Forscan, might've messed up.

[Outlaw]

I would suggest that the oem would be best. Any local dealer, Ebay, several online parts stores will have them. Or contact one of our fourm sponsors that are Ford dealers. $20-$30 or so.

I mean for a screw in post. A new clamp itself won't do anything since the post on the battery is to small for it. I have my clamp 100% maxed out and I can slip it off with a twist.

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[ORRadtech]

I mean for a screw in post. A new clamp itself won't do anything since the post on the battery is to small for it. I have my clamp 100% maxed out and I can slip it off with a twist.

I'd never recommend it but if I were desperate I might google search battery post shims.

 

[Joe Gonsalves]

You are assuming that the terminal is good and the battery post is too small. The post's diameter didn't shrink, unless messed with. The terminal on the other hand can become distorted. I suggest buying a new terminal and test fit it to the battery before permanent replacement. This will reveal which one is the issue.

 

[Outlaw]

I'd never recommend it but if I were desperate I might google search battery post shims.

Given once it's slightly loose it falls off almost I'm thinking the actual taper/ since it's wider at the base is wrong

You are assuming that the terminal is good and the battery post is too small. The post's diameter didn't shrink, unless messed with. The terminal on the other hand can become distorted. I suggest buying a new terminal and test fit it to the battery before permanent replacement. This will reveal which one is the issue.

These are what I'm running right now and compared to other brands and posts they def are a bit more narrow and have a more aggressive taper to them. I'll look into a new terminal but worse case I can just go buy a washer and unbolt the terminal and bolt the negative directly to the battery? I see no reason why it wouldn't work I'm just not sure there's enough slack in the line to bridge the gap. I could buy a rectangle of copper and just make a small spacer with 2 holes, 1 at each end.

https://www.amazon.com/XS-Power-580...5da-4a4b-b58a-6cc70fbc23e3&pd_rd_i=B004XH67B2

 

[Outlaw]

In your initial post, you mention you've been dealing with a power-related problem for some time. Since, there've been some changes, including a battery, Sync upgrades and setting changes via FORScan. The vehicle is showing signs of a bad connection, possibly a large parasitic drain and maybe a faulty alternator or battery.

You've tried to correct these issues, but there remain a lot of questions, a lot of areas that have changed and a good amount of unknowns. I don't feel you have all the tools or references to tackle that. I think it's best you search for a good local mechanic or Ford dealership, then turn the vehicle over to them.

As part of the initial discussion of the history of these issues and what's been done thus far, advise the technician FORScan was used to change some settings related to electrical generation and power management.

To stay on-topic while ensuring everything is brought up, have some high-level bullets or points made out and talk through those. Rough-out a story line.

If at a Ford dealer, see if they can baseline the current build by re-flashing the Body Control Module, Powertrain Control Module or both. This might affect the changes you made to Sync, but I think we're past that: the vehicle is barely functioning.

I'd want the following diagnosed, in this order:

1. Review all physical connections involving the battery, alternator, starter and under hood fuse block. Ensure all are in the correct place, of the right type and secure.

2. Disconnect and isolate anything that is not Ford OEM. Cameras, radar detectors, aftermarket sound systems, etc.

3. Confirm the Body Control Module (BCM) and Powertrain Control Module (PCM) are programmed correctly. However they can do that, probably using Ford Diagnostic and Repair Software (FDRS).

4. Charge the battery completely, overnight if necessary and perform a load test. If not meeting the standard, replace. Note to the technician: the existing battery is an Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM), not a Flooded Lead Acid (FLA).

5. Start the car. Confirm the alternator is putting out the required amount of power, is being managed by the BCM and PCM correctly. If not working as expected, diagnose and repair.

6. Once items 1-5 are confirmed good, investigate the possibility of a large parasitic loss and any alarms.

7. Residuals. Anything that still is not working correctly.

Mechanics in my area are $150 an hour. Some shops charge flat diagnostic fees. It depends. What I described is a lot. It could take a good bit of time. I'm lacking ideas on alternative paths.

8. Only after the car has been returned to a consistent, well-running state, consider buying and installing a battery tender.

I didn't get a sense of how often you drive, but if the vehicle is driven infrequently or for short trips, a tender could be worthwhile, to keep the battery charged up while conditioning it for the best long-term health.

