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Key In Ignition Chime Won't Shut Off / Possible Parasitic Drain Loss


NDL

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Hello Y'all:

I have a 2001 Ranger with the 2.5L engine. I have two separate issues with the truck, and one may be causing the other:

The Ranger is driven every couple of days. When the temperatures are above 40 degrees, the battery stays charged - at least at an amount that's sufficient to start the vehicle.

Once the nightly temperatures dip into the 30's, if the vehicle is not started and run every day or so, the battery will have an insufficient charge to start the engine. It only happens when evening temperatures dip into the 30's.

The truck has behaved this way for the past two plus years. Again...this is only an issue when the temps drop, and the truck sits. If the temps are above 40 degrees, and/or if the truck is driven daily, I don't have an issue. I do not have this issue in the summer, spring, or fall, but now that we're in the winter season, I am having the issue again (similiar to, but worse than, last winter).

We recently moved to a new City, into an apartment complex that doesn't allow vehicle repairs, plus I don't know much about electrical. I have a hunch that the battery is no good; the voltmeter registers okay, and HVAC fan on high; high beams...all work flawlessly. The battery is a couple to three years old.

The other issue, which may be tied to the above issue: the key in chime started going off, as of recent. It will only go off for the first 20 seconds, after starting the vehicle. It will not go off at any other time. I taped the connection, and it still went off, so I traced the wire to the harness, and disconnected the wire and ignition switch dohickey. The chime still goes off when the vehicle is started, so I am now wondering if something is shorting the whole thing out. I don't know which fuse operates the key in chime.

Do y'all have any thoughts or ideas? I am in the process of getting a multimeter, and have youtubed video's on parasitic loss testing. For various reasons, it'll be a good couple of weeks until I have a place to work on the truck, and seriously check it out. In the meantime, do y'all have any ideas?

TIY
 


NDL

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Does anyone know what fuse/circuit the key-in-ignition chime is? Believe me, I have looked and I can't find it anywhere.

I am tempted to simply pull the fuse, as my truck has manual everything. Maybe i'll get lucky and pulling the fuse will solve the problem.
 

Dirtman

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Need to start by fully charging the battery and then let is sit for several hours (overnight is best). Then test its voltage. Anything below 12.3 volts is a dead battery. You can't really do a parasitic draw test until you have a verified good and fully charged battery.
 

Josh B

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Hey NDL, welcome to TRS
I can't offer anything but think Dirtman did.

When you find a place to work on it you might do well to check your wiring to the starter and brush the wires and connectors good to remove any corrosion
 
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Bgunner

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Most Advanced Auto, O'Reilly's and Auto Zone stores have a battery tester that they can hook up and test to see if the battery is bad also. If after doing what Dirtman suggested produces a a voltage of 12.3 or below have it tested again at a parts store of verification.

What you are describing sure sounds like a bad battery but test it first to be sure. Also while testing make sure the battery hold down is there and doing its job since the battery bouncing around will cause it to go bad.

Last time I had a battery go bad if I left my phone charger plugged in it would kill the battery but would still start up on a cold morning if it wasn't plugged in over night. Being a manual and living on a hill I have an out as long as there is a little power left to charge the ignition system.


EDIT: Start with the battery issue first but the chime may also be a bad door switch. Does your dash have a light saying door ajar/ or show which doors are open? If it does make sure it goes out with the doors shut because if it does not then it is most likely a switch. Another common issue with a door switch is the interior lights being on all the time.
 
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NDL

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Need to start by fully charging the battery and then let is sit for several hours (overnight is best). Then test its voltage. Anything below 12.3 volts is a dead battery. You can't really do a parasitic draw test until you have a verified good and fully charged battery.
Thank you for educating me; I had no idea that a parasitic draw test couldn't be done on a poor battery.


Hey NDL, welcome to TRS
I can't offer anything but think Dirtman did.

When you find a place to work on it you might do well to check your wiring to the starter and brush the wires and connectors good to remove any corrosion
Thanks Josh!

Most Advanced Auto, O'Reilly's and Auto Zone stores have a battery tester that they can hook up and test to see if the battery is bad also. If after doing what Dirtman suggested produces a a voltage of 12.3 or below have it tested again at a parts store of verification.

What you are describing sure sounds like a bad battery but test it first to be sure. Also while testing make sure the battery hold down is there and doing its job since the battery bouncing around will cause it to go bad.

Last time I had a battery go bad if I left my phone charger plugged in it would kill the battery but would still start up on a cold morning if it wasn't plugged in over night. Being a manual and living on a hill I have an out as long as there is a little power left to charge the ignition system.


EDIT: Start with the battery issue first but the chime may also be a bad door switch. Does your dash have a light saying door ajar/ or show which doors are open? If it does make sure it goes out with the doors shut because if it does not then it is most likely a switch. Another common issue with a door switch is the interior lights being on all the time.
Appreciate the reply.

