Dead Hybrid Log Book

[jsus]

I just reread your reply again and saw that you mentioned you were going to be replacing your 12V battery soon. Did you get any sort of deep sleep messages that we see here on the Mav thread for your escape? I'm curious what symptoms you experienced that led to the factory 12V battery dieing?

Deep sleep sometimes soon after parking the vehicle after a 30-40+ minute drive

Sync 3 frequently gives the System Off to Save Battery message as soon as I open the door (meaning the 12V is too low)

Sometimes when it gets low, it turns off the interior lights too quick (open the lift gate at night, reach in to unload, andddddd it's dark)

Then the one incident so far where it needed to be jumped with no obvious warnings beforehand (don't believe it actually gave a Deep Sleep alert via FordPass for that one, but I could be misremembering...). Mind you, a 6 month old 2012 Focus did the same thing and the battery went on to last 7+ years, but it didn't frequently have any other issues indicative of an undersized or faulty battery.

There's just not much margin in the small 12V battery between listening to the last song or two after parking, the FordPass modem/TCU running in the background, leaving it parked for even just a day or two at a time, etc. Oh and every time you go to open it up just to retrieve/store something? You wake up various systems that drain the 12V battery. Think a day at the park where you stop by a couple times to grab a drink, etc.

This vehicle isn't treated much differently than previous vehicles with Sync 3, which never exhibited the same issues.

Further points against the 99RT4 battery? Relative recently bought a CPO 2020 Escape Hybrid, they replaced the battery as part of the CPO process with the factory size. Both that one and another he looked at, the passenger side Intelligent Access feature (fob in pocket, grab door handle to unlock) did not work. Only the driver side. Classic sign of a low 12V battery, that indeed went away at least temporarily after driving it home across town.

Switching to a 48H6 AGM battery gets you both a much larger (higher capacity) battery that helps keep it from getting too low, and AGM offers features such as faster charging. That's why those who have switched largely report these issues have gone away.

Unfortunately, it's not as easy to fit that battery into a Maverick, and doesn't address some of the issues with older builds such as the defective wire harnesses..

Sponsored

 

[ListedGuru]

Deep sleep sometimes soon after parking the vehicle after a 30-40+ minute drive

Sync 3 frequently gives the System Off to Save Battery message as soon as I open the door (meaning the 12V is too low)

Sometimes when it gets low, it turns off the interior lights too quick (open the lift gate at night, reach in to unload, andddddd it's dark)

Then the one incident so far where it needed to be jumped with no obvious warnings beforehand (don't believe it actually gave a Deep Sleep alert via FordPass for that one, but I could be misremembering...). Mind you, a 6 month old 2012 Focus did the same thing and the battery went on to last 7+ years, but it didn't frequently have any other issues indicative of an undersized or faulty battery.

There's just not much margin in the small 12V battery between listening to the last song or two after parking, the FordPass modem/TCU running in the background, leaving it parked for even just a day or two at a time, etc. Oh and every time you go to open it up just to retrieve/store something? You wake up various systems that drain the 12V battery. Think a day at the park where you stop by a couple times to grab a drink, etc.

This vehicle isn't treated much differently than previous vehicles with Sync 3, which never exhibited the same issues.

Further points against the 99RT4 battery? Relative recently bought a CPO 2020 Escape Hybrid, they replaced the battery as part of the CPO process with the factory size. Both that one and another he looked at, the passenger side Intelligent Access feature (fob in pocket, grab door handle to unlock) did not work. Only the driver side. Classic sign of a low 12V battery, that indeed went away at least temporarily after driving it home across town.

Switching to a 48H6 AGM battery gets you both a much larger (higher capacity) battery that helps keep it from getting too low, and AGM offers features such as faster charging. That's why those who have switched largely report these issues have gone away.

Unfortunately, it's not as easy to fit that battery into a Maverick, and doesn't address some of the issues with older builds such as the defective wire harnesses..

