Battery maintainer questions, not for long term storage

[OutofNowhere]

I know there are other battery tender threads (one even today!), but I have different questions and didn't want to hijack someone else's thread.

I apparently don't drive my poor car enough (and when I do, it's generally short errand trips within a 5 mile radius of home, mea culpa), and I've now gotten the messages that the remote features have been disabled one too many times.

I've got a CTEK battery charger/maintainer coming in today, and I'm going to do the "semi-permanent" install so it's easier to deal with. I want to leave it on the maintainer all the time and, ideally, just unplug it when I'm ready to drive.

BUT I see this in the manual:

BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM LIMITATIONS
After battery replacement, or in some cases after charging the battery with an external charger, the battery management system requires eight hours of vehicle sleep time to relearn the battery state of charge. During this time, your vehicle must remain fully locked with the ignition switched off.

Do I need to worry about this 8 hours thing if the car is plugged into the maintainer constantly? Should I unplug it the night before I plan to drive it?

Also, I read something about AGM batteries and the auto start/stop system. I'm guessing this car has the AGM battery by default, even though the car actually doesn't have the ASS system installed. Do I need to do anything different with this battery maintainer with the AGM battery?

Thanks for any help!

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[AZ_Ryan]

Man lots of battery questions lately. Maybe we need a sticky?

Just make sure the maintainer/charger is rated for AGM batteries. It should say on it.

As for when to charge, it doesn't matter. The car will function fine either way. That said I'd do it the night before so it has a chance to learn the charge state.

 

[DT-GT]

I use a CTEK maintainer on my 25 GT and for several winters on my 22 EcoBoost. It does a great job with the battery. But, even with the maintainer attached the car will go into the battery saver mode and will not communicate with the Ford app. I do not start mine up once I put it to bed and the 22 always started right up when I awaken it.

 

[OutofNowhere]

But, even with the maintainer attached the car will go into the battery saver mode and will not communicate with the Ford app.

I thought that the maintainer would keep the charge of the battery at an acceptable level so that it wouldn't do that. What am I missing here?

And sure, the car starts up just fine even if the remote features have been disabled, it's just irritating because then little things don't just work like they normally do until the battery is charged up again appropriately--yes, stupid little things like seat position memory and the chime sound changing, but still.

Yes, I love to drive my car if I actually have somewhere to go. I'm not really one to relish just driving about on the highway even on a weekly basis to keep the battery charged to an appropriate level so that it doesn't do this.

 

[OutofNowhere]

As for when to charge, it doesn't matter. The car will function fine either way. That said I'd do it the night before so it has a chance to learn the charge state.

Thanks!

 

[AZ_Ryan]

I thought that the maintainer would keep the charge of the battery at an acceptable level so that it wouldn't do that. What am I missing here?

And sure, the car starts up just fine even if the remote features have been disabled, it's just irritating because then little things don't just work like they normally do until the battery is charged up again appropriately--yes, stupid little things like seat position memory and the chime sound changing, but still.

Yes, I love to drive my car if I actually have somewhere to go. I'm not really one to relish just driving about on the highway even on a weekly basis to keep the battery charged to an appropriate level so that it doesn't do this.

The car goes into sleep/saver mode regardless of the charge after a certian amount if time if it sits long enough. I think it 48 or 72 hours, not sure. Someone can correct me on that.

 

[DT-GT]

In addition to the battery state they apparently have a timer that does this after two weeks of not being started — regardless of the battery. There shouldn’t be any little things. Was never an issue on my 22.

I thought that the maintainer would keep the charge of the battery at an acceptable level so that it wouldn't do that. What am I missing here?

And sure, the car starts up just fine even if the remote features have been disabled, it's just irritating because then little things don't just work like they normally do until the battery is charged up again appropriately--yes, stupid little things like seat position memory and the chime sound changing, but still.

Yes, I love to drive my car if I actually have somewhere to go. I'm not really one to relish just driving about on the highway even on a weekly basis to keep the battery charged to an appropriate level so that it doesn't do this.

 

[OutofNowhere]

The car goes into sleep/saver mode regardless of the charge after a certian amount if time if it sits long enough. I think it 48 or 72 hours, not sure. Someone can correct me on that.

