Battery saver message

[murphy]

A battery tender will work fine. Keeping a battery charged is what it was designed to do. Hopefully you have the version that comes with a quick disconnect connector.

[acdii]

I only use the USB when I get in the car and plug the iphone in to listen to pandora, otherwise nothing is plugged in. Have not had a single BS message since I got the car.

 

Then again my typical trip is 34 miles one way, so plenty of time for the battery to be charged.

[gkinla]

Well it's happening again, I'm getting the BS, BS message again. Last April the battery was replaced due to the same problem. I haven't seen this BS (pun intended) message since. I have a volt meter plugged into the cigarette lighter socket to monitor voltage. As you can see the voltage is 12.1 vdc, which I think is well above the BS cutout voltage, whatever that is. This happens immediately after shutting off the ignition. I've watched this VM for several months and have never seen the voltage drop below 12.0 vdc, with the ignition off and listening to the radio. The electrical system usually shuts off after 8 minutes or so without ever showing the BS message. My dealer is very proactive and helped me the last time, after the dealer found out that Ford got a batch of bad batteries. I'm hoping that I don't get that it's normal, as some of the other forum members have been told by their dealers. When the ignition is on the VM reads a solid 14.1 VDC, which tells me that the DC to DC charging system is working properly.

 

Edited January 16, 2014 by gkinla

[GrySql]

My dealer is very proactive and helped me the last time, after the dealer found out that Ford got a batch of bad batteries. I'm hoping that I don't get that it's normal, as some of the other forum members have been told by their dealers.

 

If our Dealer can't fix it I will be dismayed, they are the Super Dealership. I am curious what they will do, keep us informed.

[FordService]

Well it's happening again, I'm getting the BS, BS message again. Last April the battery was replaced due to the same problem. ...

 

gkinla,

 

PM me your name, phone number, VIN, mileage, and dealer info, and I'll see how I can help. :)

 

Ashley

[Barsoom]

I get this message every day now. It's been doing this ever since I got the car in February 2013. My dealer, which is pretty good, can only tell me that it's normal. I said that I can't believe that shutting the car down immediately in auxiliary mode cannot possibly be the normally designed condition for the flagship car, but they have no other response for me.

 

Is this daily BS message what was meant by "Random acts of Fusion?"

[murphy]

Do you take a lot of short trips of 1 to 3 miles in length? Short trips are not enough to keep the 12 volt battery charged. Back in the 60s and 70s, when cars were gas only and had starter motors, the rule of thumb was that it took 25 miles of driving in a single trip to replace the energy in the battery that was used to start the engine. The hybrid does not have a starter motor so the initial heavy drain is not there but there are a lot of electronics that need power whether the car is on or not. IMHO the 390 CCA battery supplied with the car is too small. Couple that with the fact that it is a starter battery that was designed to supply a quick burst of energy and then be recharged. A starter battery does not like to be deep discharged and can be destroyed by repeated deep discharges. My 2010 Fusion Hybrid suffered from this same small battery problem. I have replaced the 12 volt battery in my 2013 Fusion Energi with an AGM battery that is not damaged by deep discharges. The battery saver kicks in when the battery voltage drops to 11.8 volts. It disconnects everything that doesn't need power except for things like the alarm system and the Intelligent Access door lock system.

 

The battery that I installed is:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Optima-8040-218-FFP-YellowTop-Group-Battery/dp/B006QH56GE

 

It's not an easy install. It involves removing the battery tray from the car and cutting the rear end off of it.

The description of how I did it is here:

 

http://www.fordfusionenergiforum.com/topic/1258-the-bxt-99r-390-is-a-standard-car-battery/?do=findComment&comment=7276

 

This was for a full size starter battery that I had on hand. It has since been replaced with the AGM battery.

Edited January 18, 2014 by murphy

[Barsoom]

I know. My drive is 3.6 miles each way. Occasionally, I may take a trip up the road that's about 15 miles each way, but that's my normal around-town driving.