Thanks again for the detailed reply. My wife is going to be buying a 23 Hybrid Escape and it has Sync 4 this year and her escape comes with a 13.2" screen. I wonder if Ford might have changed the 12V battery size for the 23MY? I would assume Sync 4 and a bigger screen would draw more power.

Hopefully they fixed this battery drain issue for the 23 Escape hybrid but that remains to be seem I guess.

 

[jsus]

Thanks again for the detailed reply. My wife is going to be buying a 23 Hybrid Escape and it has Sync 4 this year and her escape comes with a 13.2" screen. I wonder if Ford might have changed the 12V battery size for the 23MY? I would assume Sync 4 and a bigger screen would draw more power.

Hopefully they fixed this battery drain issue for the 23 Escape hybrid but that remains to be seem I guess.

No change on the 12V battery according to the 2023 Escape owner's manual.

MOTORCRAFT PARTS - 2.5L DURATEC, FULL HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE (FHEV)/PLUG-IN HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE (PHEV)

Component	Motorcraft Part Number
Air filter element.​	FA-1948
12V Battery.​	BXT-99RT4-A
Cabin air filter.​	FP-100-A
Engine oil filter.1​	FL-910-S
Spark plug.​	SP-530-X
Windshield wiper blade.​	WW-2502-A (driver side) WW-2051-A (passenger side) WW-1112-A (rear window)

1If a Motorcraft oil filter is not available, use an oil filter that aligns to SAE/USCAR – 36 Performance Specifications. Filter Type B.
We recommend Motorcraft parts that are available at your authorized dealer or at www.fordparts.com. We engineer these parts for your vehicle to meet or exceed our specifications. Use of other parts could impact vehicle performance, emissions and durability. Your warranty could be void for any damage related to use of other parts.

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/...ingEnabled=False&userMarket=USA&buildtype=web

 

[ListedGuru]

No change on the 12V battery according to the 2023 Escape owner's manual.



https://www.fordservicecontent.com/...ingEnabled=False&userMarket=USA&buildtype=web

Well I guess that answers that, lol. We will have to keep an eye on my wife's new Escape hybrid and watch for signs of 12V battery drainage. I guess worse case we'll have to pony up for the beefier battery should it come to that. Seems crazy that Ford won't remedy this situation at the factory or at least under warranty.

 

[ListedGuru]

No change on the 12V battery according to the 2023 Escape owner's manual.



https://www.fordservicecontent.com/...ingEnabled=False&userMarket=USA&buildtype=web

Any chance you've heard of any issues with the heat exchanger on the newer Escape Hybrids (ie MY22, MY23)? I see many reports here on MTC where people are having to get their heat exchangers replaced. Not even sure if the heat exchanger is the same on the Escape Hybrid so figured I would ask.

 

[jsus]

Any chance you've heard of any issues with the heat exchanger on the newer Escape Hybrids (ie MY22, MY23)? I see many reports here on MTC where people are having to get their heat exchangers replaced. Not even sure if the heat exchanger is the same on the Escape Hybrid so figured I would ask.

Nothing so far. Maverick uses a different heat exchanger than Escape and it seems that the original design or production on that version has led to at least a handful of issues.

 

[BlueSpec1]

Thanks again for the detailed reply. My wife is going to be buying a 23 Hybrid Escape and it has Sync 4 this year and her escape comes with a 13.2" screen. I wonder if Ford might have changed the 12V battery size for the 23MY? I would assume Sync 4 and a bigger screen would draw more power.
Hopefully they fixed this battery drain issue for the 23 Escape hybrid but that remains to be seem I guess.

I've got a 2022 Escape PHEV picked up on Oct 2022.
I like this vehicle, haven't had an issue with brakes, deep sleep or unusual engine noise.
Just that the 2.5L is an atkinson type engine and I expect a bit more sound from it.

I did follow the Deep Sleep post on some Escapes having the issue (Many different Ford vehicles have had this issue) and did install the Motocraft BAGMH6760 AGM battery in place of the original Ford LX6T-10655-BA battery as a precaution as I thought my wife would be using the Escape and didn't want her to have any problems.
But once I bought a 23 Bolt EUV, she latched onto it as her primary car.