Does this sleep/saver mode send the message that remote services have been discontinued, or does that just happen after a longer period of time?

In addition to the battery state they apparently have a timer that does this after two weeks of not being started — regardless of the battery. There shouldn’t be any little things. Was never an issue on my 22.

It took about 10-11 days of it sitting to get this message the first time (we were out of town in our other car). Then when I returned, I drove it for errands (remember that five-mile radius), and parked it for another 10 days (was sick, though it's beginning to feel like I need a damn doctor's note for being unable to drive my car lol), and again with the remote services disconnected message.

This latest time, I drove it on the 30th of October for errands, then moved it out of the garage to wash it on the 2nd of November, drove it down the street and back up to the garage to detail it, and by the time I was done detailing (maybe 1/2 hour?) it was giving me the remote services disconnected message yet again. So that's a whopping three days of not driving it before it's giving me grief again. Got in it this morning for drive, and the seat memory wasn't working, and the door chime defaulted to the regular Ford one instead of whatever it normally is. The infotainment system was sluggish as well, like it's having to do a complete reboot or something.

 

[LouG]

When mine went bye byes and I got the Fordpass message, I just plugged in the maintainer overnight and all was normal in the morning. Or you could just drive it.

 

[AZ_Ryan]

Does this sleep/saver mode send the message that remote services have been discontinued, or does that just happen after a longer period of time?



It took about 10-11 days of it sitting to get this message the first time (we were out of town in our other car). Then when I returned, I drove it for errands (remember that five-mile radius), and parked it for another 10 days (was sick, though it's beginning to feel like I need a damn doctor's note for being unable to drive my car lol), and again with the remote services disconnected message.

This latest time, I drove it on the 30th of October for errands, then moved it out of the garage to wash it on the 2nd of November, drove it down the street and back up to the garage to detail it, and by the time I was done detailing (maybe 1/2 hour?) it was giving me the remote services disconnected message yet again. So that's a whopping three days of not driving it before it's giving me grief again. Got in it this morning for drive, and the seat memory wasn't working, and the door chime defaulted to the regular Ford one instead of whatever it normally is. The infotainment system was sluggish as well, like it's having to do a complete reboot or something.

Remote services disconnected means the battery is in a low state of charge. It's not the same as sleep mode.

Storing the car for long periods and occasionally taking it out to get groceries isn't enough to maintain the battery. But you already know that since your looking into a battery tender.

 

[AZ_Ryan]

In addition to the battery state they apparently have a timer that does this after two weeks of not being started — regardless of the battery. There shouldn’t be any little things. Was never an issue on my 22.

Thank you. The sleep mode/saver timer is obviously a lot longer that a few days like I thought. I seem to remember someone saying 10 days after reading your post. But maybe it's 2 weeks.

 

[DT-GT]

Could be 10 days. I never noted, but I will try to take note.

Thank you. The sleep mode/saver timer is obviously a lot longer that a few days like I thought. I seem to remember someone saying 10 days after reading your post. But maybe it's 2 weeks.

 

[OutofNowhere]

Remote services disconnected means the battery is in a low state of charge. It's not the same as sleep mode.

Storing the car for long periods and occasionally taking it out to get groceries isn't enough to maintain the battery. But you already know that since your looking into a battery tender.

I'll have to look in the manual and see if I can figure out the differences between the modes so at least I know what I'm really dealing with.

I had this issue with my 2007 too; the dealer would always look at me when I took it in for service and say, "You don't drive this much, do you?" I went through too many batteries with that thing. I mean... retired life? I guess?

 

[DT-GT]

Retired life = DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE!

I'I went through too many batteries with that thing. I mean... retired life? I guess?

 

[AZ_Ryan]

I'll have to look in the manual and see if I can figure out the differences between the modes so at least I know what I'm really dealing with.

It's easy -

"Remote services disconnected" is bad and means low battery.

"Sleep/saver mode" is NORMAL and means the car is doing its normal routine.

Got it?

I had this issue with my 2007 too; the dealer would always look at me when I took it in for service and say, "You don't drive this much, do you?" I went through too many batteries with that thing. I mean... retired life? I guess?

Yep. You can't park cars and not drive em much without a tender/maintainer. It's hell on the battery, especially in a modern car.

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