Message telling me to turn ignition Off which isn't On

[Kenn]

I went to start my 2019 Ranger after it sat for 2 days and a message immediately was displayed stating "System Off to Save Battery Please turn ignition off or start engine". My truck requires the key to be in the switch in order to start (no push button to start). My key was in my pocket, the display went directly to the error message when I opened the door (The normal startup Ford Logo did not appear). The dealer cannot explain to me why the message is telling me to turn the ignition OFF when the ignition wasn't even ON. Can anyone explain to me why I am told to turn OFF the ignition that isn't ON? The battery was replaced 11/2020. All that the dealer tells me is to drive the truck everyday or to put a battery tender on.

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[Muscleford]

The dealers answer is insane. I would have smacked the persom and take my business else where.

 

[Wytchdctr]

I tend to take a nap at lunch instead of eating much. I leave the radio as I doze off and at some point, it turns it off on its own. When I get back in the truck to head home I often see that message popup. I don't leave everything on so I am not worried about it actually draining the battery much, just the radio in accessory mode. Why yours did that... ??? You didn't sit in it for a few extra the last time you got out to finish a song etc?

 

[VTRanger]

Sounds like they are using some cheap batteries. I wonder if it's worth just getting a better battery and not bothering with the dealer. Although you would expect under warranty not to have to buy one, I wonder if the hassle isn't worth it? I got this notice once so far since owning it for 6 months. I got the notice from the app a few weeks after purchasing it, so figured it maybe sat too long on the lot or something.

 

[Big Blue]

First of all this is a poorly worded generic message. Basically it is telling you your battery voltage is low and it has shut some things down to conserve power. It is the same whether you have pushbutton start or key start.

Our trucks have so much always on electronics that just sitting draws the battery down. Normally daily driving is enough to keep it up. If it gets to a certain point it will shut down remote functions and your fob will stop working. After two weeks of non-use Fordpass will email you.

If you do mainly short trips the battery doesn't always get charged up fully so a couple days without driving will cause this. Mine does this quite frequently, as being immunsuppressed and winter I don't use it much right now. I really need to fire up Forscan and up the battery state of charge. A few longer trips and it will be fine for a while.

 

[RedlandRanger]

Sounds like they are using some cheap batteries. I wonder if it's worth just getting a better battery and not bothering with the dealer. Although you would expect under warranty not to have to buy one, I wonder if the hassle isn't worth it? I got this notice once so far since owning it for 6 months. I got the notice from the app a few weeks after purchasing it, so figured it maybe sat too long on the lot or something.

I'm one month from my 3 year anniversary and I've not had this issue, so the batteries can't be TOO bad. I don't drive mine a ton - I'm at just over 28k in 35 months of ownership. I know if you don't drive it for a while the parasitic drain of all the electronic goodies can drain the battery. My brother ended up with a dead battery after 2 or 3 weeks of sitting - he now uses a battery tender on it and hasn't had any issues since.

I think the dealer suggestion of a battery tender (especially when you don't drive a ton) was a good suggestion. I think more and more vehicles have the same issue as we get more and more things that keep running even while the vehicle is off (FordPass status updates, I'm looking at you mostly....)

 

[P. A. Schilke]

First of all this is a poorly worded generic message. Basically it is telling you your battery voltage is low and it has shut some things down to conserve power. It is the same whether you have pushbutton start or key start.

Our trucks have so much always on electronics that just sitting draws the battery down. Normally daily driving is enough to keep it up. If it gets to a certain point it will shut down remote functions and your fob will stop working. After two weeks of non-use Fordpass will email you.

If you do mainly short trips the battery doesn't always get charged up fully so a couple days without driving will cause this. Mine does this quite frequently, as being immunsuppressed and winter I don't use it much right now. I really need to fire up Forscan and up the battery state of charge. A few longer trips and it will be fine for a while.

Hi Lee,

Our 2020 Nautilus fits exactly in your description.. Fobs quit working when approaching the CUV from the right side but worked from the left. I charged the battery as I was getting the "save the battery message". So into the dealer....tested the battery, charged the battery and then did the load test....no capacity...battery toast...Two year old battery. Tech said the battery quality is horrible and we are lucky to get it fixed before being stranded. My Ranger is going strong...battery is doing well and it sits most of the time in the garage.... I think Ford Supplier Quality Assurance needs to get involved with why batteries of the AGM design are failing prematurely

Best,
Phil

 

[VTRanger]

I'm one month from my 3 year anniversary and I've not had this issue, so the batteries can't be TOO bad. I don't drive mine a ton - I'm at just over 28k in 35 months of ownership. I know if you don't drive it for a while the parasitic drain of all the electronic goodies can drain the battery. My brother ended up with a dead battery after 2 or 3 weeks of sitting - he now uses a battery tender on it and hasn't had any issues since.

