Radio & Climate controls going crazy

[jaydee7803]

2010 sho 140000 miles. Everything was excellent until got in other morning to warm up car tried to adjust climate and turn off radio but Radio controls wouldn't work and partially work some times but climate controls only half work all the time. Seems radio controls start to act up after trying to use climate controls also if push climate power button it programs the radio station to memory 1. Steering wheel controls all work perfectly. Only center console affected. Disconnected battery for few mins with no change. How serious could this be? And what could this be? New SHO owner only had four month and half...

 

[Ahrmadillo]

i just had a similar problem in 2015 with the climate control randomly turning off and the power button not working. so i took it to ford and they had to replace the whole center console where the touch buttons are. thankfully i have a warranty so i didn't pay anything, but i cant imagine how much this would cost. i would take to ford and have them find out if the electronics are bad. sorry.

 

[sperold]

Look at the battery first. No matter how old or new.

 

[glockcoma]

Check voltage @ battery terminals while running and not running.
If you can get some to crank for you check while cranking.
These newer cars with the Battery monitoring system do some crazy things when they start to go bad.

 

[SHOdded]

Cold Cranking Amps will be a better indicator of battery health than Voltage, so be sure to check both. A digital tester is highly recommended (e.g. Solar BA7 for the DIY'r), or have your local auto parts store or dealer run the tests for you.

 

[jaydee7803]

I did notice a hesitation on turning over at steering it the day the problem started. I just had in my mind it was a cold day. Has started fine since but problem persist.

 

[jaydee7803]

Ill have battery tested today and already have appt at ford. Charging 140 Just to look at it.

 

[jaydee7803]

Is this something zi can still drive car with for couple days until get up to ford. Or being electric or computer issue could it possible cause other issues?? The computer and electrical issues with newer cars are out of my league.

 

[luigisho]

In my experience with other cars, if the battery and/or alternator is not supplying enough power or regulated power correctly it can cause all kinds of strange electrical acting ups. I've never had it damage the electronics but that is not proof that it can't. Usually just weird symptoms in more than one area.

My GenIII SHO had integrated climate control and stereo and that could be wonky with either bad power or the unit electronics failed. Other things can fail like blend door etc. but if you have multiple symptoms then it's usually cc/head unit or power issues. You should be able to get readings for battery/ alt output easily and be able to go from there.

 

[SHOdded]

If the motorcraft toughmax group 65 850 cca battery is still available , I would go for that. You will appreciate the difference coupons might apply at https://owner.ford.com

Hope they apply the diag fee to the new battery or any needed service. That is SOP.

 

[tech10002]

That generation of Ford electronics is especially voltage sensitive. I had a loose wire on my alternator in my diesel F250. The Ford dealer forgot to tighten it when they did head gaskets. My climate control would lock up all the time and the cruise would drop out going down the highway randomly. One time the whole truck shuddered and dropped in neutral at 75 mph on the interstate. When I started trying to find the cause I found the loose nut and burned positive cable on the alternator, so before spending any serious money replacing modules, I’d make sure the batt is good like the other guys said and the alternator is charging correctly. My next move would be finding a junkyard center stack and replacing the front control panel.

 

[GHNorth]

Just to add my two recent battery (I think) issues. I started my car to go get gas and groceries the other day, and my left info screen popped up a message that I was Low on Fuel - 0 miles to empty. I knew this was not true, as I had just gotten back from a short road trip and had half a tank of gas when I parked. After fueling the car (13 gal), the meter read full and no warning. Then on Monday I was driving from Virginia to Pennsylvania and I stopped at a rest stop for 5 minutes. When I started the car my radio and all associated functions failed. No sound from any source - radio (could not access), USB stick, phone via BT, etc. A few miles down the interstate I pulled over, shut everything off, restarted, and still nothing. I even tried a full factory reset (mistake.) I drove to my destination a couple hours away in silence. After the event I was attending the car started fine, and everything worked! I keep my battery on a tender at all times since I drive infrequently, and the Sears AGM battery is only 32 months old. The SHO is very finicky.