ECU module programming guide using FDRS

[imnuts]

Why not follow that back to the battery and put the clips on the flat connector piece before the monitoring electronics? You would have more to bite on to and it is technically the same ground point but 8 inches closer to the battery.

It's detailed somewhere in the thread. If you hook directly to the battery for both terminals, it can interfere with the module responsible for maintaining battery voltage.

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[abd79]

It's detailed somewhere in the thread. If you hook directly to the battery for both terminals, it can interfere with the module responsible for maintaining battery voltage.

Should have more clear. Not connecting directly to the negative battery terminal but rather connecting after the battery monitoring electronics on the negative body side of the battery. That point your connected to is a 10 gauge wire directly to that point on the battery. It has a large flat connector which is easier to connect to.

 

[imnuts]

The further you are from the battery terminal, the more likely it is to cause problems. Using the ground point that the negative terminal is tied too isn't great, but better than the post. The battery monitoring connection doesn't know which side of it you would be connected to unless there is a diode to prevent current from going the other direction, which on a metal connector there isn't.

Side note & major annoyance: Every instruction I have ever seen about hooking up to a vehicle battery for charging (using a charger or jumper cables) has always said to never connect to the negative battery terminal. This includes manuals from the vehicle manufacturers themselves. With that being said, why is there no easily accessible ground post on any vehicle that can be used for alligator clips? The bolts on the front of the F-150 are OK at best, and it's the only vehicle I've seen with something that would remotely work.

 

[speedracercjr]

Y’all ever wonder if Ford is watching this thread learning shit from us?

 

[JEB]

This is the best location I have found to connect the negative lead to the truck. The other locations in this thread didn't work for me. I'm using the maintainer recommended.

The nut at the other end of that cable works pretty well, too.

Should have more clear. Not connecting directly to the negative battery terminal but rather connecting after the battery monitoring electronics on the negative body side of the battery. That point your connected to is a 10 gauge wire directly to that point on the battery. It has a large flat connector which is easier to connect to.

I agree. That makes sense electrically. . . . And I tried it. Unfortunately, on mine there is gunk from the factory on the underside of that flat piece of metal and it made for a poor connection. However, the nut that holds that flat piece to the battery management sensor makes for a great ground. My NOCO Genius 10 held 12.9-13V during my entire 4.5-hour update session. And since the nut, the flat piece of metal, the cable attached to that metal and the grounding bolt on the other side of the cable are all downstream of the battery sensor, none of these potential negative alligator attachment points should mess up the sensor’s calibration.

 

[BlackSheep]

The further you are from the battery terminal, the more likely it is to cause problems. Using the ground point that the negative terminal is tied too isn't great, but better than the post. The battery monitoring connection doesn't know which side of it you would be connected to unless there is a diode to prevent current from going the other direction, which on a metal connector there isn't.

Side note & major annoyance: Every instruction I have ever seen about hooking up to a vehicle battery for charging (using a charger or jumper cables) has always said to never connect to the negative battery terminal. This includes manuals from the vehicle manufacturers themselves. With that being said, why is there no easily accessible ground post on any vehicle that can be used for alligator clips? The bolts on the front of the F-150 are OK at best, and it's the only vehicle I've seen with something that would remotely work.

I completed my updates with no battery issues. Are you suggesting that I follow that wire back, which is closer to the battery? There is a nut which appears to be just before the battery monitoring system and the negative post. (Looks like someone posted just before I did confirming my question.)

 

[Fordphanatic]

Y’all ever wonder if Ford is watching this thread learning shit from us?

Every tech that works for ford NEEDS to read this thread!!

 

[Foxtrot150]

Also, I don't know if other PowerBoost owners see the same thing, but my truck does not stay above 12.5V with the NOCO Genius 5 hooked up at all. It isn't the recommended one and doesn't have a power supply mode, but last time my truck hung out around 11.9-12.1VDC the entire time. Today it was 12.2-12.4VDC using a different point for the ground clamp. The only time I saw it higher was when I first started (was out for a drive this morning) and when I was going to ignition on or truck running before an update started.

