Cars are complicated things. What might seem like a simple task of putting a Ford Explorer in neutral while the battery is dead can be tough if you don’t know how.
The Ford Explorer came out in 1990, available as either a 2- or 4-door. While the former has long since gone, the latter is now one of the most popular full-size crossovers sold around the world.
How do you put a Ford Explorer in neutral with a dead battery?
You cannot just put the car in neutral. Since the battery is dead, the gear shift is going to be locked. You can, however, put your Ford Explorer in neutral if you follow the steps in this article to get your vehicle in neutral so that you can move it as needed and get the jumper cables in place to charge the battery.
Putting a Ford Explorer in neutral after the battery has died might seem like a difficult task, especially if you have a newer car or one that has an automatic transmission. There are ways, however, to put your Ford Explorer in neutral, even if the battery is completely dead.
We are going to talk about how to get your dead vehicle in neutral, why you might need to do this, and what it means when a dead vehicle is in neutral after the battery has died.
Your Battery is Dead, What Do You Do?
When a car battery dies so, do all the elements that make it possible to move the vehicle, to drive the vehicle, and to use any of its functions.
Even though the car is dead, you are likely still going to need to move it to a specific position. This allows for the battery to be hooked up to either a battery charger or to another automobile so that the battery can be jumped or charged.
While your car does not have to be in neutral for the battery to be jumped, or for it to charge, since it is not drivable when the battery is dead, it is going to be far easier to move it to the position that you want it in if you do have it in neutral.
So, what do you do when your battery dies and the gear shift is locked and will not move? Keep reading to find out.
Shifting Your Ford Explorer into Neutral with a Dead Battery
In newer model cars the gear shift can only be engaged and moved when the ignition is on and the vehicle is running. This poses a problem when the battery is dead and the ignition cannot be engaged.
On most newer model cars, or those that have an automatic transmission, there is a small panel at the top of the gear shift panel next to the gear shifter.
You do want to first put the vehicle’s emergency park brake on, to make sure that when the car shifts into neutral it does not roll or move without your wanting it to. This is also going to help make sure that you can work on getting the car out of park without having to keep your foot on the brake pedal.
You can use a small screwdriver or other flat tool to open this small panel. After you remove the little panel you will notice that there is a button behind it.
After you push the button the gear shift will unlock and you will be able to turn the ignition on, press the brake pedal all the way, and shift the car to neutral. This button is referred to as the shift lock override and is a manual way of overriding the gear shift lock when the vehicle dies or will not shift gears.
Why Might You Need to Shift to Neutral in a Dead Vehicle?
The most common need to shift your dead Ford Explorer into neutral is that the vehicle is not in the optimal position to charge or jump the battery. In many cases people will simply bring a battery charger or another automobile over to the front of the car and charge it where it stands.
However, what if your vehicle is in a position that makes it impossible to charge or to access the battery? This is where shifting the vehicle into neutral so it can be maneuvered is handy.
Being able to unlock your gear shift and shift your vehicle into neutral is going to make it possible to move your vehicle around without damaging the gears and without worrying about your vehicle not being able to move freely.
Shifting your vehicle into neutral when it is dead is just going to make it easier to get your vehicle into a position to charge it so that you can drive it again.
With any vehicle it is always best to have a resource on your side like Vehicle History where you can do quick searches of common problems. Knowing a great deal about your particular car is helpful, but having a resource where you can share knowledge is even more helpful.
