Battery dead after sitting for one week?
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,603
Likes: 0
From: cypress tx
Battery dead after sitting for one week?
Just went out to start the F150 and it is dead, the radio turns on but it will no even attempt to turn over. I have a Optima red top in it, shouldnt the battery last longer than a week without running? I have no accessories plugged into the cig lighter, but I do go out to the truck everynight and get things out of it, but I wouldnt think the lights turning on would kill the battery like that.
This has happened once before with the Motorcraft battery
This has happened once before with the Motorcraft battery
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,603
Likes: 0
From: cypress tx
I just jumped it and it fired right up. I am going to drive it later/tomorrow and keep all the interior and exterior lights turned off when I come outside at night. I have a Optima red top which is about 4 months old.
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 408
Likes: 0
From: Salt Lake City, UT
I have the same problem... but it usually takes 2-3 weeks before the battery goes dead (I don't open the doors). I tested the battery and found that it had no significant drain on it. I also thought it had a device on it that would shunt the battery if it got to around 9 volts (basically so the battery would still be able to start the truck). I'm still considering taking it into the dealer to see what they can do for me.
2006 F150 with 22k miles and original battery. Stored in the garage all the time.
2006 F150 with 22k miles and original battery. Stored in the garage all the time.
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,603
Likes: 0
From: cypress tx
I have the same problem... but it usually takes 2-3 weeks before the battery goes dead (I don't open the doors). I tested the battery and found that it had no significant drain on it. I also thought it had a device on it that would shunt the battery if it got to around 9 volts (basically so the battery would still be able to start the truck). I'm still considering taking it into the dealer to see what they can do for me.
2006 F150 with 22k miles and original battery. Stored in the garage all the time.
2006 F150 with 22k miles and original battery. Stored in the garage all the time.
Is there a easy way for me to test the battery at home?
Global Moderator &
Senior Member
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 7,893
Likes: 61
From: Among javelinas and scorpions in Zoniestan
I have a similar problem, but mine will last about 3 weeks. I checked the amperage draw on the battery with everything "off" and the system "stabilized" for about an hour after the last "door open" event. With nothng "on" there is a steady 0.05 amp drain on the battery. This is clearly doing things like maintaining the radio and CD player presets, the clock and probably the biggest drain, the keyless entry system and anti-theft monitor. At 12 volts, that is a 0.6 watt drain 24/7.
Now, I also have a Gryphon/Edge programmer and with it attached and everything off and stable, there is an additional 0.05 amp drain. This brings the total to a 1.2 watt 24/7 discharge.
My solution right now, if I know I'm not going to drive the truck, is to disconnect the programmer.
If the truck is going to sit a LONG time, I connect a 2 amp trickle charger with an automatic cutoff.
- Jack
Now, I also have a Gryphon/Edge programmer and with it attached and everything off and stable, there is an additional 0.05 amp drain. This brings the total to a 1.2 watt 24/7 discharge.
My solution right now, if I know I'm not going to drive the truck, is to disconnect the programmer.
If the truck is going to sit a LONG time, I connect a 2 amp trickle charger with an automatic cutoff.
- Jack
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,603
Likes: 0
From: cypress tx
I have the Edge programmed but the unit is not connected, it is in the glove box. Could is be all the lights coming on and off each time I open and close the doors? I probably open the doors at least 4 times a day each day in the last week. I would have thought the Optima would have lasted longer.
How can I tell the charge of the battery and the drain? Do i need a voltmeter from Radioshack?
How can I tell the charge of the battery and the drain? Do i need a voltmeter from Radioshack?
Global Moderator &
Senior Member
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 7,893
Likes: 61
From: Among javelinas and scorpions in Zoniestan
I have the Edge programmed but the unit is not connected, it is in the glove box. Could is be all the lights coming on and off each time I open and close the doors? I probably open the doors at least 4 times a day each day in the last week. I would have thought the Optima would have lasted longer.
How can I tell the charge of the battery and the drain? Do i need a voltmeter from Radioshack?
How can I tell the charge of the battery and the drain? Do i need a voltmeter from Radioshack?
I've noticed if I don't drive my truck for a prolonged period, say 2-3 weeks, the battery is really drained. Twice now, it would not start after three weeks being idle. The battery is new and the charging circuit delivers 13.7-14.1 volts when the truck is being driven.