My PB never went higher than 12.1. I didn't attempt the updates using a VX Nano. I should have checked the voltage in Forscan before purchasing a 2 day license.

 

[christophers]

re: battery, i use the schumacher INC100. used it when doing DME flashes on BMWs and it works perfect for this. the problem with the Noco and others is it only puts out 1, 2, or 5 amps (some do 10 i think?). my schumacher will do 10+ regularly even without programming. it does up to 100a in "flash/reprogram" mode for this specific type of work.
once you brick your BMW's most expensive piece of electronics, you don't screw around with subpar maintainers anymore

EDIT: anyone in the austin, TX area that needs some help, feel free to come on by as well.

 

[nicholsbradley]

Y’all ever wonder if Ford is watching this thread learning shit from us?

I guarantee they are and probably saying well they doing it we won’t bother dealers yet.

 

[abd79]

re: battery, i use the schumacher INC100. used it when doing DME flashes on BMWs and it works perfect for this. the problem with the Noco and others is it only puts out 1, 2, or 5 amps (some do 10 i think?). my schumacher will do 10+ regularly even without programming. it does up to 100a in "flash/reprogram" mode for this specific type of work.
once you brick your BMW's most expensive piece of electronics, you don't screw around with subpar maintainers anymore

EDIT: anyone in the austin, TX area that needs some help, feel free to come on by as well.

The other problem with the Noco smart chargers are they use PWM(Pulse width modulation) or equivalent to charge these batteries. I tried a noco and when I would plug in my laptop my mouse would go all crazy. Unplug the noco and all is fine. So a good conventional analog battery charger with 10/20/30 amp capabilities I think is best.

 

[christophers]

The other problem with the Noco smart chargers are they use PWM(Pulse width modulation) or equivalent to charge these batteries. I tried a noco and when I would plug in my laptop my mouse would go all crazy. Unplug the noco and all is fine. So a good conventional analog battery charger with 10/20/30 amp capabilities I think is best.

nothing wrong with PWM, it's better than a lot of analog chargers as it's more efficient with the charging curves required for various batteries. however, as you noticed, sometimes in digital systems it can be a bit weird depending on how the respective circuits are designed to isolate from ground.

 

[abd79]

nothing wrong with PWM, it's better than a lot of analog chargers as it's more efficient with the charging curves required for various batteries. however, as you noticed, sometimes in digital systems it can be a bit weird depending on how the respective circuits are designed to isolate from ground.

Totally agree, nothing wrong with them when used in the right application. They are just fine without a laptop connected to your truck writing to your modules. Not sure if would affect them but if it’s messing with my mouse it could be messing with the Nano, Mongoose or VCM. Heaven forbid it tries to write a 2 in place of a 1 or 0. Blues screen of death one of our modules ???

 

[JEB]

The other problem with the Noco smart chargers are they use PWM(Pulse width modulation) or equivalent to charge these batteries. I tried a noco and when I would plug in my laptop my mouse would go all crazy. Unplug the noco and all is fine. So a good conventional analog battery charger with 10/20/30 amp capabilities I think is best.

I don’t agree with a blanket bash of NOCO chargers. I used a Genius 10 in power supply mode and it maintained a consistent 12.9-13V for more than four hours this morning and didn’t exhibit any of the irregularities you indicate. Sometimes it’s the charger. Sometimes it‘s how you use it.

 

[abd79]

I don’t agree with a blanket bash of NOCO chargers. I used a Genius 10 in power supply mode and it maintained a consistent 12.9-13V for more than four hours this morning and didn’t exhibit any of the irregularities you indicate. Sometimes it’s the charger. Sometimes it‘s how you use it.

Not bashing them just voicing what I’ve seen. You’re right though could be something with my charger or a combination of charger, surface tablet power supply and powerboost. I have the Noco 7200 and tried it in normal charge mode, AGM, AGM+ and power supply and got the same results. I ended up using 2 6 volt batteries (From my holiday trailer) in series (12 volts) connected to my truck with jumper cables and a charger on the 6 volt batteries charging in 12 volt mode. Constant 12.9 volts all the time. May have been over complicating it but the extra batteries gives the truck greater capacity to handle the draw.

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