Ranger Mods

Hi, Hoping for some advice. I’ll start with the problem and where I’ve got to so far, then backfill some data or info.

Problem is the CANbus is constantly waking up when the Scanguage is plugged in resulting in an abnormal 3A draw across the battery.
Cliff

Ford Ranger PX2 2016.
Replaced battery when a bit over 2 years old(2 years ago) as it would settle to about 12.4V (half charged in 12.0 to 12.7 V range) and was going on Lap of Oz so wanted battery in top condition.
Have never had a problem starting the car though. Battery tests always returned “Healthy. Charge battery”

Had assumed problem might have been due to smart charging of the Rangers which I had Ford turn off. Didn’t think any more about it until last week or so in preparing for a long run from Perth to Gibb River Rd. Didn’t want to risk battery failure up there.

Checked battery was settling to 12.1V to 12.3V overnight measured with multimeter across the battery terminals.
Took it to local auto-electrician who discovered after quite a bit of unsuccesful accessory (see complete list at bottom of this post) disconnection THAT when the car was locked the normal CANbus scanning asssociated with system shutdown ie polling all the modules, would never fully cease. It would go to “sleep”, then constantly wake up again and again.

When this was happening the amperage draw across the battery was around 3A which the auto electrician said was way too high. Normally there should be only a 20mA to 50mA draw when in sleep mode he said. 3A x maybe 20 hours a day = 60Ah on a 80Ah battery - not too hard to work out why the battery would draw down to 12.1 to 2.3 V. And over 2 years could impair battery due to deep cycle draw downs.

Eventually he disconnected the Scanguage 2(at the monitor) which is plugged into the 2nd OBDI(black) port and then the constant waking up, and 3A draw, STOPPED . The system went to sleep.



Interested also:
How long should it take for the CANbus scanning to complete normally ?
What kind of amperage draw would be normal during and after the post shutdown CANbus process either side of sleep mode?

Some data:
Previously the fully charged battery after driving would drop down to 12.5V to 12.4V within half hour of stopping and locking the car.
After having disconnecteed the Scanguage
Ran car to fully charged
Parked in driveway
Popped bonnet, and locked car
3:30pm 12.68V at turn off
3:35pm 12.74V

4:10pm 12.79V (increase of 0.11V in 40 minutes presumably as CANbus finished its shutdown scanning)

During the above 3 readings unlocked car a few times which might have restarted shutdown scanning. Interesting also whether having the hood up(latch switch) is monitored when vehicle is locked ?

6:00pm 12.66V ie surface charge gone and was probably used up in shutdown scanning. 12.66 pretty close to fully charged V

Next morning
7:30am 12.30V -dropped about 0.2V when car was unlocked for a minute or two with wakeup scanning happening
7:45am back up to 12.53V and holding

Previously would have been down to 12.1 to 12.3 V
So net drop over night 12.66 - 12.53 = 0.13V which isnt much considering the battery is nearly 2 years old and has had the 3A deep cycling load for the last 2 years probably reducing performance plus normal ageing

Electrical Accessory list
ARB Accent canopy – integrated to vehicle central locking, lighting etc – installed by ARB
Redarc 25A BCDC with Aux battery – (Pre LV version) Installed by ARB
Driving lights – installed by ARB
UHF Radio – installed by ARB
HEMA navigator – patched to fuse panel. Shuts down when car turned off
Caravan rear camera system. Monitor on dashboard patched to fuse panel. Normally off and switches off when car turned off
Tyre pressure monitoring system signal booster – plugged into 12V socket at rear of console
2 x USB chargers plugged into 12V sockets on dashboard(nothing plugged into them)
Not sure if these sockets go to sleep also ?
SCANGUAGE 2 connected to OBDI rear port normally

I have never used a Scanguage but I do use an Ultraguage.
The Ultraguage has several Power Off Detection methods and if the wrong one is selected the battery will drain in a matter of hours.
(I did it)
I have no idea if the Scanguage is similar but it would explain the battery drainage.

