[metroplex]

After much back/forth with the parts dealer they cannot locate the correct parts in the system. They admitted it is a manufacturing screw up by Ford. While I was research AGM batteries I have found on Consumer Reports and other testing that the AGM doesn't provide anywhere close to the advertised cranking amps when cold. I know AGM performs poorly (worse) than flooded batteries in the deep cold (-40) but didn't realize they were worse even below 32F. The flooded batteries had more cranking amps. So I think I'll just stick with Group 90/T5 for the lightest battery setup.

 

[metroplex]

Great news... I decided to give hp5z-10718-c a try again, and this time these parts manufactured January 2023 were the correct part. The previous brackets that were wrong (they looked to be the Continental brackets packaged/labeled incorrectly) were dated June 2021. Probably during the whole COVID19 labor shortage/parts shortage fiasco. Perhaps Tasca contacted Ford's parts distro warehouses because January 2023 is when I contacted them and let them know the parts were wrong.

Anyhow, I may give the H7/94R a try - still undecided. These Costco Interstates are coming up on 3 years now.

 

[ColoradoGuy]

Great news... I decided to give hp5z-10718-c a try again, and this time these parts manufactured January 2023 were the correct part. The previous brackets that were wrong (they looked to be the Continental brackets packaged/labeled incorrectly) were dated June 2021. Probably during the whole COVID19 labor shortage/parts shortage fiasco. Perhaps Tasca contacted Ford's parts distro warehouses because January 2023 is when I contacted them and let them know the parts were wrong.

Anyhow, I may give the H7/94R a try - still undecided. These Costco Interstates are coming up on 3 years now.

Interesting your mention of 3 years on the Costco Interstate battery. Lot's of previous discussion here, but vehicle batteries used to last far longer, even in extreme cold or extreme hot environments. I have started putting my Sport on a trickle charger/maintainer most of the time I am not driving it. That supposedly could double the battery life or more. If it doesn't it is a big hassle for nothing...

 

[metroplex]

Interesting your mention of 3 years on the Costco Interstate battery. Lot's of previous discussion here, but vehicle batteries used to last far longer, even in extreme cold or extreme hot environments. I have started putting my Sport on a trickle charger/maintainer most of the time I am not driving it. That supposedly could double the battery life or more. If it doesn't it is a big hassle for nothing...

I mention 3 years because 99.9% of all car batteries only have a 3 year full replacement warranty nowadays. There are no more 100 month pro-rated plus 3 year full replacement warranties like the good 'ol days. Even Die Hard Gold, now sold under Advance Auto, is 3 years. I think AC Delco has one premium tier that is 4 years full replacement but that's about it. Whether you buy a flooded battery or a "Platinum" AGM battery, it is 3 years. And car batteries have sky rocketed in price over the years!

I believe this changed sometime around 2019-2020. Maybe it was the COVID19 pandemic that shifted this warranty stuff. Because I had bought a new Advance Auto Autocraft Gold for a friend and it has a 3 year / 100 month warranty. A year later I went to buy a new battery for myself and every brand was only 36 months. Plus the price jumped by $50+ and Advance Auto and Autozone no longer accepted discount coupons on car batteries. You still had idiots on the Internet parroting just use a coupon at those stores

For a few of our vehicles that basically live their lives 90% on a Battery Tender, I haven't gotten more than 10-12 years out of those batteries. They either fail with physically broken plates or they catastrophically detonate one random day, cracking the case and spilling the contents into my trunk in the factory mounted location.

I use a Battery Tender on my Fusion Sport if I don't drive it longer than a week.

I noticed that the on-board BMS usually keeps it around 70-80% SOC when in daily normal driving use. Tesla's low-voltage (16V CATL Li-Ion, I keep forgetting if it is NCA or NMCA) is the same way, the onboard charger maintains it around 77% whether in daily use or long-term storage. It has to be NMCA because NCA degrades faster at 70% SOC than NMCA. LFP is happy as a clam at 70%.

 

[ColoradoGuy]

The only time I ever got 12+ years was a 2000 Mercedes - the factory battery went that long with zero battery tender support, and probably 5K miles/year. But that was before all the electronics. It never failed, I just replied it thinking it could not go on much longer. You know a lot about batteries, obviously. Here is a random unrelated question that I have a hard time figuring out. Have a deep discharge 12V Interstate battery for a little RV we store outside. Just added a solar charger/maintainer - they are cheap as dirt. Supposedly has overcharge protection built-in. I let it run a week and get it reads 12.9V resting (and disconnected from everything). I know 12.6V is typically the fully-charged number, so wondering if the solar charger is overcharging a bit? I know the multimeter test is not the best, but my old specific gravity water tester seems way off. What's your guess on overcharging?

 

[metroplex]

I've had bad luck with maintainers that aren't made by Battery Tender. It has to do with how much current is applied and the float charge during the maintenance cycle. A lot of "tenders" tend to float up to 14.7 VDC which boils the battery over time. Battery Tender is the only brand that floats at around 13.2 VDC with 50mA-150mA or as much as needed to fight parasitic draw and help keep the battery charged enough without damaging it. The fact I've gotten two car batteries to last 10-12 years sitting on a Battery Tender is a pretty good testament to its performance. I've had quite a few batteries toasted by other brands and overcharged.

I'd say your solar charger is fine. 12.9 VDC at rest is fine at most temperatures. How much current is applied to the battery during charging? Unless it is a huge solar panel, I'd say it is just trickling in current and that's fine but probably not enough to fight parasitic drain if there were electronics attached.

I recommend the waterproof Battery Tenders and I run them everywhere on every battery (mower, motorcycle, etc...)

I upgraded to a Shorai Lithium Ion battery (LFP to be exact) and run the Battery Tender in LFP mode once every 2 months versus leaving it on indefinitely. The Lithium Ion batteries have almost no self discharge. It's amazing. 13.2 VDC at rest in 0F ambient winter in a detached garage is pretty interesting.

 

[ColoradoGuy]

Very helpful - thank you! I also use Battery Tenders for places I have 110v, and had great luck over the years. The RV is in a remote offsite location with no access to 110v. I am trying the Solar maintainer so I can leave the battery in the storage lot, and keep it charged (while disconnected). So zero parasitic drain. Battery Tender does make a Solar maintainer IIRC, but it was 2x or 3x the cost of the $40 solar unit I got. I believe the small solar panel I got was rated at 420ma output, and on a semi sunny day it was delivering 200ma. Supposedly has overcharge protection, and very highly rated on Amazon for this application. I measured the panel output at around 14v-15v I believe. Admins, sorry for hijacking the thread 🙂

 

[Aicjofs]

With the information here I decided to switch out the T90 flooded that just died with a 94R AGM. Ordered the p5z-10718-c hold down bracket. Couple hours work. Have to remove the air filter box, pop the 2 wire tie downs to install the new hold down bracket. Change battery type in Forscan, and bumped up the State of Charge from 80 to 90. The voltage is definitely inline with AGM voltage now.

Snug fit but I'm happy, thanks for the inspiration. Especially@metroplex for the parts research.