How to Reset Battery Light on Ford F150?

To reset Ford 150’s battery, shut down all power by turning off lights and other electrical devices. Next, examine the battery and clean it if you see signs of corrosion on its terminals. Tighten the battery clamps, and reset the battery lines. Finally, you can recharge it and perform a battery reset test.

Most Ford F150 owners are interested in knowing the method of resetting their truck’s battery light since it’s common in Ford 150 trucks. If, you, like others, are looking for a way to reset the Ford F150 battery light yourself, don’t worry because we have got you covered.

Usually, this light shows up when something goes wrong with your car’s battery or alternator. Now the major question is how to reset car battery light. That’s a simple process, and this article covers all the manual steps you need to perform for the Ford F150 battery replacement procedure.

Can a Defective Alternator Harm a Recently Installed Battery?

In some cases, it may cause imperishable damage. However, whether it damages or not, we would never recommend you use a newly installed battery with a faulty alternator.

How to Reset Battery Warning Lights on Ford F150?

9 steps to Reset Battery Warning Light on Ford F150 infographic

We are committed to providing easy and fluent solutions to all problems related to your vehicle.

Keeping that trend in mind, below are some of the most widely researched easy stages to reset the Ford F150 battery light on.

Stage 1: Shut Down All Power

To start the Ford F150 battery reset process, even though the battery warning light is active, you must understand that the truck still has some power. So, you need to turn down all the power in the truck. 

To achieve that, turn off all types of battery-related parts such as AC, headlights, heating system, sound system, etc.

Stage 2: Examine the Battery Situation

Examine the battery of your truck. Be sure to wear a hand glove and discard the top from the battery terminal.

If the battery is rusted, you will see white-coloured or greenish-coloured material under the cover. If they are, don’t worry, since this is not just the case with only the Ford F150, after a while, all car battery ports or terminals must deplete.

Stage 3: Clean Battery Terminals

When your truck’s battery warning lights are active, cleaning the battery terminals is crucial. However, since you have turned off lights, you can easily accomplish this task with a toothbrush and ordinary household cleaner or grease. All you need to do is dip the toothbrush and rinse the damaged parts on the battery.

Stage 4: Strengthen the Terminal Camps

When you are saturating the battery ports, take care of the terminal clamps too. Clean those clamps and fasten the loose parts with pliers or a wrench. For your Ford model, we ask you to check the OEM guidelines.

Stage 5: Reset/Replace Battery Lines

Initially, to reset the battery, you have to reset and replace the damaged battery wires. For that, find the red cable that is connected to the feasible connection of the relay and the alternator. Change that cable if it is damaged.  You may take the help of a mechanic to perform this.

Stage 6: Recharge the Battery and Repair the Alternator

Now you should recharge the battery of the truck. If you do not recharge the battery regularly, it will quickly become defective. Also, pay attention to the alternator and voltage controller as these devices are quite fragile. 

If your truck’s voltage falls and then the battery warning light is illuminated, action should be taken quickly. Otherwise, you will have to face deep loss and a huge expense for sure.

Stage 7: Renew the Alternator Belt

Once you’ve fixed the alternator, all electrical options, including your truck’s sound system, headlights, radio, and charging system, should work properly. 

When the belt of the alternator goes bad, it runs low and as a result, the battery runs out quickly. If this also happens to your truck, you may need to displace the belt.

Stage 8: Reset Battery Warning Light

Finally, you are ready to perform resetting. For that, you need to access the control unit of your car but need awareness of the Fuel Test Procedure (FTP). FTP is a system that works with charging systems and gas mileage to accelerate alternators.

To reset the battery warning light on your truck. First, gather the diagnostic data of the Ford F150.  Second, detach the battery connections step by step. Once you have disconnected completely, you need to recharge your truck’s battery by the data stream. So move to your dashboard screen of the truck. Finally, customize all settings, such as battery charge, temperature, voltage, and more.

Stage 9: Perform Battery Reset Test

The last step is to examine the battery. For this, you need to monitor the battery using a battery monitoring system like BCM or BMS.

