Low Battery Charge?

[gadourym]

My truck is exhibiting symptoms of a low battery charge. The most obvious is the auto start/stop isn't working. When I view that in the menu, it always says "vehicle on due to battery charging". I normally only drive the truck 2-3 days per week. Until a couple weeks ago, it has been fine, and the auto start/stop works even after not being driven for 5 or 6 days. This week I have drove it 60 miles on Saturday, over 100 miles on Sunday, 30 miles so far on Wednesday. I did not drive it on Monday or Tuesday but did start it and let it run 30 minutes each day. Today (Wednesday) even after my 30 mile drive to work it is still showing the same message. Shouldn't the battery have charged by now, after 5 consecutive days being run/driven? It does start and run every time. I don't always get the "welcome" lights when I approach, and sometimes the radio and accessories power down as soon as I shut the engine off, like it's going into battery saver mode.

A little history... When the truck was about a year old, it spent 2 months (June/July 2022) at the dealer while they were trying to diagnose the same symptoms. It was determined that I had a software update that was stuck and was trying to install every night overnight causing battery drain. In December 2022 the APIM was replaced and software updated. This solved the issue somewhat, but not completely. In November 2024, a different dealer replaced the battery and I have not had any issues since. Now, it is happening again, and I fear it's a bad update or APIM again. I have not had any software updates in several weeks (I have gone over a year between updates in the past).

I would like to get this taken care of before my extended warranty runs out at 100,000 miles, I'm almost at 80,000 now.

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[Ricksc]

Once the battery has discharged below a certain level battery is damaged. Won’t recharge to good SOC. Voltage will be good but it’s the SOC that gets us. On my 3rd battery in my 22

 

[gadourym]

Once the battery has discharged below a certain level battery is damaged. Won’t recharge to good SOC. Voltage will be good but it’s the SOC that gets us. On my 3rd battery in my 22

Hopefully the dealer can confirm this when I go in for my next oil change and replace the battery again. I wish I knew what was causing the drain. Last time my truck spent 2 months at the dealer and my rental was a 2-door Honda Civic.

 

[Ricksc]

From my experience as long as battery has voltage and cracking amps they will say it’s fine. It’s the SOC that sets you. Tried to get my interstate battery covered they said nope. So I just bought a new one.

 

[sporkfed]

I have a similar problem and have figured out that something drains a lot of battery when parked. I have a dash cam, so it could be that, or it could be all the computers in the car, but I lose about 5% overnight and barely drive enough each day to get it back. The BMS also seems to charge the battery much slower when the State of Charge gets above 74-75%. All of this means I stay perpetually around 70% or lower, and when the SoC is below 70% the auto start/stop is inhibited.

BTW, I've learned all this through the OBD port using OBDLink and paying for the premium F-150 specific variables. It lets me monitor the SoC in real time while driving, as well as all the dozens of variables that indicate what exactly is inhibiting auto start/stop at any given time.

 

[TarnishedCopper]

Every time I shut my truck engine off, it displays "System shutdown to preserve battery power" or something to that effect. I don't drive it a lot, and it sits for weeks on end.
I'll be damned if I connect a battery charger to it every time I park it. This thing is too frigging smart for its own good!!

 

[5thranger]

Every time I shut my truck engine off, it displays "System shutdown to preserve battery power" or something to that effect. I don't drive it a lot, and it sits for weeks on end.
I'll be damned if I connect a battery charger to it every time I park it. This thing is too frigging smart for its own good!!

I don't drive mine a lot either, so I just put the battery maintainer on it. There is so much battery drain when it is turned off. I agree it is a pain in the ass.

 

[gappmast]

Once the battery has discharged below a certain level battery is damaged. Won’t recharge to good SOC. Voltage will be good but it’s the SOC that gets us. On my 3rd battery in my 22

I have a 22 with 50K miles and it's on the fourth battery

 

[Billflangjr]

I don't drive mine a lot either, so I just put the battery maintainer on it. There is so much battery drain when it is turned off. I agree it is a pain in the ass.

Yea, 24 loaded Tremor has had that problem all along. Just put the charger on it once and awhile. Don't drive it much.

 

[TarnishedCopper]

I didn't spend $40,00-50,000 for a truck that cannot maintain a battery when it is parked and that I have to put a battery charger on. My 87 GMC pickup doesn't need that, my 08 Mini, doesn't need it, and the 07 Freestar I traded-in did not need it.
I have bought my last Ford product.

 

[5thranger]

I didn't spend $40,00-50,000 for a truck that cannot maintain a battery when it is parked and that I have to put a battery charger on. My 87 GMC pickup doesn't need that, my 08 Mini, doesn't need it, and the 07 Freestar I traded-in did not need it.
I have bought my last Ford product.

Understand what you are saying feel the same way that you have to put a maintainer on a seldom driven vehicle. The technology on newer vehicles is causing it. I don't have to put a maintainer on my 2015 Edge or my 2012 Escape, but my 2024 F150 has so much drain on battery so I just do it.

 

[Eighthtry]

Back in 1974 my points were not drawing anything when the ignition was off. Today, courtesy of congress and the EPA, we drain batteries. If it were not for government regs requiring the use of computers to meet them, I wouldn't have my 2010 Cadillac CTS V or my 2018 Corvette Z06. I may not be happy with pollution regs and cars with 40 computers, but I am damn happy at what they have delivered. We just thought we had muscle cars in the 60's.

So my 21 F150 5.0 has battery drain and I live with it. Wait........it also has a more powerful engine than I could get well into the 2000's. It is quieter. It rides better unless I have jacked it up and added too much unsprung weight. Too many gidgets and gadgets. But we demand them and they deliver, sometimes prematurely... but, perhaps some of us were born prematurely and we managed to survive.

I guess I will continue with my patience. The solution to the battery problem? I put a trickle charger on it once a week or so. Run it until I see the little green light. Presto chango, it is charged.

What's laughable is that the same battery that is starting my truck every 3rd or 4th day today is "dead" in terms of getting updates delivered. So the way around that is buy a new battery, which on the positive side means there is always plenty of battery to keep me started in any conditions.

I have chosen to take it and just think about it differently. It is no better anywhere you go. What Ford gets right Chevy screws up. What Ram gets wrong Ford gets right. And on, and on, and on............

To quote the famous philanthropist, theologian, and man about town Alfred E. Newman, "What, me worry?".

 

[HDT05]

I have a 22 with 50K miles and it's on the fourth battery

I have a 24 with 25k miles and still going strong with the original battery...

No charger.... no issues... I just drive it....

 

[Eighthtry]

I am replacing my 21 battery because it is showing at 56% life left. My understanding is that anything below 75 to 80% life becomes a problem with over the air updates. I am behind in over the air updates and that may be why. Or maybe not.

 

[Billflangjr]

I didn't spend $40,00-50,000 for a truck that cannot maintain a battery when it is parked and that I have to put a battery charger on. My 87 GMC pickup doesn't need that, my 08 Mini, doesn't need it, and the 07 Freestar I traded-in did not need it.
I have bought my last Ford product.

Well I didn’t spend 40 or 50 on mine it was like 84 out the door cash. What needs done is all of use cryers and complainers need to complain to the right people to get the problem taken care of that’s the solution. And whoever that might be, I don’t have a clue we all have the same problem with batteries so let’s contact Ford or somebody and have them come with a fix on it. There’s so many options on the truck you walk by the truck and it’s doing something it makes noise you walk away. It makes noise lights come on shit like that.

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