1st Battery Saver Mode since AGM Install

[LSchicago]

Had my 25 with AGM since April with zero issues.

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[HeyBales]

Anyone else have a Battery Saver Mode unexpectedly on Christmas day? Must have been a “Merry Christmas” from Ford.

Well - if the truck started the next time you used it - that function did it's job!
Saved the battery.

 

[HeyBales]

I installed an AGM in my hybrid nine months ago. No battery saver yet*, but voltage is slowly dropping. Last week I bought a laptop so I can use Forscan. I’ll be setting the state of charge to 95%.

* I’ve noticed that it always goes to battery saver (no matter the voltage) if the truck sets unused for four days or more.

[edit to ask]:
How long has it been since you installed the AGM?

4 days?

Deep Sleep Mode, ie disabling the modem and telling you in Fordpass, happens at 14 days not used.

You must have something else going on drawing the voltage low enough to enable DSM.

Prior to the days of non-use - do you actually notice the initial battery saver things happening?
Cabin lights turning off sooner & sooner when you open / close door?

If not - ditto to parasitic draw. That doesn't mean small draw, means undesired draw.
Some draw is per design & expected - most people want security system on and remote to work.

 

[HoiToid]

Do you do trickle charge connections under hood for Hybrid Maverick? I'm not sure is why I'm asking first. For those who have EcoBoost, it "might" be a different process.

 

[HeyBales]

That is for sure. I just had an AGM installed and in two weeks battery dead again. Car went on a 200km drive and I parked it for one day. Next day it is dead. Back to the dealership for the third time. Now finally they have agreed to check for a parasitic draw. Software update and AGM did not fix problem. Pulling fuse 11/12 did not solve it either. Any other ideas out there???

Hope it's not too intermittent - so it doesn't take a stinking long time to discover it.

The only posts I've seen on parasitic draw found, ended up being the TCU.

I can't recall right now if the fuse is only for the modem, and the TCU is still powered for the other communications going on - so it could still flip out causing a drain.

I'm sure whatever system wants to send up the data report on parking to Ford, is supposed to time out if there is no modem connection (since that can be very possible), but another malfunctioning module could get stuck attempting to send when it literally cannot.

Much like the ACCM you mentioned getting an update on.
Forscan Lite doesn't make it easy to look at trouble-code time stamps - but 1 time I did determine the ACCM error of communication failure with the PCM/ECM, occurred after turnoff, when the PCM/ECM was likely done receiving info and not communicating.
I'm assuming the issue was only flagged after multiple attempts failed - but what if it kept going?
Is that what the ACCM issue was?

I've also seen the ACM (Audio Control Module) with a similar internal error, much less frequently, but can't figure out if it's just a blip or is it really trying when the truck has been off.

 

[johnDeere]

My one year old factory AGM has sat for two days. Still sitting at 12.3 VDC after a 200 mile plus road trip. No issues.
My BMS won’t charge it above 12.4 VDC.
I’d feel a lot better if it took it to 12.9.

With the battery In circuit my Noco Genius 1 peaks it at 12.5 then goes into maintenance/desulfate mode.

What to you mean, my BMS wont charge above 12.4V?
Charging voltage should be above 14.8 volts, when the truck is on.
That voltage is even too low to be in floating charge.
12.3 volts with a AGM battery is about 70% charged.
With a 200 mile trip, there should have been enough time to charge the battery.
12.5 V is hardly enough voltage to charge the battery correctly.

 

[HeyBales]

When you Hybrid Maverick owners use a trickle charger , are you connecting to the two places under the hood?
I have a Noco 5genius, but just asking to be on safe side. My back seat stays full of various items to keep them handy, and unloading all that just to get to battery would be a PIA. THANKS for advice before I hook it up incorrectly.

Underhood is great.
The BMS doesn't monitor charging with key off, so it'll need a BMS Relearn to notice a full charge.
Truck locked 10 hrs.

 

[HeyBales]

What to you mean, my BMS wont charge above 12.4V?
Charging voltage should be above 14.8 volts, when the truck is on.
That voltage is even too low to be in floating charge.
12.3 volts with a AGM battery is about 70% charged.
With a 200 mile trip, there should have been enough time to charge the battery.
12.5 V is hardly enough voltage to charge the battery correctly.

He doesn't mean the alternator (he has EB) charging voltage.
He means the BMS stops throwing enough Amps at the battery to get it up to higher resting Voltage when measured.

 

[johnDeere]

He doesn't mean the alternator (he has EB) charging voltage.
He means the BMS stops throwing enough Amps at the battery to get it up to higher resting Voltage when measured.

Got it, even with a EB, it should still charge higher than that.
So the BMS must think the SOC is above 80% to change from charging voltage to floating voltage to see a running voltage like that.
If that was a resting voltage for a AGM your still about 70% charged.

 

[Chopperbobc]

I am on my 4th battery....2 were AGM....1st lasted 10 months,then failed....i am conducting a 2 week charging experiment and I will report later under the topic.... Is it better to charge the 12v hybrid battery with all doors locked.... some members report that there is a lot less relay clicking with the doors locked

 

[Rcrew]

Correct me if I’m wrong but:

There isn’t anything “wrong” with battery saver mode. It was intended to do exactly what it is called - save the battery. It is supposed to come on when the battery is low OR when the battery has been sitting. It was intended as a feature. Not a bug.

Can’t agree with this as so many things are disabled in ‘saver’ mode. Some I consider safety. It’s clearly a problem when it occurs so frequently.

