Battery Tender Terminal Connections

Mine is a Badlands but it is the same.

Thanks, much appreciated.

Most battery maintainers come with a pigtail connector with eye loop connectors. Just use the threaded posts on the battery post terminal. Plug the maintainer into the pig tail when required.

Eninty

Most battery maintainers come with a pigtail connector with eye loop connectors. Just use the threaded posts on the battery post terminal. Plug the maintainer into the pig tail when required.

What he said. I have them on my F-150, Bronco, ATV, and John Deere.

Thanks for the photos and advice. I wanted to be sure on making the connection correctly on exposed bolt on the positive terminal (otherwise covered).
I use a Battery Tender also on a RAM, but always connect the ground to an unpainted bolt, not the battery’s negative terminal as shown in the photos. Curious why with your Broncos you connect to the negative terminal on the battery?

Thanks

Eninty

Most battery maintainers come with a pigtail connector with eye loop connectors. Just use the threaded posts on the battery post terminal. Plug the maintainer into the pig tail when required.

Just be sure to NOT connect directly to the posts but rather the threaded posts on the side else, you run the risk of issues with the BMS!

Bschurr

Just be sure to NOT connect directly to the posts but rather the threaded posts on the side else, you run the risk of issues with the BMS!

Yes, connect the negative to that ground terminal on the fender so that the BMS can calculate the state of charge correctly.

Bschurr

Just be sure to NOT connect directly to the posts but rather the threaded posts on the side else, you run the risk of issues with the BMS!

I keep hearing this, I don't believe it, but where is the data?

Eninty

I keep hearing this, I don't believe it, but where is the data?

Those threaded terminals are there for a reason. I don’t have empirical data so you will either need to trust or FAFO - your call.

Bschurr

Just be sure to NOT connect directly to the posts but rather the threaded posts on the side else, you run the risk of issues with the BMS!

Thanks for pointing that out. When I hooked it up this last time, I did indeed hook it up to the wrong screw. still charged fine but we definitely don’t want to make the system get screwy.

Eninty

I keep hearing this, I don't believe it, but where is the data?

I remember seeing this thread when I was waiting on my Bronco. Not sure if it addresses your concerns.
https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...operly-charge-how-to-power-accessories.59199/

RBJRBJ

Thanks, much appreciated.

If you are going to use the quick-connect cable, attach it to the accessory connection bolts provided as shown:

Choose your preferred one. This is what they are there for. Black can go to any ground location. It doesn't need to be the battery negative.

timhood

If you are going to use the quick-connect cable, attach it to the accessory connection bolts provided as shown:

Choose your preferred one. This is what they are there for. Black can go to any ground location. It doesn't need to be the battery negative.

Preferably the negative on the other side of the BMS sensor though.

Bschurr

Those threaded terminals are there for a reason. I don’t have empirical data so you will either need to trust or FAFO - your call.

Literally been using a battery maintainer on my vehicles for going on 32 years now (i.e. before they were cool); so far back in fact that, the Battery Tender brand was made in Florida, USA. My 2006 BMW has a quite sophisticated battery monitoring system, I don't keep it on a maintainer as a practice, but I have for a week or two at times when it's over in the shop and I'm working on it. I've never had an issue with keeping it on a tender. Is that fucking around enough with one?

Eninty

Literally been using a battery maintainer on my vehicles for going on 32 years now (i.e. before they were cool); so far back in fact that, the Battery Tender brand was made in Florida, USA. My 2006 BMW has a quite sophisticated battery monitoring system, I don't keep it on a maintainer as a practice, but I have for a week or two at times when it's over in the shop and I'm working on it. I've never had an issue with keeping it on a tender. Is that fucking around enough with one?

My comment wasn’t about the value, benefits or how long one has been using a battery maintainer it is simply about how/where to hook up the terminals.

I always try to provide helpful info and I will continue to use the threaded posts that are intended to work in conjunction with Ford’s BCM. Additionally, I will uphold the forum guidelines and share my insights with fellow enthusiasts in the spirit of help & cooperation.