Now you know how to reset battery light on – Ford F150.

Ford F150 Battery Light Comes On and Off

So, what is keeping your battery light on and off? There could be a number of reasons as follows.

  • A faulty battery can cause this issue. You should get your vehicle checked after experiencing this, the battery should be replaced if needed.
  • A faulty alternator can be responsible for the battery light on-off issue. If the battery light comes on when your engine is running, it means that the alternator has less power to generate wattage. You should get a new alternator if necessary.
  • Another reason for the battery lamp to light up is the ‘battery post corrosion’. The battery post needs to transform the necessary voltage from its alternator to the battery. But when the battery is corroded, these things get messed up. YOu can clean the battery post and the problem should be solved.
  • A damaged alternator belt can cause an issue because the damaged belt can’t turn the alternator properly when needed. Get the belt checked and replace it if needed.
  • This problem can also show up if you overuse a large number of car accessories. The extra components can deplete the battery charges more quickly. For this, you should reduce the number of electronic components you plug into the car.

Now, you can answer the question ‘why does my F150 battery light come on?’.

Is It Safe to Drive Ford F150 With the Battery Warning Light on?

The fact that your truck’s battery warning light is active means that it must have a faulty battery or alternator. If you drive in this condition, the car may run out of battery at any time during driving.  Therefore, we advise you not to drive the truck while the battery light is on.

Malfunctionalities that can Trigger Warning Light

The warning lights get triggered and you may notice your F150 battery light comes on and off mostly due to a problem with the battery or alternator. However, some other things like a fuse box, electrolyte leakage, and alternate damage can also trigger the light. So, it’s in your best interest to fix these issues when you get the warning.

Alternator Belt is Damaged:

The alternator belt often gets loosened over time. Symptoms such as glazing, screaming, friction, cracking, etc. are seen when it is damaged. To fix this you need to replace the belt.

There Is a Problem With the Fuse Box:

Sometimes the fuse box of the truck explodes due to excessive heat and a short circuit. To avoid such problems, mount a better-quality fuse box on your truck.

Electrolyte Leaks:

We can also call this problem acid leakage. We often hear that vehicles catch fire for various reasons. One of the reasons behind this is electrolyte leakage. 

This problem occurs when the negative terminal of the truck battery leaks and the sensor monitoring system fails. To solve this, you need to switch to better lead-acid batteries.

Ford Alternator Charging But Battery Light On

What can be the causes and solutions for the battery light on but alternator is charging? Here you go with the answers.

Corroded Battery Terminals

When you’re sure that the battery is okay and you see the alternator is charging corroded battery terminals can be the reason for the battery light on. So, how can you fix the corroded battery terminals?

No worries, it’s simple. First, detach the battery and disconnect the white and blue deposits of the battery terminals. Then, find the wiring clamps and reconnect the cables. Finally, clear the error code. That’s all you have to do; the problem should go away in the meantime.

Overcharging Alternator

The current regulator can significantly fail due to an overcharging alternator. It’s because the failed regulator causes the alternator to deliver more power than what’s needed. Consult a professional to address the problem and help you get out of it.

Bad Alternator Pulley

A faulty alternator pulley can cause issues with the electrical system of your vehicle. It will result in an unnecessary load on the engine and turns the battery light on. However, it’s easy to detect because you’ll notice a squealing noise when the engine is cold. Also, you can easily detect cracks and worn threads in the belt. Talk to a professional whenever you experience this.

Conclusion

In this article, we have briefly described what does the battery light mean on a ford f150 and the detailed process of the Ford battery reset. The warning light turns on due to multiple reasons. So, first, identify the source and fix it. Then, you can reset the warning light based on the guidelines mentioned.

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William Baldwin

This Is William Baldwin, The Founder & Managing Editor of this website. Me and my team share automotive tips, tricks, and news

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Talha

Talha Atta

Talha Atta, a Mechanical Engineer and experienced technical content writer and editor at Autoglobes.com with a passion for the automotive industry.