There are several good brands, including Ford Performance, Battery Tender and NOCO.

Tenders can be attached with simple clips, but it'd be better if a connector was installed outside the vehicle, so you can hock up whenever you like.

https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/batter-tender-battery-connection.172738/

Ford recommends vehicles of this generation are driven every two weeks for a given amount of time. Even doing that, internal and off-line functions can weigh on any battery. A tender will allow you to leave the car connected for months without having to worry about it.

When you do have things sorted, we'd appreciate a simple follow-up. I'd be interested in if you've been dealing with one or two things, or something more complex.

Good Luck.

I've done everything I can, even taken it to the shop. They confirmed my drain is well within normal vehicle standards and is unavoidable and just modules staying on before going to sleep.
But 2 days of no driving sends me to 11.8V dash readout and multimeter. Dashcam is turned off for parking mode and set to cutoff sf 12.4. and battery and alternator tested as working and good. But idk if it went bad overnight even though I had these issues before that.

Used to always see 14.6-14.8. over the last 2 drives Im seeing 13.3-13.6 while driving. So either the battery is charged and doesn't need as much charging voltage or something changed and went bad. But this 11.8 has me concerned because everywhere I look says it's extremely bad for a battery and will kill a battery quickly if it keeps happening.


Edit, drive 20 min sat another 10 at work at idle still 13.3 volts and shut car off then turned acc back on. Read 12.8 for 10 seconds or so then dropped to 12.3v with engine off. What the hell is going on.

 

[Skye]

These problems need to be looked at by one person or shop in a uninterrupted and systemic manner, with quantifiable measurements and results.

You're dealing with something beyond what I can give assistance to over the Internet. I can only offer turning it over to a Ford dealership. As the thread sees some fresh eyes this morning, maybe someone has a trusted electrical expert in the PA area that could act as an alternative.

"Battery is unable to maintain charge." State that, leave them the keys and let them loose. It's not necessarily a cheap option. Or one that will be solved quickly. You've spent a lot of money, time and effort with little to no progress. I feel it's best to halt previous methods and start anew. Post #20 lists the steps and process I'd follow.

I've done everything I can, even taken it to the shop. They confirmed my drain is well within normal vehicle standards and is unavoidable and just modules staying on before going to sleep.

To which I'd be asking, what standard were they using and how did they determine that. How did they show you the drain being seen was acceptable. If confidence is gained in what they offer, now, we're back dealing with a battery, connection and/or charging issue.

Dashcam is turned off for parking mode and set to cutoff sf 12.4.

In earlier posts, I felt it best that, for the purposes of troubleshooting, everything non-OEM was to be disconnected and isolated, not matter how insignificant.

So either the battery is charged and doesn't need as much charging voltage or something changed and went bad.

Post #34 summarized and referenced several comments of battery posts, cables, loose connections, etc. There was no follow-up to that. I've not read a comment that the battery, alternator, charging system and connectors have been confirmed good.

 

[Joe Gonsalves]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DN1GQLY3/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_7?smid=A1F0SDJORJRNJL&th=1
Get one of these in-circuit testers and 1 by 1 test each fuse's current draw while the car is asleep. Be sure to keep a log and to also wait and watch the voltmeter to see if things turn on periodically. That may take a half hour or more. Be patient, and soon you'll understand what's going on. I think I mentioned this before, but inspect the ground connection from the battery to the chassis. You need to remove the connection and look underneath for corrosion.

 

[Outlaw]

These problems need to be looked at by one person or shop in a uninterrupted and systemic manner, with quantifiable measurements and results.

You're dealing with something beyond what I can give assistance to over the Internet. I can only offer turning it over to a Ford dealership. As the thread sees some fresh eyes this morning, maybe someone has a trusted electrical expert in the PA area that could act as an alternative.

"Battery is unable to maintain charge." State that, leave them the keys and let them loose. It's not necessarily a cheap option. Or one that will be solved quickly. You've spent a lot of money, time and effort with little to no progress. I feel it's best to halt previous methods and start anew. Post #20 lists the steps and process I'd follow.



To which I'd be asking, what standard were they using and how did they determine that. How did they show you the drain being seen was acceptable. If confidence is gained in what they offer, now, we're back dealing with a battery, connection and/or charging issue.



