging methods used for decades by Ford.

Conclusion
Remove ASS and the BMS becomes largely irrelevant. You end up with a simpler more reliable system that no longer requires the BMS to be reset when a battery is replaced, no need to worry about where you place charging cables, you get longer battery life, and less points of failure over the life of the truck.

​

 

[airline tech]

OK, I found another video I referenced in my testing, He does a good job explaining the system

Smart Alternators and Regenerative Braking - YouTube

And here is a post referencing the material covered in the video

What exactly are ‘smart alternators’?
Well they are not really smart. They do what they have always done and that is convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. What is smart now is a central control unit (ECU, EMS) which controls them.

In order for vehicle manufacturers to produce more efficient engines with more power and fewer emissions they looked at ways of reducing other loads on the engine and one way is to control the alternator. When you put your foot down for acceleration, the Control unit senses this and reduces the field coil voltage and hence the mechanical load the alternator puts on the engine to maximise power available. Like wise when cruising along to reduce emissions the load on the alternator is reduced. However to make up for all this the energy to charge the vehicle battery has to be found from somewhere and its done by using something called regenerative braking. When you take you foot off the accelerator and start to brake, the control units senses this and ramps up the field voltage to get the maximum output from the alternator using the excess energy from the braking action of the engine being driven by the road wheels.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, with this I believe it is both the OAD Pulley, free spinning providing a small burst and then the ramp up provided the the PCM which is the control for the regulator.

 

[dtech]

FYI - an article ~ 20 yrs old discussing how smart charging systems work and differ from those used in prior generations , I would believe that Ford's smart system incorporates a number of the functions discussed and as tjc suggests bms is mostly added on functionality to support ass. So when you disco the bms I'd have to believe the default to the base charging system is still using the smart charging system and is actively receiving inputs and adjusting charge levels.

https://www.eetimes.com/smart-charging-improves-fuel-consumption-reliability-and-performance/

 

[TJC]

Whatever the 5G doing with the BMS Sensor unplugged, it is being done very much like my 2005 Ranger does it. The voltage patterns are identical under the same driving conditions. This much I am certain about.

Same patterns, same starting charge voltage ceiling.

The only difference that I see is the 2020 drops the charge voltage 0.2v slower than the 2005.
I attribute this to the heavier electrical load on the charging system. I believe that driven long enough both the 2020 and the 2005 would reach the same base float voltage - around 13.8v.

This is as low as I have seen both truck's charging systems drop to. 2005 charging system unmodified, 2020 with BMS sensor disconnected. The 2005 Ranger gets to the 13.8v in about 13 miles and stays there the rest of the 40 mile trip. The 2020 drops to 13.9v in about 30 miles, and hovers there the last 7 miles and is generally touching 13.8v but is still at 13.9v the majority of the time.

We'll see what happens as the weather warms up. I anticipate further drops, but nothing below 13.5v.

 

[dtech]

Whatever the 5G doing with the BMS Sensor unplugged, it is being done very much like my 2005 Ranger does it. The voltage patterns are identical under the same driving conditions. This much I am certain about.

Same patterns, same starting charge voltage ceiling.

The only difference that I see is the 2020 drops the charge voltage 0.2v slower than the 2005.
I attribute this to the heavier electrical load on the charging system. I believe that driven long enough both the 2020 and the 2005 would reach the same base float voltage - around 13.8v.

This is as low as I have seen both truck's charging systems drop to. 2005 charging system unmodified, 2020 with BMS sensor disconnected. The 2005 Ranger gets to the 13.8v in about 13 miles and stays there the rest of the 40 mile trip. The 2020 drops to 13.9v in about 30 miles, and hovers there the last 7 miles and is generally touching 13.8v but is still at 13.9v the majority of the time.

We'll see what happens as the weather warms up. I anticipate further drops, but nothing below 13.5v.

I think airline tech was able to look at the BMS code, as the dated article I posted suggests that the smart system is ASIC controlled from international rectifier, think it's highly unlikely that disconnecting the bms is going to negate the functions of the smart charge system when it's controlled by an ASIC integrated in the ECU so my black connector stays disconnected with no concern about negatively impacting the battery, expect just the opposite.

 

[got3fords]

OK, I found another video I referenced in my testing, He does a good job explaining the system

Smart Alternators and Regenerative Braking - YouTube

And here is a post referencing the material covered in the video

What exactly are ‘smart alternators’?
Well they are not really smart. They do what they have always done and that is convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. What is smart now is a central control unit (ECU, EMS) which controls them.

In order for vehicle manufacturers to produce more efficient engines with more power and fewer emissions they looked at ways of reducing other loads on the engine and one way is to control the alternator. When you put your foot down for acceleration, the Control unit senses this and reduces the field coil voltage and hence the mechanical load the alternator puts on the engine to maximise power available. Like wise when cruising along to reduce emissions the load on the alternator is reduced. However to make up for all this the energy to charge the vehicle battery has to be found from somewhere and its done by using something called regenerative braking. When you take you foot off the accelerator and start to brake, the control units senses this and ramps up the field voltage to get the maximum output from the alternator using the excess energy from the braking action of the engine being driven by the road wheels.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, with this I believe it is both the OAD Pulley, free spinning providing a small burst and then the ramp up provided the the PCM which is the control for the regulator.