It sounds like a bad battery to me, but on another forum, a few posters are telling me that it's likely not the battery, which is why I went the parasitic draw route.

But yes...I think it's the battery. Why does the issue ONLY occur during the winter months, and ONLY in lower temps? If it was a parasitic draw issue, it would be a problem year round.

As to the battery hold down, yes the battery is secure.

As for the chime issue, the "key in" ignition chime and door open chime produce two different sounds.

The key in ignition chime only sounds when the truck is first started, and produces a sequence of 20 beeps, in sequences of five at a time. The door ajar chime is entirely different, and it works properly (only when the door is open).

What has me baffled is that I pulled the wire for the "key in" ignition chime, straight off of the harness, yet the damned thing still rings.
 

Bgunner

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Why does the issue ONLY occur during the winter months, and ONLY in lower temps? If it was a parasitic draw issue, it would be a problem year round.
When the motor is cold it requires more current draw from the battery to turn the motor over because of thicker oil and cold metal doesn't flex as easily making it harder for the starter to turn over the engine. This is why there is a CCA rating ( Cold Cranking Amps rating) on all automotive battery's. This is one reason it can be a Cold weather issue. When you replaced the battery did you put the proper size battery in? Meaning the proper or higher CCA battery because not just any battery with the proper dimensions is the correct battery.

Reading on CCA and what it means : https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/experience/2014/01/what-does-cold-cranking-amps-cca-mean

Years ago when I was in automotive school I was taught that that a battery's expected life was 3 years and should be changed after this but in my personal experience it seems to average between 5 to 7 years depending on how well the battery was maintained during its installed life. Yours being at the 3 years or so mark potentially could of gone bad.

As for the chime issue, the "key in" ignition chime and door open chime produce two different sounds.

The key in ignition chime only sounds when the truck is first started, and produces a sequence of 20 beeps, in sequences of five at a time. The door ajar chime is entirely different, and it works properly (only when the door is open).

What has me baffled is that I pulled the wire for the "key in" ignition chime, straight off of the harness, yet the damned thing still rings.
OK. Now are you sure you disconnected the proper wire? This also begs the question of If you did pull the proper wire are you positive it is the "key In Door Open" alarm? The "Key in" alarm is only supposed to chime if the door is open. If you have the factory owners manual look up the chimes and see what is says about them to try to determine if the Key in alarm is actually going off. If there are more than one type of beeping alarm it should tell you which one is has the 5 beeps them a pause and repeating so owners understand what the beeping is for.

If it was just a "Key In" chime it would ding all the time every time you insert the key. It needs to be Key In (and something else) chime.
 
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NDL

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When the motor is cold it requires more current draw from the battery to turn the motor over because of thicker oil and cold metal doesn't flex as easily making it harder for the starter to turn over the engine. This is why there is a CCA rating ( Cold Cranking Amps rating) on all automotive battery's. This is one reason it can be a Cold weather issue. When you replaced the battery did you put the proper size battery in? Meaning the proper or higher CCA battery because not just any battery with the proper dimensions is the correct battery.

Reading on CCA and what it means : https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/experience/2014/01/what-does-cold-cranking-amps-cca-mean

Years ago when I was in automotive school I was taught that that a battery's expected life was 3 years and should be changed after this but in my personal experience it seems to average between 5 to 7 years depending on how well the battery was maintained during its installed life. Yours being at the 3 years or so mark potentially could of gone bad.



OK. Now are you sure you disconnected the proper wire? This also begs the question of If you did pull the proper wire are you positive it is the "key In Door Open" alarm? The "Key in" alarm is only supposed to chime if the door is open. If you have the factory owners manual look up the chimes and see what is says about them to try to determine if the Key in alarm is actually going off. If there are more than one type of beeping alarm it should tell you which one is has the 5 beeps them a pause and repeating so owners understand what the beeping is for.

If it was just a "Key In" chime it would ding all the time every time you insert the key. It needs to be Key In (and something else) chime.
I thank you Sir, for taking the time to write.

I have been dissatisfied with Interstate batteries as of late; the Interstate in my Wife's Impala died prematurely, and was warrenteed for being a bad battery. The warranteed battery replacement lasted three years to the DAY, and failed again; the car now has a Deka battery.

The Ranger battery is a proper sized unit, and it too, failed prematurely, and a warranty replacement is issued. I now have about three years on the warrenteed replacement unit.

As for the key in chime that I am hearing, the electrical plug that fit into the key tumbler was old, bent, and the metal contact was fatigued. If I fussed with it, the beeping would stop. Lately, however, the metal contact got to be too brittle/bent, so I followed the wire down to the harness, and pulled it out.

But now that we're discussing all of this...very odd: when I open the door with the key in the ignition, I get a solid (non beeping) buzzer sound, but that's not the sound that I am getting when I first start the vehicle.

The sound that I am getting when I first start the vehicle, is a series of 20 beeps; 4 sequences of 5 beeps. No lights are on, and the bulbs in the instrument cluster work; everything else works; nothing electrical is quirky, nor do I have any aftermarket accessories. I also have manual windows and locks...it's a very simple truck.

