HYBRID 12V Battery Mystery SOLVED

[Mavster Mechanic]

Agree wholeheartedly Andy. I've been using Parking lights vs Headlights in our 25MY Mav. Main reason is cost of headlight replacement vice Parking or Tail lights bulbs with. Many say LED headlights have a long lifespan... hopefully so, but ??

Cheers,
Ken

I kind of feel the same.
However DRL and Headlamps are the same bulb at same power and are not DRL mandatory in Canada? I THINK (was 4 years ago) my lower 48 Maverick came with DRL set to on, but of course I can shut them off in a dash setting.

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[Mavster Mechanic]

I reported recently that including tail lights with DRL does not trigger the tricks, as either yourself or Haybales reported. True. Yesterday on a 212 mile trip with no tricks, 12v battery charged at 14.1 volts to 99%. SOC. The charge rate from 96% to 99% is incredibly slow, with only 1 or 0 Amp charging current after 98% SOC. Once at 99% it stayed for maybe 10-15 minutes, then suddenly began discharge with -14amp showing (Discharging), 12.8v battery voltage, SOC dropping to 98% pretty quick. Immediately turned on parking lights, tricks kicked in, 5 amp charge initially at 14.1V, charge current slowly dropping back to 1 Amp until again 99% SOC. None of this surprising, except the initial charge to 99% w/o tricks, when previously 96% w/o tricks was the SOC limit. Just wondering why? AGM battery original, 14k miles, 15 months old.

I reported 4 tricks to fully charge.

Maybe you found a 5th.

Also it's not beyond reasonable for there to be a trip counter that says "do this every 100th trip" or something and you just happened to notice.

I noticed my battery fully charged pulling a trailer in 2023 but it didn't "click" in my mind until 2026!

 

[Red Eyes - Wide Shut]

It really is sad that we have to go thru all this Chicanery to maintain a battery. Maybe there will be a solution someday.

 

[HeyBales]

I reported 4 tricks to fully charge.

Maybe you found a 5th.

Also it's not beyond reasonable for there to be a trip counter that says "do this every 100th trip" or something and you just happened to notice.

I noticed my battery fully charged pulling a trailer in 2023 but it didn't "click" in my mind until 2026!

I think that would be very interesting for KenE to recall what may have been that 5th thing.
If none of the 4 tricks were used - perhaps easier to recall what was the next unusual thing engaged for the long trip.
Something the Lariat has extra.

Upgraded radio system using that amplifier at higher sound level - because Ken's just gotta dance on long drives?
Like someone sitting in back seat with their overhead light on because cloudy (do Lariats have extra lights?).
I'm still surprised that since you have the AC inverter option (right?) - there isn't something with that.
Someone sitting in backseat using the AC outlet?

@KenE - also - you said 96-99% SOC, not the 92% SOC upper limit.
It's like the whole range shifted up for just normal strategy.

 

[KO Stradivarius]

It really is sad that we have to go thru all this Chicanery to maintain a battery. Maybe there will be a solution someday.

+1 for "Chicanery"
"Subterfuge" also applies

 

[KenE]

I think that would be very interesting for KenE to recall what may have been that 5th thing.
If none of the 4 tricks were used - perhaps easier to recall what was the next unusual thing engaged for the long trip.
Something the Lariat has extra.

Upgraded radio system using that amplifier at higher sound level - because Ken's just gotta dance on long drives?
Like someone sitting in back seat with their overhead light on because cloudy (do Lariats have extra lights?).
I'm still surprised that since you have the AC inverter option (right?) - there isn't something with that.
Someone sitting in backseat using the AC outlet?

@KenE - also - you said 96-99% SOC, not the 92% SOC upper limit.
It's like the whole range shifted up for just normal strategy.