Last drove the Escape on 4-20 and 12V battery is at 12.55v today.
I keep track of the battery with one of the bluetooth battery monitors.
I don't know if it helps, but I charge the 12V battery twice a month to make sure it gets a full charge.


I did notice my Bolt EUV's 12V AGM battery LN1AGM is nearly the same size as the Maverick Hybrid 12V battery. GM seems to have a nice charge method as I haven't seen the 12V below 12.71V when I check it in between drives.

Bolt's Manual has:
"When the vehicle cord is not plugged in
The Hybrid/EV Powertrain control module (HPCM2) will check the 12V battery every 4 days (2.5 to 3 days) and if the voltage is below a threshold of 12.0 may activate battery maintenance. If the high voltage battery state of charge is greater than 40% and the propulsion system is not active, Hybrid/EV Powertrain control module (HPCM2) will send the voltage set point to the engine control module (ECM). The engine control module (ECM) will send this to the 14V Power Module. Battery maintenance mode will charge the battery for 45-90 minutes."

 

[Darnon]

Bolt's Manual has:
"When the vehicle cord is not plugged in
The Hybrid/EV Powertrain control module (HPCM2) will check the 12V battery every 4 days (2.5 to 3 days) and if the voltage is below a threshold of 12.0 may activate battery maintenance. If the high voltage battery state of charge is greater than 40% and the propulsion system is not active, Hybrid/EV Powertrain control module (HPCM2) will send the voltage set point to the engine control module (ECM). The engine control module (ECM) will send this to the 14V Power Module. Battery maintenance mode will charge the battery for 45-90 minutes."

EVs usually have to be more vigilant about their 12V battery power because if the 12V is dead then there's no power for the control electronics to negotiate charging. Early EV models (and some still do) had something of a habit of bricking themselves in this fashion even when plugged in. And EVs usually have even less of a consideration for easy access to the 12V jump points. Teslas, Mach-Es, etc you often need to pull some arcane exterior panels to mechanically gain access.

 

[BlueSpec1]

EVs usually have to be more vigilant about their 12V battery power because if the 12V is dead then there's no power for the control electronics to negotiate charging. Early EV models (and some still do) had something of a habit of bricking themselves in this fashion even when plugged in. And EVs usually have even less of a consideration for easy access to the 12V jump points. Teslas, Mach-Es, etc you often need to pull some arcane exterior panels to mechanically gain access.

I expect you're right about an EV's battery mgmt.
Bolt's jump point is easy to get to, under the fuse box cover next to the battery.
Battery at 12.86v several minutes after unlocking the door.
Put a Noco GBX45 jump pack in the back just in case I'd have to jump the battery.

 

[mhw21zap]

Keep in mind that 2023 Escape is basically just a facelift, and the hybrid powertrain remains largely the same from 2020-2022.

Brakes: haven't seen too much in terms of complaints. Haven't experienced anything concerning in 7000 miles on an Escape Hybrid, other than the little oddities that come with a hybrid. Believe the software/calibration is different between Maverick and Escape, which is also why the TSBs for Maverick have not included Escape, and there don't appear to be any for Escape. Seems Escape might be a bit better refined...

12V harness: haven't heard anything about that on Escapes. Maverick uses a different part for obvious reasons (the battery is in a different location at a different distance from the engine bay which is laid out slightly differently, for instance).

Now, the 12V battery, that's the same undersized battery that often leads to symptoms such as frequent deep sleep. From all available accounts, these are largely addressed by putting in a larger ~$200 48H6 AGM battery, which is more or less a drop-in replacement. Ford stubbornly refuses to put this battery in from the factory or as a warranty replacement. Mine will be getting one soon after the factory battery died to the point of needing a jump.

I am currently at day 7 of my truck at the dealership trying to locate the drain / solve the issue. I had them replace my 12V battery about 10 days ago, and the deep sleep / low voltage (11.1) came back within 12 hours...