In earlier posts, I felt it best that, for the purposes of troubleshooting, everything non-OEM was to be disconnected and isolated, not matter how insignificant.



Post #34 summarized and referenced several comments of battery posts, cables, loose connections, etc. There was no follow-up to that. I've not read a comment that the battery, alternator, charging system and connectors have been confirmed good.

Battery,connecters, cables, alternator all confirmed good, loose post resolved. And no one stuff was disconnect. Dashcam both disconnect and then connected but with parking mode off, no changes from being unplugged. I don't have the money to drop it off at a dealer and tell them to find the issue it's far outside of my budget right now.

If it change anything, started car for lunch it was at 14.9v and maybe 2-3 minutes after I checked again 13.3 go get food and leaving the drive thru, 13.1v I'm so confused as to what could be happening. Is there any benefit or downside to just unplugging the BMS system and not having to worry about it or will it overcharge batteries and damage them?

 

[Outlaw]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DN1GQLY3/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_7?smid=A1F0SDJORJRNJL&th=1
Get one of these in-circuit testers and 1 by 1 test each fuse's current draw while the car is asleep. Be sure to keep a log and to also wait and watch the voltmeter to see if things turn on periodically. That may take a half hour or more. Be patient, and soon you'll understand what's going on. I think I mentioned this before, but inspect the ground connection from the battery to the chassis. You need to remove the connection and look underneath for corrosion.

Where is that connection? Also I'll grab a photo later but the connection to the shock tower I believe it's a ground if some sort snapped off 2 years ago, failed miserable to drill and break it off so it's got a really ghetto drill/tap and slammed down with a bolt. Not straight at all but it should be making a connection

 

[Gen 6 Mach1]

I've read thru all 3 pages , no disrespect but sometimes leaving things alone or to a qualified Tech pays off in a long run .
Is it still the AGM you put in a couple years ago. It maybe damaged , have O Riley's or Auto Zone , do a load test to see battery health .
You have had problems before you put this AGM in , and messed with Forscan , changing parameters for the battery. Again no disrespect , but sounds like this is out of your ball park , you know . Putting it nicely...
At some point you need qualified Tech help . There maybe no easy fix like a ground or loose terminal , and need further assistance.
I'm fairly knowledgeable with the old school systems, but I would never attempt to change anything but a battery with a stock type that came in the car , and a simple BCM reset. Maybe you can get help from a family member, or short term loan , you stated you can't afford taking it into the Dealership. I hope the best for you.

 

[Joe Gonsalves]

Where is that connection? Also I'll grab a photo later but the connection to the shock tower I believe it's a ground if some sort snapped off 2 years ago, failed miserable to drill and break it off so it's got a really ghetto drill/tap and slammed down with a bolt. Not straight at all but it should be making a connection

It is the connection on the shock tower. The problem with the way Ford makes the connection is that it relies on the bolt to make connection. While new, this is not so much of an issue. But as road salt and rain weathers the bolt from underneath the car, it corrodes and the ground connection becomes a high resistance connection. The best approach is to remove the paint under the cable's lug so it makes a better connection to the chassis, then cover it with grease to keep the moisture out. Did this to my wife's car, since she had mysterious battery drain as well, and haven't had issues since. The funny thing about these cars is if the battery is fully charged and the car sees it as such, all is good. However if the car's computer is not getting the right voltage, then strange things start happening. Body control modules start turning on more and more, even though the battery monitor should be turning them off. But there end lies the problem, the BMS is affected by the low battery voltage as well and it misbehaves. Monitoring the current will tell you which modules are not turning off. But it all starts with fixing the ground connection. All the car's modules return through that connection. You yourself said it's not straight at all.

 

[Outlaw]

I've read thru all 3 pages , no disrespect but sometimes leaving things alone or to a qualified Tech pays off in a long run .
Is it still the AGM you put in a couple years ago. It maybe damaged , have O Riley's or Auto Zone , do a load test to see battery health .
You have had problems before you put this AGM in , and messed with Forscan , changing parameters for the battery. Again no disrespect , but sounds like this is out of your ball park , you know . Putting it nicely...
At some point you need qualified Tech help . There maybe no easy fix like a ground or loose terminal , and need further assistance.
I'm fairly knowledgeable with the old school systems, but I would never attempt to change anything but a battery with a stock type that came in the car , and a simple BCM reset. Maybe you can get help from a family member, or short term loan , you stated you can't afford taking it into the Dealership. I hope the best for you.

