Hello, im in need of mechanical advice. The battery in my wifes 07 Edge (sorry she wont drive a truck) goes dead every time it is cold an it sits for more than a day when the temp is low. I replaced the battery, and it was fine for a couple weeks but now with the single digit temps here in ohio it set for the weekend and wont start again. I know this is a f150 site but if any of you mechanically enclined individuals could help me out i would appreciate it.

 

Sounds like your charging system needs to be checked.

Sears does that kind of work for less than a dealer.

I've had batteries replaced at Sears and before they install the new battery, they check your charging system to detect any faults.

There is also the possibility that your new battery is weak, but if it ran for a alright couple of weeks, that's doubtful.

 

How far does she actually drive the car on average? If lets say she only drives 1 mile to work, and doenst get over 30 mph...then the batery never really gets a chance to fully charge, and everytime you go to start the car...its depleating it more and more. Jsut a though....

 

Here are the possible issues I see:

1: If the vehicle isn't driven much, the battery doesn't get completely recharges (as mentioned by TimelessR1).

2: Alternator (as mentioned above.)

3: Check for gadgets plugged into the charging ports. If one doesn't drive a significant distance and has chargers plugged into lighter ports, this will deplete the battery, regardless if it is cold or hot. If not actively using a charger, unplug it. Or charge the cellphone from the SYNC port which powers off when the radio does.

4: What type of battery? Some batteries are better than others. Make sure you have the right size and cold cranking amps.

5: If replacing the alternator (and testing to see that it is generating electricity) doesn't work, consider some electrical system tests.

6: If all else fails, consider a battery tender, in concert with an engine heater.

 

Thanks everyone. I had the new battery checked and it was good, just needed charged. I also had the alternator checked and it is fine. My wife's commute to work is only about 5 minutes through town with 25 mph speed limits so and she seldom drives much furth than that, so it may not be getting charged. I also checked and she did have 2 cell phone chargers plugged in of which i imformed her to not leave plugged in. I appreciate your help everyone and hopefully this will help.

 

I have two cell chargers with lights on and a three way splitter with a light on that ive left plugged in for 9 days at an airport and it started fine. They have led lights which dont use much juice, its most likely its the shortness of her trip at low speeds is the cause of your issues unless you have a short somewhere. I had a vehicle in the past that i bought that had a shoddy aftermarket remote start on it and the battery would go dead if i didnt drive it every other day at least. I took it and had a better remote starter put on it and the installer said the wiring under there was a mess, so im sure that was the cause of the drain on an otherwise stock vehicle.

 

Do you have a block heater? We've installed batter minders on all our trucks and plug it and the block heater into a multi-plug. That way every time we plug it in the motor is warmed up and the battery is charged.