I have scoured these forums trying to determine if it's possible to drop in a larger, more powerful battery into the Hybrid Maverick. I am aware that Ford is against this, but as someone who is rather hopeless after reading so many comments from folks like myself who, honestly, don't have much faith that this problem will go away...it seems like an option.

Do you or anyone else know if that battery being swapped into a Hybrid would work without leaving any issues? I'd happily just go buy the juiciest battery that would fit out of pocket if it meant I could just go back to enjoying my truck.

 

[mhw21zap]

I have a 3-month-old Hybrid. Received the Deep Sleep message while the truck was parked at the airport and I was on the West Coast. Got off the plane, and the vehicle was completely dead. Jumped it, and drove home. Switched out the battery for an aftermarket as I was going on vacation and could not afford to have any problems. Since that time (3 weeks ago), no issues.

Similar question to another poster in this thread - what battery did you replace it with? I have major issues with my 23 Hybrid (1,900 miles) and I just want to drop something bigger in. My question is sizing / lead acid battery to possible AGM. Would you mind sharing any insight on your workaround fix?

 

[Johnkn]

Similar question to another poster in this thread - what battery did you replace it with? I have major issues with my 23 Hybrid (1,900 miles) and I just want to drop something bigger in. My question is sizing / lead acid battery to possible AGM. Would you mind sharing any insight on your workaround fix?

Here's my experience.... I'm now 7 weeks problem free after ~7 months of Deep Sleep issues every 3-4 days



https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/hybrid-12v-battery-replacement.28921/

.

 

[23grayXLT84]

Hey, it happened to me too! Going to try to document this as much as I can, I've scoured this forum looking for similar reports, trying to find some root cause. Hopefully by posting this, it'll help someone else later.

Ford needs to find a way to resolve this, new reports of dead hybrids are being reported on this board weekly. The whole point of buying me buying a new vehicle was to get something that wouldn't fall to pieces on me. Something I could rely on. That didn't last long.


Details of the Case:

• Ford Maverick XLT Hybrid w/Lux and Copilot. Ordered 10/22/21, entered production 9/20/22, built 9/21/22, delivered to dealer and picked up 10/18/22.
• Production date of 9/20/22 is past clean point of 5/13/22 for TSB 22-2340 for the bad battery harness terminal.
• Fordpass installed and active, used daily for remote start though the winter.
• Driven 4.4 miles to work and back (8.8 total) maximum speed of ~55 mph, no highways. Mon-Thur.
• No “Deep Sleep” messages for first ~5 months of ownership. I knew about the issue and watched for it. Silent.
• First deep sleep message in Fordpass received April 13th, at approximately 7:30 PM, truck had been driven home from work at 5:30.
• Truck driven up to Saginaw on April 14th, driven 107 miles over the course of the day, including some highway driving.
• Another “Deep Sleep” message April 15th, day after the long trip. No driving occurred on this day.
• Another “Deep Sleep” message on April 16th, at 2:11 PM. This was 5 minutes after having driven it 3.0 miles to a friend’s house, maps showing an arrival time of 2:06 PM.
• Decided to try something, put vehicle in sport move and drove 40 miles on the highway to attempt to recharge the battery.
• Deep sleep messages subsided on Monday and Tuesday, returned on Wednesday at ~3:00 PM, truck was had been driven back and forth to work during this time.
• Deep sleep message on Thursday at 9:05 AM, April 20th. Sooner than the day prior. Truck was completely dead in the parking lot when I went to leave at 6:30 PM. No lights, no power locks. I kept a NOCO pack under the rear seat, used it to get home.
• Dead again at 6:20 AM the next morning. No lights, no power locks. Used the NOCO pack to jump it again.
• Scheduled appointment with nearby dealer to take a look at it the night prior. Left work at 11:30 AM for the appointment. No dome light, but truck started without assistance. Interesting. Time parked seems to be a factor.
• Picked up from dealer at 3:45 PM, paperwork indicates multiple runs on their battery tester, came back fine. Draw test reported .016 amps. BMS reset.
• Went to go get paperwork from glove box at 2:18 PM. Literally while writing this… Dead again. No lights, no power locks. Looks like a Deep Sleep message was sent at 12:03 PM, didn't make it 24 hours. Damn it.

