Replacing 12V before it goes bad

[OneAlienBoi]

It sounds like the 12V battery the original mavericks came with wasn't very good, lots of people having issues with them. Our truck is now a little over 2 years old, it's heading into the time of year when deep sleep and battery issues are more common. If you were me, would you replace the original 12V in the near future before it had the chance to cause issues, or would you wait for it to start having problems before replacing it?

The truck has been basically flawless thus far, no deep sleep, no power loss, none of it. But it sounds like those issues could pop up more easily if you don't get the recalls done.
But on top of getting the recalls done, I've been thinking of swapping in a higher quality battery just for peace of mind. I kinda want to "bulletproof" all the weak points on the maverick over time.

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[mav47]

@OneAlienBoi

I put a (drop-in) Group 140R AGM battery in mine 15k miles ago and haven't had deep sleep issues since. 12V system now works as expected.

see below thread:

https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/changing-to-agm.55115/post-938486

Cheers!

 

[inline_five]

@OneAlienBoi

I put a (drop-in) Group 140R AGM battery in mine 15k miles ago and haven't had deep sleep issues since. 12V system now works as expected.

see below thread:

https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/changing-to-agm.55115/post-938486

Cheers!

I'd say 15k is a solid indicator that that solved it.

I assume you had sleep issues prior though? You do drive enough so I'm surprised you even had issues.

 

[OneAlienBoi]

I'd say 15k is a solid indicator that that solved it.

I assume you had sleep issues prior though? You do drive enough so I'm surprised you even had issues.

So would the dealership be able to install this newer battery for a reasonable cost? I know it's not a huge deal, swapping a battery is hardly a highly complex procedure. But I don't want to take the chance of me screwing something up, seems easy to do with newer cars.

 

[PlantMan]

So would the dealership be able to install this newer battery for a reasonable cost?

Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere. Do you have a local auto parts store that installs batteries for free (Advanced, Performance, O'Reilly, NAPA, etc)? Another option is if a friend/neighbor could do this for you. It's really easy.

 

[notfast]

If you were me, would you replace the original 12V in the near future before it had the chance to cause issues, or would you wait for it to start having problems before replacing it?

With every vehicle that I've owned, I replace the battery as one of the first mods. I then test the battery twice a year (and stick a label on the battery with the test results) and replace it proactively around the 3-4 year mark. A battery is what, $180 or so? At 48 months, that's $3.75 a month to have a relatively new battery, and it saves a lot of headaches, especially since weird stuff starts happening with low or inconsistent battery voltage.

I was working on a Toyota Prius that had the 12v battery around 10.5v, and the BCM stopped registering that the doors were all closed, so I had a door ajar light and thus couldn't use the remote to lock the car and also the perimeter alarm wouldn't arm. Charged up the 12v battery and the issue went away.

I've found OEM batteries generally suck anyway. That's one place that they can cut costs...by putting in an undersized and/or underperforming battery. I've also found that there is almost always a physically larger and thus higher-performance battery that is a drop-in fitment with no mods required.

In a traditional non-hybrid vehicle, even putting in the same size battery but one with higher CCAs results in the engine turning over faster and starting sooner and having less voltage drop while the engine is cranking.

I have a really fancy battery tester if I'm suspicious of the result, but 99% of the time I reach for the Solar. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IZFNJ6Y/

 

[Tvin87]

I work out of town 1 week on/off and leave my truck at the airport the entire time. After only about a month of ownership I started having deep sleep issues with the stock battery.

I started checking the voltage as soon as I got back to my truck and many times it would be low 11s or lower. Sometimes so dead id have to use the physical key to open the door and use my jump pack to start it up.

I replaced it with an h5 AGM for the added reserve capacity and it's been about a month and a half of no issues. Install is a bit finicky but for my use case it was worth it. Lowest I've seen the voltage after a week of sitting now has been 12.3v.

Definitely happy with my AGM replacement so far but time is the real test.

 

[Lump lump]

Just had to replace my battery on my 22 eco got a msg from the app that said truck was going into deep sleep mode luckily I was home at the time, AAA guy tested it and battery was no good, went to O’Reilly auto and they swapped the battery for me but air filter housing and intake that runs along the top of the radiator had to be removed so the battery could slide out towards the front of the truck

 

[ychuck46]

So would the dealership be able to install this newer battery for a reasonable cost? I know it's not a huge deal, swapping a battery is hardly a highly complex procedure. But I don't want to take the chance of me screwing something up, seems easy to do with newer cars.

