2021 Ranger dead

[P. A. Schilke]

When I had just about 7000 miles on my truck, I went out to start it and the battery was dead and the "OK" message was up on the menu, but the OK button would not reset it.
Message on the infotainment screen said, System off to save battery. Please turn the ignition off or start the engine. Too late. Dead battery The buttons on the steering wheel all got extremely warm, but I shook that off thinking it was because the sun was shining down through the driver side window. (That turned out to not be the case) I got roadside service give me a jump and I went to the dealership and after an hour or so while they were testing the battery they decided that I had a dead cell in the battery and gave me a new battery. Fine and dandy except a few days later it happened again and called Roadside Assist for another jumpstart. None of the buttons on the steering wheel would work. Same message on the infotainment center every time the battery was dead. Kind of like the idiot gauges for the oil. And the oil light comes on, too late.
Another trip to the dealership and three or four hours later they tell me that the switches on the right hand side was bad. I tell them that would not have made the left side bad nor would it have made the battery dead, but they insisted they had to go by a specific protocol or Ford would not pay them and I insisted they were not going by that protocol because they were not testing the vehicle out correctly, but, who am I.
10 days later and, the right hand side controls in and still the same issue after I had another dead battery and called for another jumpstart. This time I'm realizing when the truck sits for two days the battery drains. Ding ding ding ding ding. Helloooooooo. Check the clock spring. That is thanks to my Google degree in automotive engineering. I told them it was the Clock Spring but they said they had to follow Ford's protocol. Don't tell me you're not allowed to check that clock spring until after you received a new part and find out it doesn't work!!!!
I can't tell you the stress of dealing with ___ like this. Maybe they changed the air in the tires to eliminate that also.
Same issues - none of the controls would work. This time they changed the left-hand side switches. Like, really?! The switches don't make the battery bad the battery made the switch is bad. Another three or four or five hours in the dealership and two days later it happens again. I tested the battery voltage this time waiting for the jumpstart guy again and had I think it was 11.9 V. So another long trip down to the dealership and they finally decided it was the Clock Spring.
Now I've got me a NOCO GB40 jump starter but I didn't need it because I was driving the truck every day now and the battery did not die within that 24 hours but the voltage dropped down to about 12.1 volts in 24 hours of not using it.
It took over six weeks to get this thing corrected because of the way they tested out that steering wheel until they decided that the Clock Spring was indeed bad and having to wait on parts and get back in to the dealership. I left the truck with them overnight so they could test it out which gave them time to find out it was a parasitic drain. The truck only went dead if it sat for two days at a time which was the case because I was using my wife's car more often. I had no lemon law to act on because I bought the truck used with a little over 6000 miles on it.
PARASITIC DRAIN!
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

I would love to hear member P. A. Schilke's take on this.
AMEN

Hi Nick,

I am sure there is a set procedure for this diagnosis...what I understand here is that the dealer took the first step to change some parts and Viola fixed it with not proceeding with verification and then repeating the process until changing more parts. Sounds like parts changing at it finest. I hear this "won't get paid" if I do not follow Ford's plan... BUNK! What Ford wants is a complete diagnostic and verification and this dealer did not deliver.... My take....find another dealer if you can... One that had a thread of diagnostic talent. Kudos to your diagnostic ability.

best,
Phil

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[Langwilliams]

My truck did this once. I switched on the off road light that's wired right to the battery an it was BRIGHT so I knew the battery was good. I think it was the battery module shut everything down. I don't know exactly what happened to get it to start but it started an never did it again.

Also when it did start the center screen was blindingly bright so it lost the dash dimmer setting.

 

[Delirious]

Hi Nick,

I am sure there is a set procedure for this diagnosis...what I understand here is that the dealer took the first step to change some parts and Viola fixed it with not proceeding with verification and then repeating the process until changing more parts. Sounds like parts changing at it finest. I hear this "won't get paid" if I do not follow Ford's plan... BUNK! What Ford wants is a complete diagnostic and verification and this dealer did not deliver.... My take....find another dealer if you can... One that had a thread of diagnostic talent. Kudos to your diagnostic ability.

best,
Phil

Thank you so much! I knew there was something amiss!

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Phil is trying something to maintain limited participation in the forum when and where he can.

@P. A. Schilke I think this one is one you might be able to help with.

Hi Rob,

Got a notice this morning, so appears to be working if someone tags me with @P. A. Schilke .

Best,
Phil

 

[RedlandRanger]

Hi Rob,

Got a notice this morning, so appears to be working if someone tags me with @P. A. Schilke .

