battery out for winter so do I lock car?
5 Answers
Do not remove the battery for an extended time like that, you could damage the BCM and other electronic components that rely on power to maintain memory. If you can plug it in then get a battery maintenance charger, hook it up and leave it on. If you can’t plug it in then hopefully it can be in some sun and you can run a solar type battery maintenance charger.
car is outside and would require battery maintainer suitable for that. unable to locate outdoor maintainer... FORD says locks are power driven and I should reinstall battery to lock vehicle.
Yep, put the battery back in and hope you didn't damage any electronics. If you did then the dealer can do a flash and get stuff back up and functioning. Harbor freight has external solar maintainers and well as Amazon, plus your local parts store can most likely order one.
This is actually something I never thought about since the vehicles I store are older models and have mechanical door locks. I would say if Ford says leave the door unlocked, then leave it unlocked. Without power from the battery, electronic door locks won't work, even with a key, without power. The other problem is many newer vehicles require the computers to be powered up at all times, including during a battery replacement. If they aren't the vehicle needs to be flashed (reprogrammed) at your local Dealer. I'd ask Ford Customer Service these questions and do as they recommend so when you get your vehicle out of storage in the Spring you'll be able to get into it and drive it without any problems. One thing you do want to do before you store the vehicle is add a fuel stabilizer to the gas tank and fill it up, in that order. This will prevent water condensation in the gas tank. Hope that helps! Jim
