How long to set acc power for 12V cooler?

[PCK]

I am planning a multiday trip with my Maverick. I have a small Iceco 25L 12V cooler. I am told that I can set the acc power time limit in Forscan to whatever I want. If I set it to say 10 hours so the cooler is powered all night, will that fully drain the battery as I have not yet set up a aux battery to power items after the ignition is off?

Also, should I be concerned by parasitic drain on the battery if the acc time is extended even if the cooler is not plugged in? What should I make sure is turned off if the acc power is on? Lights? displays? etc.

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[bgn]

Wouldn't recommend relying on the truck to keep the 12v on. It could time out, cut power because the 12v battery is running low, etc.

I recommend looking at the portable batteries from Ecoflow, Bluetti, etc. Their cheapest units start at about $110 refurbished.

 

[Tbone289]

I have a thermoelectric cooler I use on overnight trips that pulls 5A. My Mav is still set for the default 75 minutes and that works perfectly for me. It runs long enough that I can pull over and eat at a restaurant and it keeps running the entire time. It pulls the battery down about .2 volts during that time, so I wouldn't try to run it all night. I don't take my 12V cooler if I don't have anywhere to plug it in to AC at my destination.

Keep in mind that the BMS will step in and shut down accessories so that you have enough to start regardless of what you have the timeout set to. My '12 Focus does the same and I've never had battery issues.

 

[The Real Maverick]

I thought (but have not verified) there was a maximum time limit too. Like 90 minutes. Possibly 120 minutes maximum.

 

[Tbone289]

I thought (but have not verified) there was a maximum time limit too. Like 90 minutes. Possibly 120 minutes maximum.

That's what @PCK, the OP, is talking about. "acc time". It is defaulted to 4500 seconds (75 min), at least in the case of my '24 EB.

The BMS will override that time if the voltage gets too low and will shut off accessories to maintain a reserve.

 

[PCK]

[QUOTE=". . .
The BMS will override that time if the voltage gets too low and will shut off accessories to maintain a reserve.
[/QUOTE]

So I can rely on BMS [what is that an acronym for?] to prevent me from waking up to a dead battery? I will be driving it consistently afterwards so the battery will recharge.

 

[Ranch]

Maybe. And hopefully the battery doesn't go bad from deep discharging it too often. You may end up drinking warm beer or eating spoiled food doing it that way.

Just buy a small power station that will keep the DC fridge running when stopped and recharge it when driving.

 

[JTori]

This won't directly answer you question, but may be a way of achieving your objective. I recently purchased an Anker Everfrost refrigerated cooler. I've got the 40L (it's actually 43). It will operate off the mains, 12V or removable battery. My wife and I recently did a 12-day roadtrip and the cooler performed flawlessly. It ran off the 12V accessory power port while underway, preserving the battery charge. When parked or not attached to power, the battery will run the cooler for up to 54 hours. Temperature can be controlled via the cooler's control panel or monitored/adjusted via the bluetooth-enabled app. If you need to charge the battery, the fridge will stay cold, as it is a well-insulated cooler. I purchased a second battery so I can charge one while the cooler is running off the other.

 

[Ozarkbeard]

I can rely on BMS [what is that an acronym for?]

Battery Monitoring System.

 

[Cidecar2]

That's what @PCK, the OP, is talking about. "acc time". It is defaulted to 4500 seconds (75 min), at least in the case of my '24 EB.

The BMS will override that time if the voltage gets too low and will shut off accessories to maintain a reserve.

Is that possibly why my interior cab lights do not come on when I open the door after sitting all night? Only driving now about 12 mi per day

 

[Tbone289]

@Cidecar2, yes. You should consider using a maintenance charger to keep your battery topped up. Constantly letting the battery voltage drop to low levels will damage it.

 

[baztien.xplrz]

As BGN mentioned, I wouldn't trust keeping the cooler plugged in over night with the engine off even if you were to update the forscan. The 12v battery doesn't do well with repeated deep discharging. I would imagine you'd wake up to a dead battery and warm food/drinks.
The cooler can however be plugged in while you're driving/engine is running, as many other people on this forum have done.

 

[MaverickMark]

Is that possibly why my interior cab lights do not come on when I open the door after sitting all night? Only driving now about 12 mi per day

Your truck is in deep sleep mode when the interior lights won't come on. It happens to me every day. If you have the ford app on your phone, it should alert you when sleep mode happens.

 

[Dad]

Wouldn't recommend relying on the truck to keep the 12v on. It could time out, cut power because the 12v battery is running low, etc.

I recommend looking at the portable batteries from Ecoflow, Bluetti, etc. Their cheapest units start at about $110 refurbished.

Agreed. The Maverick has issues with keeping its 12v battery in operational mode. A portable battery as you described is a good idea.

 

[BAScott62]

I use a small 300 Wh power station to keep my cooler going, it recharges on the next day's drive.

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