battery goes dead?

well in the winter, it is easy for the cold to pull the batteries voltage over a period of a couple of weeks, especially if it is not a new batter, but I am also thinking that you may have a very small parasitic drain, like a clove box light or something small. have a look at this guide to help us find the problem

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-battery-dead-overnight

Please run down this guide and report back.

He is right about the parasitic drain. This is a problem that Ford is aware of but they won't tell you about or file a recall (I know someone on the inside). I own the same model (1999 Ford Explorer 5.0L) and unless the vehicle is started daily to recharge, the battery will almost surely die. I left it for a week on vacation and had to spend another $80 on a new battery by the time I got back.

thanks Frnc11, you will have to check everything to make sure nothing is left on, including cigarette lighters, clocks etc. if you wont be there to start it withing forty eight hours, unplug the negative cable, and wrap the battery if you have to,(with a towel or something)depending on how cold and treacherous it gets where your located

The battery keeps dying. We had the battery checked and was told it was fine. We jump started the car and drove for an hour. When we tried to restart, the battery was dead again. The terminals are clean and secure.

Get the aternator load tested might not be putting out.

Thank you for the very quick response! I'll take it in to get tested. Thanks again!

Put meter on, normal draw on Battery for 3 days. Eight days later starts great, six days later battery dead, had to be jumped. Keeps happening with nothing left on. Any ideas??

Was the draw more than .5mA? If so there is something on

No, and normal load pull was confirmed by shop. Everything checked and rechecked off.

Is truck driven daily? Assume battery has been replaced. You could disconnect batt and test over the 14 day period it takes to run down. See if it is good.

It was being driven almost daily. Probably why we never noticed it going down. Haven't been diving it much recently and find the problem at random times. The battery is new and has been checked good.

Well there is a solar panel you can get lays in windshield plugs into lighter and keeps batt up.
I have one on my truck it sets couple months without being used but batt stays up.

Sometimes it takes 4 days to go down, other times it goes for 15. Who knows! Thanks

I have a 1995 FORD EXPLORER (Eddie Bauer Edition) V6 4X4. The vehicle runs fine all day but in the morning it appears that the battery is dead? It has done this once during the day and I thought it was due to the rear door sensors. Sometimes the lights would stay on so I disconnected them and so the lights would shut off without having to open and shut the rear door. So what would make the battery drain overnight? When I get up and go to work I try to start it and it sounds and acts dead, but when I turn the key a few times it will finally turn over all the way? (NOTE: I HAVE TO RESET ALL MY RADIO SETTINGS WHEN IT DOES THIS ASWELL)

it could be a bad battery, it may be shorted internally draining it self overnight.
or, something is draining from the battery like one of the courtesy lights, glove box, trunk, etc.
you should have it checked at a shop for a parasitic draw.

Roy

I was thinking it was the battery. The battery was bought 2 months ago from a used (Refurbished) battery shop. I needed something quick and thought it might be a good deal. I will try changing it monday if I can. Could that cause my factory alarm to sound off out of the blue? It doesn't do it all the time but once in a blue moon? Also all the lights shut off now with the back switches undone. However that disconnects the alarm for the back door. Grrr!

yes, when the voltage falls below 12 volts, the alarm will activate thinking a door or something else is open.

Roy

Okay ASEMaster6371 I thought so! Should I try reconnecting my sensors for the rear door once the battery is changed to see if that help problem is resolved aswell! I will read your reply and message you probly Wensday and let you know what I find. (figured I will give it a few days to see if the new battery drains)

ok, good luck

Roy

I have got a new alternator new battery new post....but will not hold a charge. When I hook it up to jump it, it will stay running but as soon as you take the black cable off it dies. I was thinnking maybe the cylanoid but would some other suggestions before I go putting more money into it.

If you're referring to the starter solenoid, forget that, it's cranking okay with a jump-start so you know that is working.

First measure the battery voltage with the engine running and no jumper cables connected to another car unless its engine is off. You must find between 13.75 and 14.75 volts. If it is low, check for a blown blue 15 amp fuse under the hood on the passenger side. If it is okay, measure the voltages on the green, yellow, and fat output wires and holler back with those numbers.

I'll be out of town helping a friend rebuild smashed cars at his body shop. I'll be back tonight to check for your reply.

