Continuous Trailer Charging Question

[hasbro452]

I am a new owner of a used 2024 XLT FWD Hybrid Maverick with a towing package. I believe it has a 2K tow rating, and I do not tow anything. My battery keeps going into sleep mode stopping features to preserve the battery. My battery condition monitor shows 14.5 while driving, and 12.2 when engine is turned off.

I have two modules (that I know not what they do) under the hood that keep flashing lights even with the car is turned off (see attached). I am wondering if these are draining the battery. Since I do not tow anything, should these modules be unplugged to preserve battery strength? If not, should I look into getting an AGM battery to replace the original standard Ford battery, now almost 3-
years old?

Thanks folks. This forum is proving to be very valuable.

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[BK007]

I am a new owner of a used 2024 XLT FWD Hybrid Maverick with a towing package. I believe it has a 2K tow rating, and I do not tow anything. My battery keeps going into sleep mode stopping features to preserve the battery. My battery condition monitor shows 14.5 while driving, and 12.2 when engine is turned off.

I have two modules (that I know not what they do) under the hood that keep flashing lights even with the car is turned off (see attached). I am wondering if these are draining the battery. Since I do not tow anything, should these modules be unplugged to preserve battery strength? If not, should I look into getting an AGM battery to replace the original standard Ford battery, now almost 3-
years old?

Thanks folks. This forum is proving to be very valuable.

They are for flat towing your Mav behind a RV. I would remove them if your not going to tow your Mav ever behind an RV. Pretty sure they are hardwired. So be careful to reconnect any wires with heat shrink butt connectors and electric tape.

 

[Tailender]

Those are not stock items. Do you have the 7 pin plug on the rear bumper? Then you have the 4k tow package and someone installed them for charging their camper.

 

[Tailender]

Or what bk007 said.

 

[hasbro452]

They are for flat towing your Mav behind a RV. I would remove them if your not going to tow your Mav ever behind an RV. Pretty sure they are hardwired. So be careful to reconnect any wires with heat shrink butt connectors and electric tape.

Yes, there are 2 towing devices in the front of the truck, so they should be as you say ... for flat towing behind an RV. I don't have the 4K towing in the rear, just the 2K.

So are these towing modules zapping my battery's energy? I have trickle charged the battery until my charger said the battery was full at 12.7, but a day later I'm back to under 12.3-12.4 on my battery monitor. And a week later I'm down further to 12.2 or lower sometimes.

Lastly, since I am near the end of life of the 3-year battery period, and after removing the flat towing modules, should I upgrade to a fully charged AGM battery?

Thanks all for post and future input.

 

[BK007]

Yes, there are 2 towing devices in the front of the truck, so they should be as you say ... for flat towing behind an RV. I don't have the 4K towing in the rear, just the 2K.

So are these towing modules zapping my battery's energy? I have trickle charged the battery until my charger said the battery was full at 12.7, but a day later I'm back to under 12.3-12.4 on my battery monitor. And a week later I'm down further to 12.2 or lower sometimes.

Lastly, since I am near the end of life of the 3-year battery period, and after removing the flat towing modules, should I upgrade to a fully charged AGM battery?

Thanks all for post and future input.

I'm sure they have something to do with the battery drain. I would remove them and upgrade your battery to AGM for sure. You could ask Ford where you purchased it for a new battery or at least a deal on a new one can't hurt.

 

[matmondro]

Your truck would not have been able to be equipped 4k Tow from the factory as it is. But agreed with what has been said here, those are aftermarket additions and can be removed.

 

[MaverickDragon]

You may want to remove the tow features up front as well and sell them as a package..
Just a thought...
+1 on an AGM.

 

[El Kabong]

I am a new owner of a used 2024 XLT FWD Hybrid Maverick with a towing package. I believe it has a 2K tow rating

Congratulations on your new-to-you Maverick!

As established you have factory 2k (trailer wiring connector as is on the left):

My battery keeps going into sleep mode stopping features to preserve the battery. My battery condition monitor shows 14.5 while driving, and 12.2 when engine is turned off.

...
If not, should I look into getting an AGM battery to replace the original standard Ford battery, now almost 3 years old?

