• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Explorer ST Forum and Explorer ST community dedicated to Explorer ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Explorer ST Forum today!


Voltage/battery management issue

Cruising68

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,627
Reactions
1,185
Points
262
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
#41
For those who are bored, I'll keep this updated. Towed it away tonight. Tow truck driver was unable to jump it. Had to figure out the manual neutral... That was fun. Not as easy as it seems but got it. Maybe I'll hear something tomorrow evening.
Do keep us posted! I’m retired


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Suprawill1

Active Member
Messages
546
Reactions
316
Points
82
Location
Maryland
Vehicle
2020 Explorer ST
#42
For those who are bored, I'll keep this updated. Towed it away tonight. Tow truck driver was unable to jump it. Had to figure out the manual neutral... That was fun. Not as easy as it seems but got it. Maybe I'll hear something tomorrow evening.
Had to do the neutral thingy too when my starter went. :)
 

powerboatr

Active Member
U.S. Navy Veteran
Messages
570
Reactions
353
Points
82
Location
Texas
Vehicle
2023 Explorer ST
#43
Even with key on, it was stuck in park
Ouch
Keep us abreast..
 

OP
B
Messages
86
Reactions
35
Points
17
Location
Florida
Vehicle
20 Platinum
Thread Starter #44
Even with key on, it was stuck in park
Ouch
Keep us abreast..
Electronically, you can't shift out of park (knob doesn't even move) unless the vehicle is running. You can put it in neutral using the manual lever under the armrest.
 

powerboatr

Active Member
U.S. Navy Veteran
Messages
570
Reactions
353
Points
82
Location
Texas
Vehicle
2023 Explorer ST
#45
Thanks I thought it was like my f150
Good to know f or sure
 

OP
B
Messages
86
Reactions
35
Points
17
Location
Florida
Vehicle
20 Platinum
Thread Starter #46
Ugh, so not really an update. More of a "I should have known..." and things are going to get interesting...

I am 45 and by principle, I do not like dealerships. Since I got my license at 16, with multiple vehicles, I made it a point to figure things out. The only time any of my vehicles go to the dealership is for warranty repairs. Basic maintenance, modifications, etc I have no problem doing some research, asking questions and getting my hands dirty. As we have a Ford extended warranty, on a Ford gold certified pre owned vehicle...this went in for what should be a warranty repair.

Red flag #1: I posted when it happened, but all of this started IMMEDIATELY after picking the vehicle up from this dealership after replacing a cv axle under warranty in June. Zero starting issues before that, zero slow cranking. We pick it up, my wife goes to a meeting and comes out to a no start. According to her, she saw smoke and smelled burning electronics while trying to start it but I could not reproduce that and never saw it. Tow it home, I replace the battery and all is well for about 2 weeks or so when the slow cranking started.

Red flag #2: my advisor is out until next week which is why my initial appointment wasn't until the 19th. I was able to talk to someone else who set up an appointment for this past Friday.

Red flag #3: Had to tow it there and did so Thursday night so it was there first thing Friday morning. Appointment was 8am. I waited until 5pm when I hadn't heard anything and sent a message to this new advisor. His response: "our transmission techs are very busy...it may be a few more days..." Ok thanks but this has nothing to do with the transmission. No response.

Red flag #4: Today I call. The second advisor isn't there on saturdays so I talk to someone else. "Oh, we can't get it out of park so it is still sitting there while they try to figure that out." Dafuq you mean you can't get it out of park...you're a ford dealer. How did I put it in neutral, get it on a tow truck, get it off the tow truck in neutral....and you can't get it out of park? "ok, hold on." Comes back and says they are able to get it out of park and the tech is still trying to figure out what's wrong. Mentioned something about there being an issue with how the battery is connected and wires are "smushed" in there and not connected properly. Bullshit! I did the battery, it's not rocket science and I have a picture of what I did. If it wasn't connected properly, how did it run for 3 months after I put it in?

Red flag #5: Ford warranty so they have to put me in a Ford rental....but they don't have any....again, dafuq? That and they can't put me in a rental until they diagnose the issue.

I just KNOW they are going to say there is an issue with the battery or how it's connected and will stop there. "Oh, we'll go further if you replace the battery with us..." And somehow they are going to try to avoid covering this.
 

Messages
546
Reactions
316
Points
82
Location
Maryland
Vehicle
2020 Explorer ST
#47
Ugh, so not really an update. More of a "I should have known..." and things are going to get interesting...

I am 45 and by principle, I do not like dealerships. Since I got my license at 16, with multiple vehicles, I made it a point to figure things out. The only time any of my vehicles go to the dealership is for warranty repairs. Basic maintenance, modifications, etc I have no problem doing some research, asking questions and getting my hands dirty. As we have a Ford extended warranty, on a Ford gold certified pre owned vehicle...this went in for what should be a warranty repair.

Red flag #1: I posted when it happened, but all of this started IMMEDIATELY after picking the vehicle up from this dealership after replacing a cv axle under warranty in June. Zero starting issues before that, zero slow cranking. We pick it up, my wife goes to a meeting and comes out to a no start. According to her, she saw smoke and smelled burning electronics while trying to start it but I could not reproduce that and never saw it. Tow it home, I replace the battery and all is well for about 2 weeks or so when the slow cranking started.