 

Still, I don't think that a cold-crank battery was right for this car. It needs a deep-cycle battery.

 

I guess I should plan to regularly hook the battery up to a charger in my garage every now and then.

[GrySql]

Well I'll be dipped... Mine threw a BS alert today for the first time in 11 months, not since I had the BS TSB software update.

My Domestic Goddess spouse was listening to the radio while I stood in line at our local USPS office.

One tends to lose the essense of time while standing there with all the other sheeple in a Post Office line, I guess it was longer than I thought.

 

Oh well, it was the USPS's fault, hope the FFH doesn't do it again.

Edited January 18, 2014 by GrySql

[B25Nut]

I know. My drive is 3.6 miles each way. Occasionally, I may take a trip up the road that's about 15 miles each way, but that's my normal around-town driving.

 

Still, I don't think that a cold-crank battery was right for this car. It needs a deep-cycle battery.

 

I guess I should plan to regularly hook the battery up to a charger in my garage every now and then.

 

This has been my solution. I've only had the BS message once in the past month since I've had more than the usual number of longer trips. Last weekend I just had a feeling I should charge it. My charger showed the battery was at only 38% capacity. I'm OK with a once a month charge. No big deal.

[rvlasek]

A battery tender will work fine. Keeping a battery charged is what it was designed to do. Hopefully you have the version that comes with a quick disconnect connector.

Anyone been using battery tender to solve this "system off to save battery" issue, I"ve had this problem for a year, after two updates which were supposed to solve problem,,,, if you using a battery tender with long term success please advise of type and model number, looks like I need to add one and just leave attached to battery.......

[hermans]

You shouldn't have to do that with a new car and battery. Ford needs to correct this. I really thought they would come out with a new battery for the 2014, but I guess not.

[hybridbear]

You shouldn't have to do that with a new car and battery. Ford needs to correct this. I really thought they would come out with a new battery for the 2014, but I guess not.

I agree! Has anyone asked Ashley to check with Ford Engineering as far as what they're doing about this issue?

[inco]

Anyone been using battery tender to solve this "system off to save battery" issue, I"ve had this problem for a year, after two updates which were supposed to solve problem,,,, if you using a battery tender with long term success please advise of type and model number, looks like I need to add one and just leave attached to battery.......

I have been looking into this as well - a solar powered one that I can plug into the lighter and leave it when it's parked. If this prevents this issue I'm all for it. Naturally if anyone out there has gone this route it would be great to know and learn from your experience.

[murphy]

I have been looking into this as well - a solar powered one that I can plug into the lighter and leave it when it's parked. If this prevents this issue I'm all for it. Naturally if anyone out there has gone this route it would be great to know and learn from your experience.

Approximately 75 minutes after the car is turned off the power outlets are turned off. I doubt that the battery could be maintained using them. The jumper points in the engine compartment work very well. Look for a bright red soft cap on the driver's side for the + terminal. The - terminal is a bolt sticking up out of the shock mount housing directly behind the + terminal.

[camelot]

Seems every time I get the car back from the dealer I get the BS alert. But a few days of driving and it goes away. It seems like the dc to dc converter isn't putting out enough to maintain that small battery with a full load on. They have to do something about this. I'm on second battery and 2 times back to dealer for it. I guess if you leave the ignition on it should keep it up. Amp output should at least match load.

[inco]

Approximately 75 minutes after the car is turned off the power outlets are turned off. I doubt that the battery could be maintained using them. The jumper points in the engine compartment work very well. Look for a bright red soft cap on the driver's side for the + terminal. The - terminal is a bolt sticking up out of the shock mount housing directly behind the + terminal.

Well scrap that idea....Next :read:

[GrySql]

Approximately 75 minutes after the car is turned off the power outlets are turned off. I doubt that the battery could be maintained using them. The jumper points in the engine compartment work very well. Look for a bright red soft cap on the driver's side for the + terminal. The - terminal is a bolt sticking up out of the shock mount housing directly behind the + terminal.