I replaced the Ford Motorcraft battery (the fourth one the dealership had put in, btw, on Ford's engineers recommendations, and their nickel) with a Diehard a year ago; no problems. It is simple to do it yourself and never caused a hiccup for me. But if you aren't comfortable with that then do as others suggested and have one of the auto parts stores do it for you. I just prefer the convenience of doing things myself.

 

[HeyBales]

I would have written down who carries the replacement battery you want in stock, and will replace it for free. Hybrid isn't buried in there as bad as others I've seen - that I heard someone did for free.

Then that one time you need a jump - that is the 1st stop (after calling to confirm they got it).
Get an emergency jump pack also - mighty useful and helpful besides using yourself.

That 140R / H4 / LN1 AGM, or a better than OEM 99R / T4 FLA can probably be pre-figured out by warranty period, availability (you may get a bad new battery, nice if replacement is easy), minutes of reserve capacity, ect.

Could also do some maintenance charging on current battery just to see.

 

[North Coast Joe]

Ditto on the battery booster packs. I keep one in all our vehicles. I have helped others as well as myself. I have even used it on my lawn tractor.

 

[Cowgirlkim]

I ordered my 2025 XLT Hybrid 9/11/24.
Never owned a hybrid and getting nervous about this deep sleep issue.
Where did you purchase a battery pack? Any brand?
Seems like upgrading battery is priority.

 

[HeyBales]

I ordered my 2025 XLT Hybrid 9/11/24.
Never owned a hybrid and getting nervous about this deep sleep issue.
Where did you purchase a battery pack? Any brand?
Seems like upgrading battery is priority.

You'll have to see if better batteries are supplied in MY25.
Just be prepared - probably not priority level.
Though from sounds of it - all the manufacturers cheap out on OEM battery if possible.

ETA - I got the one in his right hand.
EETA - actually no that's not the same, unless they changed the form factor slightly and plug in on side now.

 

[Cowgirlkim]

You'll have to see if better batteries are supplied in MY25.
Just be prepared - probably not priority level.
Though from sounds of it - all the manufacturers cheap out on OEM battery if possible.

ETA - I got the one in his right hand.
EETA - actually no that's not the same, unless they changed the form factor slightly and plug in on side now.

I do like the idea of a tire inflator. I've replaced 3 tires in 5yrs on Ford Edge due to the location of where I work. Blocks of auto recyclers spew debris along streets I must use.
Alll packs in video made in China .
Figures!

 

[Bret Grabber]

What I've done since 2013 with my F150 and now Maverick is whenever I know the truck will sit for more that a day or two I plug in a Auto Meter Battery Extender. I use them on any battery on my lawn equipment or vehicles and it has been amazing how much more life I get from the batteries. I even boutght outdated ones from when I was working for Advance Auto and one of them, 3 years old when I bought it, is still going strong with a 2012 date sticker on it! But, when I back that one in the shed, it immediately goes on the Extender!
The installation is simple and the photos below show it working on my "Grabber" for you all. Model # is BEX 3000. It will charge at up to 3 amps and then maintain around 13 volts while providing any current draw the truck needs to keep the silent systems awake and running.
With the sensor on the negative cable, it is essential that the black wire in the harness NOT be connected at the terminal. Current flow needs to run through that sensor to enable correct battery state of charge to the PCM. It will need to be connected to a frame ground to emulate the alternator when charging and provide proper current flow. I did need to lengthen the connector harness due to where the wall mounted unit is on the side of the garage where I park.
Ran the red (+) wire to the positive battery terminal and then the black (-) to the horn mount as shown in the photos.
There is also an automatic desulfation mode that will try to rejuvenate and older battery. Works great on mildly sulfated batteries. I've had that going on with my winter tractor which has a 2008 battery. That one will probably get replaced this year as I can hear it getting a little weak while cranking that 19 horse Kohler! I traded the F150 in with a 7 year old battery that still tested at 90% capacity.

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