Red flag #2: my advisor is out until next week which is why my initial appointment wasn't until the 19th. I was able to talk to someone else who set up an appointment for this past Friday.

Red flag #3: Had to tow it there and did so Thursday night so it was there first thing Friday morning. Appointment was 8am. I waited until 5pm when I hadn't heard anything and sent a message to this new advisor. His response: "our transmission techs are very busy...it may be a few more days..." Ok thanks but this has nothing to do with the transmission. No response.

Red flag #4: Today I call. The second advisor isn't there on saturdays so I talk to someone else. "Oh, we can't get it out of park so it is still sitting there while they try to figure that out." Dafuq you mean you can't get it out of park...you're a ford dealer. How did I put it in neutral, get it on a tow truck, get it off the tow truck in neutral....and you can't get it out of park? "ok, hold on." Comes back and says they are able to get it out of park and the tech is still trying to figure out what's wrong. Mentioned something about there being an issue with how the battery is connected and wires are "smushed" in there and not connected properly. Bullshit! I did the battery, it's not rocket science and I have a picture of what I did. If it wasn't connected properly, how did it run for 3 months after I put it in?

Red flag #5: Ford warranty so they have to put me in a Ford rental....but they don't have any....again, dafuq? That and they can't put me in a rental until they diagnose the issue.

I just KNOW they are going to say there is an issue with the battery or how it's connected and will stop there. "Oh, we'll go further if you replace the battery with us..." And somehow they are going to try to avoid covering this.
They're all a bunch of ripoffs! Every time I even go "near" a ford stealership it hurts. The answers they give you and their total ineptness to the mechanics of their own product is an insult to your intelligence!
"I" could get a tech job there and outclass their mechanics on the first day! Just can't say enough. Good luck my friend!
 

Messages
56
Reactions
26
Points
7
Location
Charlotte
Vehicle
2024 Explorer ST
#48
Could be the starter solenoid / relay. Also get one of the supercapacitor based jump start bricks. Using that with the worst of batteries will tell you if it’s a battery problem or not. You mentioned burning electric smell when this started sounds like something fried like the solenoid.
 

powerboatr

Active Member
U.S. Navy Veteran
Messages
570
Reactions
353
Points
82
Location
Texas
Vehicle
2023 Explorer ST
#49
As far as rental
This at times is a crap shoot
If you have ford esp with rental
Yiu can fike with ford esp to go pick up rental at zipy car avis whatever..ford will reimburse you . It's in the esp documents
Just call ford esp and get rental moving
 

powerboatr

Active Member
U.S. Navy Veteran
Messages
570
Reactions
353
Points
82
Location
Texas
Vehicle
2023 Explorer ST
#50
Sorry for grammar errors
I was bouncing in a car
Ford will do rental if it's in your esp from ford
Just call the 800 number.
Dealers often don't have enough loaners etc
Any car rental place will work
But ford gives more if you rent a ford
 

OP
B
Messages
86
Reactions
35
Points
17
Location
Florida
Vehicle
20 Platinum
Thread Starter #51
And for your reading pleasure: It has sat in the same parking spot since thursday, they haven't moved it. I have questions on if they had done anything until today or not. I get a call today saying the battery is bad and they can't go further until that is rectified. I could replace it with them and pay $300 or try to get mine warrantied. They had a print out showing voltages etc. Drove down there, picked up the battery and took it back to get tested this time with the print out. Tested bad there too finally so new battery acquired. Still not "fixed" but they can move forward now. And we at least got a rental today.
 

powerboatr

Active Member
U.S. Navy Veteran
Messages
570
Reactions
353
Points
82
Location
Texas
Vehicle
2023 Explorer ST
#52
And for your reading pleasure: It has sat in the same parking spot since thursday, they haven't moved it. I have questions on if they had done anything until today or not. I get a call today saying the battery is bad and they can't go further until that is rectified. I could replace it with them and pay $300 or try to get mine warrantied. They had a print out showing voltages etc. Drove down there, picked up the battery and took it back to get tested this time with the print out. Tested bad there too finally so new battery acquired. Still not "fixed" but they can move forward now. And we at least got a rental today.
What a load.. they coukd have easily put in a battery to test the system
I feel your anguish
 

OP
B
Messages
86
Reactions
35
Points
17
Location
Florida
Vehicle
20 Platinum
Thread Starter #53
What a load.. they coukd have easily put in a battery to test the system
I feel your anguish
Definitely. I'm just over this. I've settled down a bit now that we have a rental but still this could have been at least looked at more in the past 6 days.
 

OP
B
Messages
86
Reactions
35
Points
17
Location
Florida
Vehicle
20 Platinum
Thread Starter #54
Another update...replacing the starter. Not in stock, there tomorrow then installed.
 

powerboatr

Active Member
U.S. Navy Veteran
Messages
570
Reactions
353
Points
82
Location
Texas
Vehicle
2023 Explorer ST
#55
I eoukd be a Richard or ?? And when you pick it up..request to see the starter.
Say it's to verify what was changed as your concern over warranty or any line
 



Top