I have a engine bay battery terminal picture posted here, in another of these battery topics.

Charging the LVB at home for a car this technologically advanced is ridiculous, Ford has to do something about this.

[gkinla]

Well it's happening again, I'm getting the BS, BS message again. Last April the battery was replaced due to the same problem. I haven't seen this BS (pun intended) message since. I have a volt meter plugged into the cigarette lighter socket to monitor voltage. As you can see the voltage is 12.1 vdc, which I think is well above the BS cutout voltage, whatever that is. This happens immediately after shutting off the ignition. I've watched this VM for several months and have never seen the voltage drop below 12.0 vdc, with the ignition off and listening to the radio. The electrical system usually shuts off after 8 minutes or so without ever showing the BS message. My dealer is very proactive and helped me the last time, after the dealer found out that Ford got a batch of bad batteries. I'm hoping that I don't get that it's normal, as some of the other forum members have been told by their dealers. When the ignition is on the VM reads a solid 14.1 VDC, which tells me that the DC to DC charging system is working properly.

 

A update to getting the BS message. Just after I posted the above, the BS messages stopped. It's been 6 days and no reappearance of the BS message. I'm in the process of remodeling our home and was making a lot of short trips, .4 miles each way. Maybe short trips do have something to do with the BS message showing up.

[BlueZips]

For me short trips have caused the BS message to appear. I drive about 10 miles to and from work and after a month of these short trips the BS message appeared. I recently took a 60 mile round trip and it seems to have solved the problem. I have not seen the BS message since, but making the 10 mile trips im guessing it will pop up again. Im thinking if you make short trips, you should put a battery charger on the battery at least once a month.

[acdii]

A short trip for me is 7 miles. Could be why I have never seen one too.

[hybridbear]

For me short trips have caused the BS message to appear. I drive about 10 miles to and from work and after a month of these short trips the BS message appeared. I recently took a 60 mile round trip and it seems to have solved the problem. I have not seen the BS message since, but making the 10 mile trips im guessing it will pop up again. Im thinking if you make short trips, you should put a battery charger on the battery at least once a month.

Part of the issue is likely trip length and how long you spend in the car with the radio on, etc with it off. It's rare for us to drive more than 10 miles in a single trip, most are under 6.5 miles. Our first FFH didn't have BS message issues until the PCM went bad and all sorts of other things went wrong with it. The white FFH showed the BS message a couple times in our first couple days with it since it had spent lots of time sitting on the dealer lot. We haven't seen any BS messages since though.

[Barsoom]

Well, I put my car on a home charger on Saturday and charged the 12V battery to 100%, and it still threw the Battery Saver message at me when I got to work this morning after a 3.6 mile drive. The car sat in the garage all weekend, so there must be something wrong with the battery if it's still giving me the message after the first use after charging it.

 

I guess I'll have to PM Ashley and find out what's going on.

[FordService]

Well, I put my car on a home charger on Saturday and charged the 12V battery to 100%, and it still threw the Battery Saver message at me when I got to work this morning after a 3.6 mile drive. The car sat in the garage all weekend, so there must be something wrong with the battery if it's still giving me the message after the first use after charging it.

 

I guess I'll have to PM Ashley and find out what's going on.

 

Barsoom,

 

I see your PM waiting for me. I'll check it out in just a couple minutes and respond. :)

 

Ashley

Edited January 28, 2014 by FordService

[Osofast]

Barsoom, iam the original poster for this thread and i still have this problem daily. It has been in and had the cold weather charging tsb seemed to work at first but it didnt last long and may have been more wishful thinking on my part than anything.

I also have a short daily commute at 4.8 miles and i do think this has something to do with it, however with that being said i can do a 15-20 mile trip and still have the bs message.

Seems to me that has become something i have just learned to live with ;(

I have an appointment this week for some other work yet again, maybe i will have this looked at again as well.

Good luck the new Ford reps here are extremely helpful and really can get things done.