HELP!!! my battery is brand new and keeps going dead!!!!
 

I own a 1997 F159 short box....and I am having mega problems with my battery going dead! I have taken it in and had my brand new battery tested...after 45 minutes of shut down its drawing a very normal 0.03 Nobody can seem to tell me what is wrong. My truck is parked for usually two weeks at a time (im a trucker) And every time I come home my battery is dead. Can some one tell me why this is happening? I heard a rumor about the battery ports being too close to the hood but mine have plastic covers over them, and plenty of clearance.
What am i doing wrong? how can I keep my battery from going dead?
I hate having to keep disconecting it when I leave town.

HELP!!! my battery is brand new and keeps going dead!!!!
 

Something is not right. Either your battery is bad, or the truck is drawing more than .03A.

I would try disconnecting the battery before you leave it next time. Check the voltage. When you return 2 weeks later, there should be very little loss of voltage. Sometimes brand new batteries can be defective, and have an internal short.

If the battery is OK, then you will need to start checking your truck's electrical system. It may have an intermittent current draw that you haven't seen, yet. This can be very difficult to locate. If you have added any aftermarket accessories, I would start there. Do you have an alarm?

HELP!!! my battery is brand new and keeps going dead!!!!
 

I took it to my Ford mechanic who ran a test on the battery...he said the battery was fine and tested it again after 45 mins...it was drawing the normal 0.03 and could not offer me any explanation as to why it keeps going dead. I have an after market stereo system, but no alarm. The mechanic told me there was absolutely nothing wrong with the battery. This was happening before with the old one too, which is why I bought a new one thinking that was the problem. But it kept happening so I had the run a whole gamut of tests. The mechanic has assured me every thing is normal ($175.00 later) and can not think of any reason for it to be dying...and it is definately only drawing 0.03a I have tested it myself at home

HELP!!! my battery is brand new and keeps going dead!!!!
 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 23-Jul-01 AT 03:02 AM (EST)[/font][p]Hmm... I guess, I am about stumped.

.03amps x 24hours x 14 days = 10.08 AmpHours

Typically, automotive batteries are rated around 100AmpHours (I think).

So, there must be some kind of mystical forces involved here. Energy eating ghosts? Anomolies in the Earth's magnetic field? Sun Flares?

I'm sorry to get so sarcastic. But, I am trying to point out, the math is simple. It's kind of like, if you were telling me 3 friends put 1 dollar each, in your hand. But, when you look, there are 27 dollars in there. It just doesn't work out.

I reread your fist post, and disconnecting the battery stops your problem, right? So, either 10AH is all your battery can put out, or you are not seeing the additional draw.

To check your current draw, you should be disconnecting one of the cables at the battery terminal. Then, complete the circuit with an accurate ammeter. Just about any digital multimeter ($40 and up) should suffice. I would not trust an indirect reading ammeter (the kind with 2 fingers, that you close around your battery cable). They estimate current by measuring the magnetic field. I don't think they are accurate with currents this small.

Also, there is a possibility that something is intermittently drawing current from your battery, and you haven't been measuring the draw, while it is happening. Although, I can't think of what it might be, off the top of my head.

Good luck.

HELP!!! my battery is brand new and keeps going dead!!!!
 

there has to be something drawing power intermittently like you said. I have tested the bettery like you said but not for long periods of time.
I have a CB radio in my half ton too...could that be drawing the power?
also, every time I reconnect my airbag light comes on flashing code 52 (according to the ford mechanic I go to, that happens cuse the battery was disconnected)
but my 4x4 light flashes too.
and sometimes when I shut my truck of and remove the key, the fan keeps running for the heat/airconditioning, until I turn the dial to off
and dont know if these things are related...but I thought you should know.
I dont mean to frustrate you, or make you use sarcasm, I am simply telling you what is going on, and appreciate any help you can offer...
by the way....a friend of a friend owns the same year and model ford and is having the same problems. She said her battery goes dead if she parks it for more then three days....and she doesnt have anyhting aftermarket that I am aware of, not that would draw power anyway...
could it possibly be something in the wiring the these guys at my ford machanics arent seeing? a had them run a diaognostic of my electrical system and they said that at the time of the test everything was fine. Could they have missed something?

HELP!!! my battery is brand new and keeps going dead!!!!
 

Don't let me fool you into thinking I'm an expert. I am not. I hope I can help you out, but electrical problems can be a pain. Especially if they are intermittent. And I apologize for the sarcasm.

I own the same truck (or almost). Mine is a '97 F-150XL 4.2L Auto, Regular Cab, Long Box. I dont have many options. No power windows or locks, but I do have A/C.

My truck has been parked for extended periods of time on 2 separate occasions. Once, for about two months when I broke my neck. And recently when I was out of town for 6 weeks. It started just fine after each occasion.

