Hey fellow Ford junkies -

I am having electrical issues with my 2007 F-150 (5.4L) .

First, I keep blowing the 10A fuse for the brake shift interlock solenoid (#16). This only occurs when towing.

Second, if I let the truck sit for longer than a week (especially in the winter months), I am greeted with a dead battery. I have a draw coming from somewhere - the local Ford dealer could not pinpoint the source of this draw. Since I don't drive the vehicle every day, I have become accustomed to removing the negative battery cable after use.

When I purchased the truck in 2007, I immediately had a trailer tow package professionally installed (hitch, wiring, & brake). I have had this checked out, and verified the installation myself. Everything looks correct.

Has anyone experienced similar? I HATE electrical issues. I would expect them on my 42 year old Bronco, but not on a 07 F-150 with 19,000 miles.

Thanks!!

 

Has anyone ever Amp Clamped your ground cable to see what it is actually showing as far as parasitic or excessive drain? I realize you can have an intermittent draw but it should show up under proper testing procedures. I would pull the fuses and relays (whatever is involved with the tow set-up) for the tow plug and see if you still have the battery going dead on you in that period of time. It would be prudent to charge the battery fully (with a slow charger or smart charger) and have it load tested and also tested for CA's and CCA's before you chase your tail on the discharge issue. I'm betting there IS some kind of problem with the tow wiring OR the brake controller. I don't like electrical problems either but have worked on many of them and a methodical approach almost always finds the failure.