Hello All

I have been having an issue with my 2013 F150 XLT Ecoboost on and off for over a year now. Every so often I would not able able to start my truck due to a dead battery. I mean dead. Battery shows about 1v on my meter. A jump starts no issues and shows the proper voltage to show that the alternator is charging. It will last anywhere from 1 week to 4 months without issue. Then out of the blue it will happen again. Of course I checked to ensure nothing is left charging in the truck, no lights are left on etc.

Today I caught the gauges flicking almost like a strobe like effect. I grabbed my meter and checked the battery and it had 6v. Eventually the battery would have drained like it has in the past. A simple jump got it going again as usual.

I plan on taking the truck down to the dealer but have a feeling they won't be able to find an issue since it is so intermittent. Has anyone experienced a similar issue?

Thanks,
Larry

 

Have them check the battery for an open cell. That's pretty much a definition just like you described it.

 

My 09 had this issue, it ended up being an issue with Sync that would somehow drain the battery.

 

Thanks for the quick responses. I wish it is just a bad battery but have a feeling it is something more like an issue with sync.

How did they diagnose the issue with sync draining the battery? Does the computer kick up any codes to go off of?

 

Hi Larry,

Welcome to the forum! I'm happy to see that your dealer will be tracking down this flicker for you. How many miles are on your truck now? Come back and tell us when you get a diagnosis; I'll be here if you need me to help after your appointment.

Crystal

 

Mine is doing the exact same thing... Only my battery showed a full 12.3V when I checked it, and had it load tested and it showed "good battery" as well.... Mine's a 2013 V6 (Non-Eco)

But when I tried to get in this morning, same thing guages were flickering, and nothing was working. Only when I hooked up jumper cables did it crank. And when I did that, the flashers (all blinkers) started flashing. But only on the outside... The indicators inside were not blinking.

 

Hi 03Fx4JD,

Just to clarify, is anything flashing now? If so, it might be a good idea to visit your dealership so they can look things over. What's the current mileage on your truck?

Crystal

 

39,000 (But I have Extended Warranty)

No everything has functioned normally as of yesterday after jumping it off...

Except for today I'm getting low tire pressure warning, even though they all look the same as they did yesterday. I'm going to check them all when I get home.

 

Thanks for following up, 03Fx4JD. Come back and tell us how your tires check out. I'm here if you need my help.

Crystal

 

My 2013 F150 XLT also had a battery problem. The radio would act weird and it was getting slow to start. Had it checked and it was the battery. Can't complain cause the truck is 7 years old.