Has anyone noticed LVB bulging?

[maxmxa]

I have '24 Flash and I had issues with the last OTA software update, and it was being disrupted due to low battery. I noticed the sides of the 12V battery is slightly bulged out on left and right sides. I'm not sure if this normal or there is an issue. Taking the truck to a dealer means I have to take a day off work and drive 45 min. to an hour to a dealer, so I checked on the battery price, and it seems they are hard to find and expensive (around $250). I appreciate any feedback if the bulging shape is normal. I'll try to take a photo and add to this later today.

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[cptj777]

A swollen car battery is not normal and can be very dangerous. You need to get that replaced today. Autozone has batteries comparable with stock Lightning batteries. They can help change it for you too if you need it. They have a H3 Duralast AGM battery for about $250. I recommend you deal with this today.

 

[TaxmanHog]

12 volt battery bulging!
Bulging Battery/Low Cranking Amps.

 

[chl]

I have '24 Flash and I had issues with the last OTA software update, and it was being disrupted due to low battery. I noticed the sides of the 12V battery is slightly bulged out on left and right sides. I'm not sure if this normal or there is an issue. Taking the truck to a dealer means I have to take a day off work and drive 45 min. to an hour to a dealer, so I checked on the battery price, and it seems they are hard to find and expensive (around $250). I appreciate any feedback if the bulging shape is normal. I'll try to take a photo and add to this later today.

It has been seen before, a sign of overcharging/high charging current causing heat and can lead to loss of electrolyte through out-gassing (hydrogen sulfide gas - rotten egg smell).

The truck seems to do 2 things with it's battery manglement system:
1) lets the battery get significantly discharged and
2) then applies a high charging current due to the low SOC.

This is why many Lightning owners have had batteries replaced within the 3 year warranty period.

The batteries eventually have sulfate buildup on the plates that becomes permanent and/or loss of electrolyte due to out-gassing. Either one or both will lead to a premature death.

When you get your replacement battery, put it on a battery maintainer daily (e.g., overnight) and it'll last a lot longer. The maintainer will use a reasonable charging current and will actually top off the battery to 100% which is needed to drive off the sulfates.

Several threads and posts about this and how to wire up a charging connection to make life easier:

how to make it easier by adding a trickle charger wire:
https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/charging-12v-battery.16979/

about the different ways to charge up the battery to get OTAs:
https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/how-to-get-failed-otas-to-install.29749/

from the Mach-e forum goes into depth about these 12v AGM batteries:
https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/how-to-recondition-service-your-12v-battery.11069/

This is what I did - must connect the negative wire of the maintainer downstream of the BMS sensor so the system knows the SOC (it monitors the current in and out and does coulomb counting) - can connect the negative to any ground point as well:

Wire for maintainer at charge port on my truck:

 

[Dan C]

I guess i am in the minority, I have never laid eyes on my lvb

 

[JMD359]

A bulging battery case is a sign the battery went dead in the cold and froze ….

 

[chl]

A bulging battery case is a sign the battery went dead in the cold and froze ….

Yes, that is another possibility, but it'd have to be really really cold to freeze a fully charged battery (like in the negative below 0F's), but a badly discharged battery can freeze and bulge at a hair below 32F freezing temp, so they tell me - never had it happen to me, knock on wood!

Another reason to keep the battery on a maintainer!

EDIT: just want to note that some owners have reported measuring very high LVB charging currents and that might be the more likely cause most of the time, unless your battery SOC got below 50% during a cold spell, and/or you're up in the North Country.

 

[maxmxa]

A bulging battery case is a sign the battery went dead in the cold and froze ….

We live in AZ so no cold weather here where we are.

 

[maxmxa]

It has been seen before, a sign of overcharging/high charging current causing heat and can lead to loss of electrolyte through out-gassing (hydrogen sulfide gas - rotten egg smell).

The truck seems to do 2 things with it's battery manglement system:
1) lets the battery get significantly discharged and
2) then applies a high charging current due to the low SOC.

This is why many Lightning owners have had batteries replaced within the 3 year warranty period.

The batteries eventually have sulfate buildup on the plates that becomes permanent and/or loss of electrolyte due to out-gassing. Either one or both will lead to a premature death.

