S550 Keyless locking not working

[Snakebyte]

Someone else may be able to help more on what you may lose. I don't recall losing anything significant the last time I changed my battery. My most annoying part was resetting the dash-cam date/time and resetting my aftermarket GlowShift gauge settings.

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[The Latman]

Someone else may be able to help more on what you may lose. I don't recall losing anything significant the last time I changed my battery. My most annoying part was resetting the dash-cam date/time and resetting my aftermarket GlowShift gauge settings.

Ok, cool. I don’t have a dash cam and don’t have anything aftermarket.

 

[The Latman]

OK, went out to the car to disconnect the battery, before I did anything, I have discovered that the keyless locking is now working.

Ford software glitches I guess!!

WTF

I fully expect it to stop working again tbh

 

[ORRadtech]

Summing this up to be sure I understand.
You had a cold snap and the door handle proximity locking feature stopped working on both doors. Unlocking still works.
Replacing fob batteries and cleaning the sensors did not fix it.
If disconnecting the main battery and trying a reset doesn't help then you're going to have to dig deeper.
My thoughts are that the problem is going to lie in the wiring somewhere. Something like a poor ground, a loose or cracked/brocken connector or possibly some corrosion. Or it could be a problem with a module (door, security, bcm,etc).
If you can get access to a good bidirectional scan tool (or Forscan) and service data that would go a long way to tracking down the problem.
Good luck.

 

[ORRadtech]

OK, went out to the car to disconnect the battery, before I did anything, I have discovered that the keyless locking is now working.

Ford software glitches I guess!!

WTF

I fully expect it to stop working again tbh

Has the temperature warmed up?
I'm leaning towards a weather/cold related wiring issue.

 

[The Latman]

Has the temperature warmed up?
I'm leaning towards a weather/cold related wiring issue.

I just checked again and only the driver door works.

It’s been raining today and water has filled inbetween the wee grooves on the locking symbol, I wonder if it’s done a better job of cleaning than I did. It’s also a little warmer, not by much though. it was mighty cold in 2023/2024 and this didn’t happen then.

 

[GTP]

It is a sporadic issue.

I often get the driver side working, but not passenger side, on BOTH my 2019 GT and 2020 Explorer ST.

I know there is at least one other thread on 6g about this, but I don't know if there is also a guaranteed solution.

 

[The Latman]

Ok, so went out to the car, unlocked then locked keylessly, so far so good.

Drove to where I was going (short journey, about 15 minutes). Got where I was going, wouldn’t lock again.

I’m starting to suspect a battery issue, perhaps it needs a longer run without the heated seats and steering wheel on for the run.

Looking at the digital gauge for the battery when I press start (just to turn on the power, no engine), it displays 12v (climate controls, radio & lights off) Starting the car and it shoots up to 14v.

It does tell me “Full power accessory active” as well.

Is the battery gubbed, or will a long run suffice? She starts with no issues and I’ve had no battery warning messages.

It’s a daily car… school run etc and the past few wheels I have had the heated wheel and sometimes the seat on….

 

[ORRadtech]

First, don't trust the dash voltage guage too much. Connect a digital voltage meter (DVM) for a more accurate voltage reading. Voltage with the car off should ideally be 12.4V to 12.6V. With the car running, you're reading alternator output, which should be within a couple of tenths of 14.2V.
A load test is the best way to get the battery health.
Auto parts stores in the US will check the battery condition for free. Or little handheld battery testers are available on Amazon for not too much money.

 

[GTP]

My gut feeling is that the handle sensor is intermittent. Plenty of people have this issue and I suspect changing the sensor fixes it.

 

[The Latman]

Is it easy to change?

The only thing I would say about this line of thought is that both handles have worked since I got the car in ‘23, now both handles are acting up, at the same time.

I am starting to suspect the battery needs either a good charge or replacing. I’ll run my multimeter over it later today and see what’s what.

 

[GTP]

Hold one DVM lead in each hand and measure your body resistance

 

[Skye]

2018...Is the car still on its original battery? Under hood. Not the fob. When was it last replaced? If six+ years old, it had a good life. Age, plus the recent temperature changes, could be contributing factors.

If the car's battery is the original, it needs to be replaced, regardless.

If you do replace the battery, be sure to perform a Battery Management System (BMS) reset.

 

[The Latman]

2018...Is the car still on its original battery? Under hood. Not the fob. When was it last replaced? If six+ years old, it had a good life. Age, plus the recent temperature changes, could be contributing factors.

If the car's battery is the original, it needs to be replaced, regardless.

If you do replace the battery, be sure to perform a Battery Management System (BMS) reset.

I got the car in 2023 so don’t know the age of the battery.

I had a mondeo prior to this so am fully versed in the very strange BMS system, especially resetting it!!!

I’ll see how the Service / MOT goes, if there’s no other actions I’ll speak to the dealer about the battery health.

 

[Skye]

I got the car in 2023 so don’t know the age of the battery.

Roger.

When going in for MOT, you and the tech can look at the top. If a Motorcraft, it has a raised date stamp. Not always obvious (or easy to read), because the numbering is not highlighted.

Good Luck.

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