Ford Explorer: Battery, Mounting and Cables / General Procedures

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NOTE

No factory-installed vehicle should have a current draw greater than 25 mA (0.025 A). Current draw of 50 mA (0.050 A) may be acceptable depending on vehicle accessories. Check that the battery current draw does not exceed 25 mA (0.025 A) - 50 mA (0.050 A) with the electrical systems off and the vehicle at rest for at least 75 minutes (depending on region). Current draws can be checked using the following procedure.

Many electronic modules continuously draw 10 mA (0.010 A) or more.

Typically, a draw of approximately 1 ampere is caused by the engine compartment lamp, glove box lamp or courtesy lamp remaining on. Malfunctioning components or a short circuit in the wiring are located by selectively pulling fuses to accurately locate the current leak. When the current leak is located, the meter reading drops to an acceptable level.

To accurately check battery drain, use an inline ammeter between the battery negative terminal and the associated cable. Using a test lamp or voltmeter is not an accurate method.

In addition to the battery drain test, a parasitic draw test video is provided as an additional testing resource.

Click here to view the parasitic draw test.

1
If equipped, deactivate the approach detection feature.
2
If equipped with auxiliary battery(ies), make sure the auxiliary battery(ies) are disconnected when measuring current draw at the primary battery, so that the meter or inductive ammeter probe measures all current draws present. Disconnect the auxiliary battery(ies).
3
Make sure the fuse box can be accessed without turning on the interior lamps or the underhood lamp.
4
Drive the vehicle for at least 5 minutes at a speed greater than 48 km/h to activate the vehicle systems.
5
NOTE
If equipped with an automatic transmission and the vehicle has an IPC PRNDL indicator, make sure the gear selector lever is in the Park position and operating correctly. A fault in the park position indicator circuit may prevent the modules from entering sleep mode.
Leave the vehicle with the ignition switched off for at least 75 minutes (depending on region) to allow the modules to time out and go to sleep.
6
Connect a fused jumper wire (30 A) between the battery negative cable and the battery negative terminal to prevent the modules from resetting.
7
Disconnect the battery negative cable from the battery negative terminal without breaking the fused jumper wire connection.
8
NOTE
It is important that continuity is not interrupted between the battery and the battery negative cable when connecting the meter. If continuity is interrupted, repeat the timeout/power-down procedure.
The meter must be capable of reading values in milliamps and have a rating of 10 amps.
Connect a multimeter between the battery negative cable terminal and the battery negative post.
9
NOTE
If it is necessary to change the meter settings or the probes must be moved to another socket, reinstall the fused jumper wire to avoid breaking continuity.
Remove the fused jumper wire.
10
Note the current draw. Current draw varies from vehicle to vehicle depending on equipment level. Compare with a similar vehicle for reference.
11
NOTE
If the vehicle has been parked for a long time and the battery has discharged, a control module may remain awake and not enter sleep mode. If a control module remains awake, it can drain the battery. If a control module is suspected, isolate individual modules by disconnecting them one at a time and note whether the excessive draw disappears.
On vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessories containing electrical connections, disconnect the aftermarket connection from the factory connection to isolate the body from the chassis.
The vehicle may be equipped with several fuse boxes.
For circuit and connector information, refer to Section 13 of the wiring diagrams.
If the current draw is excessive, remove the fuses from the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) one at a time and observe the drop in current.
12
When the current level drops to an acceptable level after removing a fuse, the circuit containing the excessive draw has been found. Reinstall the fuse and leave the vehicle with the key removed from the ignition lock for at least 75 minutes (depending on region) to allow the modules to time out and go to sleep again.
13
The excessive draw can be isolated by continuing to remove subsystem fuses and disconnecting components. Do not reinstall fuses or reconnect components until testing is complete. To properly isolate each circuit, it may be necessary to remove all fuses, then install one fuse and observe the current draw, remove that fuse and install the next fuse. Continue this process with each fuse.
14
If the excessive current draw is related to a specific module, check whether the module inputs are the cause. Refer to the appropriate system operation and component description section to identify the inputs (wired or network messages) received by the module.
15
Refer to the wiring diagrams manual for circuits that operate directly from the battery without passing through the TIPM or other fuse box(es). If the current draw is still excessive, disconnect these circuits until the draw is found. Disconnect the generator(s) from the electrical connections and repeat the check if the draw cannot be found. The generator(s) may have an internal short circuit causing a current leak.
16
If equipped with one-touch window-up function, perform the window motor initialization after disconnecting the negative battery cable from the battery.
Refer to: Power Door Window Motor Initialization (501-11 Glass, Frames and Mechanisms, General Procedures).

General Procedures - Battery Drain Test

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