Radio didn't play when vehicle turned off "battery saver"
01-21-2018, 07:54 PM
#1531
Well crap. My truck was running fine until I decided to clean the battery terminals. I even put a load test on the battery to see what condition it is in because the battery is an unknown. Load test stayed in the green so everything looked good.
I bought my 2011 F150 5.0 four weeks ago and it has 200K miles.
Until I cleaned the terminals today, it had ran perfect. Now I have the same battery saver message on the radio display.
However, the problem that bugs me the most is the constant knocking/clicking going on under the dash. With the engine running it will not stop.
Sounds like it is coming from the air cond./ heater blending door maybe ? ( see video)
I have a couple of s197 Mustangs that make that sound after I disconnect and reconnect the battery, but it goes away after about 20-30 seconds.
My f150 will not stop so I cannot drive the truck.
I bought my 2011 F150 5.0 four weeks ago and it has 200K miles.
Until I cleaned the terminals today, it had ran perfect. Now I have the same battery saver message on the radio display.
However, the problem that bugs me the most is the constant knocking/clicking going on under the dash. With the engine running it will not stop.
Sounds like it is coming from the air cond./ heater blending door maybe ? ( see video)
I have a couple of s197 Mustangs that make that sound after I disconnect and reconnect the battery, but it goes away after about 20-30 seconds.
My f150 will not stop so I cannot drive the truck.
Last edited by 83-88T-Bird Guy; 01-21-2018 at 07:57 PM.
01-21-2018, 10:49 PM
#1532
Senior Member
Yup thats a blend door actuator. If you have the manual A/C there are three.
Temperature
Outside air
floor/dash/defrost (I think)
Ford or a good diagnostic tool should pin point the actuator. Then come back here and look on Youtube to see how much of a job it is going to be. I changed the temp blend actuator on the street in Phila at my son's house. It was under warranty but the deductible is $100 and the part about $50. Then I'd have to schedule the work and I have an aftermarket radio...
As far as the battery goes, I'd put a charger on it overnight to be sure it is fully charged then the next night let it sit for at least 8 hours. That is what it takes for the system to re-learn the battery state of charge. It's in the service manual but probably not the owners manual.
Temperature
Outside air
floor/dash/defrost (I think)
Ford or a good diagnostic tool should pin point the actuator. Then come back here and look on Youtube to see how much of a job it is going to be. I changed the temp blend actuator on the street in Phila at my son's house. It was under warranty but the deductible is $100 and the part about $50. Then I'd have to schedule the work and I have an aftermarket radio...
As far as the battery goes, I'd put a charger on it overnight to be sure it is fully charged then the next night let it sit for at least 8 hours. That is what it takes for the system to re-learn the battery state of charge. It's in the service manual but probably not the owners manual.
The following users liked this post:
83-88T-Bird Guy (01-22-2018)
01-22-2018, 08:13 AM
#1533
UPDATE:...
I have had my sensor on the negative terminal disconnected for about 3 weeks and have seen no adverse effects. I use my OBDII scanguage as I drive and it reads 14.0 to 14.2 volts at all times now. I no longer get slow starts(chug chug) in the cold mornings, or the radio shutdown message. It had been Bone chilling cold hear in Ohio the last couple weeks and thought for sure I needed a new battery. This simple trick saved me from having to buy a new one.
MY only concern is if I take another 500 mile plus trip. I don't want to fry my battery and I may reconnect the sensor.
I have had my sensor on the negative terminal disconnected for about 3 weeks and have seen no adverse effects. I use my OBDII scanguage as I drive and it reads 14.0 to 14.2 volts at all times now. I no longer get slow starts(chug chug) in the cold mornings, or the radio shutdown message. It had been Bone chilling cold hear in Ohio the last couple weeks and thought for sure I needed a new battery. This simple trick saved me from having to buy a new one.
MY only concern is if I take another 500 mile plus trip. I don't want to fry my battery and I may reconnect the sensor.
Last edited by mptoledo; 01-22-2018 at 08:15 AM.
The following users liked this post:
Shane803 (06-10-2022)
01-22-2018, 09:58 AM
#1534
Yup thats a blend door actuator. If you have the manual A/C there are three.
Temperature
Outside air
floor/dash/defrost (I think)
Ford or a good diagnostic tool should pin point the actuator. Then come back here and look on Youtube to see how much of a job it is going to be. I changed the temp blend actuator on the street in Phila at my son's house. It was under warranty but the deductible is $100 and the part about $50. Then I'd have to schedule the work and I have an aftermarket radio...
As far as the battery goes, I'd put a charger on it overnight to be sure it is fully charged then the next night let it sit for at least 8 hours. That is what it takes for the system to re-learn the battery state of charge. It's in the service manual but probably not the owners manual.
