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Battery Saver Relay Problem??

woodyardranger

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July 21, 2008
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City, State
Dearborn, MI
Year, Model & Trim Level
'01 Ranger
The battery in my 2001 Ranger 4.0 discharges when the vehicle is not used for a month. The current between the +battery post and the +cable is 0.2 A.
Removing fuse #26 in the passenger compartment fuse panel results in the current dropping to 0.02 A. Is the problem the battery saver relay? Where is it located?
Many thanks.
 



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...:scratch:...I believe and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, your "battery saver" is part of the "GEM Module"...This "battery saver" feature , turns off your head lights and interior lighting (if left on), aprox 40 minutes after you turn the key off...

...I would think that is not your problem as it needs to run for "X" amount of time...:dunno:
 






...:scratch:...I believe and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, your "battery saver" is part of the "GEM Module"...This "battery saver" feature , turns off your head lights and interior lighting (if left on), aprox 40 minutes after you turn the key off...

...I would think that is not your problem as it needs to run for "X" amount of time...:dunno:

The reason for suggesting the problem is the battery saver relay is the Ranger Owner's Guide indicates that fuse #26 powers the Battery Saver Relay, Auxilary Relay Box, Restraint Central Module (RCM) and Generic Electronic Module (GEM). I just guessed the problem is the Battery Saver Relay because the current decreases from 0.2 A to 0.02 A when fuse #26 is removed.
 






....I would put that fuse back in, then test per each relay in your auxillary relay box under the hood...

...Most of the time this parasitic drain is associated with aftermarket stereo systems and aftermarket alarms...Neither of which you have mentioned having..:dunno:
 






....I would put that fuse back in, then test per each relay in your auxillary relay box under the hood...

...Most of the time this parasitic drain is associated with aftermarket stereo systems and aftermarket alarms...Neither of which you have mentioned having..:dunno:

I will test the electrical system per your above suggestion this weekend and let you know the results. There is no aftermarket alarm system and I am not sure about the radio; I will disconnect the radio to eliminate the possibility that it is responsible for the (0.2 -0.02) A leakage current.

I have been unable to find the electrical schematics online for a 2001 Ranger with a 4.0 L engine. I did find all the schematics for the electrical vehicle (apparently made for the U.S. Postal service). Do you know if one is available?

Many thanks.
 






...Just a clarification...My after market items comment should have included, they usually just attach to whatever wires they can find to power stereos, amps, etc...By doing this it often leads into a parasitic drain...After finding the area of the drain and tracing back wires, I have found these aftermarket items attached...

...I can't remember who did a write up but I know there is one on Parasitic drains...Good luck on your search...
 






I don't think you have a problem at all. There are several items in the car that require power while not it use. The PCM, the radio, etc. If your vehicle sits for long periods like that, you can buy a small solar charger you throw on the dash and plug into your lighter socket...or wire to the battery to keep it charged. It's a very small charge that will overcome normal parasitic losses.
 






.2 amp draw is too much for the vechile being off, keep checking it after 10-15 minutes and see if it's still the same to make sure

I'll see if I can find a schematic for you.

I spent 2.5 hours trying to find a drain on a car today, 4 amps of draw and it turned out to be the atenna motor, every 30 seconds it kept kicking on.... I hate trying to find these things
 






You just start pulling fuses and disconnecting circuits until it goes away. Then you find the problem in that particular circuit. Draws are not hard to find. They are very time consuming however. And I still don't think he has a problem. It's not 2 amps, it's .2 amps.
 






Instrument cluster
RCM
GEM
AUX Relay

Do you have any lights on in the dash
 






well if you narrowed down to that fuse, then put the fuse back in and start pulling individual components / cable (ie. pull the battery saver relay) and see the differences. Having said that (I don't have a 2001 schematic but...), I don't think that the battery saver is on an interior fuse.... however, the aux delay relay IS (fed thru the saver relay)..... but its not looking good as the GEM would have "cut" that relay.... the GEM is looking like a good "candidate".
 






