Intermittent Battery Drain
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 49
Likes: 5
Intermittent Battery Drain
2016 Explorer with only 39,000 miles. About every two months the wife says she gets the warning "shutting down power to save battery...turn off ignition or start vehicle" as she is exiting the car, no not sitting listening to radio or anything. The next day the battery is dead ( 8.5 volts one time and 11.5 another). I jump the vehicle and check and the charging is at 14.2 . The battery holds a charge and all is well...until the next time. Some clues: Very rarely, but it has happened, upon leaving the vehicle with the key out and in my pocket the ding, ding, ding is sounding like the key is left in. I have to reinsert the key, turn it, remove it and all is well. Very rarely but it has happened.
Today after jumping the vehicle I noticed when I removed the key I got the warning...Shutting down....turn off ignition or start vehicle. I had the key in my hand. Does the vehicle think the ignition is on...thus creating a direct drain? The battery is one year old, replaced because once before I just assumed the battery was bad. It holds a charge and the vehicle puts out over 14 when running. Today I did put some WD-40 chain lube into the ignition hole. Help! Thanks. Jim
Today after jumping the vehicle I noticed when I removed the key I got the warning...Shutting down....turn off ignition or start vehicle. I had the key in my hand. Does the vehicle think the ignition is on...thus creating a direct drain? The battery is one year old, replaced because once before I just assumed the battery was bad. It holds a charge and the vehicle puts out over 14 when running. Today I did put some WD-40 chain lube into the ignition hole. Help! Thanks. Jim
Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,795
Likes: 47
Do you have any usb cables plugged in (for cellphones, etc)? If so, unplug them or use different usb cables. Wife had a usb cable that evidently had a crimp in it that was causing weird electrical issues. Long shot, but you never know.
could also be that the one year old battery is bad; that happens. Maybe return it for a pro rata refund/new battery, or swap it out temporarily with a known good battery (ie: if you have the same size battery in another vehicle)
could also be that the one year old battery is bad; that happens. Maybe return it for a pro rata refund/new battery, or swap it out temporarily with a known good battery (ie: if you have the same size battery in another vehicle)
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 49
Likes: 5
Seville009....Thanks...so far so good. I hardly ever get in the vehicle and I asked the wife if she had anything plugged in....low and behold she had numerous cables in the little cubby hole thing (center console) and closed the door on them. I suspect you were 100% correct. Three USB cables all crushed by the compartment door were removed and no problems since I posted almost a month ago. I'll update again in a month. Again...thanks.
Jim
Jim
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 49
Likes: 5
Update: All was good until August, so I think Seville 009 was correct about unplugging the USB stuff. Then in August (6 months without a problem) the battery was dead again. I found the left rear taillamp had significant water in it. I drilled a very tiny hole to drain and removed and resealed the lamp assembly. So far no problems. So perhaps we should all look for water in those taillights.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 205
Likes: 0
From: Southern California
Crimped USB cable
Once again this site/forum saved me hours of troubleshooting. Who would have thought a crimped USB cable would drain a battery in a few days. I'm sure my dealer and local repair shop would have been happy to sell me a new battery and alternator. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience!
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