So...all in all, does it sound like a battery issue? I should be getting my multimeter late next week from amazon :).
 

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Now this is just guessing because I can't do diagnostics myself over the internet, It sounds like the starting issue and the Chime issue are separate issues. If there is an issue with the connector behind the key switch then this is most likely the issue with the chime. The no start when cold sounds like a bad battery but both things need testing to be sure. My suggestion for now, if you can, park on a hill at night for a possible need to pop start it till you can get the battery tested. Swing by a parts store in your free time and have them test the battery.








EDIT: After doing some research it seems that the beep codes can mean different things but usually relating to one system. The airbags. Are all of your lights working properly for the air bags? both the one in the cluster and the one for the passenger side?
 
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NDL

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Now this is just guessing because I can't do diagnostics myself over the internet, It sounds like the starting issue and the Chime issue are separate issues. If there is an issue with the connector behind the key switch then this is most likely the issue with the chime. The no start when cold sounds like a bad battery but both things need testing to be sure. My suggestion for now, if you can, park on a hill at night for a possible need to pop start it till you can get the battery tested. Swing by a parts store in your free time and have them test the battery.








EDIT: After doing some research it seems that the beep codes can mean different things but usually relating to one system. The airbags. Are all of your lights working properly for the air bags? both the one in the cluster and the one for the passenger side?
Damn...you are good!

I am 6' 4", and I sit close to the steering wheel. With all of the airbag issues in Rangers (I know that my year hasn't been reported), I unplugged the air bag to prevent it from going off.

You don't realize the huge weight you took off of my chest. Now...I plan on testing the system when the multimeter arrives, but the sequence of beeping had me thinking that there was a short somewhere.

Thank you, for the time you took to look into this. I would NEVER have known about this, had you not mentioned it.

Okay...lets assume that my battery is on it's way out; is it absolutely necessary that I have a "good" battery installed, to do the parasitic test? My concern of course, is that the issue is both the battery and a parasitic drain issue. I don't want to get a new battery, if a parasitic issue exists; the constant charge/discharge will kill the new battery. Of course, I suppose I can pull the negative battery cable off the terminal, whenever I park the vehicle, until all of this can be sorted out.
 

Bgunner

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Yes you need a known good battery to do a parasitic test as Dirtman has mentioned in the beginning. I understand the concern of why buy a battery if it is good and or if there is an issue that could harm the new purchase but to start with you need to test the battery to be sure it is good. Once you have a positively known good battery in the vehicle then you can test for the parasitic drain. These are the diagnostic steps that must be completed in the proper order to find the issue and be 100% certain that the issue found is the culprit.

Just an FYI if you didn't already know the parts stores don't charge for the battery test because they figure you are there and the chances of you purchasing the battery from them is high if you have a bad one. The ones I mentioned will also install them for free if you don't want to do it yourself.
 
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NDL

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Yes you need a known good battery to do a parasitic test as Dirtman has mentioned in the beginning. I understand the concern of why buy a battery if it is good and or if there is an issue that could harm the new purchase but to start with you need to test the battery to be sure it is good. Once you have a positively known good battery in the vehicle then you can test for the parasitic drain. These are the diagnostic steps that must be completed in the proper order to find the issue and be 100% certain that the issue found is the culprit.

Just an FYI if you didn't already know the parts stores don't charge for the battery test because they figure you are there and the chances of you purchasing the battery from them is high if you have a bad one. The ones I mentioned will also install them for free if you don't want to do it yourself.
Thank you, Sir.

Do you have any opinion of battery cut off switches? I ordered the below unit as a 'just in case'; if I buy a battery and there happens to be parasitic loss, with the cut off switch I can at least protect the new battery, until I diagnose the issue.

Here's what I got...the only concern I have with is safety (I wouldn't want the engine to cut off on it's own, due to a product failure), but I reasoned that NAPA wouldn't sell unsafe units:


And again, thank you for your time and council.
 

Bgunner

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I personally used the lever style in the past on my yard vehicles. What you have linked to is basically a screw together connection. These will work fine as long as it is not needed to be used all the time.

Keep in mind if the battery has gone bad this would be the reason for the battery giving issues in the cold and a cut off switch is unnecessary and not need. Like I have as my credo, if it's not broken dont fix it. The reason for this is because it can and many times does lead to more problems, like your beeping because of the air bag being disconnected.
 
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NDL

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I personally used the lever style in the past on my yard vehicles. What you have linked to is basically a screw together connection. These will work fine as long as it is not needed to be used all the time.

Keep in mind if the battery has gone bad this would be the reason for the battery giving issues in the cold and a cut off switch is unnecessary and not need. Like I have as my credo, if it's not broken dont fix it. The reason for this is because it can and many times does lead to more problems, like your beeping because of the air bag being disconnected.
I'll keep all of this in mind...thank you for your time and council.
 

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