When you get your replacement battery, put it on a battery maintainer daily (e.g., overnight) and it'll last a lot longer. The maintainer will use a reasonable charging current and will actually top off the battery to 100% which is needed to drive off the sulfates.

Several threads and posts about this and how to wire up a charging connection to make life easier:

how to make it easier by adding a trickle charger wire:
https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/charging-12v-battery.16979/

about the different ways to charge up the battery to get OTAs:
https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/how-to-get-failed-otas-to-install.29749/

from the Mach-e forum goes into depth about these 12v AGM batteries:
https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/how-to-recondition-service-your-12v-battery.11069/

This is what I did - must connect the negative wire of the maintainer downstream of the BMS sensor so the system knows the SOC (it monitors the current in and out and does coulomb counting) - can connect the negative to any ground point as well:

Wire for maintainer at charge port on my truck:

Thanks Chris! I had it on a trickle charger set for AGM batteries for couple of nights and was able to get through the update finally and I have voltage monitor that shows around 13.8V with accessory on then with ignition on it shows 14.2V. I wonder if it got overcharged due to the trickle charger.

 

[chl]

We live in AZ so no cold weather here where we are.

Extremely hot climate can be another factor affecting battery longevity, with the high charging currents the lightning seems to apply sometimes the ambient temperature can make the effect worse.

Either way, noticeable bulging due to high charging current or from freezing, the battery has "issues" and likely needs replacing.

 

[chl]

Thanks Chris! I had it on a trickle charger set for AGM batteries for couple of nights and was able to get through the update finally and I have voltage monitor that shows around 13.8V with accessory on then with ignition on it shows 14.2V. I wonder if it got overcharged due to the trickle charger.

Glad you finally got your update.

Is it possible the bulging was present before using the maintainer?

A maintainer should not over charge or use a high currents so should not cause bulging.

An old old-style trickle charger could overcharge the battery and lead to bulging. It will keep applying voltage/current even after the battery reaches the optimum charge, which can damage the battery by driving off electrolyte leading to bulging.

14.2V is what the truck DC-DC converter will apply to the battery during charging when the truck is on.

When the battery gets discharged, the truck applies the charging voltage of 14.2V but does not regulate the current so a high current may be applied if the battery was deeply discharged, which can result in bulging.

A maintainer will apply the 14.2V but regulate the current so it never goes above what the maintainer is rated for, and the charging will stop when the battery is full.

After charging the battery terminal voltage will 'settle' and drop over a period of time until it reaches a certain voltage indicative of the SOH. The maintainer will 'float' and come on periodically to maintain 100% SOC.

The 13.8V in accessory mode could be an intermediate voltage as the battery is settling after charging.

So if you used a modern battery maintainer, it should not be the cause of the bulging.

 

[chl]

I have read in Amazon reviews about some items sold as maintainers that were not stopping when the battery was full and ended up damaging the battery.

Did not see any issue with the NOCO brand maintainers.

Hopefully that was not your issue, but there is a lot of junk being sold these days.

 

[Montecarlossfan]

I have '24 Flash and I had issues with the last OTA software update, and it was being disrupted due to low battery. I noticed the sides of the 12V battery is slightly bulged out on left and right sides. I'm not sure if this normal or there is an issue. Taking the truck to a dealer means I have to take a day off work and drive 45 min. to an hour to a dealer, so I checked on the battery price, and it seems they are hard to find and expensive (around $250). I appreciate any feedback if the bulging shape is normal. I'll try to take a photo and add to this later today.

My replacement came and I’m think it’s a manufacturing defect or just the way it is deal ,as it looks swollen , the first replacement damaged in shipping was the same way. I was concerned as you were but when 2 motocraft replacements look swollen .. I chalk it up to simply that’s the way it is with this specific battery.

 

[chl]

My replacement came and I’m think it’s a manufacturing defect or just the way it is deal ,as it looks swollen , the first replacement damaged in shipping was the same way. I was concerned as you were but when 2 motocraft replacements look swollen .. I chalk it up to simply that’s the way it is with this specific battery.

That is worrisome...swollen/bulging batteries is usually a bad sign.

 

[Montecarlossfan]

Agreed

That is worrisome...swollen/bulging batteries is usually a bad sign.

Agreed but two batteries with a different mfg date… kind of like their plates are just ever so slightly larger than the case? I don’t have the current battery and realize not the best angle , but you can kind of see it.

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