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Comments
Thanks.
LJ
500 Shaker in the 2005GT is drawing 1.4 amp with CD s loaded in the changer and .02 amps with no CDs in changer with radio off. He's got a new radio on order for me but they are back ordered for 3 months. Best feeling I've had since the first time I smoked the tires
My battery stays up when the car sits for weeks if the radio is turned off and the anti-theft system is not engaged.
My Stang could set 6 weeks or 3 days - totally unpredictable.
Thats why I quizzed the dealer techs so closely my be they got lucky and caught the radio when it "cycled just right" and recorded the current draws by chance.
All I know is it more than Ford Engineering has done for me.
All Ford wanted to do was go to arbitration not fix the problem
In a previous post, danieldalton2003yahoo.com said he has had the same problem. He has already contacted Ford employees about the problem. He said to email him for the names. I plan to do so.
FORD: 2005-2008 Mustang
2005 Explorer Sport Trac
2005-2008 Expedition, Explorer
2007-2008 Explorer Sport Trac
LINCOLN: 2005-2008 Navigator
MERCURY: 2005-2008 Mountaineer
ISSUE:
Some 2005-2008 Mustang , Explorer 4dr, Mountaineer, Expedition, Navigator, 2005 Explorer Sport Trac and 2007-2008 Explorer Sport Trac vehicles may experience a no start and have a discharged battery. They are usually stored for prolonged periods of time or are driven infrequently for short distances. Batteries will discharge while the vehicle is in storage due to normal current draw loads. Over a period of time, 30 days or more, vehicles in storage will have shallow to deeply discharged batteries as a result of lack of use or normal current draw.
ACTION:
Follow the Service Tips steps to correct the condition.
SERVICE TIPS
Charging system diagnostics and battery draw test are located in Workshop Manual, Section 414-00.
Discharged batteries need to be properly recharged following the procedures in TSB 07-5-8.
All modern automobiles have several micro processors in their electrical system that will draw small amounts of electrical current when the vehicle key is off. Normal current draw is between 20-30 milliamps (workshop manual specification is up to 50 milliamps 0.050 amps).
The more discharged a battery becomes, the more susceptible it is to permanent damage. This is more likely in low temperatures (below 32 °F (0 °C).
Batteries will discharge while the vehicle is in storage due to normal current draw loads. Over a period of time (30 days or more), vehicles in storage will have shallow to deeply discharged batteries as a result of lack of use or normal current draw.
NOTE: ELECTRICAL OR ELECTRONIC ACCESSORIES OR COMPONENTS ADDED TO THE VEHICLE BY THE DEALER OR BY THE OWNER WILL INCREASE THE CURRENT DRAW LOADS AND ADVERSELY AFFECT BATTERY PERFORMANCE AND DURABILITY.
The vehicle's charging system is designed to supply the vehicle's electrical power needs and maintain the battery to near full charge during normal vehicle use. The charging system is not capable of bringing a deeply discharged battery back to near full charge in a short amount of time such as allowing the vehicle to idle for 15 minutes to "recharge the battery" or from short drive cycles.
Short drive cycles will only provide a small surface charge to the battery. To fully recharge a battery that is fully discharged requires operating the vehicle for approximately two (2) hours with engine speed above 1500 RPM.
Vehicles that are stored for extended periods or are driven infrequently for short distances may need to use an auxiliary battery maintainer/charger that is expressly designed to maintain the battery state of charge during storage. These maintainers/chargers are available in the automotive aftermarket and should be used according to their manufacturer's direction.
OTHER APPLICABLE ARTICLES:
07-05-8
WARRANTY STATUS:
Information Only - Not Warrantable
I am always willing to try to help people who have questions or problems that their dealer can't seem to help them with if I can.
I don't need to come to the forum though to read people bitching about how bad Fords are written in the implication that Fords are uniquely worse then other vehicles out there.
Read my post of above. If you do, you will understand that if there is a 50 milliamp or less draw on your battery while the car is OFF then there is no problem with the electrical system.
Even though you are driving your car on an average of once per week, you are clearly not driving it far enough to recover from the discharge that is occuring while the car sits.
Mark
Mark.
more than 50 milliamps you have something broken.
less than 50 milliamps, you have a normal Mustang.
Second, if you read the TSB, you will clearly see that just because you drive the car on a regular basis, if you do not drive it far or long enough to deep charge the battery, you are still going to need to jump it. Hence the battery minder.
Mark.
PS the TSB I posted was:
07-5-13 DISCHARGED BATTERIES - VEHICLES IN STORAGE/LIMITED USAGE
Publication Date: March 5, 2007
The worse thing you can do is run it ocassionally for short periods of time. Builds up a lot of condensation in the exhaust too when you do this.
If you just lay it up for the winter, pull the battery out and store it inside the house. Then, in the spring, use a deep-cycle charger to boost it up and install it.
Each time the battery goes dead, the computer will have to reprogram itself too....it is not just the radio pre-sets. You are supposed to start the car and let it idle until it warms up before you drive it too. This ensures that the idle speed is set correctly and allows the car to be out of "open-loop" mode.
We are not sure where to start to look for shorts etc. and was hoping someone might have some suggestions.
I've driven or owned Fords for 37 years and my daddy and grand daddy before me.
But the TSB does not provide information on the battery that has been driven for long drives then goes dead in 3 days followed by a miraculous recovery and sits in storage for 3-4 weeks and starts up fine. We all have more of a life than to sit around making this crap up.
I had a bad a** stereo systems hooked up in my cars in my younger days , and I could jam them all day long and still crank my car up with no problems
I have a 98 Mustang V6 automatic 3.8L engine. My problems first started when my aftermarket cd player gave out and wouldn't eject the cd and I couldn't adjust the volumn. I ended up pulling the whole player out of the dash and disconnecting it. Shortly after this, my odometer stopped at about 163,000 miles and my check engine light came on. Couldn't find anything wrong, car working fine otherwise. Then my emergency brake light came on even though my brake wasn't engaged. Started to have difficulties getting the car started, especially in cold. Battery meter and power started fluctuating for no apparent reason. Had battery tested, it was bad, bought new battery. Seemed to solve the problem for a while. Then, power started fluctuating again and finally all gauges went out and car died. Assumed bad alternator. Got new alternator, installed it and seemed to fix the problem. Car worked great for 3 days, no fluctuating power, starting fine. Day 4, car completely dead, only clicks when I try to start, power locks not even working. Did the bad alternator drain my new battery or could I possibly have another bad alternator? Also, have been having what I assume are transmission problems, car jerks at certain speeds when accelerating, worst at 45mph. Would this have anything to do with my electrical problems? Could it have to do with the emergency brake light being on? Could I have messed up some important wires in the dash when I took out my cd player? Any help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I really need a new car, but just can't afford it right now. Thanks
Mark.
Now at one point it seems someones had their hands all over this car changing and modding it so who knows what was touch and how they did it. I also noticed that the front headlights don't seem to be original so someone swapped out the headlights. I have yet to replace them but I changed the bulbs and took the flasher out from another car that I knew worked. Still nothing.
Problem is I need to pass inspection and they won't with my blinkers no working, if anyone has any ideas let me know. I'm thinking maybe I need to just replace the headlights all together. Could someone have messed with the wiring? If anyone's got any idea's let me know i'll give em a shot.
If you are buying alternators from big chain stores this might be the problem as their failure rate is rather high.
But anyway, batteries and alternators can be tested. You don't have to guess on this problem. Also the car should be tested for a large battery drain.
I have checked all the fuses and they are all fine.
Any suggestion?