Maximizing Battery Life

[TJC]

Excellent report! I think that I am in that health range as well (>3milli Ohm < 4 Milli Ohm).

I am assuming that you checked the voltage at the battery terminals, not in the cab, If measuring in the cab you must add 0.2v to get what you get at the battery in the 5G Rangers.

I think I'll check mine tomorrow. It has been a while.

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[got3fords]

Excellent report! I think that I am in that health range as well (>3milli Ohm < 4 Milli Ohm).

I am assuming that you checked the voltage at the battery terminals, not in the cab, If measuring in the cab you must add 0.2v to get what you get at the battery in the 5G Rangers.

I think I'll check mine tomorrow. It has been a while.

I assume this is in regard to my post. (This is where using Reply is very handy) Yes, it was at the terminals. I never get the same reading twice so I always take 3 or 4 and go by the best result.

 

[TJC]

I assume this is in regard to my post. (This is where using Reply is very handy) Yes, it was at the terminals. I never get the same reading twice so I always take 3 or 4 and go by the best result.

Yes, Please note that I used "reply" (big grin)

Forgive me for the confusion.

I take my readings off the battery using the positive small stainless steel post. It seems to give the most accurate (higher voltage) reading. But from history I now to add 0.2v to the 12vport in the cabin to get the same reading. My quick voltage only checks are done in the cabin.

If I break out the battery testers to obtain the details I use the stainless steel positive "+" post.

 

[got3fords]

Yes, Please note that I used "reply" (big grin)

Forgive me for the confusion.

I take my readings off the battery using the positive small stainless steel post. It seems to give the most accurate (higher voltage) reading. But from history I now to add 0.2v to the 12vport in the cabin to get the same reading. My quick voltage only checks are done in the cabin.

If I break out the battery testers to obtain the details I use the stainless steel positive "+" post.

I think I use the same. it's the closest to the actual battery post the tester's clamp will fit on.

 

[TJC]

I am driving my Ranger once (or twice )a week at most. Trips 15 to 20 miles with a stop in between.

Battery charge levels are staying very consistent between 13.8v and 13.6v, but usually 13.6v - 13.7v. This indicates a healthy battery. I no longer see large discharges overnight. I really think that the cellular modem and the telematics played a big roll in dark current drain. My battery charge rates is in direct correlation with my 2005 Ranger now.

Note that I declined to enroll in FordPass, but I still think the truck was regularly calling home to Ford.

I think I have reached a point of stasis where I am satisfied that the Ford BMS now meets my needs for an above average battery life.

I will post a document with the changes that I have made to my Ranger to achieve this objective. The changes are right for my needs and goals. There are tradeoffs that I made that did not affect me at all, but others would probably want to keep. Ford built those features in for a reason.

For instance, I am happy with only OTA radio, and USB source for my music. I don't need blue tooth, satellite radio, wireless hot spots, cellular modem features, or builtin navigation ( I prefer to use a Garmin. I want my headlights off when I turn them off, and I don't need fancy chimes to tell me I stepped into my truck or have not fastened my seat belt yet.

However I did add AMP automatic steps with puddle lights. We all tailor our Rangers for our specific needs.

 

[got3fords]

My wife's 2019 Edge's battery died while at the dealership waiting for a transmission. I have no idea if it was the original one or not. It was still under the Certified Used warranty.

 

[Nellieg]

My wife's 2019 Edge's battery died while at the dealership waiting for a transmission. I have no idea if it was the original one or not. It was still under the Certified Used warranty.

Have a 2016 edge and have put in two batteries... I am due next year. Three years if you don't watch them...seem to have the same parasitic draw these rangers suffer from. An original battery is unlikely on a '19. It's in a location that is difficult to clamp on a maintainer

 

[got3fords]

Have a 2016 edge and have put in two batteries... I am due next year. Three years if you don't watch them...seem to have the same parasitic draw these rangers suffer from. An original battery is unlikely on a '19. It's in a location that is difficult to clamp on a maintainer

And really hard to do a proper health check too.

 

[Nellieg]

And really hard to do a proper health check too.

I have taken to investing in a bunch of adapters and hanging an sae cable and a NOCO genius cable direct wired but I still anchor the negative cable connector to the body instead of the neg battery terminal but that just doesn't do the job it seems... I am seriously thinking of pulling the air cleaner and adapting the wires to the negative post ...doesnt resolve a clamp on measuring to the post but might help with desulfating...

