Recommend a battery tender for AGM?

[Leuf]

Short version: I got a Noco Genius2 2 amp charger. It doesn't fully charge my AGM battery so I'm looking for another option.

Long version: I have the Ecoboost so not the same issues as the hybrids. I typically drive the Mav once a week for half an hour in city driving with occasional random longer trips. As we got into winter the longer trips have gotten less and after more than a month with just that one trip per week I got my first actual battery saver mode rather than just the typical the lights don't come on when I open the door. While it did start fine, it was definitely a slightly extended crank. So I figured it was time to start using a battery maintainer and got the Noco 2 amp. I also got a voltage display for the cigarette lighter so I could see better what was actually going on.

I've never had it go to battery saver mode again, despite not having any extra trips (until today) so at least that part is an improvement. The auto stop/start also started working for the first couple weeks, but then it stopped again (not that I mind). When I shut the truck off after my drive the voltage display would hold at 12.5 volts, until I closed the door and then would drop to 12.2 or 12.1. So I was starting to suspect that the battery is bad.

But then today I finally went on a bit of a highway drive and when I got back the voltage stayed at 12.6 when I closed the door and went up to 12.8 once the parking lights shut off. 12.6-12.8 is fully charged for an AGM, 12.2 is 50%. So the battery seems fine and it's just not getting charged enough. I have also tried not using the maintainer at all to see if maybe there's a draw that it can't keep up with, but I get the same results as just not using it at all.

My conclusion is that the Noco isn't really doing much of anything if even after driving it for half an hour in my normal routine I get back and my battery is at 50%. Yes it's in AGM mode and yes it's not hooked directly to the negative terminal. So I'm looking to try another option for the maintainer, preferably something someone has had success with on an AGM.

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[Packer Bill]

You need Noco Genius 5. I use this for charging the AGM battery in my Maverick. It charges to 13.0 volts with no issues!

 

[A.Bursell]

Not sure about the voltages, but do you have the Noco on the AGM setting? I have on a couple occasions charged mine with a Noco1 while I've been away and not had any issues. I imagine it just takes longer.

 

[Leuf]

I think I see the problem. The BHEF-48H6 battery in the Ecoboost is 70Ah. The Noco Genius 2 says it goes up to 40Ah. The 5 goes up to 120Ah. I don't know why it cares about that, other than to make you buy the bigger unit, but that must be it. The Genius 1 only goes to 30 Ah so that should be even worse.

 

[bgn]

I think I see the problem. The BHEF-48H6 battery in the Ecoboost is 70Ah. The Noco Genius 2 says it goes up to 40Ah. The 5 goes up to 120Ah. I don't know why it cares about that, other than to make you buy the bigger unit, but that must be it. The Genius 1 only goes to 30 Ah so that should be even worse.

Isn't that an enhanced flooded battery and not an AGM?

 

[MakinDoForNow]

Short version: I got a Noco Genius2 2 amp charger. It doesn't fully charge my AGM battery so I'm looking for another option.

Long version: I have the Ecoboost so not the same issues as the hybrids. I typically drive the Mav once a week for half an hour in city driving with occasional random longer trips. As we got into winter the longer trips have gotten less and after more than a month with just that one trip per week I got my first actual battery saver mode rather than just the typical the lights don't come on when I open the door. While it did start fine, it was definitely a slightly extended crank. So I figured it was time to start using a battery maintainer and got the Noco 2 amp. I also got a voltage display for the cigarette lighter so I could see better what was actually going on.

I've never had it go to battery saver mode again, despite not having any extra trips (until today) so at least that part is an improvement. The auto stop/start also started working for the first couple weeks, but then it stopped again (not that I mind). When I shut the truck off after my drive the voltage display would hold at 12.5 volts, until I closed the door and then would drop to 12.2 or 12.1. So I was starting to suspect that the battery is bad.

But then today I finally went on a bit of a highway drive and when I got back the voltage stayed at 12.6 when I closed the door and went up to 12.8 once the parking lights shut off. 12.6-12.8 is fully charged for an AGM, 12.2 is 50%. So the battery seems fine and it's just not getting charged enough. I have also tried not using the maintainer at all to see if maybe there's a draw that it can't keep up with, but I get the same results as just not using it at all.

My conclusion is that the Noco isn't really doing much of anything if even after driving it for half an hour in my normal routine I get back and my battery is at 50%. Yes it's in AGM mode and yes it's not hooked directly to the negative terminal. So I'm looking to try another option for the maintainer, preferably something someone has had success with on an AGM.