Updates:

• Walked to Lowe's, bought a multi-meter. The battery, after being tested and charged yesterday reads 4.3 volts across posts. Reads the same across jumping terminals under the hood.
• Disconnected battery, reads 5.5 volts across posts now. Thought that was strange, reconnected it and tried again, 4.5 volts. Interesting. Leaving it disconnected for now, will reconnect and jump Monday morning to get to work.
• From what I can find online, no way a car battery should ever dip that low, and once a battery does there's no saving it. Battery is likely toast. Question now is why was it so low to begin with? Or how did it go from fully charged to discharged in 24 hours?
• Checked battery this morning, 11 volts? Evidently had enough in it to spark when reconnected and make the door chime, before promptly dying again. Surface charge.
• Jumped car this morning, measured voltage across the posts of the battery to be 15 volts while running. Ran on the highway for 45 minutes. Came back, disconnected the battery again, 12.8v, so evidently it is charging. Believe one of the tells of the cable issue is it wouldn't charge period. May not be the cable.
• Charge held through the afternoon with the battery disconnected. Read 12.6v 9 hours later. Battery may not be toast. Reconnected, see if it's dead tomorrow morning again.
• Disabled everything Ford connectivity related in settings and turned off heated seats/wheel/climate control. Try to rule those out as sources of the drain. This started right as things started to warm up, was using A/C more, not the heater.
• Drain would show up on the draw test the dealer performed would it not? Unless it's intermittent. Not sure what would draw enough power to suck down a fully charged car battery in under 24 hours, but not show up on a drain test.
• Tracking voltage since the drive yesterday. Started at 12.8 volts, down to 12.6v by time I hooked it back in 9 hours later. Down to 12.1v by morning, up to 12.3v after commute. 11.6v @ 9 AM. 11.2v @ 12 PM. ~7 volts by 1:30 PM, jumping up and down. Strange. Firing something repeatedly? No clicking.
• Truck is completely dead at this voltage, no lights, no power locks. Whatever it is, it’s getting worse. Last week I made it at a few days after a long highway trip. This week, didn’t make it 24 hours since my battery was reconnected. Jump pack FTW.
• Turned off Fordpass Connectivity after last highway trip. Good idea pulling Fuse 11 to cut power to the TCM, but I’ll save that for someone who knows what they’re doing.
• Unplugged all peripherals including dashcam at the start of this. No change in status. Still died today.
• Hung around car after closing the door after each voltage check to make sure the dome lights turned off. Dome light turns off, as do headlights, bed light and rear cab light. Doesn't appear lighting related.
• Also, really cold today. Kept climate control off, truck did not care.
• Drain did not appear to manifest until after being driven. Maybe why it didn't show up on the parasitic draw test? The act of disconnecting the battery made whatever was doing it stop. Saw a 0.5v drop in voltage in a 9 hour period, with battery connected, compared to a ~5v drop after driving to work and leaving it attached in the same length of time.
• Schrodinger's battery drain. The act of observing the drain changes the outcome. Disconnecting the battery to perform the parasitic draw test shuts off whatever is draining it, until the vehicle is run again. Not sure if an in-line ammeter exists, could be useful here.
• Will add that there is no 4G hotspot in this car, mine was built after they stopped including them.
• Going to the dealer tomorrow, hope to get more answers. Will need to jump to get to work tomorrow. Yay.
• Almost didn't make it to the dealer appointment, battery drained to the point where my little jump pack wouldn't do anything. Got rescued by a coworker. Dropped off yesterday, have an Edge loaner vehicle.