Electrical problem
1993 Ford Explorer 6 cyl Four Wheel Drive Automatic

The main question i have is will my battery drain if the cables are loose? I am having a problem holding a charge in my car. It will run just fine for 2 days, but the third day i go out there it's dead. I just had it checked at the mechanic said it wasn't the Alternator, or the battery. They said there is a draw coming from my car. I am having transmission problems, and head gasket problems. I am pretty sure i can replace the pieces for the head gasket, but on a scale from 1-10 i am trying to find out how hard it would be. I have replaced MANY things in this car before. I CAN NOT and WILL NOT touch a transmission. Any suggestions on those two questions?

[quote:f6618e01bc="Lucidblue3"]Electrical problem
1993 Ford Explorer 6 cyl Four Wheel Drive Automatic

The main question i have is will my battery drain if the cables are loose? I am having a problem holding a charge in my car. It will run just fine for 2 days, but the third day i go out there it's dead. I just had it checked at the mechanic said it wasn't the Alternator, or the battery. They said there is a draw coming from my car. I am having transmission problems, and head gasket problems. I am pretty sure i can replace the pieces for the head gasket, but on a scale from 1-10 i am trying to find out how hard it would be. I have replaced MANY things in this car before. I CAN NOT and WILL NOT touch a transmission. Any suggestions on those two questions?[/quote:f6618e01bc]

Hello,

Yes, if your cables are loose and corroded it can cause a draw on the battery. One way to find were the draw is is to have a test light in hand, remove the positive cable from the battery, connect the test light between the cable end and the terminal. If the light comes on you have a draw, and the brighter the light the bigger the draw.

Then what you do is start pulling fuses one at a time checking the light with each pull, once the light goes off that is the circuit the draw is on.

Now as far as the tranny problem. I had a 94 that I thought had a tranny problem along with a blown head gasket. Well fix head gasket and guess what is also fixed the tranny problem.

So, I would get the head gasket fixed and see what happens with the tranny.

.

PERFORME A LOAD TEST SOMETHING IS STAYING ON LIKE UNDERHOOD LIGHT, RADIO, GLOVEBOX LIGHT SOMETHING...

my battery drains after just 2 to 3 hours or maybe more this just came up all of a sudden I stopped driving it 1 day and it draind the battery then I jumped it and drove it and ran it for a hour and a half it was fine for a while then it did it again I now have it parked in my back yard I just umped it for the like 15th timei checked it every 2 to 3 hours it was fine started right up then I went and checked it just 2 mins ago it has been 2 hours and it wont start its draing as I write this its not complete dead but I have took off the neg bat wire and it stays running I have tryed turning off the toggle switch for the sfter market remote start and lock/unlock this is driving me crazy im low on money and I need my suv back please help sorry for a long speel

You need to do a current draw test, with key off and doors closed attach a amp meter between battery pos and battery pos terminal, this will show amp draw with every thing off, you will need to let is sit in this mode for about 20 min for all the systems to "go to sleep" you should only see about .1-.3 amps being drawn down, anything above .5 is way to much, to help identify what circuit is faulty, start pulling fuses one at a time and watch for any sudden drop in the draw rate, this will be the circuit that is causing our problem, and the starting pint to find the actual issue.

I bought a 1991 ford explorer for my son. When you drive it for a bit it takes all the juice from the battery and will not restart for about a few hours and then will start up. It acts like there is not enough juice to turn it over. I have replaced the battery and had the alternator checked and both are fine.

Do the lights dim as you drive? Get a voltmeter and hook it up to the battery, star the truck, note the voltage at idle, then turn on all your accessories, heater wipers rear defogger, voltage should remain at 13.8 - 14.8. If thats ggod, your starter may be weak, the heat from the engine may be affecting it. Or the timing is advanced a bit too far.

I have a 1991 Ford explorer that I having a problem with. I have narrowed it down to the fuse control panel on the left side of the engine compartment.
It will drain the battery if let sit for a couple of days without starting, short time when its cold. I'm getting an arch of the both battery post when i take them on and off which tells me there is a drain somewhere. If I take the fuse out of the emmission contol slot on the panel it does not drain. I replace it and its starts right off. Its a hugh pain to do this day after day tho.

anyone have any ideas for me................

Do you have a manual with a circuit diagram. How about the owners manual. ou need to check what components the fuse protects and look at each individually. I would look for a bare wire shorting on one of the compomemets.

Good hunting. Let us know.