I opened the driver's door and closed the latch to signal the door was closed. The interior lights went out in 20 seconds. Then, I opened the hood and jumped the battery cables from my car, so that I could remove the negative cable without breaking the truck's "keep alive" circuit. Then, I spliced in a jumper wire from the negative battery terminal to the negative truck cable and disconnected the jumper to my car. Finally, I connected an ammeter from the negative battery terminal to the negative truck cable too and then went away for about an hour to let things "settle down".
I came back, turned the ammeter on, and broke the jumper wire from the battery to the negative truck cable. The ammeter was now acting as the jumper and it showed 0.1 amps. This seems like a pretty heavy draw to me. I then reached in through the open driver's door and disconnected the Gryphon from the diagnostic port. Now, the ammeter read 0.05 amps.
So, it appears the Gryphon is pulling 0.05 amps just to stay initialized when the vehicle is shutdown. And, all the other things in the truck, (the PCM, the radio, the clock, etc.) are pulling another 0.05 amps to stay alive.
Do these numbers seem excessive to you? It's pretty clear to me that a 1.2 watt discharge is going to drain the battery at some point, and three weeks seems about the upper limit on the battery's capacity. Is a 0.05 amp pull "in spec" for the Gryphon to stay alive?
For now, when I know I'm going to let the truck "sit", I just disconnect the Gryphon. (And please, understand I am not blaming you for any hardware problems in the Edge/Gryphon I bought through ebay).
Sorry for all the "detail" on this. You basically need to get an ammeter into the circuit so that it can measure the current draw when the truck is "asleep". The problem is, when it "wakes up", especially if you break the charging circuit, the draw can be very heavy - I blew the fuses in my ammeter before I figured out how to splice it in without "breaking" the charging circuit. That's what all the "jumper cable" business was about.I opened the driver's door and closed the latch to signal the door was closed. The interior lights went out in 20 seconds. Then, I opened the hood and jumped the battery cables from my car, so that I could remove the negative cable without breaking the truck's "keep alive" circuit. Then, I spliced in a jumper wire from the negative battery terminal to the negative truck cable and disconnected the jumper to my car. Finally, I connected an ammeter from the negative battery terminal to the negative truck cable too and then went away for about an hour to let things "settle down".
I came back, turned the ammeter on, and broke the jumper wire from the battery to the negative truck cable. The ammeter was now acting as the jumper and it showed 0.1 amps. This seems like a pretty heavy draw to me. I then reached in through the open driver's door and disconnected the Gryphon from the diagnostic port. Now, the ammeter read 0.05 amps.
So, it appears the Gryphon is pulling 0.05 amps just to stay initialized when the vehicle is shutdown. And, all the other things in the truck, (the PCM, the radio, the clock, etc.) are pulling another 0.05 amps to stay alive.
Do these numbers seem excessive to you? It's pretty clear to me that a 1.2 watt discharge is going to drain the battery at some point, and three weeks seems about the upper limit on the battery's capacity. Is a 0.05 amp pull "in spec" for the Gryphon to stay alive?
For now, when I know I'm going to let the truck "sit", I just disconnect the Gryphon. (And please, understand I am not blaming you for any hardware problems in the Edge/Gryphon I bought through ebay).
The good news though is you can use the DC volts setting to get an idea of the charge on the battery by simply touching the probes to the two battery terminals. You don't have to take anything apart. If you see 10.5 volts or less, you've got a badly discharged battery. A fully charged battery will read around 12.7 volts.
A Radio Shack Multi-Meter will do it. My meter has a 10 amp DC input and that's what I used to measure current draw.
Bill told me that 0.05 amps is exactly right for an Edge that is "asleep", so my Gryphon/Edge is fine. The other 0.05 amps are the killers and Bill didn't have any figures for anything besides the PCM - which is negligible. I don't think your Optima is going to hold up to a 24/7 0.05 amp draw forever. My battery is a higher capacity than stock and it gets drained too.
I guess we're just meant to drive these trucks on a daily basis!
- Jack
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,603
Likes: 0
From: cypress tx
Do you leave the Edge plugged in all the time? Remember mine is never plugged in.
Is it because I have the Edge tune installed? If I set back to stock will it not drain the battery? Is that what you are saying?
I think you are just saying if you have the Edge plugged in, it adds to the drain along with everything else in the truck.