That's a good explanation. I guess that takes the OAP out of the regen discussion.

 

[TJC]

...think it's highly unlikely that disconnecting the bms is going to negate the functions of the smart charge system when it's controlled by an ASIC integrated in the ECU so my black connector stays disconnected with no concern about negatively impacting the battery, expect just the opposite.

I think we are saying the same thing.

I see absolutely none of the regenerative behavior with the BMS unplugged. No low voltage at cruise or throttle, and no spikes to 15v+ when coasting or braking.

Whether the BMS is still active and imitating the conventional charge system, or it is electrically inactive, is immaterial, as the results with the BMS sensor disconnected are identical to those I see on my "BMS"less Ford. I see substantially higher battery SOC rates "at rest" without the BMS sensor than with it.

More importantly, the float voltages are achieved 100% of the time with the BMS sensor unplugged, and my desulfator is active when the engine is running - 100% of the time.

Ford has stated that the Ranger's battery will lose 20% in one month if not driven. I am assuming that Ford is referencing SOC when they made the statement. If the truck is at 100% or 12.85v at rest, in one months time the battery will be at 12.64v - just a tad under 75% SOC. But if you start at 75% or 12.65v SOC and pull the same .21v, in a months time your battery will be at 12.44v or roughly 59% SOC. This becomes even more troublesome for those who drive under 15 miles to work or let their truck sit for extended periods, as the BMS will never recover to the 75% SOC.


In my simple mind it comes down to this..

1. BMS Sensor connected = Discharge your battery while you drive to 75% (or less depending on driving distance). And the absolute most you can ever hope for is something less than a 75% SOC "at rest". Dark current over night will see to that.
   
   Or
   
   
2. BMS Sensor Connected / Disabled in Forscan = Charging system equivalent to "Alternator regulated" cars where the system charges the battery to 100% and then drops voltages to float charge rates of 13.6v-13.9v.
   
   Or
   
   
3. Or you could do as many do on the forum, purchase a nice high quality desulfating charger and plug your truck in regularly. But if you think about this logically, doing so simply transfers the CO2 savings Ford gained to the power plant supplying you with the energy which you are paying for, to keep the battery healthy.

Where does the Merry-Go-Round end? It's all a shell game, and I doubt that there is any C02 savings at all.

For me it's Option #2 - with an onboard desulfator

 

[pboggini]

I think we are saying the same thing.

I see absolutely none of the regenerative behavior with the BMS unplugged. No low voltage at cruise or throttle, and no spikes to 15v+ when coasting or braking.

Whether the BMS is still active and imitating the conventional charge system, or it is electrically inactive, is immaterial, as the results with the BMS sensor disconnected are identical to those I see on my "BMS"less Ford. I see substantially higher battery SOC rates "at rest" without the BMS sensor than with it.

More importantly, the float voltages are achieved 100% of the time with the BMS sensor unplugged, and my desulfator is active when the engine is running - 100% of the time.

Ford has stated that the Ranger's battery will lose 20% in one month if not driven. I am assuming that Ford is referencing SOC when they made the statement. If the truck is at 100% or 12.85v at rest, in one months time the battery will be at 12.64v - just a tad under 75% SOC. But if you start at 75% or 12.65v SOC and pull the same .21v, in a months time your battery will be at 12.44v or roughly 59% SOC. This becomes even more troublesome for those who drive under 15 miles to work or let their truck sit for extended periods, as the BMS will never recover to the 75% SOC.


In my simple mind it comes down to this..

1. BMS Sensor connected = Discharge your battery while you drive to 75% (or less depending on driving distance). And the absolute most you can ever hope for is something less than a 75% SOC "at rest". Dark current over night will see to that.
   
   Or
   
   
2. BMS Sensor Connected / Disabled in Forscan = Charging system equivalent to "Alternator regulated" cars where the system charges the battery to 100% and then drops voltages to float charge rates of 13.6v-13.9v.
   
   Or
   
   
3. Or you could do as many do on the forum, purchase a nice high quality desulfating charger and plug your truck in regularly. But if you think about this logically, doing so simply transfers the CO2 savings Ford gained to the power plant supplying you with the energy which you are paying for, to keep the battery healthy.

Where does the Merry-Go-Round end? It's all a shell game, and I doubt that there is any C02 savings at all.

For me it's Option #2 - with an onboard desulfator

I'm looking at Option #4 - figure out what percentage to set the SOC to in Forscan such that I don't need an trickle charger and I can keep auto stop/start enabled and use it as I need.

With mine set to 90%, even after a couple of long drives I'm not seeing the low voltage spiking to high voltage on decel. Now, my battery is over 4 years old per Forscan and it was 75% for all but about 2 months of that. It would be nice if this regenerative charging isn't just blind and doesn't just happen rather it is smart enough that if the battery is close to 100% it does not do it. But, I don't know that. All I know is that now my auto stop/start seems to work much better and my voltages are pretty consistent seemingly as consistent as those of you who have your BMS disconnected.

 

[TJC]

Missed Option 4 and any variants!

In a few years we may have answers based on battery longevity.

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