OBD-II Code · Body
B1325
Ignition Run Circuit Short to Ground
Severity
medium
Worth booking. It costs fuel, emissions or comfort until it is fixed.
Can you drive it
Only if running normally
A short trip to a shop may be reasonable if the light is steady and the car runs normally. Stop safely for a flashing light, severe shaking, overheating, loss of power, or another urgent warning. The code alone cannot confirm safety.
Indicative cost (USD)
$50–$400
Varies by vehicle, diagnosis, parts, and local labor. This is not a repair quote.
Ignition-run circuit shorted.
How a shop works this
Work from evidence to part, not the other way round. A code names a circuit or a symptom; it does not name the part that failed.
Note every code that is set, not just this one.
Codes that appear together usually narrow the cause faster than any one of them read alone.
Read the freeze frame — the conditions the fault was recorded under.
Cold or warm, idle or load, road speed and engine speed. A fault that only appears cold is a different fault from one that only appears under load, even with the same code on the scanner.
Confirm the fault is current rather than history.
Clear the code and see whether it returns under those same conditions. A code that does not come back may have been logged during a repair, a flat battery, or a bad connection that has since been disturbed.
Then work the likely-causes list in the order shown.
That order is what a shop checks first for this code — wiring and connections before the component they run to, because a connector costs nothing to inspect and is a common answer.
If the code comes back after a repair, the underlying fault is still there. That is the point to bring in a scanner with live data and freeze-frame, or a shop that has one.
Common symptoms
- Accessories don't work in run
Likely causes
- Shorted wiringMost common
- Failed switch
Read the full diagnostic procedureB1325 is Ford's BCM-specific battery voltage out-of-range code — the BCM's monitored voltage rail has crossed either its lower (typically <9.0V) or u…
B1325 is Ford's BCM-specific battery voltage out-of-range code — the BCM's monitored voltage rail has crossed either its lower (typically <9.0V) or upper (typically >16.0V) limit and stayed there long enough to latch.
Cheapest-first ladder
- Multimeter on the battery posts at rest (should read 12.4-12.8V) and with the engine running (13.5-14.5V); if either reads outside spec, the battery or alternator is the cause, not the BCM.
- Load-test the battery — a battery with 12.6V open-circuit but only 9V under a 200A load test will set B1325 every cold start and is otherwise invisible to a static voltmeter.
- Inspect the BCM's main connector for green-corrosion on the voltage-sense pin (typically pin 1 or 2 of the main power harness on Ford BCMs of this vintage) — corrosion adds series resistance that the BCM reads as low voltage even with a healthy battery.
- Scan with FORScan and compare the BCM's reported voltage PID against your meter reading — a 1.5V+ discrepancy means the BCM's internal sense circuit is the failure. Expensive-misdiagnosis caveat: B-codes for module programming/configuration almost never mean a bad module — they mean a missing or corrupted As-Built / FORScan / GM Tech-2 config file; before condemning a $400-$1000 module, attempt re-configuration with dealer scan tool first, and on Ford specifically, dump the original module's As-Built data via FORScan before unplugging the suspect BCM so you have the config available if you do end up swapping.
Vehicle-specific patterns2010-2014 Ford F-150/Expedition/Edge/Flex with the SmartJunctionBox-style BCM throws B1325 during Sync2 reflash events because the reflash holds the…
- 2010-2014Ford F-150/Expedition/Edge/Flex with the SmartJunctionBox-style BCM throws B1325 during Sync2 reflash events because the reflash holds the BCM awake while the alternator regulator hunts, creating a wakeup-loop that the BCM logs as a voltage excursion.
- 2008-2012Lincoln Navigator/MKX commonly throws B1325 from a known weak ground at the body-to-frame strap behind the driver-side fender — clean and re-torque the strap and the code clears without parts.
- 2007-2010Ford Escape/Mariner/Mazda Tribute throws B1325 from a documented BCM internal solder-joint failure on the voltage-monitor circuit — Ford released remanufactured BCMs that addressed it. Any Ford after a jumpstart, a battery disconnect, or a parasitic-draw event can latch B1325 transiently — clear and re-test before throwing parts.
Estimated repair$0 (clean grounds, post-jumpstart clear) to $850 (BCM replacement plus As-Built reprogram at a Ford dealer or independent with FORScan/IDS access).
Look up another code
B1325 — frequently asked
What does a B1325 code mean?
Ignition-run circuit shorted.
What causes a B1325 code?
Common causes: Shorted wiring; Failed switch.
What are the symptoms of a B1325 code?
Typical symptoms: Accessories don't work in run.
Is it safe to drive with a B1325 code?
Only if running normally. A short trip to a shop may be reasonable if the light is steady and the car runs normally. Stop safely for a flashing light, severe shaking, overheating, loss of power, or another urgent warning. The code alone cannot confirm safety. Estimated repair: $50-$400.
How do I diagnose a B1325 code?
Work from evidence to part, not the other way round. A code names a circuit or a symptom; it does not name the part that failed. 1. Note every code that is set, not just this one. 2. Read the freeze frame — the conditions the fault was recorded under. 3. Confirm the fault is current rather than history. 4. Then work the likely-causes list in the order shown.
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