Battery Maintainer Usage

[elizarrj]

For those of you who use Battery Maintainers. How often do you use them? Daily, Weekly, or Monthly?

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[TaxmanHog]

Added a poll to your thread, added another option for the many who will post comments that they don't use one, like myself.

 

[Athrun88]

I don't use one either (for the moment) but is on my list of mods for the coming spring! I have a bad habit of leaving my OBD adapter plugged in and that ends up draining the LVB.

 

[Karlos]

I keep one of my trucks on a maintainer 24/7 - it sits in a garage for 2 weeks at a time when I'm away from it. The battery failed load test last month @ 35 months in service. My other LER is either on a 120V EVSE or being driven regularly .

 

[El Duderino]

I don't see any harm in it if you do. Can only help.

 

[Northcaptain]

Good question and i think i need to buy one, i need to store the Ligthning outside in -10 to 0 F temperature for the next 3 months (i'll be out of the country) and the dealership told me: 1-unplug the truck from the charger 2-put a battery maintainer on the 12 v battery. Does this relate to previous experiences by owners here ?

 

[RickLightning]

Good question and i think i need to buy one, i need to store the Ligthning outside in -10 to 0 F temperature for the next 3 months (i'll be out of the country) and the dealership told me: 1-unplug the truck from the charger 2-put a battery maintainer on the 12 v battery. Does this relate to previous experiences by owners here ?

Yes.

 

[MrCoolDu4]

Please excuse my ignorance, but why would you need to maintenance charge the 9v battery?

 

[RickLightning]

Please excuse my ignorance, but why would you need to maintenance charge the 9v battery?

12v battery...

When parked for a long period of time, the 12v voltage drops. The high voltage battery SHOULD keep the 12v maintained. Should... Ford recommends it be disconnected for non-use more than 30 days, some choose to leave it connected and connect a battery maintainer.

 

[K6CCC]

My Lightning is my daily drive vehicle so it seldom goes more than a day or two without driving, so I don't really have a need for a maintainer. I do keep a Noco jump start battery in the frunk so if I REALLY needed to jump start the truck I could do it from that. Primarily that is there because I already had it in my prior ICE truck, and I use it for other people far more often than for myself. It does come in handy as a large portable USB or 12 volt power source.

 

[Tony Burgh]

I use a Harbor Freight 2 amp NOCO knockoff when the night temps are single digit °F.
On original 12v battery and it probably needs the help.

 

[Montecarlossfan]

Just use one when storing it for any amount of time that’s longer than 2 weeks. Battery is at 85 percent capacity according to my tester, I have a new one to go in this spring then I’ll rotate that battery to my lawn tractor since I have a 9 year old mopar battery in there.

 

[chl]

Anytime the truck is not is use, the 12v is on the maintainer.

 

[BSEE SPARKY]

My Lightning is my daily drive vehicle so it seldom goes more than a day or two without driving, so I don't really have a need for a maintainer. I do keep a Noco jump start battery in the frunk so if I REALLY needed to jump start the truck I could do it from that. Primarily that is there because I already had it in my prior ICE truck, and I use it for other people far more often than for myself. It does come in handy as a large portable USB or 12 volt power source.

How would you get the frunk open if battery is dead? If battery just low, there isn't any engine to turn over, so wouldn't truck just start?

 

[bmwhitetx]

How would you get the frunk open if battery is dead? If battery just low, there isn't any engine to turn over, so wouldn't truck just start?

There are a set of high voltage relays/contactors that connect the HV battery to the HV loads (motors, DC-DC converter, etc.) when the truck in On/Ready. Those require some 12V juice.

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