Parasitic loss question

[dusman59]

With many of these cars just sitting for months do they need to be jump started when moved? How long can they sit without a dead battery. Are the batteries lifespan shortened? Even when the cars are moved only a short distance the battery doesn't really get topped off. I have left my 2011 sit 4 or 5 weeks with a fairly new Ford battery and it still started but you could hear it not turning over like it was daily driven.

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[Q6543]

No, as matter of fact I recall that they get even stronger capacity batteries in these new 24s

my 93 with sit all winter in the garage…sub zero temps and still bump key start come spring.

 

[Dena]

Batteries, one of my favorite subjects. Older lead acid battles would only hold a charge for a few months because of contaminates in the lead plates caused them to self discharge. Modern batteries with better plates can hold a charge for up to a year without a load. The engine computer, radio and software updates place a small load on the battery causing them to discharge faster. If you're going to store the car for a long period of time either use a battery minder which keeps the battery topped off or disconnect the battery.
Discharging the battery will shorten its life and this is especially true of starting batteries that are designed to provide high starting current. Deep cycle batteries are more tolerant about discharging however they don't provide the type of current needed for starting. Deep cycles batteries are also designed with open space in the bottom to catch the junk that come off the plate without shorting the battery reducing the capacity but extending the life.
Charging batteries is done at maximum current for the first 80% of the charge. The last 20% is done with reduced current to avoid boiling the water out of the battery thus you need a long drive to really do a good job of recharging the battery. If the battery is already near full charge, the drive can be much shorter. On the other hand you can place a good charger on the battery and it will take care of the problem.
Bonus information, the reason you no longer need to add water to a battery is because the change to the lead in the plate mentioned above also reduced the gassing during charging. That is why overcharging modern batteries is so destructive because it gasses off the little water in the battery.

 

[Gregs24]

The Ecoboosts with their stop / start batteries will be fine as they are much bigger than otherwise would be the case. V8's should be OK for a couple of months at least.

 

[Skye]

Once the cars are built, they are placed in a semi-sleep state, aka "transport mode". One reason is to limit what the driver (trucker, rail operator, thief) can do with the car. Another reason might be to limit these electrical losses.

Further, after about two weeks, Ford vehicles by default go into deep sleep mode, where many things are downed/disabled. The car knows it has been sitting and attempts to keep the battery at peak as much as possible.

Whatever the situation, Ford has it sorted. It would be very inefficient if Ford or any auto manufacturer had to jump multiple vehicles from one lot, rail car or truck alone.

Once Members receive their cars, battery tenders and storage will start at least one thread. If driving the car infrequently, setting up to attach to a tender (not a charger) is best. I've run a permanent connection from under-hood to an external plug. When the car is going to sit, I plug-in and walk away.

 

[Apeman]

Auto manufacturer's have a disabling fuse in the fusebox, and every car ships with it installed. I'm not 100% sure how it works, but I wouldn't be too shocked if it helps prevent any draw from the battery. And if that's the case, the battery can sit there for almost a year and still be able to start the car once that fuse is removed.

 

[roket]

i have seen a few F-150s come off the transporter and they will say "12V Battery State of Charge Low", but after you run them for a bit they will shut up. even if your battery does get damaged or die, you still got a warranty on it

 

[BlackFerret69]

Once the cars are built, they are placed in a semi-sleep state, aka "transport mode". One reason is to limit what the driver (trucker, rail operator, thief) can do with the car. Another reason might be to limit these electrical losses.

Further, after about two weeks, Ford vehicles by default go into deep sleep mode, where many things are downed/disabled. The car knows it has been sitting and attempts to keep the battery at peak as much as possible.

Whatever the situation, Ford has it sorted. It would be very inefficient if Ford or any auto manufacturer had to jump multiple vehicles from one lot, rail car or truck alone.

Once Members receive their cars, battery tenders and storage will start at least one thread. If driving the car infrequently, setting up to attach to a tender (not a charger) is best. I've run a permanent connection from under-hood to an external plug. When the car is going to sit, I plug-in and walk away.

Thanks! Very good info to know!

I wonder if a solar powered tender (I was looking st them for my Dad's F150 a while back) would be good enough to keep the battery topped off?

 

[Skye]

I wonder if a solar powered tender (I was looking st them for my Dad's F150 a while back) would be good enough to keep the battery topped off?

FWIW, I did an initial read through some solar-powered systems.

Like home units, solar units come in different sizes. A member who drove infrequently was having battery issues. He had a fine traditional tender which was working correctly, but he had mis-sized it. The tender was capable of supporting a ATV or motorcycle, not a car or truck. Once he installed the correct unit, his problems were fixed.

In situations involving Winter storage, solar-powered units are probably not a good idea. Little duration of sunlight, multiple cloudy days in a row. But if in a location like FL, I don't see this as an issue. :sun:

I think the only negative with the solar will be to ensure it is facing the Sun. If in a window, possibly taking it down before driving. Shaded areas or vehicle covers are other considerations.

The use of a solar unit seems like a fine idea. It just involves maybe a bit more planning.

*For those which have or consider a lightweight, lithium ion battery and you'll be using a tender, check with the tender manufacturer and confirm the model in question supports Li batts. Some do. Many don't. Many off-the-shelf tenders are fine are keeping a lead acid battery maintained, but it's not automatic the machine will know what to do with or how to interpret a Li unit. There are Li tenders, lead acid/Li tenders and lead acid only.

 

[Dena]

Be very careful with anything that has a desulphation cycle on it. It works by using higher voltage pulses to break up the sulphur and if I used that cycle on a battery, I always disconnect it. Older cars before they contained modern electronics would completely disconnect the battery when the ignition was turned off. Newer cars don't and I am nervous about the high voltage pulses damaging something in the electronics.
Charging and tending the battery normally limit the voltage and are safe to do with the battery connected as long as the unit is properly designed.

 

[HWill]

We should not have to worry about the batteries at all. My 5.0L F150 had a battery saving mode that would activate if not being used for a while.

 

[Zig]

I think the only negative with the solar ….

The use of a solar unit seems like a fine idea. It just involves maybe a bit more planning.

Items to consider with solar tenders: proper size (some are little more than a trickle and may or may not maintain a battery with a parasitic drain - as in ain’t gonna keep it going if you leave the flashers going)

also verify it’s ‘smart’ or has a non-charge drain prevention diode. It has been said that some will actually drain the battery when the sun goes down and the panel is no longer providing a charge.

 

[Ace]

Every car has a transport mode from the manufacturer that turns off all the features that drain battery to make sure the cars can sit on lots for a long time. There's nobody running around cargo parking spaces and filling up batteries, the cars can stand for multiple months without a problem. The dealer will turn off the mode with the pre-delivery check-up.

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