If you don’t feel that my guidance pertains to your needs, that’s OK. 👍🏼

Bschurr

My comment wasn’t about the value, benefits or how long one has been using a battery maintainer it is simply about how/where to hook up the terminals.

I always try to provide helpful info and I will continue to use the threaded posts that are intended to work in conjunction with Ford’s BCM. Additionally, I will uphold the forum guidelines and share my insights with fellow enthusiasts in the spirit of help & cooperation.

If you don’t feel that my guidance pertains to your needs, that’s OK. 👍🏼

What was your guidance, and how was it different than mine? I wrote:

"Just use the threaded posts on the battery post terminal. Plug the maintainer into the pig tail when required."

You brought up the topic of "issues with the BMS", but offered no further or specific information. I asked and you replied FAFO. One could find such a response as insulting...

The Bronco owners manual states:

"BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
LIMITATIONS
After battery replacement, or in some cases after charging the battery with an external charger, the battery management system requires eight hours of vehicle sleep time to relearn the battery state of charge. During this time, your vehicle must remain
fully locked with the ignition switched off.
Note: Prior to relearning the battery state of charge, the battery management system could temporarily disable some electrical systems."

Remember that the forums are a place to learn and help each other. It's expected people will have different experiences and opinions, so please keep responses aimed at helping one another. The "report" button is a tool you can use to let mods and admins handle issues.

"BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
LIMITATIONS
After battery replacement, or in some cases after charging the battery with an external charger, the battery management system requires eight hours of vehicle sleep time to relearn the battery state of charge. During this time, your vehicle must remain fully locked with the ignition switched off. Note: Prior to relearning the battery state of charge, the battery management system could temporarily disable some electrical systems."

I think this is a significant piece of information. I would say if a battery maintainer is used constantly and attached to the battery when it is at or near 100% state of charge (SOC), the risk of the BMS "disabling some electrical systems" would be rather low because it has no reason to think the battery level of charge can't support full operation of the entire electrical system.

On the other hand, if the battery maintainer is connected to recover the battery from a low state of charge and the BMS had implemented some disabling of some electrical systems at that time, once the battery has been recharged by the external battery maintainer (charger) unknown by the BMS, it makes sense the BMS would need time to assess the SOC of the battery before it would restore the disabled circuits.

The main purpose of a battery maintainer is to preemptively use it to keep the battery from discharging due to some systems normal electrical drain.

Eninty

"BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
LIMITATIONS
After battery replacement, or in some cases after charging the battery with an external charger, the battery management system requires eight hours of vehicle sleep time to relearn the battery state of charge. During this time, your vehicle must remain
fully locked with the ignition switched off.
Note: Prior to relearning the battery state of charge, the battery management system could temporarily disable some electrical systems."

I think this is a significant piece of information. I would say if a battery maintainer is used constantly and attached to the battery when it is at or near 100% state of charge (SOC), the risk of the BMS "disabling some electrical systems" would be rather low because it has no reason to think the battery level of charge can't support full operation of the entire electrical system.

On the other hand, if the battery maintainer is connected to recover the battery from a low state of charge and the BMS had implemented some disabling of some electrical systems at that time, once the battery has been recharged by the external battery maintainer (charger) unknown by the BMS, it makes sense the BMS would need time to assess the SOC of the battery before it would restore the disabled circuits.

The main purpose of a battery maintainer is to preemptively use it to keep the battery from discharging due to some systems normal electrical drain.

I had read through all that stuff. This is the first vehicle I have had with the BMS and I had zero clue about it. I went and looked at the instructions from The Battery Tender, company and their instructions don’t even mention BMS. They just say hook the red to the positive terminal and the black to the negative terminal. So this is a good lesson learned for everyone. All I know is my battery didn’t even make it two years before I had to replace it. I think if you mix in a week here and there of no driving, constant drain and our wonderful extreme heat here in AZ and there you have it