Thanks Ross. That a line worth exploring. I had a quick look at the User Manual and couldnt see anything about power off detection. I had a look at the Ultragauge manual on line pdf, and yes there's a section on it and a warning about potential battery drain in some vehicles.
I've also sent a message off to Scangauge via their website querying this

Hi all
Just an update, and if anyone with a bit of electrical skill would like to test something for me, I would be grateful.
Basically I've escalated through Scangauge to Scangauge USA technical engineering for some advice on this. I'm not overly hopeful of that line though.

What I'm interested in, is if there is anyone on this Forum, who has a PX2, with a Scangauge 2, who has a shunted Ammeter capable of an in series test to determine amperage draw acrosss the battery, after vehicle 'Off and locked', and would like to advise their readings I would be interested.

As previoulsy advised my auto-electrician reported the CANbus would not shut down and instead of a few milliamps, at least 3A of draw continued until the vehicle was started again.
I've since observed on my Scanguage(because I havent got a shunted ammeter - I've bought the parts now, just have to assemble it):

When car is turned off the amperage across the battery is immediately (minus) 8A for a few seconds then drops to minus 7A, then after about a minute minus 5A and stays there for at least 10 minutes after which I gave up monitoring, but I assume it gets down the minus 3A and stays about there.

I'm interested to see what other Rangers experience in amperage acrosss the battery after 30 mins, 1 hour and 2 hours from lock up.
By one hour there should be only milliamps draw down across the battery

Scanguage(Australia) seem to be suggesting mine is a one off case. I cant believe that.

On another site something was suggested about Ultraguage ? I Googled. Their user manual at pages 40 and 41 makes interesting reading.
https://ultra-gauge.com/ultragauge/supp ... Manual.pdf
I've got no idea what all of it means but it seems that these types of products can interact differently with the CANbus logic and protocol of different vehicles and power ON/OFF timings can make a difference and in fact flatten batteries. Ultraguage seems to have a configuration to try to address this. Scangauge doesn't - not in their standard user manual anyway.

I cant help but think, and its only a stab in the dark, that if the Ranger CANbus logic in doing its normal shutdown scans finds a scanning device plugged into the OBDI, that the CAN logic would not expect to be there when the car is turned off and locked, because the OBDI was probably only ever designed for engine or ignition ON diagnostics, then it might be confused into determining that the system should be waking up, not going to sleep.

Just an uniformed guess !
Cliff

I use a dc clamp meter available at lots of places no assembly required. With mx+ Bluetooth device plugged in I have no flat battery problems.

Not able to do tests for a another week or more.

Hi Bala
yes I think investing in a DC clamp meter might be a better way to go
And yes also, if you are able to at some point in the future, very interested in hearing what amperages you see during shutdown and into sleep even though you have a different device to the Scangauge. I'm trying to get a sense of what a normal amps draw profile looks like.
Thanks again
Cliff

And found this blog on line. Some common themes

https://www.classbforum.com/forums/f5/i ... -8174.html

Just a quick post for a clarification in a new Post hopefully some time today
Yesterday afternoon I built a shunted ammeter and conducted tests across the negative battery terminal to vehicle Ground.

I CAN NOW ADVISE THAT THE SCANGAUGE IS NOT THE PROBLEM

The cyclic (5 minute interval) parasitic battery drain(which is not 3A continuously but instead starts at 3A then draws down to 0.4A, then cycles back up to 3A and draws down again, at 5 minute cycles)

exists irrespective of whether the Scangauge is connected.

To determine this you have to watch he ammeter continuously for over 10 minutes( 2 CANbus cycles at least ) to witness changing amperages.

The auto-electrician that advised me that the Scangauge was the problem could not have done this.

Apologies for misleading anyone. And I have done the same with Scangauge Australia.

I will separately post interesting figures asap.

Cliff