Guys I racked my poor brain to figure out if something I did extra yesterday triggered the event I reported. Sorry, no bueno! This morning beginning SOC was 93%, a greater overnight drop than Mavster Mechanic reports. Much shorter trips today, and within minutes needed "tricks" to force SOC upwards - just like it previously behaved, like everyone else. I'll keep monitoring to see if I can come up with concrete evidence of something new. I don't think the 25MY Lariet is unique regarding this charging algorithmn, but who knows? Meanwhile, Maverick has it's own disposition, obviously smarter than a 5th grader. And Haybales I'm Lol about back seat riders, 120V inverter outlet usage, etc; however, the inverter is a good thought, I'll have to see if wife remembers using that yesterday.. always a mystery to solve with our 4 wheel computers, ah, trucks.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

Who has a pocket computer that can also occasionally make a phone call?

How about a 2 ton computer that can sometimes take you somewhere?

A 5 MB hard drive once needed a truck.
Now a truck needs a 5 GB hard drive.

 

[KenE]

Who has a pocket computer that can also occasionally make a phone call?

How about a 2 ton computer that can sometimes take you somewhere?

A 5 MB hard drive once needed a truck.
Now a truck needs a 5 GB hard drive.

5MB in 1956, a Lot of computing power. I was 10 that year. The Apollo 11 LEM sitting on the moon in 1969 utilized a CDC 469E core memory computer, with 32KB 16 bit word memory. (Yes, not MB). Core memory was used because memory was retained with power off, magnetized ferrite cores. A second memory module could be added to double that. Thing weighed a bunch, about the size of a cooler holding 18 beers, with a carrying handle. Now our Mavs can't start without computers.

 

[Red Eyes - Wide Shut]

Star Trek was and still is way ahead of all this. What about Hal, he could fix the battery thing without human interference and bad attitude because we can't solve a problem.

 

[HeyBales]

5MB in 1956, a Lot of computing power. I was 10 that year. The Apollo 11 LEM sitting on the moon in 1969 utilized a CDC 469E core memory computer, with 32KB 16 bit word memory. (Yes, not MB). Core memory was used because memory was retained with power off, magnetized ferrite cores. A second memory module could be added to double that. Thing weighed a bunch, about the size of a cooler holding 18 beers, with a carrying handle. Now our Mavs can't start without computers.

Isn't that the chipset used in the pre-Sync infotainment system for rearview camera?

 

[KenE]

Isn't that the chipset used in the pre-Sync infotainment system for rearview camera?

Would have been but DOD & Fird didn't shake hands. Lol.

 

[Milton Jeff]

Haven't been here in a while, my 2024 Maverick Hybrid has 50K on it and yesterday was my first issue. Went to unlock it, nothing, unlocked it with the key, put it in the ignition and nothing. Obviously no 12V. Called Ford service and within 30 min they were there. As soon as he connected the booster to the under seat battery it came alive. Started normally. He disconnected the booster, while he waited, I turned it off, waited about 2 min, inserted the key and started normally. To me that doesn't sound like the battery does it? It has been normal every start since, maybe 10-12 times. I have an appt at the dealer tomorrow morning. What can I expect? I checked and it is a flood battery.

 

[BK007]

 

[Master Blaster]

Haven't been here in a while, my 2024 Maverick Hybrid has 50K on it and yesterday was my first issue. Went to unlock it, nothing, unlocked it with the key, put it in the ignition and nothing. Obviously no 12V. Called Ford service and within 30 min they were there. As soon as he connected the booster to the under seat battery it came alive. Started normally. He disconnected the booster, while he waited, I turned it off, waited about 2 min, inserted the key and started normally. To me that doesn't sound like the battery does it? It has been normal every start since, maybe 10-12 times. I have an appt at the dealer tomorrow morning. What can I expect? I checked and it is a flood battery.

So how long has the battery been failing? Did the interior lights come on recently while getting in? Or was it a sudden failure?

 

[Milton Jeff]

So how long has the battery been failing? Did the interior lights come on recently while getting in? Or was it a sudden failure?

Given the fact it started again immediately after being boosted then turning off immediately, then restarted fine, my current theory is not the battery itself. I do recall an instance about a year ago where it would not unlock with the button on the fob but I opened with the key and it started normally. Nothing since then untill now. Maybe a bad connection somewhere? The dcs?

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