Dead Battery

[Quickdraw]

Originally Posted by Sophia

Months later . . . . . .

This is the first time I have had a dead battery since my last post on this topic, in February 05. They replaced something because the rear defrost wasn't shutting off.

This week Ford put it on the machine for several days and couldnt' find any problems. They decided that my driving 3 miles to work, one round trip per day, isn't enough to keep my battery charged. I don't ever let it warm up because I park inside at work and at home.

If the battery was low - where the lights are dim and the car turns over slow I might believe you don't drive it enough. But if it was like mine where one day its fine, and a couple of days latter its deader than a doornail, that is NOT from driving too little.

[Sophia]

Woops, I meant February 2004

[Sophia]

I think that the lights are bright and it starts easily, every time I start it. Well that is when it actually starts.

[Quickdraw]

Originally Posted by Sophia

I think that the lights are bright and it starts easily, every time I start it. Well that is when it actually starts.

And when it doesn't start, if its all the way dead and not just dim, you can tell the service man Quickdraw said it is NOT from infrequent driving.

[Sophia]

Will he know who you are, or will he think I have been watching too many cartoons?

[Ticket Ted]

I find it hard to believe that driving three miles would not be enough to put some charge back into the battery. The Bird's alternator, I think at least 130 amp, should be enough to put the charge back into the battery in a short time. Remember, that once the car starts, it runs off the alternator. If you drive during the day, almost all of the alternator output is put back into the battery and if it was dead, should get enough charge to keep you going every day.

I have a feeling that there is a dead cell in the battery that is causing it not to hold a full charge. The dealers like to play games when it comes to electrical problems because it is a hunt and peck method of repair and the technician doing the work can spend hours finding a broken wire than pays him only a few pennies. The same holds true when a car is out of warranty. The hunt and peck method can eat up your money very fast. I had a problem with my 96 Taurs that had a corroded pin on the main harness at the firewall. The dealer searched and search and finally disconnected the firewall plug to find the problem. It worked. ( I don't want to say but when the dealer put the plug back together, he forgot to tighen it all the way and the plug vibrated loose. I lost all electrical power and most of the lights. A few turns with the nut driver fixed it again.)

I have left my car go two months in the winter without starting it and it was dead. Had my lights etc., but not enough to turn it over. But the booster charger on and it turned right over. Now I start it every few weeks.

[00mustng]

......Isn't there a TSB on this dead battery issue?........

[Sophia]

**** = D a m n, that does it, I am going to have to do a force kill!!

With my luck it will start, but be completely dead as soon as I leave home and try to start it again.

Oh well. I will keep you posted.

[redryder]

Chalk up another deader ...... hadn't run my '02 since last Wednesday; it was a normal coldish day, and when I came home from work, I parked it in the garage. Then, very late last night, when I went out to load up my gear for this morning's commute, the trunk remote no workee ...... hmmm, wassup?!? So, when I looked closer, NOTHING worked!!! Arrghh! that's four days of inside temps @ 45 degrees or so ..... I don't THINK I left anything on ..... So, I trucked in grumbling today in my F-150 .... more to come later, after I plow through these four pages of e-mails on the subject, get back to the house, and poke around a little bit ....

[00mustng]

.....I'm from a cold climate.....just a thought, but you do know the winsheild wiper heater, inlaid at the base of the winsheild will come on automatically at a certain temp....I turn it off as an unnesessary draw...unless it's freezing rain or heavy snow....It is illuminated in orange and the icon looks a lot like a defrost....but it isn't........

[Quickdraw]

There is a known problem with the hardtop defroster not turning off as it should after you exit the vehicle... I have not heard of a dead battery due to anything else.

[Sophia]

Ford just called, I had asked them to replace the tape again while it was there with the dead battery problem. They said the tape is in and that they decided to replace the A/C control too, because that could be causing the problem with the battery. I take it in tomorrow morning (12-01-04).

When I push the defrost button, the A/C light also comes on. Is this normal? Could this be causing the drain? I don't recall anyone mentioning this.

[00mustng]

....Hi Sophia.....yes it is normal to have the a/c come on with the defrost....I guess....because mine does so....and there is probably an explanation in the owners manual.....relative to the defogging process.....and I've had no electrical issues......

[Quickdraw]

Originally Posted by Sophia

When I push the defrost button, the A/C light also comes on. Is this normal? Could this be causing the drain? I don't recall anyone mentioning this.

Yep, its normal, I think the A/C comes on to take the moisture out of the air before blowing it on the windshield.

[redryder]

Hmmmm, Birdy cranked fine this morning, all systems go ; can’t believe that the piddling little amount of charging I did last night did the trick…… (maybe an hour or so before I pulled the plug and went to bed). While I had it hooked up (to both battery posts, natch; none of that spare tire bolt stuff!), the charger cycled between full-blown charging for about 30 seconds or so, and off for 30 seconds or so…… anyway, I’m gonna take it in tomorrow and ask the dealer to check it out, and supply him with all the info I’ve garnered from these forum threads. (Been very cautious all day to day to make sure everything that I can turn off is turned off before I switch off the ignition.)

Sophia, Quicks is right: On the ’02 birdies, at least. When it’s below 40F outside, and you’ve got the engine running, the heated wiper rest feature is activated, every time you start the engine. You hafta de-select it each time you start the engine, if you so choose. Also, when it’s 35F or higher, the air conditioner comes on (yup, even though the “A/C” button doesn’t light up) both when you: press the “Defrost” button (that’s the wide one right below the A/C button), and when you select “Floor and Defrost” air flow (third button from the right, on the bottom row of buttons), so as to de-humidify the outside air it drags in (to reduce humidity) and directs to the defroster and de-mister ducts.