I think the dealer suggestion of a battery tender (especially when you don't drive a ton) was a good suggestion. I think more and more vehicles have the same issue as we get more and more things that keep running even while the vehicle is off (FordPass status updates, I'm looking at you mostly....)

Having to hook up a battery tender for a new vehicle sitting for a week or two seems like a fail to me. I have a battery tender and it was always for motorcycles sitting over the winter. I can leave my 2019 Subaru sitting for weeks and it fires right up, so I am sceptical about having to leave a 2021 ranger on a tender. Just my opinion that it's a hassle.

 

[RedlandRanger]

Having to hook up a battery tender for a new vehicle sitting for a week or two seems like a fail to me. I have a battery tender and it was always for motorcycles sitting over the winter. I can leave my 2019 Subaru sitting for weeks and it fires right up, so I am sceptical about having to leave a 2021 ranger on a tender. Just my opinion that it's a hassle.

I think (but don't know for sure) that it most likely has to do with the "reporting" that FordPass does - like reporting where your truck is, the mileage, fuel level, etc, etc. Does your Subaru do that as well? I don't know how often the electronics "check in" with Ford, but every time it does, it requires power - and it has to stay awake to listen for signals for things like remote start, remote lock/unlock, etc. It takes a lot more juice to keep a cell modem powered up than it does to just listen for RF waves (for a fob unlock/start).

Again, it is all conjecture by me, but it does make sense to me.

 

[Joeiconic]

. I can leave my 2019 Subaru sitting for weeks and it fires right up,

Then you‘re one of the lucky ones. I have an aunt with a ‘19 Outback with constant battery issues and it appears to be wide spread.

https://www.torquenews.com/1084/sub...ew-claims-now-include-forester-wrx-and-legacy

 

[halligan1201]

Then you‘re one of the lucky ones. I have an aunt with a ‘19 Outback with constant battery issues and it appears to be wide spread.

https://www.torquenews.com/1084/sub...ew-claims-now-include-forester-wrx-and-legacy

Yeah my girlfriend's Subaru has been hot garbage since new in 2018. Every system you can think of has had a major failure, some than once. I was a service advisor at a Subaru dealership in the late 90s/early 2000s and they were hands down the worst built vehicles at that time. Not much better now.

 

[Ranger Girl]

I had the same issue with my 2019 Ford Ranger. I read somewhere that you can reset it by doing the following:

1) Ignition on (engine off), headlight flashers 5 times, then brake pedal 3 times. Battery indicator lamp will flash meaning success.

i thought this sounded weird but it worked for me.

 

[rydfree]

First of all this is a poorly worded generic message. Basically it is telling you your battery voltage is low and it has shut some things down to conserve power. It is the same whether you have pushbutton start or key start.

Our trucks have so much always on electronics that just sitting draws the battery down. Normally daily driving is enough to keep it up. If it gets to a certain point it will shut down remote functions and your fob will stop working. After two weeks of non-use Fordpass will email you.

If you do mainly short trips the battery doesn't always get charged up fully so a couple days without driving will cause this. Mine does this quite frequently, as being immunsuppressed and winter I don't use it much right now. I really need to fire up Forscan and up the battery state of charge. A few longer trips and it will be fine for a while.

^^ This

I think (but don't know for sure) that it most likely has to do with the "reporting" that FordPass does - like reporting where your truck is, the mileage, fuel level, etc, etc. Does your Subaru do that as well? I don't know how often the electronics "check in" with Ford, but every time it does, it requires power - and it has to stay awake to listen for signals for things like remote start, remote lock/unlock, etc. It takes a lot more juice to keep a cell modem powered up than it does to just listen for RF waves (for a fob unlock/start).

Again, it is all conjecture by me, but it does make sense to me.

........and THIS ^^

 

[AzScorpion]

Having to hook up a battery tender for a new vehicle sitting for a week or two seems like a fail to me. I have a battery tender and it was always for motorcycles sitting over the winter. I can leave my 2019 Subaru sitting for weeks and it fires right up, so I am sceptical about having to leave a 2021 ranger on a tender. Just my opinion that it's a hassle.

Lee's @Big Blue is spot on. It's really more common now with all these electronics and the parasitic drain, I have mine hooked up at least 3-4 days now and I just added a longer lead so it quick connects out by the front tow hook. The heat out here kills them even quicker, mine died (had a dead cell) in 18 months but even my Tacoma battery only lasted 26 months.

Just be glad there's only one battery unlike most Jeeps which have two. There's a small separate auxiliary one under the main battery just to run the A/S/S. Plus it's a pain to get to and they say it's easier to take the fender liner out, crawl under and remove it that way.

 

[sandog]

I remember when batteries used to last 4 years, now the ones I've had barely last two.

Has anyone else been driving down the highway and a message appears that says "KEEP YOUR HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL ! Well, it's not worded exactly like that, but apparently thinks that no one is steering the vehicle.
It seems my Ranger thinks I forgot about driving and I'm instead shaving or making a sandwich.

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