Ford Explorer: Maintenance / Changing the 12V Battery

WARNING: Batteries normally produce explosive gases which can cause personal injury. Therefore, do not allow flames, sparks or lighted substances to come near the battery. When working near the battery, always shield your face and protect your eyes. Always provide correct ventilation.

WARNING: When lifting a plastic-cased battery, excessive pressure on the end walls could cause acid to flow through the vent caps, resulting in personal injury and damage to the vehicle or battery. Lift the battery with a battery carrier or with your hands on opposite corners.

WARNING: Keep batteries out of reach of children. Batteries contain sulfuric acid. Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Shield your eyes when working near the battery to protect against possible splashing of acid solution. In case of acid contact with skin or eyes, flush immediately with water for a minimum of 15 minutes and get prompt medical attention. If acid is swallowed, call a physician immediately.

WARNING: Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead and lead compounds, chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and reproductive harm. Wash your hands after handling.

WARNING: This vehicle may have more than one battery. Removing the battery cables from only one battery does not disconnect your vehicle electrical system. Make sure you disconnect the battery cables from all batteries when disconnecting power. Failure to do so may cause serious personal injury or property damage.

WARNING: For vehicles with Auto-Start-Stop the battery requirement is different. You must replace the battery with one of exactly the same specification.

The battery is in the engine compartment. See Under Hood Overview.

Your vehicle has a maintenance-free battery. It does not require additional water during service.

If the vehicle battery has a cover and vent hose, make sure you correctly install it after cleaning or replacing the battery.

For longer, trouble-free operation, keep the top of the battery clean and dry and the battery cables tightly fastened to the battery terminals. If any corrosion is present on the battery or terminals, remove the cables from the terminals and clean with a wire brush. You can neutralize the acid with a solution of baking soda and water.

We recommend that you disconnect the negative battery cable terminal from the battery if you plan to store your vehicle for an extended period.

Note: If you only disconnect the negative battery cable terminal, make sure it is isolated or placed away from the battery terminal to avoid unintended connection or arcing.

If you replace the battery make sure it matches the electrical requirements of your vehicle.

If you disconnect or replace the battery and your vehicle has an automatic transmission, it must relearn its adaptive strategy. Because of this, the transmission may shift firmly when first driven. This is normal operation while the transmission fully updates its operation to optimum shift feel.

Battery Management System (If Equipped)

The battery management system monitors battery conditions and takes actions to extend battery life. If excessive battery drain is detected, the system temporarily disables some electrical systems to protect the battery.

Systems included are:

• Heated rear window.
• Heated seats.
• Climate control.
• Heated steering wheel.
• Audio unit.
• Navigation system.

A message may appear in the information displays to alert you that battery protection actions are active. These messages are only for notification that an action is taking place, and not intended to indicate an electrical problem or that the battery requires replacement.

After battery replacement, or in some cases after charging the battery with an external charger, the battery management system requires eight hours of vehicle sleep time to relearn the battery state of charge. During this time your vehicle must remain fully locked with the ignition switched off.

Note: Prior to relearning the battery state of charge, the battery management system may temporarily disable some electrical systems.

Electrical Accessory Installation

To make sure the battery management system works correctly, do not connect an electrical device ground connection directly to the battery negative post. This can cause inaccurate measurements of the battery condition and potential incorrect system operation.

Note: If you add electrical accessories or components to the vehicle, it may adversely affect battery performance and durability. This may also affect the performance of other electrical systems in the vehicle.

Remove and Reinstall the Battery

To disconnect or remove the battery, do the following:

1. Apply the parking brake and switch the ignition off.
2. Switch all electrical equipment off, for example lights and radio.
3. Wait a minimum of two minutes before disconnecting the battery.

   Note: The engine management system has a power hold function and remains powered for a period of time after you switch the ignition off. This is to allow diagnostic and adaptive tables to be stored. Disconnecting the battery without waiting can cause damage not covered by the vehicle Warranty.

4. Disconnect the negative battery cable terminal.
5. Disconnect the positive battery cable terminal.
6. Remove the battery securing clamp.
7. Remove the battery.
8. To install, reverse the removal procedure.

Note: Before reconnecting the battery, make sure the ignition remains switched off.

Note: Make sure the battery cable terminals are fully tightened.

If you disconnect or replace the vehicle battery, you must reset the following features:

• Window bounce-back. See Power Windows.
• Clock Settings.
• Pre-set radio stations.

Battery Disposal

Make sure that you dispose of old batteries in an environmentally friendly way. Seek advice from your local authority about recycling old batteries.