New Battery - Instruments & Radio Don't Work
 

The battery died on DW's 2005 Ford Escape last night (ya, I know it's an Escape but folks around here are much more knowlegable than a couple of Escape forums I looked at). Anyway, it wouldn't jump so AAA towed it down the street to our house. The AAA guy was able to jump it with his tow truck, though. It turns out the cells were dry and would not take a charge.

So off to Auto Zone I went and got a new maintenance-free battery. Got it home and put it on the charger until the end of the Giants game (sorry Giants fans, that was ugly).

I put the new battery in the car and it started right up. BUT, the radio, power mirrors and gauges don't work. A/C, heater, turn signals, wipers, etc all work. I checked the fuses and they seem fine. Anyone have any experience with this?

Check the fuses related to this BUT, don't exclude the possiblity your alternator is crapped out. Most if not always if it's going or gone, it rations power to non-essentials as your list indicates. Weird, but dead battery and/or dead alternator go hand and hand. Check into it.