How to keep the PCM settings ???

[ranger7ltr]

I don't drive my Explorer as much as I used to and thanks to Texas I need to get it inspected before I get it licensed...The problem is that the battery dies and I have to do a drive cycle to reset the registers before getting it inspected to get the registration each year...

Would the 9 volt battery in the cigarette lighter keep the PCM settings or do I need more? I don't have access to power to run a battery charger or trickle charger so I have those tools butcan't run them...

Does anyone have any suggestions???

Thanks...

 

[koda2000]

I think a 9V battery would be enough. IIRC AutoZone had a thing that plugged into the cig lighter/power port to keep the settings in the PCM and radio presets during battery replacements. IDK how long a 9V battery would last though.

 

[Jason94sport]

Those are for temporary use. Not long term. They tend to heat up. I would just start it every week or 2 & run it for 5 minutes.

 

[fastpakr]

Is it parked in a position that you could leave it on a battery tender?

 

[ranger7ltr]

The truck is not even close to a power outlet let alone a battery tender...I have a small solar panel on the dash and it is too small to be effective to do anything...I have thought about a bigger solar panel...I am going to try the 9v device soon since I am working on it and replacing the dead fuel pump I could run it every couple months and see if that would keep the battery charged and the PCM set if it didn't keep the battery hot enough...

 

[fastpakr]

How quickly is the battery running down? Have you checked for any parasitic drains?

 

[Mbrooks420]

How long is it sitting between starts? A good battery should easily go 3-4 weeks, or longer. If you have a small solar panel and it’s still not making this, you have something drawing too much power while sitting.

 

[CDW6212R]

A solar panel that makes 30w or more should be able to maintain a car battery. I've looked for a panel that will fit under the sunroof glass, but so far didn't find the best size.

I have solar panel controller that Battery Tender makes, about $22, that will trickle charge a 12v battery well. The trick is the panel, it needs to be thin, say 1/8", and about 12x28" but no more. That size could fit permanently above the sun shade, to the glass.

 

[J_C]

A 9V battery won't work for more than a few hours if that. Consider that they're only a few hundred mAh capacity which would extend your starter battery Ah capacity by only a single digit % if that.

Solar panel size needed will obviously depend on how much sun is hitting it. Regardless of its rating it should put out about 75mA average per hour over 24hrs in the location it's used in. You'll only have a few peak hours a day to reach that average. Average much more and you ought to use a charge controller.

If it's not a maintenance free battery then I'd also keep an eye on water level.

 

[German Engineer]

If you have a decent OBD2 scan tool it's not all that big a deal to drive the complete cycle to get all the emissions tests done. And you can drive the entire cycle or parts of it while doing something else useful with the car, like on your way back from work, or when going shopping for groceries, car parts, or for guns or grenade launchers...

Here's the complete list of procedures for each of the individual tests of the complete cycle with all the parameters you need to consider (like outside temperature range (no extreme freezing or heat), maximum elevation etc.).
Ford Motor Company Driving Cycle

A good OBD2 scan can tell you all the various emission relevant tests that your explorer runs, which ones are "not available" for you car, and which ones are completed or incomplete.
You don't need to do each of these individual tests in the exact specific order listed, they "all" (meaning the ones your car does or has available) just need to be fully completed.

((P.S: Of course you can also drive the cycle to complete the monitoring tests without having an OBD2 scan tool. But without tool you'll of course end up having to guess and just have to hope the tests are complete. And you certainly might want to extend some of the procedures then and complete them two or three times on different occasions, to at least a bit on the safer side of having to pray and hope they're completed.))