It's possible but not likely the aftermarket flat tow package is causing additional battery drain. It ain't supposed to do that, it's supposed to provide power to keep the battery from going flat while the vehicle is being towed, because the vehicle needs to be in neutral tow mode which means the onboard computers are active and using 12v power and would drain the battery over time! If it is a well designed accessory if would never cause it's own parasitic drain.

The 14.5 when driving is not the reading from the battery, that is from the converter that is powered by the high-voltage hybrid system. In the old days this reading would mean that the alternator was charging the 12v battery, no so with our hybrids. The 12.2 is a bit low for a resting , non-AGM battery, maybe even of an AGM but they seem to do well even if they are a little "low" at rest.

So for this, you stated that you charged the battery - but that is not the full procedure, and there are some other issues to consider. 1st the "other issues" - in the 2025 and up models Ford switched to an AGM battery type as they seem to know that they have a bug in their 12v battery charging and maintenance strategy (there are many sometimes very long threads about this on the board). If your battery is three years old and has not already been replaced with an AGM battery it may have been damaged (through "sulfation") to the point that it will never be healthy again.

Make sure all recalls and advisories are done, there was at least one somewhere that I think addressed parasitic draw but I don't know the details. You can check with the Ford app or on the Ford owner site, if you haven't set up a profile there with your VIN you should do so.

The battery and procedure:
- If you are going to replace your battery yes you should replace it with an AGM type!
- If your replace the battery yourself, charge the new battery overnight (or as long as it takes) with an AGM-safe charger. If the battery is replaced for you insist that it be charged for you.

If you want to give charging your existing battery another try (or have replaced it with an AGM), once the battery is fully charged you must reset the battery monitoring system (BMS) (it's easy to do). Not doing this means that the BMS has memorized a "State of Charge" (SOC) for your existing battery and will not ever charge it past that state. This is probably why even after driving the truck the voltage read low again, and the many long threads talk about the problem where the BMS charging doesn't seem to get triggered correctly unless you "trick" it into working, for example, drive with your headlights on (not on automatic - force them on) or parking lamps on.

Either way the battery really does need a full charge for the BMS reset procedure to work.

1) Fully charge the battery overnight or for as long as is needed.
2) Remove the charger.
3) Follow the instructions for the BMS reset in the owners manual: put the vehicle in accessory mode (don't start the engine but turn it on), then within 10 seconds complete the following two steps:
a. pull back on the turn signal to flash the high beams five times in a row.
b then press and release the brake pedal three times.

~alternative BMS relearn method, maybe the right one for the hybrid~
1. Fully charge the battery overnight or for as long as is needed.
3. Remove the charger.
2. Lock the vehicle and leave it alone for 8 hours.

BMS reset also also posted here:
https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/f...benefits-of-a-b-m-s-reset.81044/#post-1336750

I hope you can get the battery issue sorted and enjoy the truck!

 

[hasbro452]

Congratulations on your new-to-you Maverick!

As established you have factory 2k (trailer wiring connector as is on the left):

It's possible but not likely the aftermarket flat tow package is causing additional battery drain. It ain't supposed to do that, it's supposed to provide power to keep the battery from going flat while the vehicle is being towed, because the vehicle needs to be in neutral tow mode which means the onboard computers are active and using 12v power and would drain the battery over time! If it is a well designed accessory if would never cause it's own parasitic drain.

The 14.5 when driving is not the reading from the battery, that is from the converter that is powered by the high-voltage hybrid system. In the old days this reading would mean that the alternator was charging the 12v battery, no so with our hybrids. The 12.2 is a bit low for a resting , non-AGM battery, maybe even of an AGM but they seem to do well even if they are a little "low" at rest.

So for this, you stated that you charged the battery - but that is not the full procedure, and there are some other issues to consider. 1st the "other issues" - in the 2025 and up models Ford switched to an AGM battery type as they seem to know that they have a bug in their 12v battery charging and maintenance strategy (there are many sometimes very long threads about this on the board). If your battery is three years old and has not already been replaced with an AGM battery it may have been damaged (through "sulfation") to the point that it will never be healthy again.

