I thought I should post here what I learned this weekend: My Edge Evolution II draws 90ma when the truck is "off". My new batteries wouldn't have enough juice to start the truck if it sat for 2 weeks, and you could tell they were weak after the truck sat for just a week, tho it'd start. This isn't likely to bother anyone unless they routinely don't drive their truck at least once a week. I also have another 70ma power draw through the GEM module, which seems to happen to others too. But combined with the Edge draw and the other normal "memory keep-alive" draws, my batteries stay in a constant state of low voltage which isn't good for them. The Edge will be disconnected from the OBD connector unless I'm leaving on a trip towing our fifthwheel, which is when I need the gauges on it. I'd have bought a DP and pillar gauges if I'd have known this. Phil

 

Hi Phil,

Just a quick quesiton. Did you happen to see if any codes were stored in the PCM. Reason I ask is the most common code to store after installing a programmer or chip on the PCM is the KAM Error test code P0603.

Jody's 2002 F250 has Optima Red top batteries and with the chip installed he must use a battery tender to start his truck after it has sat for a while. In fact he keeps the tender plugged in all the time. I hear this is common with these types of batteries.

Diane

 

Hi Diane,I DID check for codes after I plugged the Evo back in, preparing to find out what would be involved with leaving it disconnected most of the time. There was only one code, IIRC something that had to do with a "self-test" that "wasn't completed", of the PCM I think. But I hadn't even started the engine at that point so assumed it would clear in normal operation. Does the DP tuner chip also draw power when the truck's off? I also had 70ma trickling through the "instrument cluster" fuse, which I believe is sucked up by the GEM module. In addition there were 20 more milliamps keeping various memories alive and a little through the alternator diodes for a total of 180ma that was killing my batteries after 2 weeks and leaving them low after just one week. I'd put a battery tender on the truck if there was power to its garage. I DID put an extra 65W solar panel on the garage roof (we are "off-grid") and will monitor the situation to see if JUST unplugging the Evo will be enough or whether I'll need to address the GEM module draw, either by replacing it ($$$$?) or dedicating an on-off toggle switch to that circuit. Phil

 

The P0603 is the most common to get with any chip or programmer but gettignthat code has nothing to do with draining the batteries down. Jody uses the tender because of the type of batteries he has installed do not keep a charge after sitting for a long time. I was going to suggest checking your alternator as well. On my Excursion the alternator started going out on it and we thought it was the batteries. If your GEM is bad it would not drain the batteries either. There is something else going on that is causing it the drain. If it didn't start until you added the programmer try running without it for process of elimination.

 

I truly believe 180ma draw IS enough to run down the batteries after two weeks, since it's been happening to me. I'd check the battery voltage every night and morning for a couple of weeks and it'd go down almost 1/10 volt per day. I disconnected the Evo and the "instrument cluster" Saturday and now the batteries aren't dropping very much at all overnight.I'd read other posts about the GEM draining batteries. Could there be some other problem on the "instrument cluster" circuit that would measure 70ma? Other posts that say normal phantom draw for these trucks is 20 - 50ma, which is where I'm at now and the batteries are maintaining. The memory circuits take 5 - 9ma, MY alternator takes 15ma but nobody has posted whether or not that's acceptable, and then the 70ma and 90ma loads push the draw to ~180ma, or 4 to 8 times normal. Disconnecting the Evo causes it to "interogate" the PCM when it's hooked up again, checking the HEX code. Since simply turninig the truck off and on again doesn't cause this, it HAS to be some "keep alive" circuitry in the Evo making the difference. Just unplugging the Evo from the OBD connector removes the 90ma draw. That draw COULD'VE been engineered to be smaller, I'm sure, but it's only a problem for trucks that don't get driven a lot. Eric, in this post Towing and truck just shut off with no warning - Diesel Forum - The Diesel Stop.com learned the same thing about the Evo power draw.Phil

 

One thing to do Phil is maybe posting this in the 7.3l section. Many a gurus up there that know everything and anything about this beast.

I really don't think its the Evo, but could be wrong. For me its either the batteries not being able to keep a charge or the alternator is going out and is making them drain.The draw is coming from something but not sure if its the Evo alone. We've seen this with brand new batteries. We had one set of Optimas replaced after only having them a short time. If the ones we have on Jody's truck died tomorrow completely, Optimas will not be going back in.

 

I appreciate the tips Diane!I DID post in the Superduty forum here https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...en-off-ok.html wondering if the little 15ma draw from my alternator could be the problem. THEN this weekend I measured the draw as I pulled all the fuses one-by-one and found, as I said, the 90ma draw by the Evo and the 70ma draw by the "instruments". On a truck that's s'posed to have a 20 - 50ma draw. The batteries are new, the alt charges at 14.2V, and the "old" batteries did the same (they were manufactured in 1/08 and put in before I bought the truck). I "assumed" batteries since they were el-cheapos and the alternator was functioning properly so bought a pair of very good ones but have still been having the drain-down problem. Phil