FDRS - Battery tender recommendations

[Los150]

I'm getting ready to start tinkering with FDRS so I've of course been reading through some of the threads. I was looking for recommendations on a battery tender for those long ass updates that could fail if the battery voltage drops.

Any decent recommendations out there that won't break the bank? The mongoose alone is already quite the investment.

Thanks!

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[cheesedogf150]

you need a power supply for this, not necessarily a tender
20amp power supply and you are good
clore automotive pl2320 is the one you want

 

[HammaMan]

Paid $50 for this, works great for ICE fords including PBs. You don't need a dedicated power supply
https://www.harborfreight.com/2815-...ocessor-controlled-battery-charger-56796.html

 

[rugedraw]

I second the Clore PL2320.

 

[tbinmd]

Third the Clore PL2320, it was recommended by Jesse. Use it in power supply mode. Gives constant voltage.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007ESQW08/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

[Grafx36510]

Fourth vote for the Clore.

 

[poopy_pants]

I use Clore as well but the PL6100. https://cloreautomotive.com/product/pl6100/
As already mentioned, you want to put it in supply mode and set the voltage to maintain above 13V as read by FDRS. I've noticed the vehicle always measures .2-.4 below what the Clore is set to on all of my vehicles. Clore publishes the recommended voltage by OEM on their site https://cloreautomotive.com/wp-cont...ower-Supply-and-604010A-Battery-Charger-3.pdf

 

[FirstFord]

I, for one, am a big fan of the NOCO Genius product line of battery chargers/maintainers, and I have several of them of various amperage capacity, each for a specific role. However, I also have a Clore PL2320 that I use in certain circumstances. I am currently on the wait list for the "borrowed" Mongoose, and when it shows up and I begin the FDRS process, I will be using the Clore. I am inexperienced at the FDRS update process, but have tried to read as much as I can on it in preparation for taking on the task. Based upon what I have read, my conclusion is that the Clore would be my best choice, primarily because it offers two attributes that make it a good choice for the FDRS update task: 1) 20 amp capacity, and 2) ability to put it into a power source mode, rather than a battery maintainer. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Eighthtry]

So the download sucks more than 2 amps? That does not seem plausible unless air, lights, and entertainment options are required.

 

[HammaMan]

So the download sucks more than 2 amps? That does not seem plausible unless air, lights, and entertainment options are required.

Ther powerboost is running at least one if not both of the HV loop pumps during the updates. The EVs are much worse running all of their pumps. The mach-e for instance needs 30 amps otherwise it drains its ~35ah 12v batt quick even with a 15a charger connected. Any update longer than 90 minutes will put the vehicle into sub 11v range. With the PB, my 15a charger never goes below 12.5v. On a 2024 5.0, the charger would barely run, in-fact it was off most of the time due to a fully charged battery over a 2hr update session.

On any ICE vehicle, a 15a smart charger is more than sufficient to handle several hours of updates. The "updates" themselves don't require "power", the issue is when the update is programming the truck, several modules are still awake consuming power. This is why it's suggested to start any session by first making sure the wipers are OFF and not in auto (they can wipe the entire time) and the headlights and interior lights are switched off.

 

[Los150]

I see the Clore manuals state you should never connect to the two posts on the battery and instead connect the negative to the chassis but I thought I read somewhere in this forum, that we should connect to some specific spot for the FDRS updates. I can't find that thread now. Anyone know where we should connect to?

 

[JScaro]

I see the Clore manuals state you should never connect to the two posts on the battery and instead connect the negative to the chassis but I thought I read somewhere in this forum, that we should connect to some specific spot for the FDRS updates. I can't find that thread now. Anyone know where we should connect to?

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/threads/ecu-module-programming-guide-using-fdrs.8249/post-186476

 

[PowerBoostSoCal]

So the download sucks more than 2 amps? That does not seem plausible unless air, lights, and entertainment options are required.

The issue is when voltage drops to a low level (it depends on the application) the process will stop. We do a lot of key fob programming and other things with battery changes, etc. We always piggyback another battery to the system in parallel so the voltage will maintain 12.4 or above. Just because the voltage drops does not mean a bad battery, they will recover quickly after the truck is started. Also, the battery maintainer is a good idea to keep a good battery healthy, BUT they are not designed to provide a constant source of voltage (they will cycle off and on) ... but if your truck battery is already good it should not matter (whether you use a maintainer or straight line voltage).

 

[Eighthtry]

Ther powerboost is running at least one if not both of the HV loop pumps during the updates. The EVs are much worse running all of their pumps. The mach-e for instance needs 30 amps otherwise it drains its ~35ah 12v batt quick even with a 15a charger connected. Any update longer than 90 minutes will put the vehicle into sub 11v range. With the PB, my 15a charger never goes below 12.5v. On a 2024 5.0, the charger would barely run, in-fact it was off most of the time due to a fully charged battery over a 2hr update session.

On any ICE vehicle, a 15a smart charger is more than sufficient to handle several hours of updates. The "updates" themselves don't require "power", the issue is when the update is programming the truck, several modules are still awake consuming power. This is why it's suggested to start any session by first making sure the wipers are OFF and not in auto (they can wipe the entire time) and the headlights and interior lights are switched off.

Wow. You just learned me something. I had no idea of the juice needed for these updates. No wonder everyone is complaining about batteries.

 

[FI300]

I have the Clore PL2320 as well and it works great. If you start the truck for a USB update with it connected it will turn its self off and you have to restart it.

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