Having issues with my excursion holding a charge lately. Had 2 ideas about it, either I have "made for Texas" batteries that can't handle the single digit temperatures I'm now seeing in Iowa, or I have a parasitic drain somewhere.

It's cold as F so what little troubleshooting I did today ruled out the alternator and anything powered by the relays and fuses under the hood. I haven't gone through the fuse box under the dash yet, but is 150 milliamps too high or is this about right?

Aftermarket stuff includes a radio, Livewire TS, and a brake controller.

Tested via single battery with the other disconnected.

 

Did you wait the MANDATORY 40 minutes after touching ANYTHING before recording your measurement?

If not, your reading is invalid and you'll need to do it again. Once everything goes to sleep, the draw should be less than 50 mA.

 

 

Move from IA.


At least until June.

 

I've seen similar readings on several SD's/X's(150-170mA) before everything goes to sleep. Seems typical.

The instrument clustor was biggest draw, IIRC.

 

That's going to depend on the model year.

For Super Duty trucks with a GEM, the timer circuitry was in the GEM. For newer models without a GEM starting around the 2002 MY, that circuitry moved to the instrument cluster.

 

He has an '05.

BTW, I hate, hate, hate parasites.

 

I didn't wait that long. Thanks I'll test again.

 

I waited 2 hours and saw 200ma this time, but battery voltage is lower now too. Seems there is a draw, but I don't think 150ma to 200ma should kill (from 12.6 resting to 12.0 resting) 125 amp hours of battery overnight. I'm guessing the draw has probably pulled the voltage too low too often and sulfated the batteries to death. I think I'll need 2 new batteries and a drain to find.

 

Had the batteries tested today, they're good by the opinion of Napa and CarQuest. Went back home, set up the ammeter and set the door latches manually so the Ex could go to sleep with the doors open. Again seeing 150 milliamps of draw. Did a voltage drop test on the fuses and found 0.8 millivolts on fuse 35. 10amp mini fuse. Looked up the chart and that corresponds with 108 millamp draw. No other fuses are showing a draw. Pull that fuse and the ammeter is reading 40 milliamp parasitic draw which is normal. Look up fuse 35, gauge cluster.

I'm not the 1st with a gauge cluster doing this, and I won't be the last. Now I know what it is at least. Off to circuit board medics I go.

 

FedEx claus brought me this today.

 

Were you able to confirm the draw is back within acceptable range?

 

I've since had to drive it both days so I haven't been able to just wait 48 hours and see if they're dead again, but since you're going to out me on being such a lazy bum I'm going to go set up the DMM now and look again in an hour. Are you happy now!?!?!

 

Yup, she's fixed!

 

Nice! Congrats on a successful fix!!!