Burning through batteries
03-04-2010, 12:03 AM
#1
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Burning through batteries
I am on my third battery in 13 months in my 2007 King Ranch. The original battery lasted about 24 months and the truck would not start and the battery would no longer hold a charge.
The second battery lasted 2 months and I took it to the dealer. The dealer found a wire that was grounding out draining the battery and replaced it under warranty. Supposedly the alternator worked and nothing else could be found that was staying on.
The third battery has gone dead again 2 times, but this battery recharged and is currently working fine. The current battery is the Motorcraft recommended size for this model.
I have found something about a smart module that may not be shutting down properly - has anyone heard of this? We can not find out what is causing this issue - any ideas?
The second battery lasted 2 months and I took it to the dealer. The dealer found a wire that was grounding out draining the battery and replaced it under warranty. Supposedly the alternator worked and nothing else could be found that was staying on.
The third battery has gone dead again 2 times, but this battery recharged and is currently working fine. The current battery is the Motorcraft recommended size for this model.
I have found something about a smart module that may not be shutting down properly - has anyone heard of this? We can not find out what is causing this issue - any ideas?
03-04-2010, 06:49 AM
#2
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The only thing I can come up with is:
Remove battery cable and place an amp meter in series from cable to battery post. See how much amperage "draw" is happening with engine off. If something is drawing from the battery with the engine off, this test will show it, and explain the battery drain. Then remove one fuse at a time, replace it, go to next fuse until you no longer see the "draw" on the meter (assuming there is a draw from the first step). Then look in your owners manual to see what circuit(s) are on that fuse; one of these will be the reason for the draw.
If the initial test of installing the amp meter inline with the battery cable did not show any draw, then I'd suspect the alternator/generator is not putting out enough to keep the battery charged. I can't believe you had 3 bad batteries purchased.
And before anyone chimes in complaining about Motorcraft batteries, they are good ones. I've been buying them as replacements for my Fords for many years; always got 4 to 5 years of service with them.
Remove battery cable and place an amp meter in series from cable to battery post. See how much amperage "draw" is happening with engine off. If something is drawing from the battery with the engine off, this test will show it, and explain the battery drain. Then remove one fuse at a time, replace it, go to next fuse until you no longer see the "draw" on the meter (assuming there is a draw from the first step). Then look in your owners manual to see what circuit(s) are on that fuse; one of these will be the reason for the draw.
If the initial test of installing the amp meter inline with the battery cable did not show any draw, then I'd suspect the alternator/generator is not putting out enough to keep the battery charged. I can't believe you had 3 bad batteries purchased.
And before anyone chimes in complaining about Motorcraft batteries, they are good ones. I've been buying them as replacements for my Fords for many years; always got 4 to 5 years of service with them.
03-04-2010, 08:06 AM
#3
Senior Member
Possibly the diodes in the alt. are bad and killing the battery. The only issue when doing the amp draw test is that there are many things in the truck that are drawing from the battery at all times Radio memory, Ecm,gauges and things of that nature.So there will always be alittle draw on the battery.If you were to take a 12volt test light and remove the pos batt cable put the light in line ,one end on the cable, the other on the batt terminal and look at the bulb if it lights up bright you have a high amp draw.and need to see what is causing the issue.Do you have a lot of aftermarket electronics???
03-04-2010, 08:17 AM
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do you have anything like a cell phone charger or aftermarket GPS unit that is always plugger in and working?
I have a cell charger, GPS, and a sattilite radio and if I accidently leave them all on and don't drive the truck for a day or two the comblnation of all these "little" devices will kill the battery.
I have a cell charger, GPS, and a sattilite radio and if I accidently leave them all on and don't drive the truck for a day or two the comblnation of all these "little" devices will kill the battery.
03-04-2010, 08:43 AM
#5
Moderator (Ret.)
Possibly the diodes in the alt. are bad and killing the battery. The only issue when doing the amp draw test is that there are many things in the truck that are drawing from the battery at all times Radio memory, Ecm,gauges and things of that nature.So there will always be alittle draw on the battery.If you were to take a 12volt test light and remove the pos batt cable put the light in line ,one end on the cable, the other on the batt terminal and look at the bulb if it lights up bright you have a high amp draw.and need to see what is causing the issue.Do you have a lot of aftermarket electronics???
03-05-2010, 09:14 PM
#6
Yes, if your problem is that something is drawing juice from the battery it would have to be significant if it is draining the battery within a day or two. On a new or relatively new battery you should be able to start your truck after it sits for a month. One other thing you should consider is ensuring your battery and alternator terminals are tight and free of corrosion as either of these issues may cause a charging problem.