• Dealer reporting that there is no drain, replacing battery under warranty. Battery passed testing, but said it took a really long time to recharge. Probably because it was very, very dead. Really hoping it's just the battery. Not getting my hopes up.
• In a "a chicken or the egg" scenario right now. Did the battery get damaged by being overdrawn and left in a discharged state? Or was it faulty from the start and just not holding a charge? Would have expected to see voltage drop more when disconnected were that the case. Guessing I'll know pretty quick.
• Truck is back, paperwork indicates battery failed the dealer's tester, after passing twice before. Interesting. Had an additional 25 miles on the OD, so it evidently has been driven around. Sat at the dealer most of the day, started when the tech got it.
• Sits in garage. Will poke with a stick. It has sat for 6 hours at this point. At its height I'd be dead by now. Or at the very minimum sub-10 volts. Kicking myself for not checking starting voltage.
• 12.1v, lights light, locks lock. Will run it around some and check it tomorrow. Really want this to be all it was. Trying not to get my hopes up.
• Remote started just fine for the drive yesterday, put some highway miles on it, some juice in the battery. Dome light came on too, so evidently it wasn't low low.
• Fired up fine this morning. Not dead yet. 12.8v after work today, doesn't appear to be actively draining it. Far cry from the ~7v I was sitting at after work last week.
• Tried re-adding the truck via Fordpass, wouldn't take. Reset all Fordpass related settings in the infotainment system. Stopped myself, going to leave it off for now, I used the fob most of the time anyway. Wifi disabled, automatic updates disabled, everything Fordpass disabled. If I die again, I can rule all that out. But looking promising.
• 12.1v after having sat for 6 hours. Dome light came on. Seems to match notes from a few days back. At a minimum it's not getting worse.
• Had to say it. Dome light stopped coming on this morning, battery at 11.6v after work today. Slowly but surely going to shit again.
• Question now, is whether to book another appointment with the dealer before or after it completely dies again. Kind of wasteful to just let it toast another battery, but it will help me prove my point.
• Seeing Senior Master Ford Guy's post about a fuse causing low batteries. Fuse cracks and the battery doesn't get all the power it should. Sounds promising. Would cause a low battery and not be detectable via drain test.
• Also, appeared out of nowhere after a long road trip, put 600 miles on the truck prior to this mess. Maybe it cracked the fuse on the trip? 75% was country roads. Will have them check for this. Worth a shot.
• Battery voltage appears to rise after each trip, so power is going into the battery, just not staying. Unless it's getting just enough to cause a voltage bump, but not enough to really charge it. Plausible?
• First trip to the dealer the truck came home with what I believe to be a fully charged/tested battery. It sat in the garage for 24 hours, never moved it. Dead next day. Battery damaged at this point by heavy discharge? Made it just not hold a charge anymore? Or something drew it down? Why didn't it draw down the replacement though? Well, as quickly...
• Been a few weeks, nothing. Dome light still dome lights. Not dead yet. Not 100% trusting it yet.
• Have had weekly long highway trips with it though. First was 10+ Hours to Kansas, then 1.5 hours to Saginaw. Hard to know it It's dying when I keep recharging it.
• Debating turning Fordpass back on to see if it kills it, all connectivity everything is turned off.
• If it is a cracked fuse, maybe it's back making contact after the temps warmed up? Dunno.
• Had the dealer check the fuse, fuse is fine. FORScan is reporting no DTCs, so that would check out. Should have something stored if it's breaking contact

