Another dead battery

[rovertrader]

So, the X had been sitting about a week, went to start, and dash goes wonky! No start, dash quickly gets to nothing at all registering. Bought rig new 8/31/24, 6k miles, lifted, Ironman front bumper with winch and lights- all done 5k mi ago, no issues. Luckily a local friend who does all the surrounding police/fiire/rescue upfitting did the lighting install/integration. Anyway, before calling the dealership and getting the vehicle towed, etc etc I call Tom (mentioned above). As a side note, I leave the key in the console all the time, just as I had done on my 2020 F-150 for 4 years! Tom goes on to explain the vehicle is only resting at about 50% draw when the key is detected within 15 feet. Not completely shut down!! I explain the 150, and we deduce there are likely twice as many BCMs, sensors, etc on the X- so he suggest a new vehicle battery as well as a new remote battery. Whilst at NAPA, an Acura Master Tech over hears us, and confirms they are just as bad or worse for the same reason. We test the vehicle battery, and it shows as fine. Replace the remote battery as a precaution. Recharge the vehicle battery and so far no issues- yea!!

So why the post? So others realize the way these rigs function, and hopefully prevent the same encounter at an inopportune time!! I’m an old fart and long time car/motorcycle guy, but these new vehicles are a whole different can of worms!! Anyway, a simple fix for a self induced issue. We live way out in the country, and dealership visits are a pain even when the rig functions- broken is a whole other level of frustration. I’ve loved the entry keypad for decades, but no more leaving the key inside the vehicle for me…

 

[BigOleFordFan]

Sooo....in other words: "An ounce of edumacation & prevention is worth a pound of cure", hehehehe

 

[rovertrader]

I suppose so, just got lucky the last 4 years I recon…

 

[Bmac1955]

That is peculiar. My Expedition is garage kept and always have left the key fob in the cup holder. The only time it leaves the vehicle is when I leave the my confines to go out to the store. My only thought to this is I do once in a while put it on a agm battery charger. I may have to change my practices.

 

[Going_Going_Gone]

Ford's AGM batteries are a crap shoot. Some are better than others. When they are low in charge any number of electrical issues will appear. My Expedition is only driven a couple times/wk. With its original battery, there were several instances where I had to hook up a trickle charger to get the state of charge up to where the intelligent touch handles and the start/stop worked again. Still, I nursed it for several years and now, after two years with a replacement battery, I haven't had any of the former problems or needed to use the charger. Wife's Aviator driven daily is on its third battery (second didn't even last a year) and her problems always started with the remote fobs not being recognized.

 

[Dice Roll]

I’ve read too many stories about bad batteries the last couple of years. I’m on several car forums and it doesn’t seem to matter what kind of car, most batteries are not made well these days. My solution has been Odyssey. They can withstand long periods without a trickle charge and are deep cycle so auto stall and a zillion accessories aren’t going to drain it to the death kneel. Not cheap. Not cheap.

 

[DieselMonk]

An Odyssey or a good AGM from East Penn like Die Hard does the trick. I got 13 years out of my Odyssey and other quality branded AGM batteries.

 

[lobsenza]

I put my battery on trickle charge every 3-4 weeks and when I go out of town. My 2019 still has its original battery and I have no issues.

I started to believe in trickle chargers with my boat. I was replacing my boat battery every 2 years or less. I started hooking it up to a trickle charger in the garage when I wasn't using it. I got over 7 years out of the battery after that. I started doing it periodically to my cars and I always get 6 years plus out of batteries now.

 

[BigOleFordFan]

For anyone who might be interested, I found this article yesterday, about the differences between regular & AGM batteries:

What Is an AGM Battery? AGM vs Standard Batteries | Interstate Batteries

Lots of new cars sport AGM batteries. But what are they? Here’s the big deal.

www.interstatebatteries.com

Yea I know it's part marketing & part regular info, but still some nice info nonetheless

 

[Danm355]

I've had 3 batteries replaced on my 2022 Expedition all under the warranty. The batteries are not great but as long as Ford replaces them I'm okay. When I can no longer get a free battery I will buy a Diehard battery.

 

[GaryH]

I've had a Diehard battery go bad on me in less than a year. Not in the Expedition tho, a different vehicle.

 

[BigOleFordFan]

I've had a Diehard battery go bad on me in less than a year. Not in the Expedition tho, a different vehicle.

Hahahahaha...."diehard" doesn't mean what it used to back in the day.....hell, back then, even their AA, AAA, C & D cell batteries would last for many, many years....I know this because my dad was a major diehard fan, and used them in anything that was battery powered, from flashlights to portable radios to screwdrivers to cars....

But nowadays, that name sadly means that when they die, they die H*A*R*D* AF and will leave you stranded/stuck or "up a creek without a paddle".

And as my brother always says "the only way I'm gonna use a diehard battery is if it's the last one on earth"

 

[Tiger Bob]

Appreciate the post. During the winter, primarily under 30 degrees and although my Expy is garaged, the battery has died several times. I do not drive it reguarly, so, if I don't start it daily, it tends to do this. The battery tests fine, and always recharges adequately when I put it on the charger. I also have a tendency to plop my key in the cup holder and/or console when I leave it for the day in the garage. I'm now thinking that this practice is contributing to the problem. So, no more leaving the fob in the car. I will see if this situation improves next winter. As another posted, I think I will go ahead and periodically put it on the trickle to see if that increases the battery life. You learn something new every day. Thanks, again for the info.

 

[LazSlate]

I always keep a spare key in my safe in the center console so if I ever need to I can use the door code to get in and use the spare key. I keep it in a Faraday Type Enclosure. Its a cool small box the size of the FOB made by some German company that shields it.
Probably smart to use also to keep the battery from draining if you plan to keep you FOB in the car. There are several modes where the system shuts down. One is After 7 days of no use AND NO key FOB detection it shuts down the Ford Monitoring System (the cell modem, etc).