Make sure all recalls and advisories are done, there was at least one somewhere that I think addressed parasitic draw but I don't know the details. You can check with the Ford app or on the Ford owner site, if you haven't set up a profile there with your VIN you should do so.

The battery and procedure:
- If you are going to replace your battery yes you should replace it with an AGM type!
- If your replace the battery yourself, charge the new battery overnight (or as long as it takes) with an AGM-safe charger. If the battery is replaced for you insist that it be charged for you.

If you want to give charging your existing battery another try (or have replaced it with an AGM), once the battery is fully charged you must reset the battery monitoring system (BMS) (it's easy to do). Not doing this means that the BMS has memorized a "State of Charge" (SOC) for your existing battery and will not ever charge it past that state. This is probably why even after driving the truck the voltage read low again, and the many long threads talk about the problem where the BMS charging doesn't seem to get triggered correctly unless you "trick" it into working, for example, drive with your headlights on (not on automatic - force them on) or parking lamps on.

Either way the battery really does need a full charge for the BMS reset procedure to work.

1) Fully charge the battery overnight or for as long as is needed.
2) Remove the charger.
3) Follow the instructions for the BMS reset in the owners manual: put the vehicle in accessory mode (don't start the engine but turn it on), then within 10 seconds complete the following two steps:
a. pull back on the turn signal to flash the high beams five times in a row.
b then press and release the brake pedal three times.

~alternative BMS relearn method, maybe the right one for the hybrid~
1. Fully charge the battery overnight or for as long as is needed.
3. Remove the charger.
2. Lock the vehicle and leave it alone for 8 hours.

BMS reset also also posted here:
https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/f...benefits-of-a-b-m-s-reset.81044/#post-1336750

I hope you can get the battery issue sorted and enjoy the truck!

I can't say enough about how grateful I am for your post. You have explained many things that have been on my mind and I confused about. So thankful for your kindness and willingness to offer these important updates. You are awesome. Thank you!

 

[hasbro452]

You may want to remove the tow features up front as well and sell them as a package..
Just a thought...
+1 on an AGM.

Your suggestion is already on my radar! Thanks. Ebay, here I come!

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

Your suggestion is already on my radar! Thanks. Ebay, here I come!

It may not help an already aged battery. But it won't hurt. And best to do this with a fresh battery.

The odd computer programming will fully charge the 12v battery only while headlamps or parking lamps are turned on. (Daytime running lamps do not do it.). All other times you get a partial charge in the 60% to 90% range. Then the charging shuts off.

Try running with headlamps manually switched on every drive for a couple of weeks and let us know if things improve. This simple act solved mine, an many other drivers low battery "problem".

This truck will "ding ding ding" at you to remind you to shut them off if you forget while exiting the vehicle.

Good luck! (The added tow features probably are NOT responsible for your symptom.)

 

[ZABSMAV]

Hopefully you didn't overpay for you vehicle based on it having "low miles" on the odometer. The fact that someone had it set up for flat towing behind a motorhome means the rolling of the vehicle more likely than not could have put many thousands of miles on it that would not be reflected on the odometer. Things like wheel bearings, shocks, suspension, etc.

 

[hasbro452]

Hopefully you didn't overpay for you vehicle based on it having "low miles" on the odometer. The fact that someone had it set up for flat towing behind a motorhome means the rolling of the vehicle more likely than not could have put many thousands of miles on it that would not be reflected on the odometer. Things like wheel bearings, shocks, suspension, etc.

It seemed to have appropriate mileage for the vehicle year and miles listed. But your point is well taken! Thanks!

 

[Waterick]

Hopefully you didn't overpay for you vehicle based on it having "low miles" on the odometer. The fact that someone had it set up for flat towing behind a motorhome means the rolling of the vehicle more likely than not could have put many thousands of miles on it that would not be reflected on the odometer. Things like wheel bearings, shocks, suspension, etc.

Where as the vehicle may have been powered when flat towed, towed miles or some or none of them may be included in the displayed mileage. I would not worry one way or the other. My guess is, it has little towing use because plans changed. Kind of soon to trade after spending the bucks to add all that equipment.

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