Jut got back from a trip where I had to leave my truck sitting for two weeks. Battery was dead. When I jumped it it started fine but when I switch off I hear a clicking noise coming from behind the driver seat which continues unitl the battery is fully drained.

Is this a fuel pump problem or does the battery need to be fully charged to overcome the problem?

 

Rail,

I'm not sure what your current drain is from but I wanted to add that if that battery went dead, you're going to need to replace it soon. When a car battery goes dead, damage is done to the cell plates. It might take a charge for a while but it has suffered damage and will leave you stranded at some point.

Now, about that current drain - Do you have or know someone with a Volt-Ohm Meter that has a Ammeter built in? That would be helpful.

To the hive mind: Do any of you guys know what the static NOMINAL current drain is on the battery on a fully functional truck? I mean no doors open (dome light drain), no radio, etc. Doors closed, no alarm system activated - just "off."

The whole system will drain a very small amount of current (PCM, general leakage from various diodes, etc.) from the battery when off - which will actually INCREASE the battery life. Yes - increase. Batteries will hold a charge longer when they have a very small current drain applied to them, as opposed to a battery with NO current drain (which will lose its charge quicker).

Rail, it would be nice to know what truck you have, and to know what the nominal current drain is for that type of truck. If we have that, and that Ammeter, we can probably find that excsssive drain source.

CMOS

 

Thanks for the response, it's a 2005 Lariat 150. I took it for a longer ride to charge the system, now I don't hear the noise from behind me when I switch off but the guages do funny things, like flicker and click when I switch off.

I don't have access to the ammeter so I'll do the cheapest thing and buy a new battery. I have to take in for a recall anyway so it will at least get me there for them to take a look at.

Appreciate the help.

 

Sounds like you need to start with a fresh battery. I see the same things with Dodge minivans when the battery goes... clicking noises and dashboad needles go goofy. Throw in a nice new battery (iehard or Interstate) and go from there. The clinking you hear is something electrical trying to respond but not enough juice (lower than usuall).

 

My battery has been "dead" when I've tried to start the truck twice. The first time it happened it was after it had only sat for 3 days without activity. I noticed the ticking and the flickering of the gauges until after I jumped it. It happened again so I took it to the dealership and the alternator was only charging at 40 amps so they replaced it.
The other day I went out and it was "dead" again so I jumped it and drove around for a good half hour and since then no issues. But I'm sure it'll do it again. Good luck but I haven't the slightest Idea what the ticking noise is or why the gauges flicker but if you find out let me know

 

I just had my battery replaced under warranty today infact
early 04
32,000 miles
been starting "slow"
did not pass load test.

Ramb

 

I've had the dead battery twice for no apparent reason. Seems OK at the moment.

 

I'm going back to the dealer tomorrow for the 2nd time with a dead battery. Mine is an 04. I believe the motorcraft batteries aren't very good compared to a die hard etc.

 

I've also had problems with my battery. I want to say on two or three different occasions over the past 4 months I've left my truck sit in the garage for a week. When I when to start it, it was totally dead and had to be jumped.

The only thing I've assumed is that my Passport radar detector was the culprit. It seems strange that it would suck that much power being left one for a week straight but when I left the truck sit for a week and turned the radar detector off it started fine.

It may just be a coincidence.

 

Throwing in my 2 cents worth to hopefully shed some light on battery issues. This stuff comes from about 15 years of working in the battery industry.

As CMOS pointed out, there is a slight parasidic draw on all vehicles (unless you pull a battery cable off), so if your vehicle sits for long periods of time 2 - 3 weeks, your battery charge is going to slowly bleed off. At what rate? Depends on the actual size of the draw. The parasidic draw is probably in the range of 1/8 of an amp or so (don't hold me to it since I don't have the equipment any longer to measure this). This draw is normal as stated above by CMOS.

If your battery loses its charge is it toast? Well, this is actually a big can of worms, so I will keep it general. In most cases, the battery can be charged and the life of the battery is not affected much at all. This is assuming the battery was accedentally discharged by leaving a light on or drawing power through an add on device like a radar detector while the key is off. This also assumes that all 6 battery cells are good. If you do lose the charge in your battery, charge it ASAP at a 10 amp rate. If you charge the battery using a fast or quick charger at say 50 - 100 amps, you typically cause plate damage which will shorten the batteries life. If your battery loses it charge and the ambient air temperature happens to be 25 degrees F or lower, then your battery will probably freeze. Once frozen, it's done. Just replace the battery.