Best,
Phil

Good deal. Hopefully this works well for you. Thanks for letting me know.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

That is thanks to my Google degree in automotive engineering.

Nearly sprayed coffee on my keyboard when I read this...

 

[DHH]

I told them it was the Clock Spring...

Ok, this one got me.
I'm thinking, "Is this guy yanking my chain? We have digital clocks, so wtf is a clock spring needed for?"
I've been working on vehicles for decades and never knew the steering wheel connection was called a clock spring. Doh!

 

[Brad-Dallas]

So we were driving the Ranger around most of the day and stopped at Walmart. Came out and the truck was completely dead the remote did not work to unlock the truck. Used the door key to unlock truck but key would not start truck. Everything dead no int lights or anything. Would not turn over with the key. So checked battey connections, seemed fine So I tried start it with the remote start on the ford app. It set off the panic alarm and then the remote was able to shut the alarm off and was able to start the truck as normal… Anyone have this issue?? If I didn’t have the app this was going to have to be towed to the dealership.

I had close to the same thing happen to me. The truck would not let me start it, or use the key fob. I sat in the vehicle and the dash says, "key not present". (it was). I had the other key fob in my desk, and it still wouldn't work. Upon looking this up on YouTube, found out the key lost programing and I had to put the key fob in the cup holder to start the truck. (yes, it specifically said the cup holder). Started right up.

Strangely there is a spot in the parking garage that has a magnetic field or something that bonks out the signal from the key fob to the truck. Happened to a co-worker's Mustang too.

If that happens to you again, place your key fob in the cup holder and then press the start button.

 

[awd.nv]

If it does it again i will but it if doesn’t send a code the dealer will do nothing. Battery was not dead it’s something else electrical???

May have not set a code but there could be a bulletin for it. I would probably consider waiting for it to happen again as well but since I tow and go off road at times, I would also probably take it in.

I WONDER if anyone might have tried to tamper with the vehicle and it set an alarm feature? I don't know how the Ford system works though. I just know the interior unlock is disabled when the alarm is set.

 

[J Krutsch]

Had 100 miles on my 2019 when I hit a bump in the road and the truck went completely dead. Emergency flashers wouldn't even work. Battery connections looked fine. Had it towed. Turns out that under the pos. battery connection is another connection that has something to do with determining battery health or charge. The sensor connection was loose from the factory and that caused the whole thing. Have had zero problems since.

 

[Langwilliams]

May have not set a code but there could be a bulletin for it. I would probably consider waiting for it to happen again as well but since I tow and go off road at times, I would also probably take it in.

I WONDER if anyone might have tried to tamper with the vehicle and it set an alarm feature? I don't know how the Ford system works though. I just know the interior unlock is disabled when the alarm is set.

Mine wasn't tampered with. I did a beer run an parked in front of my buddy's boat while we cleaned it up an put the covers on from fishing an no one came near it. It wasn't locked an the alarm wasn't set. I figured it was just a glitch an it hasn't happened again. I'm thinking about carrying a mini jump box to see if that would "wake it up" if it happened again.

 

[MagneticXL]

So we were driving the Ranger around most of the day and stopped at Walmart. Came out and the truck was completely dead the remote did not work to unlock the truck. Used the door key to unlock truck but key would not start truck. Everything dead no int lights or anything. Would not turn over with the key. So checked battey connections, seemed fine So I tried start it with the remote start on the ford app. It set off the panic alarm and then the remote was able to shut the alarm off and was able to start the truck as normal… Anyone have this issue?? If I didn’t have the app this was going to have to be towed to the dealership.

Also had this happen once. Truck was completely dead. At least it was home on driveway. Has not happened again.

 

[BBTremor]

Also had this happen once. Truck was completely dead. At least it was home on driveway. Has not happened again.

How fid you wake it up?

 

[BBTremor]

I had close to the same thing happen to me. The truck would not let me start it, or use the key fob. I sat in the vehicle and the dash says, "key not present". (it was). I had the other key fob in my desk, and it still wouldn't work. Upon looking this up on YouTube, found out the key lost programing and I had to put the key fob in the cup holder to start the truck. (yes, it specifically said the cup holder). Started right up.

Strangely there is a spot in the parking garage that has a magnetic field or something that bonks out the signal from the key fob to the truck. Happened to a co-worker's Mustang too.

If that happens to you again, place your key fob in the cup holder and then press the start button.

Interesting but mine has a key and not push button start

 

[MagneticXL]

How fid you wake it up?

I believe the app worked

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