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

[Kenn]

I definitely understand the reason why it's happening, from all the electronics, I just think it's ridiculous that they would introduce electronics that can't be sustained by the power system, same with other new vehicles with the same issue. Also not everyone has a garage and somewhere to plug a tender in. I guess we will need charging stations for gas vehicles overloaded with electronics soon.

My Ranger sits outside and I do not have a way to plug in a battery tender. Has anyone used a solar panel battery maintainer (tender) on their Ranger?

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[Ranger Girl]

By doing these steps, do you know what is being reset? Is the Battery Management System being reset or something else?

I believe it is the Battery Management System from what I have read.

 

[got3fords]

My Ranger sits outside and I do not have a way to plug in a battery tender. Has anyone used a solar panel battery maintainer (tender) on their Ranger?

I would like some feedback on these as well. Solar would also be my only tender option.

 

[cVelBlu91]

I see this on my F-150 sometimes if I haven't driven it for a few days or so. It's definitely the system monitoring, and frankly since the first cold snap of the season back in October, I've seen this message almost every time I get in the truck (it even appears on the SYNC 3 screen). That said I'm pretty sure my truck will be needing a new battery at some point later on.

 

[Kenn]

I would like some feedback on these as well. Solar would also be my only tender option.

I was thinking of using an old Volkswagon solar panel that VW gave out to maintain the car battery but it requires a 12 volt power source. Can the 2 power outlets that the Ranger has, be changed so that they are hot all of the time with a program like FORScan? At etrailer.com they have a video showing how to install a "Roadmaster 12 Volt Outlet Kit Installation - 2019 Ford Ranger". I'm hesitant to make this modification while my truck is under warranty. The solar panels that are being sold come in different outputs (amperage, wattage ratings)? What output rating would be safe to use?

 

[Josebd]

My work pickup(Ford 2012) battery lasted 10 years

 

[Motorpsychology]

 

[Joeiconic]

I was thinking of using an old Volkswagon solar panel that VW gave out to maintain the car battery but it requires a 12 volt power source. Can the 2 power outlets that the Ranger has, be changed so that they are hot all of the time with a program like FORScan?

Seems like a vicious cycle, I.e. you would be draining the battery to charge the battery. If it was me, I would replace the battery and worry about it again in 3-4 years.

 

[philanderer]

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.

i just recently started getting this message. nothing about my driving habits has changed. the oem battery is just over 2 years old. should i be concerned its going bad?

 

[airline tech]

Do a test on the battery - measure the IR (Internal Resistance) it is most likely high (5-6 mohms)

Place on a charger and do a desulphate procedure and see if the IR, comes down to normal in the low to mid 3's

 

[Chris M]

i just recently started getting this message. nothing about my driving habits has changed. the oem battery is just over 2 years old. should i be concerned its going bad?

Yes.

 

[philanderer]

so they checked the battery (autozone) and determined it was going, so i replaced it. could have had it replaced under warranty i guess, but they would have just put another crap battery in it, so i ponied up and bought one from autozone. hell, im already there, why not? everything is working properly now, except the auto up/down on the drivers window doesnt work. any fix ideas?

*edit* i figured it out. raised the window and held the button for a few seconds and now its working. life is good again

 

[bobobama]

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.

True words of wisdom here. Ignore the "turn engine off" message, since you never turned it on. Basically it's telling you your battery is getting towards the end of its life, so better keep an eye on it. The auto start/stop system was probably disabled, mine stopped working a year or so ago but the battery still kept working. I finally replaced it after 3 years. As mentioned, a nice long drive on the highway will help prolong the battery's life for a while.

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