The heater fan problem your described is interesting. But, I would guess that it's due to a sticking relay. This is most likely caused by the contacts sticking together, even after the relay's coil has been de-energized. Not likely that if the relay shuts off, it would turn on again unless it's coil is re-energized. If each time you park the truck and leave town the relay is stuck on, it could be the culprit. But, if your sure that, at least once, the relay shut off properly when you left your truck, then it's not likely the problem. Another way your heater fan could be staying on, is if the ignition switch is not working properly, and still supplying juice to said relay. I believe I have noticed that, if you turn your key very slowly from the "running position" toward "off", the engine dies first, then the heater fan and/or other accessories. So, possibly the ignition switch could be not shutting down that circuit. But again, once it is shut off, I find it very unlikely that it would regain contact and complete that circuit. I don't think the computer has any control over that cicuit, but I'm not completely sure.

As for your airbag light, I have disconnected my battery a few times, and don't remember mine coming on afterward.

Your CB radio is not likely, because I don't think any current draw would be intermittent with it.

You could try removing a few fuses before you leave it. Pull out anything you suspect, like radio, CB, heater fan, etc. If that cures the problem, leave one more in each time, until you find the offending circuit.

Or you could pick up one of those solar battery chargers that plugs into your cig lighter and sits on your dashboard. It may give off enough juice to keep your battery from going dead.

Agian, I'm no expert. Not by a long shot. Just trying to help you think this thru logically, with the limited experience and intelligence I have. I may have missed something or given you some false info.

I do have one question. Does this happen every time you leave your truck for 2 weeks, or just some/most times?

HELP!!! my battery is brand new and keeps going dead!!!!
 

BTW, how were you checking your current draw? Disconnecting a cable and using an ammeter as I described?

HELP!!! my battery is brand new and keeps going dead!!!!
 

yes...I tested it myself twice as you described.....
but not for an extended period of time...just the 45 mins it takes for the amps to drop.
our trucks are almost identical...the only diff is mine is a shortbox extended cab.
I am going to try the fuses as you said...might help me to eliminate the problem. I have no idea what else to do. Im baffled by it. I had thought as I said, it was because my old battery was a couple years old, and needed to be replaced. it wasnt that and over the last six weeks I have spent over two hundred and fifty dollars combined on testing, just for them to tell me there is virtually nothing wrong. It has been very frustrating. I hope that the fuses will lead me to the problem. I am leaving again in tomorrow morning, and will remove the said fuses. there simply has to be an explanation for it.
as for the airbags(another thing I had tested just so they could tell me they were fine) I turned off the passanger one and the light hasnt come on since, yet the mechanic said there was nothing wrong with it, so go figgure.

HELP!!! my battery is brand new and keeps going dead!!!!
 

OK, I'll look for your post in two weeks. Good luck.

And most mechanics, these days, have no diagnostic skills anymore. They plug in to the computer. If it shows nothing wrong, then there is nothing wrong as far as they are concerned. Sad, but somewhat understandable. Cars double in complexity every year.

HELP!!! my battery is brand new and keeps going dead!!!!
 

LOL....
Im not always gone for two weeks...it varies...sometimes a few days...as long as a month and a half...lol

but you right about the mechanics. Its just so frustraiting to spend so much money so they can tell you nothing.

HELP!!! my battery is brand new and keeps going dead!!!!
 

A voltmeter will work also for checking battery draw. BTW mechs are called "technicians" these days...fresh outta high school...not like in my day when you had to know what your'e doing..

Wayne 60 F-350
e-mail
https://www.ford-trucks.com/users/whomrig

HELP!!! my battery is brand new and keeps going dead!!!!
 

I had the same thing happen, after three batterys and a lot of looking we found the problem. Part of the computer had gone bad. My radioand clock were staying on all the time and drawing the battery done . We on hooked the two and haven't had any trouble since

HELP!!! my battery is brand new and keeps going dead!!!!
 

Thanks for your help....my clock and radio go off when I shut the truck down. I have started doing the fuse thing....I hope it works. I have been thinking about my command start....wondering if it is the culprit...but it always worked fine before.
The battery only dies when it is parked for an extended period of time, too.
It had the command start already in it when I bought it...I am still trying to locate it to pull the fuse.
I am hoping that will solve the problem, if not I suspect your right, its the computer.

HELP!!! my battery is brand new and keeps going dead!!!!
 

I aint no expert, but I've had a charging problem with the battery on my 84 f 150. It kept goin dead on me too. I charged the battery and that helped, but when I went to start it up later it wouldnt crank. I had it tested and the battery was good, so I checked the alternator. Turns out, it was a burned alternator wire, I figger it was caused by my cb radio and high powered driving lights operating at the same time. When I repaired the burnt wire, everything was ok, but you said every wire checked out ok right?

HELP!!! my battery is brand new and keeps going dead!!!!
 

I dont know that they checked every single wire.....I have a CB too....and an aftermarket radio, and a command start....plus some other things that may be drawing power intermittently....I am not sure if an intermittent draw is the problem, or and electrical issue....but the truck only goes dead if I park it for more then six days.