Battery maintainer in vehicles with dual batteries

[FreedomOne]

I use an Tecmate Optimate 6 on the Duramax. Charging one charges both.

 

[Donald]

You might opt for a larger BatteryMinder. I think they are one of the best out there.

The batteries are connected in parallel to provide massive power to crank over the diesel in cold weather.

I think the BatteryMinder got unplugged.

Also both batteries should be same type (flooded or AGM) and best if both are roughly same age. You don,'t want an old marginal battery paired with a new battery.

I went to two AGMs in my PSD.

 

[Donald]

The Ford app sent me a message that my 2919 F350 with dual batteries is turning off its Internet monitoring program due to low battery voltage.

The F350 has been parked for a month. A smart battery maintainer is hooked up to one of the two batteries.

So, I am guessing either the battery maintainer has become unplugged or failed, or that the battery maintainer only charges the battery that the maintainer is connected to,- not both batteries. And the battery that powers the Internet monitoring of the vehicle is not the battery with the maintainer connected.

Am I missing anything in my analysis of the situation?

So is this a diesel pickup that came from the factory with two batteries for winter starting of the diesel engine or something else?

 

[GON]

So is this a diesel pickup that came from the factory with two batteries for winter starting of the diesel engine or something else?

Yes, the truck came from the factory with dual battaries. I assume for more amps to start, but I have not verified the reason for dual batteries.

Both batteries were replaced at the same time with Wal Mart batteries OOA JUN 2023.

 

[02SE]

FWIW, I use a 1.5 amp VDC Electronics Battery Minder, on our RAM Dually. Like your F350, it has dual batteries to provide the necessary cranking amps to turn over the Diesel Cummins (the 6.7 Scorpion in your case). Anyway, I connect the Battery Minder to one battery, which is connected to the other by the factory cables which are capable of carrying the Amperage the batteries and dual alternators provide.

It keeps the batteries fully charged with no issue.

 

[f355spider]

You might opt for a larger BatteryMinder. I think they are one of the best out there.

The batteries are connected in parallel to provide massive power to crank over the diesel in cold weather.

I think the BatteryMinder got unplugged.

Also both batteries should be same type (flooded or AGM) and best if both are roughly same age. You don,'t want an old marginal battery paired with a new battery.

I went to two AGMs in my PSD.

Battery Minder instructions for use, are a bit confusing for use with multiple batteries. They claim in the marketing and instructions that all of them are capable of charging multiple batteries, even the little wall wart 1 amp version retailed at Northern Tools, Battery Minder model 12117TC.

I own the 12117TC 1 amp, 2012AGM 2 amp and 128CEC2 2/4/8 amp. On the selectable amperage version 128CEC2 they say the following:

• If you are charging a large deep cycle battery or more than one battery than (sp) use 4 Amp setting.

That statement kind of implies more amperage is preferred for multiple batteries.

 

[tcp71]

We used to sit our 1 ton diesels for several months throughout the quiet summer season. Both batteries are wired in parallel and both will charge at the same time. If you are getting a shutdown message it just means the computer is going into deep sleep instead of monitoring some remaining items.

https://www.ford.ca/support/how-tos...y-does-my-ford-vehicle-enter-deep-sleep-mode/

 

[GON]

We used to sit our 1 ton diesels for several months throughout the quiet summer season. Both batteries are wired in parallel and both will charge at the same time. If you are getting a shutdown message it just means the computer is going into deep sleep instead of monitoring some remaining items.

https://www.ford.ca/support/how-tos...y-does-my-ford-vehicle-enter-deep-sleep-mode/

Thanks for posting the link.

The link states if a vehicle sits for 14 consecutive days, it will go into a deep sleep. The article implies deep sleep will happen regardless of battery voltage.

 

[ctechbob]

Thanks for posting the link.

The link states if a vehicle sits for 14 consecutive days, it will go into a deep sleep. The article implies deep sleep will happen regardless of battery voltage.

That's what I found with the Maverick. It sat on a maintainer and I would still get the message.