Temperature
Outside air
floor/dash/defrost (I think)
Ford or a good diagnostic tool should pin point the actuator. Then come back here and look on Youtube to see how much of a job it is going to be. I changed the temp blend actuator on the street in Phila at my son's house. It was under warranty but the deductible is $100 and the part about $50. Then I'd have to schedule the work and I have an aftermarket radio...
As far as the battery goes, I'd put a charger on it overnight to be sure it is fully charged then the next night let it sit for at least 8 hours. That is what it takes for the system to re-learn the battery state of charge. It's in the service manual but probably not the owners manual.
I do have the manual setup.
Last night around 9pm the battery was fully charged.
I just now (@ 9 am) tried again but it's still knocking.
I put a 6 month old "gold" battery in ( again fully charged) but it still knocks.
So I put a trickle charger on the truck hoping it will send the min. voltage to the computer for the next 8 hours.
If all else fails, I pull fuse 46 so I can drive the truck
01-22-2018, 06:27 PM
#1535
Senior Member
I may have confused you. The 'knocking' sound comes from the actuator and has nothing to do with the battery or electrical system. That's why I wrote two separate paragraphs.
On my actuator, a piece of plastic that connects the position sensor to the output gear broke. Without any position feedback, the motor ran the output to a physical limit and then stripped the output gear. That is why the knock sound. You should have no heat or no cold air inside the truck if it is the temperature blend door actuator.
I had no heat and we were traveling to Niagara Falls and the UP the first of November. So no heat was not an option.
On my actuator, a piece of plastic that connects the position sensor to the output gear broke. Without any position feedback, the motor ran the output to a physical limit and then stripped the output gear. That is why the knock sound. You should have no heat or no cold air inside the truck if it is the temperature blend door actuator.
I had no heat and we were traveling to Niagara Falls and the UP the first of November. So no heat was not an option.
01-23-2018, 10:55 AM
#1536
I may have confused you. The 'knocking' sound comes from the actuator and has nothing to do with the battery or electrical system. That's why I wrote two separate paragraphs.
On my actuator, a piece of plastic that connects the position sensor to the output gear broke. Without any position feedback, the motor ran the output to a physical limit and then stripped the output gear. That is why the knock sound. You should have no heat or no cold air inside the truck if it is the temperature blend door actuator.
I had no heat and we were traveling to Niagara Falls and the UP the first of November. So no heat was not an option.
On my actuator, a piece of plastic that connects the position sensor to the output gear broke. Without any position feedback, the motor ran the output to a physical limit and then stripped the output gear. That is why the knock sound. You should have no heat or no cold air inside the truck if it is the temperature blend door actuator.
I had no heat and we were traveling to Niagara Falls and the UP the first of November. So no heat was not an option.
It's odd the actuator started acting up the same time as the battery issue after the disconnect.
Anyways, I was reading in the ford service manual the procedure (like you posted) to do the 8 hour drain test.
I went and bought a 15/3 amp charger maintainer and set it on 3amps for 9 hours with the ground wire hooked to the fender. ( as per the ford procedure) Nothing was plugged in or on the truck so there was no drain during that 9 hours.
Well, it did not work. I still have the battery issue.
I can drive the truck, I was hoping I could cure the battery problem before troubleshooting the blend door actuator issue.
Right now fuse 46 is pulled out
01-23-2018, 11:36 AM
#1537
UPDATE:...
I have had my sensor on the negative terminal disconnected for about 3 weeks and have seen no adverse effects. I use my OBDII scanguage as I drive and it reads 14.0 to 14.2 volts at all times now. I no longer get slow starts(chug chug) in the cold mornings, or the radio shutdown message. It had been Bone chilling cold hear in Ohio the last couple weeks and thought for sure I needed a new battery. This simple trick saved me from having to buy a new one.
MY only concern is if I take another 500 mile plus trip. I don't want to fry my battery and I may reconnect the sensor.
I have had my sensor on the negative terminal disconnected for about 3 weeks and have seen no adverse effects. I use my OBDII scanguage as I drive and it reads 14.0 to 14.2 volts at all times now. I no longer get slow starts(chug chug) in the cold mornings, or the radio shutdown message. It had been Bone chilling cold hear in Ohio the last couple weeks and thought for sure I needed a new battery. This simple trick saved me from having to buy a new one.
MY only concern is if I take another 500 mile plus trip. I don't want to fry my battery and I may reconnect the sensor.
01-23-2018, 12:02 PM
#1538
I have no problem hooking up a voltage indicator into a power point and watch the voltage myself.
(Or my OBD II reader )
01-23-2018, 06:58 PM
#1539
Senior Member
To have the system relearn the battery state of charge, you have to let the truck sit undisturbed for at least 8 hours. That means no opening doors, remote lock/unlock and no battery charger connected. Also no loads like phone chargers or OBDII readers connected.
01-23-2018, 07:19 PM
#1540
I disconnected the sensor and no more battery issues.
My OBD scanner say 14.2 volts so that issue seems to be over.
However, I verified by touching, so now I am dreading the blend door actuator swap out...