Yes a saver mode so hopefully you can always start would be a feature. But current settings, standard flood battery’s installed, software set for AGM, etc is a screwup by Ford.

 

[okgaz]

Can’t agree with this as so many things are disabled in ‘saver’ mode. Some I consider safety. It’s clearly a problem when it occurs so frequently.

Yes a saver mode so hopefully you can always start would be a feature. But current settings, standard flood battery’s installed, software set for AGM, etc is a screwup by Ford.

Fair enough. I’m no expert but that was my understanding of what BSM is for and we may be saying the same thing.

A “bonus / feature” in that it helps when battery is low or has been sitting. A “bug” in that drivers should not see it as much as they do (or ever), as the battery issues you described are a huge issue for the truck.

That said, I did the following:
Turned off all connectivity.
Uninstalled the application.
Installed an AGM.
And trickle charge occasionally.

No BSM (no way to even notify me now) and no dead battery or even signs of it.

 

[A Sturdy Beast]

4 days?

Deep Sleep Mode, ie disabling the modem and telling you in Fordpass, happens at 14 days not used.

You must have something else going on drawing the voltage low enough to enable DSM.

Prior to the days of non-use - do you actually notice the initial battery saver things happening?
Cabin lights turning off sooner & sooner when you open / close door?

If not - ditto to parasitic draw. That doesn't mean small draw, means undesired draw.
Some draw is per design & expected - most people want security system on and remote to work.

The consensus here on MTC and many other Ford forums is that battery saver and deep sleep is not the same thing.

In my case, the dome lights don’t come on after about four days unused. I never installed the app, so I can’t comment about messages or remote start.

After entering and then exiting the truck using the key fob, the dome lights will work again even without starting the truck. The voltage meter that I have plugged into the front power point reads normal ~12.2v with the key in the accessory position.

I don’t notice any differences before the fourth day deep sleep. I don’t pay attention to how long the dome lights stay on after use, but the 12v power points are important to me. I use the back seat one (XL only, I think) for dash cams, and I use one in the bed for a 12v bike tire pump. If they were shutting off early I’d know it.

I occasionally use a trickle charger. Two months ago I switched from a “Battery Tender” brand to a Noco 5. I noticed that the Noco puts a higher charge in the battery. After the charge cycle, around 13v with the key in the accessory position. The truck responds by cutting the running (key on engine running) voltage from around 15v to the high 12’s. I was kind of alarmed, thinking the Noco had broken something. But after the battery charge dropped back to the low 12’s (a few drives) the running voltage popped back to around 15v.

 

[HeyBales]

Well - both are for the purpose of saving the battery charge for actually starting the truck - so it can recharge the battery.

The Fordpass app started using the term Battery Saver when the message continues to describe Deep Sleep Mode, no remote access.
Some notices used to say Battery Saver and drive more. But never said remote ability was disabled.

So the same or different is merely terms. They are based on different limits - so that could be the thinking. Or DSM is an extra step of battery saver when it gets worse.

Battery saver functions kick in at 12.1 V, at least pre-24MY's.
Lights and powerports start turning off sooner and sooner - no 75 min max. (60 min 25MY)
As starting V keeps going down, lights are off sooner.

DSM line is 9.5 V, but most see that notice well above that line (unless they have a real parasitic draw and the battery hits the line on the way down to dead), and a few see it because of 14 days no start.
For most it's because the Ford SOC scale hits below 40%.

I wouldn't be surprised if your powerport adapter reads 0.1 higher than what the truck sees - hence you are actually at 12.1 V, and why the lights are off when you get in.
Actually my 1st adapter replaced under warranty - read 0.2 higher at lower volts.

The powerport turning off early isn't while truck is running - it's during the max 75 min they could be if a fully charged battery, after you turn truck off.

So yours doesn't sound like parasitic draw then - just the normal undercharged and battery going bad scenario.
With dashcam plugged in to powerport - it does mean after 12VB being fully charged, it's going to get it's max drain if the dashcam doesn't turn off completely.
That'll cause the V to drop, time to be cut short, and issue sorta takes care of itself!
Glad your charging system doing about normal then.
Well, compared to something worse, not glad you have what many of us do.

 

[Cherokee]

What to you mean, my BMS wont charge above 12.4V?
Charging voltage should be above 14.8 volts, when the truck is on.
That voltage is even too low to be in floating charge.
12.3 volts with a AGM battery is about 70% charged.
With a 200 mile trip, there should have been enough time to charge the battery.
12.5 V is hardly enough voltage to charge the battery correctly.

AGM’s charge lower than flooded. I think it’s 13.5 VDC peak.

I am sure 14.8 VDC charge voltage would be bad for an AGM.
That’s why modern digital chargers have a separate charge profile specifically for AGM’s.
My BMS has never taken it above 12.4-12.5 not even when new.

BUT Fords charging profile is too low. It only charges my AGM to 80% at best.
This is why they often die before they reach two years. sulfation.

Plenty of articles on the net.

A 14.8 VDC charge makes a flooded battery boil/bubble a bit. AGM’s must not bubble while charging.
I’d never charge an AGM above 4 amps.
Personally, my AGM will never see anything above 2 amps

That’s why I bought the Noco Genius 1

IMHO the Maverick BMS is set to a too low
Peak voltage for an AGM. It should be I think 13.4.

When a modern charger detects a flooded battery it ramps up to your 14.8 volt charge rate and can push harder, more amps.

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