 

[RedlandRanger]

An original battery is unlikely on a '19.

FYI, I just replaced my original '19 battery. It was still working but the battery tester said it needed to be replaced (41%) and I felt like I did pretty well getting almost 5 1/2 years out of the original.

 

[Nellieg]

FYI, I just replaced my original '19 battery. It was still working but the battery tester said it needed to be replaced (41%) and I felt like I did pretty well getting almost 5 1/2 years out of the original.

I am on 5.5 y 2019 ranger battery doing a lot of maintenance in the last 2years. My edge isn't so maintained and the edge if not similarly maintained might be having same issues. My 3y old edge battery needs maintenance it's starting to degrade and was not nearly so aware of issues until working through it on here. I think my 2017 fusion hybrid is OEM ...

 

[TJC]

I typically add an onboard desulfator to all my cars. But this time around I decided to keep my 2005 Ranger and refurbish it from the ground up. I did this because I had an uneasy feeling about all new cars becoming overly complicated and prone to early failures. I typically get well beyond 10 years on a battery that has the desulfator installed. Once it is installed I rarely even think about the battery. I simply drive the car. Out of sight out of mind.

I typically remove the desulfator before selling the old car and install it on the new one.

So I went 2 years with my 2020 Ranger without the desulfator, and I had battery trouble much too often. The battery was always under charged, and I often got that low battery warning message much too often.

So I purchased another identical one for the 2020 Ranger and installed it. But it didn't behave the same way in the 2020 Ranger as t did in my past autos. It would normally start desulfating whenever the car was running. This weasn't happening in my new Ranger.What good is a desulfator is it is not desulfating?

So I set about determining why, and to make a very long story short, I narrowed the problem down to the latest iteration of the Ford BMS. It was killing the battery for the sake of EPA mileage gains (however trivial). I found a way to force my 2020 Ranger to use the same BMS charging parameters as those used on my 2005 Ranger.

FWIW, I tried every alternative that some very intelligetne people on this Forum suggested and were using. Some were closer than others in meeting my objectives, but none went far enough.

Charging BMS parameters are only half of the solution, lower dark current draw when the truck is the other half of the solution.

I am satisfied with the result. I suspect I will no loger need to monitor my battery or charing system so closely any longer. And I may even get 10+ years of life out of the original battery even those it wa abused fo 2 years. I'll post a few more battery reports to insure things are progressing as expected. But I am close to sinply placing battery issues in the rear view mirror. The system is working that well, right on par with my 2005 Ranger.

 

[got3fords]

So I purchased another identical one for the 2020 Ranger and installed it. But it didn't behave the same way in the 2020 Ranger as t did in my past autos. It would normally start desulfating whenever the car was running. This weasn't happening in my new Ranger.What good is a desulfator is it is not desulfating?

I don't understand why it wouldn't desulfate. It just needs to have 13.5V charge, right? I have been monitoring mine with a plug-in voltmeter, and it is not always above 13.5V, but the large majority of the time it is.

 

[TJC]

I don't understand why it wouldn't desulfate. It just needs to have 13.5V charge, right? I have been monitoring mine with a plug-in voltmeter, and it is not always above 13.5V, but the large majority of the time it is.

My battery wasn't seeing 13.5v most of the time. Maybe it was because I kept trying to charge it to 100% and the BMS kept draining it to 75% Generally it only got above 13.5v with the stock OEM BMS settings when the battery was below the 70%-75% SOC threshold.

When the battery reaches the 75% SOC threshold, active charging slows, stops, and even goes negative, except when coasting or braking. I have seen battery voltages as low at 12.3v (It actually isn't charging at that voltage level, it is draining the battery to get it to 75% or less SOC) when driving the truck.

Add to this suboptimal charging pattern the excessive dark current draw when the truck is parked, and the result is poor battery health.

Have your raised the SOC threshold setting?

My truck charge rate now never drops below 13.6v. I have seen it momentarily bounce off 13.5v but it always goes back to 13.6V or slightly above.

I have not seen 14V or above charge rate in over a month (measured in the cabin). And my truck has only been driven on average once a week for 20 - 30 miles on each occasion.

 

[got3fords]

Have your raised the SOC threshold setting?

My truck now never drops below 13.6v. I have seen it momentarily bounce off 13.5v but it always goes back to 13.6V or slightly above.

No, it's been on the to-do list. But I haven't been too concerned since it is above 1.35V more often than not.

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