Pro-Active Battery Replacement ?

[Ranger_Rocks]

There is an on-screen message that indicates system is shutting down to save battery life - or similar wording.

2-3 years back, I used to see a similar message occasionally, then the garage door buttons wouldn't work. Since using the C-Tek charger/maintainer, that message never appears.

Am I masking a possible failing battery by keeping the C-Tek hooked up ?

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[FerdRanger]

no you are not masking a battery failure, or should I say failed battery

if you trickle charge a defective battery, it may hold charge temporarily
but then it dies again and you end up buying a $48 dollar Home Depot battery to be able to sell your motorcycle………

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

2-3 years back, I used to see a similar message occasionally, then the garage door buttons wouldn't work. Since using the C-Tek charger/maintainer, that message never appears.

Am I masking a possible failing battery by keeping the C-Tek hooked up ?

I suspect your driving habits (short or infrequent trips) might have kept your truck from re-charging itself properly. Not sure where you were then but a hot climate would add to this also. I think you kept it alive rather than masked an issue with the battery.

 

[JohnnyO]

What indications did you have with the failing battery ?

I didn't. Went down to the garage to go to work and all I got was "click click".
Wife leaves for work before me so I had to call AAA and tell work I'd be late.
After AAA jumped it my first stop was Auto Zone across town for a new battery.

 

[got3fords]

I didn't. Went down to the garage to go to work and all I got was "click click".
Wife leaves for work before me so I had to call AAA and tell work I'd be late.
After AAA jumped it my first stop was Auto Zone across town for a new battery.

Perhaps you need a jump pack. Would have saved you a lot of trouble for less than $100. Plus they have built in emergency light and can charge your phone in an emergency. They will also pour you a beer. But that option is extra.

 

[Chris M]

Perhaps you need a jump pack. Would have saved you a lot of trouble for less than $100. Plus they have built in emergency light and can charge your phone in an emergency. They will also pour you a beer. But that option is extra.

Thats the Lariat trim jump pack, isn't it?

 

[V12 Verado]

ASS = Auto Start Stop. When active, the BMS eats batteries. Thankfully ASS is on the way out now.

I bought this kit from Amazon. It a bit more expensive, but I wanted the wall wart power supply. You only get about 15 minutes with the 9v battery.

Thanks very much, Tony. I ordered the kit. I should have known what the ASS was. I had that in my 2019 Jeep Wrangler, too. I got rid of "the brick-shaped Lexus" before I had to do the batteries on that crate. Yes, there were TWO.

 

[fob63]

I see very little about anyone doing the BMS reset in these posts when changing the battery?
I thought that the reset was required.
I am running 6 years on mine. I don't drive much (15k) total. I use a trickle/maintainer charger on mine for weeks.

 

[Chris M]

I see very little about anyone doing the BMS reset in these posts when changing the battery?
I thought that the reset was required.
I am running 6 years on mine. I don't drive much (15k) total. I use a trickle/maintainer charger on mine for weeks.

I did not do one because I just dont understand how to or why it was needed.
Pulled old battery out, put new one in immediately and went about my business.
Lost no radio presets or window function, and on the surface there seems no problems with the truck.

 

[got3fords]

I did not do one because I just dont understand how to or why it was needed.
Pulled old battery out, put new one in immediately and went about my business.
Lost no radio presets or window function, and on the surface there seems no problems with the truck.

Somewhere on this forum is the reason to reset the BMS. It has to do with the computer knowing the battery is new. I think time is one parameter it looks for.

 

[Chris M]

Somewhere on this forum is the reason to reset the BMS. It has to do with the computer knowing the battery is new. I think time is one parameter it looks for.

Here in the AZ heat I've not ever had a battery last more than 2-ish years since we've moved here.
I dont think time is gonna be an issue for me on this, unfortunately.

 

[got3fords]

Here in the AZ heat I've not ever had a battery last more than 2-ish years since we've moved here.
I dont think time is gonna be an issue for me on this, unfortunately.

That's not my point. It's the computer that takes into account how long the battery has been in service in how it adjusts it's base charging, regen charging, ASS, battery saving measures etc. I am pretty sure temperature is also a parameter it looks at.
Why you are not getting more than 2 years is a mystery to me. That is some incredibly short battery life, even in that heat.

 

[Chris M]

That's not my point. It's the computer that takes into account how long the battery has been in service in how it adjusts it's base charging, regen charging, ASS, battery saving measures etc. I am pretty sure temperature is also a parameter it looks at.
Why you are not getting more than 2 years is a mystery to me. That is some incredibly short battery life, even in that heat.

I agree.
But we have had Fords and Chevys and a two Hondas...and the Hondas are the only ones we didnt swap batteries in because we didn't keep them two years. I can't explain why, but it is what it is.

 

[VAMike]

I didn't. Went down to the garage to go to work and all I got was "click click".
Wife leaves for work before me so I had to call AAA and tell work I'd be late.
After AAA jumped it my first stop was Auto Zone across town for a new battery.

That's been my experience with newer cars--there's no gradual decline, it just doesn't work one day. (Which is why I replaced while the battery was still working rather than finding out it just won't work trying to get home from a hike or camping trip or somesuch.)

Perhaps you need a jump pack. Would have saved you a lot of trouble for less than $100. Plus they have built in emergency light and can charge your phone in an emergency. They will also pour you a beer. But that option is extra.

But then you have one more thing that needs to be kept properly charged. I can guarantee that the one time I needed the thing, it wouldn't be.

 

[Frenchy]

That's been my experience with newer cars--there's no gradual decline, it just doesn't work one day. (Which is why I replaced while the battery was still working rather than finding out it just won't work trying to get home from a hike or camping trip or somesuch.)


But then you have one more thing that needs to be kept properly charged. I can guarantee that the one time I needed the thing, it wouldn't be.

It's not necessarily newer vehicles but more dependent on the battery itself. There are some batteries that all of sudden just drop out dead. There are other batteries that are a little bit more gradual and will show you signs beforehand. If you pick up those signs then chances are you need to replace the battery.

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