Important Update - They're programmed wrong from the factory. At least mine is. AGM battery type selected with an FLA battery installed.

• Got a FORScan extended license and adapter. Something is making it eat 12V batteries. And if I buy a new one, given a few weeks, months it will eventually kill that too.
• Loaded information from the truck, BdyCM has an AGM battery chemistry selected. The BXT99RT4A installed in it is FLA.
• Battery type is also showing "Incorrect value or not configured" in FORScan. This might be a FORScan issue. Ford seems to stick with the same battery codes across their lineup, I dug through F150, Escape and Explorer forums looking for a complete list. 07 was selected, which pertains to a 43AH T4 battery according to a list from the Explorer forums.
• Interestingly 07 pertains to an FLA battery according to the list, but charge type is set to AGM.
• Have to wonder which takes priority. Is it charging the FLA like an AGM and is that why they're getting killed? AGM has a higher charge rate and lower internal reistance vs FLA. Is the battery code just for the AH and CCA?
• Battery max charge level is also set to 80%. So our tiny 43AH battery is more like a 34AH battery.
• Going to try buffing targeted charge level to 90% and switching to an FLA chemistry. Keep the battery juiced up longer, give it the right chemistry. See what it does.

Will continue to update this post.

Did you ever fix this issue ?
Most curious about the forscan settings.

 

[acapaldi]

Did you ever fix this issue ?
Most curious about the forscan settings.

Unfortunately not.

I'm currently on battery #2 after having my original battery be replaced by my dealer. The first one kicked out deep sleep messages daily for a few weeks before dying entirely. This was back in April. I kept taking the truck on long drives hoping to save it, no dice.

The current battery was fine for a few months, before starting to kick out deep sleep messages daily again. Right around the same length of time when the original started to act flaky. I've been able to nurse it along by hooking it to a wall charger on the weekends, I've made it around a month by doing this, but It's effectively on life support.

My end game, was to install a DieHard Part # H4-XEV AGM battery. I've measured the compartment and it will fit the truck. 15% more capacity than stock and the chemistry should help it survive longer.

I figured I'd need to edit the BCM settings to make use of the new chemistry, so I got FORScan and an adapter to start poking around. I wanted to see if I could tell the truck the installed battery had a larger capacity and was AGM. Ford seems to have beaten me to it... apparently it already is configured for an AGM battery, despite it not coming with one.

In FORScan I've increased the target charge level to 90% and selected the FLA battery type, which is correct for the stock battery. The prevailing theory right now is the truck keeps its tiny battery in a low state of charge, causing it to sulfate and quickly lose capacity.

By raising the target charge level I hope to help the battery resist sulfation and extend the battery's lifespan. Only way to gauge that would be to get a new Motorcraft battery from a dealer and see if I can beat my record of 6 months without deep sleep. That's where I'm heading next.

 

[23grayXLT84]

Unfortunately not.

I'm currently on battery #2 after having my original battery be replaced by my dealer. The first one kicked out deep sleep messages daily for a few weeks before dying entirely. This was back in April. I kept taking the truck on long drives hoping to save it, no dice.

The current battery was fine for a few months, before starting to kick out deep sleep messages daily again. Right around the same length of time when the original started to act flaky. I've been able to nurse it along by hooking it to a wall charger on the weekends, I've made it around a month by doing this, but It's effectively on life support.

My end game, was to install a DieHard Part # H4-XEV AGM battery. I've measured the compartment and it will fit the truck. 15% more capacity than stock and the chemistry should help it survive longer.

I figured I'd need to edit the BCM settings to make use of the new chemistry, so I got FORScan and an adapter to start poking around. I wanted to see if I could tell the truck the installed battery had a larger capacity and was AGM. Ford seems to have beaten me to it... apparently it already is configured for an AGM battery, despite it not coming with one.

In FORScan I've increased the target charge level to 90% and selected the FLA battery type, which is correct for the stock battery. The prevailing theory right now is the truck keeps its tiny battery in a low state of charge, causing it to sulfate and quickly lose capacity.

By raising the target charge level I hope to help the battery resist sulfation and extend the battery's lifespan. Only way to gauge that would be to get a new Motorcraft battery from a dealer and see if I can beat my record of 6 months without deep sleep. That's where I'm heading next.

So your 2nd battery is same as original (non AGM) but you also changed forscan settings to match (from AGM to flooded). Did you change those settings after it started to crap out again or at time of install ?

And...eventually you might try AGM ?

I find all of this crazy. How is this all even an issue ? My confidence in my 3 month old truck making it through winter is about a 3/10.

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