Hello

I'm baby sitting my friends 2006 Escape v6, she's away for 6 months
anyway I've had it here for abut 4 months and start it at least once
a week, or take it for a drive about once a week.
the I got the door open light, it came and went, you know
Door ajar

the I heard a beep while driving, no dash lights and that only happen
twice,
Then I let the car sit for about four days, and when I went to start it
it would not start... you know flashing instrument cluster.
I did a voltage test and it showed below 11.4v, I changed the battery
and a couple of days later went to start the car and again dead. this time
battery was at 9.5... Well to the point she would go dead after 24 hrs
I had triple AAA come out to check since it is one of the batteries
and they told me nothing I did not know...
Yesterday I disconnected the ground and let the battery set over night
it was 12.48v yesterday at 7:40 AM this morning its still at 12.48 + -
So I presume that there is a circuit drawing down while the car is sitting.
Any idea's on what to do or
Can a Ford dealer plug into the computer and tell what is happening
I am not in the market to spend $$$$ to find out what is happening.
I understand I could buy an ammeter and do some checking, but
the amp meter would cost $70 for a good one...
then pull fuses one at a time and watch for current drop..
So any thoughts
Best
Dave
Torrance Ca

 

Your post is a little unclear, did you "change" or, "charge" the battery? That one letter makes a difference!

Starting the engine now and then probably does more harm than good. Did they test the battery? It may be toast by now. Generally it's best to disconnect a battery in this situation, charge it thoroughly and store it and/or connect it to a battery tender. You can try searching for a parasitic load using one of those inexpensive test-lights, they look like a pen with a probe and alligator clip. Under $5 probably.

 

Harbor freight has an ammeter that will do what you want for way less than $70 (under $10).

Make sure nothing is plugged into the 12v outlets. All lights are off, especially when you close all doors and lock it. As far as Ford checking it you'll definately pay for that...probably close to $100 an hour.

Pulling fuses one at a time, while being time consuming, is a quick way to,determine what is causing it.

 

You should have the battery load tested (it's free) at a local auto parts store. Start your troubleshooting with a known good battery & charging system (the alternator) before you go after delay modules.

Tip: your local community college may have an Automotive Technology course or campus with DTC scanners you might be able to use.

 

Had a similar problem with my 2016 SE. Let it sit for about a week with nothing plugged in except a Garmin. Battery went stone dead. I charged it and had the Ford dealer check the battery and charging system. They found nothing. I no longer leave my Garmin plugged in but I can't believe the small draw of a Garmin would kill the battery completely. It hasn't happened again but I haven't let it sit that long since...

 

Car batteries aren't deep cycle, draw 50% of the capacity out via a small drain (say 0.2A for a week), and it will likely not be able to crank a cold motor.

I regularly leave my car for 2-3 weeks at an airport (Auckland so not ever too cold), I use a small solar panel to keep the battery from getting deleted during that time.

Even a clock can be enough draw over a long enough period. I also don't want the ECU to lose its transmission shift learning as it will if the batt gets too low.

 

Did you ever find a solution to your batter drain issue? I'm having similar issues with my 2004 3.0L.

 

No. Happened only once and I have since traded in the car.