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12 volt battery success ?

astrand1

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I just called Costco and they have the battery in the system with no way to order it so no Costco.
That was the same for me. They pulled it right up but there was no stock and no way to order it. I even called interstate who they get their batteries from and they could not even pull it up they said they have never made an H3 AGM battery. 🤔
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Ncasini

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I have read endless posts regarding issues related to the failure or change out of the 12 V battery. Who can share a success story? Has anyone been able to change out the 12v battery in advance of issues and have a seamless replacement without any issues at all? My 2024 lightning flash (16,000 miles) green machine is the best vehicle I have ever driven. I want to keep it that way. Should I have my 12v battery tested? Should I just order a new one and put it in my self. What is the secret to avoiding all of these problems regarding the 12V. (foto: free L3 charging c/o Jackson Hole WY : ) Thanks

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I had a problem with my 2025 Flash. Got a notification that battery saver initiated and then it wouldn’t start. I took out the battery, tester said good (12.5V) with the proper CCA. I just charged it anyway and replaced it and it was fine. It was too easy to loosen the terminals!!! Cleaned the terminals, put on some silicone and tightened them more than originally. Problem went away, BUT…..when you start to drive you get a warning and the Orange Wrench. Just park it, let it set for a few minutes and drive it a few miles ( 10?). The warning went away! The dealer said it was just recalibrating the bms. Brought to dealer for a check. They were probably just mad they didn’t get paid!! So you can replace the battery yourself without a problem. sorry to say the dealer is probably the cheapest source for the battery. I learned this with my 23 Platinum. After the Frunk update, my headlights wouldn’t turn off. Had to disconnect the battery every time i got home. Finally replacing the light switch fixed the issue.
 

djwildstar

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I even called interstate who they get their batteries from and they could not even pull it up they said they have never made an H3 AGM battery. 🤔
As far as I can tell, this is correct. The OEM part is a MotorCraft BAGM-H3 (from Ford or Ford parts suppliers like RockAuto), DieHard (available from Advance Auto Parts) makes an H3 group size replacement battery, part number H3-XEV. Interstate (CostCo, Batteries+, Pep Boys) does not make a battery in this size class.

Interstate does make an H4 group size replacement battery, part number MTX-H4. This is a larger battery (570CCA versus 380CCA for the H3) and is also bigger and heavier. The Lightning's battery tray will hold this battery, but the 12V BMS will keep it chronically undercharged, shortening its useful life.
 

astrand1

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As far as I can tell, this is correct. The OEM part is a MotorCraft BAGM-H3 (from Ford or Ford parts suppliers like RockAuto), DieHard (available from Advance Auto Parts) makes an H3 group size replacement battery, part number H3-XEV. Interstate (CostCo, Batteries+, Pep Boys) does not make a battery in this size class.

Interstate does make an H4 group size replacement battery, part number MTX-H4. This is a larger battery (570CCA versus 380CCA for the H3) and is also bigger and heavier. The Lightning's battery tray will hold this battery, but the 12V BMS will keep it chronically undercharged, shortening its useful life.
I ordered the fomoco battery form rock auto. Price was pretty good. You do get stuck with the core charge since you can’t return the old one without paying shipping.
 

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bc1

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Couple things. I started a thread as I'm looking for a Prius battery and found they now offer a 12 volt Lithium battery as an alternative to the lead acid battery. A little pricy like the optima yellow and red tops but maybe better? I see them on Amazon. Maybe a better option here?

Is there a forscan fix for keeping the 12 volt battery charged up higher?

FYI. The H3-XEV battery is an AGM (absorbed glass mat) of the H3 group size. It has 420 CCA, 525 CA, 60 minute reserve capacity, and 40.0 AH (amp hour) rating. Size is 7" wide x 7" long x 7.5 high. Top post and if facing it the positive is on the right. The posts are recessed below the caps so the cables can only come in from the corner where the post is a/k/a a battery of another group and size with the posts in the opposite direction may not fit unless the cables were long enough.
 
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CRAIGC540

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I ended up getting the OEM battery from a Ford dealer. Funny thing is now my old Battery is charging up to 80 percent now. The battery is 4 years old next month so it's time I'm so. I am goin to switch them out this weekend. Are there any special instructions I should follow?
 

mr.Magoo

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The Lightning's battery tray will hold this battery, but the 12V BMS will keep it chronically undercharged, shortening its useful life.
A) Will it actually fit without trimming some plastic ?

B) Have anyone tested/confirmed this, or are we making that assumption simply because it's a bigger batter than the truck thinks it is ?

IF the truck relies on Ah to determine SoC, then installing a fully charged battery and resetting the BMS should at least in theory be better since the truck would think the battery is at 40% SoC when in fact it's only at 70%.
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