Is it because I have the Edge tune installed? If I set back to stock will it not drain the battery? Is that what you are saying?
I think you are just saying if you have the Edge plugged in, it adds to the drain along with everything else in the truck.
Global Moderator &
Senior Member
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 7,893
Likes: 61
From: Among javelinas and scorpions in Zoniestan
The Edge tune has nothing to do with the drain on your battery. If you unplug it (after tuning your PCM) it's as though it was never there as far as the battery is concerned. The "tune", of course, is stored in your PCM. Going back to a stock tune will not change the battery drain.
In your case, you are getting a 24/7 drain on your battery from the radio (to maintain the station presets) the clock (to keep track of the time), if you have a theft deterrent system - to keep that working, etc., etc.There's really a lot of electronics in our trucks that put a steady, low draw on the battery.
If you plug the Edge in and leave it there, it pulls an additonal 0.05 amps. Not a lot, but it adds to the constant drain which will eventually kill the battery if the battery is not recharged.
I am unplugging my Gryphon/Edge now if I know I'm going to let the truck sit for a long while, but I still put a trickle charger on it now and then.
If I were to drive it every three or four days (or maybe even just once a week), I wouldn't worry about the battery charge.
Hope I'm making sense here. There seem to be quite a few of us with dead batteries after a prolonged, no-drive period. This tells me there is a built-in high current draw by the standard electronics in our trucks, and we just have to live with it.
- Jack
Senior Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 268
Likes: 0
From: British Columbia
It does sound rather sucky that they draw that much at rest, but this would sound like an ideal situation for one of those mini solar panels that trickle charge - I had one that would run the car clock with the battery disconnected!
Some come ready wired with a lighter plug, you just sit the panel on the dash, if you store the truck inside you could have the panel closer to the garage window perhaps - used to keep a boat battery at a holiday house charged that way.
Some come ready wired with a lighter plug, you just sit the panel on the dash, if you store the truck inside you could have the panel closer to the garage window perhaps - used to keep a boat battery at a holiday house charged that way.
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 500
Likes: 1
From: La Porte, TX
Yep - it's just a trickle charger that keeps your battery at full charge. Should be easy to connect and remove.
The Edge tune has nothing to do with the drain on your battery. If you unplug it (after tuning your PCM) it's as though it was never there as far as the battery is concerned. The "tune", of course, is stored in your PCM. Going back to a stock tune will not change the battery drain.
In your case, you are getting a 24/7 drain on your battery from the radio (to maintain the station presets) the clock (to keep track of the time), if you have a theft deterrent system - to keep that working, etc., etc.There's really a lot of electronics in our trucks that put a steady, low draw on the battery.
If you plug the Edge in and leave it there, it pulls an additonal 0.05 amps. Not a lot, but it adds to the constant drain which will eventually kill the battery if the battery is not recharged.
I am unplugging my Gryphon/Edge now if I know I'm going to let the truck sit for a long while, but I still put a trickle charger on it now and then.
If I were to drive it every three or four days (or maybe even just once a week), I wouldn't worry about the battery charge.
Hope I'm making sense here. There seem to be quite a few of us with dead batteries after a prolonged, no-drive period. This tells me there is a built-in high current draw by the standard electronics in our trucks, and we just have to live with it.
- Jack
The Edge tune has nothing to do with the drain on your battery. If you unplug it (after tuning your PCM) it's as though it was never there as far as the battery is concerned. The "tune", of course, is stored in your PCM. Going back to a stock tune will not change the battery drain.
In your case, you are getting a 24/7 drain on your battery from the radio (to maintain the station presets) the clock (to keep track of the time), if you have a theft deterrent system - to keep that working, etc., etc.There's really a lot of electronics in our trucks that put a steady, low draw on the battery.
If you plug the Edge in and leave it there, it pulls an additonal 0.05 amps. Not a lot, but it adds to the constant drain which will eventually kill the battery if the battery is not recharged.
I am unplugging my Gryphon/Edge now if I know I'm going to let the truck sit for a long while, but I still put a trickle charger on it now and then.
If I were to drive it every three or four days (or maybe even just once a week), I wouldn't worry about the battery charge.
Hope I'm making sense here. There seem to be quite a few of us with dead batteries after a prolonged, no-drive period. This tells me there is a built-in high current draw by the standard electronics in our trucks, and we just have to live with it.
- Jack