Brand new better, tests as fine same with alternator tests as fine (alt is original 62k miles). Forscan is at stock values except battery type. Battery type is set to an agm battery which would have no affect other than helping it. State of charge changed back to 80% for default although 80% on an agm is really bad and idk why Ford ever thought that was a good idea but I'll leave it at default value).

I took it to a mechanic shop. They couldn't find a damn issue. There is no draw it's not hidden it's just not there. Something else is causing issues and no one can find it and I really don't want to pay the dealer and have them tell me "there's no draw" I already know there is no draw and it's been confirmed by another shop. I'm not sure what a dealership would tell me. I'm lost as everything says no issue but there is very clearly an issue.

 

[Outlaw]

It is the connection on the shock tower. The problem with the way Ford makes the connection is that it relies on the bolt to make connection. While new, this is not so much of an issue. But as road salt and rain weathers the bolt from underneath the car, it corrodes and the ground connection becomes a high resistance connection. The best approach is to remove the paint under the cable's lug so it makes a better connection to the chassis, then cover it with grease to keep the moisture out. Did this to my wife's car, since she had mysterious battery drain as well, and haven't had issues since. The funny thing about these cars is if the battery is fully charged and the car sees it as such, all is good. However if the car's computer is not getting the right voltage, then strange things start happening. Body control modules start turning on more and more, even though the battery monitor should be turning them off. But there end lies the problem, the BMS is affected by the low battery voltage as well and it misbehaves. Monitoring the current will tell you which modules are not turning off. But it all starts with fixing the ground connection. All the car's modules return through that connection. You yourself said it's not straight at all.

What do you mean remove the lug? The round ring the bolt goes through? How am I supposed to secure it then? The shock tower one is just a nut and a bolt and the nut is welded to the car (in my case it's a nut with a broken bolt in it that's been drilled at a terrible angle and then tightened down until it's mostly flat). I did for awhile have it running straight to the negative terminal on my battery when it originally broke with some copper wire I had. I'll have to grab a pic of what it looks like now

 

[Gen 6 Mach1]

Brand new better, tests as fine same with alternator tests as fine (alt is original 62k miles). Forscan is at stock values except battery type. Battery type is set to an agm battery which would have no affect other than helping it. State of charge changed back to 80% for default although 80% on an agm is really bad and idk why Ford ever thought that was a good idea but I'll leave it at default value).

I took it to a mechanic shop. They couldn't find a damn issue. There is no draw it's not hidden it's just not there. Something else is causing issues and no one can find it and I really don't want to pay the dealer and have them tell me "there's no draw" I already know there is no draw and it's been confirmed by another shop. I'm not sure what a dealership would tell me. I'm lost as everything says no issue but there is very clearly an issue.
[/QUOTE ]


I hope my previous post wasn't taken in a negative fashion. The cars of today as you know have an abundance of electrical components and Modules that can effect the Battery health . I did some research and it's below the last paragraph is something to consider. Leaving to be diagnosed over a few days , as you battery will most likely be effected and drawn low in voltage.

Something I wanted to share .
My sis had a 2018 Lexus top of the line, 2022 she started having electricial issues parasitic draw , over the next few months, the Lexus Dealership had it on and off , it's fixed come pick up, that happened 4 times towed back to DS . Last time they had the car for over a month and never found the draw . She told the to keep the car and credit towards a new one.
The point is they may need to keep the car a day or 2 to replicate what your going thru . I hope the best and can be resolved.

 

[Joe Gonsalves]

What do you mean remove the lug? The round ring the bolt goes through? How am I supposed to secure it then? The shock tower one is just a nut and a bolt and the nut is welded to the car (in my case it's a nut with a broken bolt in it that's been drilled at a terrible angle and then tightened down until it's mostly flat). I did for awhile have it running straight to the negative terminal on my battery when it originally broke with some copper wire I had. I'll have to grab a pic of what it looks like now

I mean un-bolt the lug and remove paint that was under the Lug. Make the best possible electrical connection you can. Reinstall and cover the exposed area with some grease to keep it from rusting.

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