Battery voltage. There are 6 cells in a 12 volt automotive battery. Each cell accounts for 2.1 volts each when fully charged. A very simple test when you find your battery dead is to measure the battery voltage across the terminals (pulling one cable off is not a bad idea). If you see the voltage sitting at 10 volts, 9 times out of 10, you have a shorted battery cell. If you see a different voltage, it's worth charging the battery, then load testing it to verify whether or not it can deliver amperage while under a test load. If a battery sits for an extended period of time in a discharged state, it is probably not worth messing with.

Alternators. It takes a while (1-2 days) for an alternator to "fully" charge a battery if it has been drained. Alternators are not battery chargers per-say, but more of a battery maintainer. It's actual function is provide power to all power consuming components while the engine is running. If your alternator goes bad, it will not deliver power to the components requiring it, therefor the power comes from the battery untill it is drained. The "weak" alternator is typically an alternator that has lost some of it's ability to output amperage. You will typically see the "weak" alternator drop it's output level by 1/3 increments. The alternator has 3 seperate AC phases internally that are tied together via the output bridge to deliver full DC amperage/current.

Strange behavior with a battery. If your battery is low on charge and/or voltage, electrical components are going to act very bizzar. Never try to diagnose anything electical if the battery is in question. You must start with a fully charged battery that is known to be good. If you are experiencing battery related problems and the battery is 3.5 - 4 years old or older....just replace it. It is very common for OEM batteries to run a 5 year life these days. I personally don't run the battery till it leaves me stranded. Once any of my auto batteries hit the 4.5 year mark, they are pulled out and replaced.

The last I knew (and this could be wrong) Motorcraft batteries were manufactured by Johnson Controls which have always been a solid product. One of the best actually.

Hope some of this helps take a little mystery out of batteries.

Shawn

 

get yourself a redtop Optima battery...


Ive been running them for about 12 years now... they are dry cell... so they are great for 4x4ing... they can handle the extra vibrations.. and here in Phoenix, AZ with 118 degree summers they are the only thing I have found that last more than 2 years...

another major bonus is that they do not leak battery acid all over your $30,000 truck... no cable corrusion etc....

also they are great for larger audio systems.. extra lighting... winches etc... they seem to handle draining and recharging much better than conventional batteries..

also come with a 2 year replacement then a prorated warranty I believe...

 

I have an 04 Lariat 4x4 that I do not drive much. It only has 701 miles on it. I bought it August 04. I keep it in the garage. I have found that if I let it sit much more than a week without starting it the battery goes dead. I always start it up every Monday morning and let it run about 10-15 minutes. The short amount of run time keeps the battery charged. The last time I was at the Ford garage I told them of the dead battery problem. The Service Advisor (my cousin) said that is normal for the battery on these new ones to go dead because of anti-theft drain etc. One time I did not start it up for about three weeks and I could not get the battery to take a charge, using a small charger. The lights, including headlights would blink while trying to charge it. I ended having to jump start it. Has anyone else had this problem? Do you think I need a new battery and does anyone know what the warranty for the battery consists of without looking it up?

 

Ruckus,

A better question would be: "What does Ford Mo. Co. consider to be "normal" usage for a vehicle's battery?"

That batter should last 2-3 years (factory batteries are not the best...). But I do not know what FORD considers to be normal usage with regards to letting it sit without running.

IMO, 2 weeks without running should not be a problem. I find it odd that yours is going dead. We're talking about batteries that are rated at what, about 600-650 CCA? Just how much current does that little Theft Protection system draw???

I would be willing to bet that you have something else going on here, possibly a leaky diode in the alternator or another part of the system.

Might want to see if you can find out how to disconnect ONLY the theft protection system and see how that works. Also, ask your dealer buddy EXACTLY what part of the Theft protection System draws enough current to drain that darn battery. I'll bet the answer will be "I don't know."

Let us know what you find out.

CMOS

 

I would def recommend replacing your OEM battery with a YELLOW TOP Battery. You can take it off roading, get two free full recharges at their distributors, and its run by dry cells.

 

Ruckus,

In addition to starting your truck every week and letting it run, it would be a good idea to also charge your battery every 4 weeks or so. A 10 amp automatic charger works good. Your battery could very well be bad now due to it sitting in a low charge state all the time. Running the truck for 10-15 minutes once a week won't necessarily keep the battery fully charged. It will however put a surface charge on the battery, but over time it will slowly lose it's charge. About the headlights blinking and acting strange....sounds like a low voltage problem. Once the battery is low on charge (or bad) strange things will happen with your electrical system.

Shawn