Curious as to the outcome of this

Hi,
I have just posted a very similar concern in the 3rd gen forum:
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=228536

The one interesting comment I saw here is to monitor the current draw over time. If I understand this correctly, I should let the truck sit for at least 40 minutes for everything to "turn off" and then measure the draw? Pretty sure I did that (the truck sat overnight) but I'll make it a point to retest.

Any updates/info would be very welcome!!
Bob
 






My Solution

I have an 02 Ranger I have the same problem. The battery saver was shutting off the circuit even though nothing was left on.

I have been troubleshooting this issue for a while. Finally I put an ammeter on the battery and it was at .18 to .20 with the everything off. One at a time I pulled all the relays under the hood and the number didn't change.

Then I looked under the driver's side dash and at a very precarious angle I found this alternative relay box that was not anywhere in the driver's manual. I did some digging and came up with the following specs on this "auxiliary relay box 1". Luckily the first relay I pulled was the problem relay. It was burning hot even though the vehicle hadn't been driven in hours! The ammeter went to 0 and after swapping the relay the ammeter went to .07 and the problem went away.

The vehicle seems to shift and run better. Strangely it even seems like it has more power.

Auxiliary Relay Location
ejbgcw.jpg


Relays
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The relays are different than the relays form the relay box under the hood. The relays under the dash are ford part: F57B-14B192-AA

Rock auto results for "Battery Saver Relay" among others (this is the same relay and advance can order it in for you for about $10, have them cross-reference the part number):
STANDARD MOTOR PRODUCTS Part # RY612T {T-Series}
$4.75 $0.00 $4.75

STANDARD MOTOR PRODUCTS Part # RY612 {#RY626}
$6.45 $0.00 $6.45
 






Just a quick question? Have you gotten your battery drain problem corrected yet? I have a simular problem on my 2000 Ranger, so let me know and maybe we can work these out together.
 






I had a draw that I couldn't narrow down. Somedays the battery was good, others it was dead. I pulled all the fuses in the fuse panel and the draw was still there so I started pulling the ones in the power dist box and that's when I found it.

It ended up being either the alt or the voltage reg. In your power dist box there is a mini fuse for the alt. Pull that and see if the draw goes away. You also got to wait until the vehicle "goes to sleep" before testing draw on the Gem.
 






The battery in my 2001 Ranger 4.0 discharges when the vehicle is not used for a month. The current between the +battery post and the +cable is 0.2 A.
Removing fuse #26 in the passenger compartment fuse panel results in the current dropping to 0.02 A. Is the problem the battery saver relay? Where is it located?
Many thanks.
 






Hi woodyardranger. I've been reading all the posts and yours is the closest to the problem I'm having with my 2000 Ranger. First off, have you gotten your problem totally fixed? I've got a drain zeroed in to fuse 26 and 29. Number 26 shows .24 amps and number 29 shows .54 amps. That's about as far as I've gotten to date. I pulled fuse 29 which is for the radio and have to check out number 26 further, but am kind of at a lose where to go on to. I now have a battery disconnect installed on the negative battery terminal, which I open when not in use. Please let me know what you've found and I'll do the same.
 






This has been helpful. Off to attack my battery saver relay......
 






Here's a good way to diagnose where your problem is.

Solder two wires to an 1156 bulb. One to the center contact and one to the metal side.

Crimp two narrow connectors to the wires so you can plug them into the fuse panel.

The bulb will replace the fuse and glow instead of blow.

Unplug all the harnesses in the circuit until the bulb changes intensity.

Follow the harness to the termination points and you will find your problem.
 



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I have a 1997 Explorer. When not started for week or so the battery will be dead. When sub zero temps it's dead overnight. I unhooked the positive cable and hooked a test light between the battery and cable. After pulling audio fuse (#29) which draws constant power for memory the test light would blink. I pulled fuses one at a time till I stopped the blinking. The #8 (30 amp) fuse under the hood when pulled stopped the blinking. It is battery saver/headlamp relay. I also noticed a click sound under dash on drivers side. There is a black plastic (maybe 3x6) box type thing that has a small red light that blinks also. Could this be where the battery saver/headlamp relay is?
 






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