When I had my tremor with the AGM it would take my genius 5 3-4 days to charge it starting around 11.9 volts.!
I have a noco genius 5 & a noco genius 10. The recommended battery size for the 5 amp is smaller than the 10 amp because people want to charge within a certain time range. A two amp will charge any size battery if given enough time. In the maverick and other vehicles any usage during the night will have to be furnished by the maintainer and if the draw exceeds 2 amp the maintainer may lose some of what it did prior to the usage. This is why some poster specified that a 4 amp charger was what he recommended. The g5 will charge to 85-90% (I don't remember exactly) 2.5x the 2 amp faster. Then start float voltage at 2 amp then 1 amp then less until battery no longer accepts any charge. The float charge can take as many hours as the absorption charge at higher voltage did. The genius 10 will get the battery to the 85-90% faster before the floating voltage top off. The g10, I believe is rated for a 210 amp battery. Note: if the orange & red lights are off and the green light is dimming the battery is charged and doing its optimization routines. If the green is dimming with the red/orange still on it is not 100% charged yet. Generally the optimization supposed to take about 4 hours but can take several days if battery is heavily sulfated. I have my G10 working on some 400 amp 6 volt AGM most are taking 10-12 days to optimize but one is on day 27 so I may need to find a buddy for the other 15. (Damn 123 lb things are $700;each). G10 is pulling 0.9 amps and doing is pulsing.

 

[Tim d]

Short version: I got a Noco Genius2 2 amp charger. It doesn't fully charge my AGM battery so I'm looking for another option.

Long version: I have the Ecoboost so not the same issues as the hybrids. I typically drive the Mav once a week for half an hour in city driving with occasional random longer trips. As we got into winter the longer trips have gotten less and after more than a month with just that one trip per week I got my first actual battery saver mode rather than just the typical the lights don't come on when I open the door. While it did start fine, it was definitely a slightly extended crank. So I figured it was time to start using a battery maintainer and got the Noco 2 amp. I also got a voltage display for the cigarette lighter so I could see better what was actually going on.

I've never had it go to battery saver mode again, despite not having any extra trips (until today) so at least that part is an improvement. The auto stop/start also started working for the first couple weeks, but then it stopped again (not that I mind). When I shut the truck off after my drive the voltage display would hold at 12.5 volts, until I closed the door and then would drop to 12.2 or 12.1. So I was starting to suspect that the battery is bad.

But then today I finally went on a bit of a highway drive and when I got back the voltage stayed at 12.6 when I closed the door and went up to 12.8 once the parking lights shut off. 12.6-12.8 is fully charged for an AGM, 12.2 is 50%. So the battery seems fine and it's just not getting charged enough. I have also tried not using the maintainer at all to see if maybe there's a draw that it can't keep up with, but I get the same results as just not using it at all.

My conclusion is that the Noco isn't really doing much of anything if even after driving it for half an hour in my normal routine I get back and my battery is at 50%. Yes it's in AGM mode and yes it's not hooked directly to the negative terminal. So I'm looking to try another option for the maintainer, preferably something someone has had success with on an AGM.

You don't need to do this. We live in northern michigan.our ecoboost mav sits outside. We had 6 below zero on Friday, truck sat all weekend unused. Started right up Monday morning.

 

[DWV]

If you have a 70 ah battery at 50% it will take about 35 hours(maybe more) to fully charge at an average of 1ah from the charger. Are you waiting this long? The last 10% of charge will take as long as the 50 to 80% time, more or less.

Are you running a trickle charge or "repair" cycle?

Once fully charged, do have the battery tested.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

The rating on the noco is a guide line for what size battery at 70% can be charged and optimized, excluding severe problems within about 16-20 hours. Just depends on how long you want to have charger on battery. For best results including battery life have one battery in vehicle and a second on the bench with a 2 amp maintainer (g2?) and swap them every 90-120 days. Place a 12 volt supply onto the bus while you have the battery cables disconnected to keep computer memory intact. In the late 50's early 60's I had school bud who would exchange weak batteries for 25-40% of the cost of new. He would refurbish your take out and if he had two batteries with dead cells he would replace the bad cell in one with a good cell from the other. The dead cell would be melted down into ingots and sold to fishermen, reloaders, and plumbers. He had a shed out back with 20-40 batteries on a single 12 v power supply.

 

[B2000]

Wow you drive less than me! I got the notice on my phone twice in the last few months but strangely not in the last two weeks when the temperature dropped and I did not drive much because the roads were bad.

I hooked up my battery tender after the second notice but have not had to use it since.

 

[jsus]

Isn't that an enhanced flooded battery and not an AGM?

Yep. Motorcraft's 48H6 part number is BAGM-48H6-760.

 

[Ranch]

Yep. Motorcraft's 48H6 part number is BAGM-48H6-760.

Yes. That's what's in my 2023 FX4

 

[Leuf]

Isn't that an enhanced flooded battery and not an AGM?

My bad on that, I just got the part number off google searching. I do have an AGM.

 

[commadorebob]

I have this:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Schumach...12V-Fully-Automatic-Battery-Charger/586474517

Works fine and auto detects AGM.

Edit: Found the exact one I have.

 

[Leuf]

If you have a 70 ah battery at 50% it will take about 35 hours(maybe more) to fully charge at an average of 1ah from the charger. Are you waiting this long? The last 10% of charge will take as long as the 50 to 80% time, more or less.

Are you running a trickle charge or "repair" cycle?

Once fully charged, do have the battery tested.

It's been a month. It always gets to the solid green or pulsing green with no other lights. I do notice that when it is in this supposedly fully charged state if I open the door and wake up the truck it will drop all the way down to the red flashing light and then fairly quickly get back to the pulsing green in maybe 45 minutes. I haven't been sure if this is just it being confused by the draw it can't keep up with or a sign that the battery is bad.

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