Dead Battery

[irands]

I had to charge my battery yesterday in my 2005 t-bird. I'm thinking of buying a "battery tender plus" by Deltran. Would I have to disconnect one or both battery cables prior to hooking up the battery tender? Thanks

[George]

I just connected my tender to the end of each post and added a nut. That way no reprogramming of windows and radio stations. Left the pigtail come out from under the trunk cover and just plag in at will.

BTW, for an '05 you really shouldn't have a dead battery, unless you leave the alarm on. Any other door/trunk, if left ajar, shuts off the circuit after about 15-20 minutes....In fact after reading your post I just went out and checked. I forgot to put the tender on for the past 2 months. Mines a 2002, original battery and it started right up.
Also I've heard of too many '05's with bad batteries, so you may want to let your dealer know at your next service appointment. That way they'll put a test on it, but most af all, you will have it written on the service order, in case it reoccurs.

[phyllis]

I own a 2005 T-bird. After one year the battery went dead twice. The dealer said it had a bad battery. They replaced the battery and all was ok for two years, then within the last month the battery has gone dead twice. The second time when I opened the door to get the booklet, the panic alarm went off and the lights came on. I called Roadside Assistance all of the times. The second time Roadside Assistance could not get the car to jump start. When I put the booklet back in the car, nothing came on and it was deader than dead. So I called Roadside Assistance again to get a tow to the dealer. The dealer got the car to start with a jump start. They tested the battery and said it was ok. Dealer explanation was: You don't drive the car enough. You have to drive 50 continuous expressway driving once a week to keep it charged. Isn't that stupid? My minimum driving pattern is 3 times a week between 3-5 miles and at least once a month a 45 mile round trip. This is minimum!

Comments?

[George]

Phyllis:
That is absolute nonsence coming from a dealer who obviously knows nothing!!!! By the way he is not the first one to say that either. NOTE: If the battery is low, your alarm will sound. That's why it went off.
I have a 2002 with 13,000 miles which is an average of a little over 2,000 miles per year. Original battery and still no problems - So much for not driving it -
2005, Ford had a lot of bad batteries and if they replaced yours they probably still had a lot of bad batteries left. I would insist on a replacement. Every time it does not start, DO NOT jump it. Call them under warranty and they'll get you a better new one!! Afterall, they are the only source for this battery - No one else supplies them.
It is so dis-heartning to hear the nonsence that these dealers try to put over on people.

[phyllis]

Thanks George,

This last episode was at a different dealer (closer) than the first time. I asked for a new battery and the answer was no. The battery tested ok and FoMoCo would not pay for a new battery. The first time I took it back to where I bought the car. I have a friend whose father is a semi-retired master mechanic (50 + years) at a yet again different dealer 40 miles from my home. He thinks it is an electrical problem. He said he would be happy to check it out.

One other question: My seat warmer is extremely warm on the low setting. I can only keep it on for a little while, then I usually manually turn it off. This last time the battery was dead I had only driven a short distance and had the seat warmer on. I hadn't turned it off manually. Do you think it could have stayed on for the next 3 hours? When I went out then the battery was dead. Is the seat warmer on your car VERY warm?

[irands]

I got a new battery from the dealer. I believe the 2005 bird has a problem since it seems to require a battery tender/maintainer to keep the battery charged.

[George]

Originally Posted by irands

I got a new battery from the dealer. I believe the 2005 bird has a problem since it seems to require a battery tender/maintainer to keep the battery charged.

Glad you had success with your dealer and battery replacement.
Just to be sure, since there aren't too many of these Birds around and the mechanics don't really know them, double check to see that they connected the drain hose to your new battery. It goes from the battery through the fender well floor.
It's there to keep the gasses from collecting in the trunk. Batteries under the hood do not need this due to constant air flow. Ours do, since they have no air flow in the trunk and trapped gasses can be a problem - Just a suggestion.

[George]

Originally Posted by phyllis

Thanks George,

This last episode was at a different dealer (closer) than the first time. I asked for a new battery and the answer was no. The battery tested ok and FoMoCo would not pay for a new battery. The first time I took it back to where I bought the car. I have a friend whose father is a semi-retired master mechanic (50 + years) at a yet again different dealer 40 miles from my home. He thinks it is an electrical problem. He said he would be happy to check it out.

One other question: My seat warmer is extremely warm on the low setting. I can only keep it on for a little while, then I usually manually turn it off. This last time the battery was dead I had only driven a short distance and had the seat warmer on. I hadn't turned it off manually. Do you think it could have stayed on for the next 3 hours? When I went out then the battery was dead. Is the seat warmer on your car VERY warm?

That heated seat could be a suspect as you suggest. In 2002, if we didn't physically shut off the rear window defroster the drain continued on the battery. But then there was a fix done by Ford.
Glad you have an expert to look at your car. Possibly he can check to see if there is a drain coming from the heated seat circuit.
Keep us informed, please.