Battery drains out

2008 FORD EXPEDITION
10,000 MILES • 5.4L • V8 • TURBO • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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1969VETTES
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check charging light staying on,battery runs down after a day or so
Feb 16, 2015 at 3:28 PM
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CARADIODOC
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The first suspect is the generator. You can start the diagnosis by measuring the battery voltage while the engine is running. It must be between 13.75 and 14.75 volts. If it is low, there are a few other voltages to measure before replacing the generator.
Feb 16, 2015 at 3:36 PM
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KTMKEVIN
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Yeah, my buddies Mustang GT did this about 6 months ago. The alternator fixed both problems.
Apr 28, 2015 at 1:17 PM
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JMB70056
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my battery in my 2007 Ford Expedition EL keeps dying every night and when i wake up i have to jump with my battery charger,the battery is brand new and the alternator was tested and they said it was fine,so what could be causing my battery to die like this? thank you for your help.
Apr 14, 2020 at 12:17 PM (Merged)
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RASMATAZ
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You have a short in the electrical system that is draining the battery overnight.


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/12900_parastic_draw_1_185.jpg

This guide can help as well https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-battery-dead-overnight
Apr 14, 2020 at 12:17 PM (Merged)
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DOUGJEANSCHREIBER
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I have the same problem, but when I hook up my meter it is not consistent on a draw. it randomly is going up and down pulling power? I have pulled fuses and nothing stops the random draw on the battery?
Apr 14, 2020 at 12:17 PM (Merged)
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EMORAN3
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New battery last week because truck would not start.
Low water in battery, so replaced. This week truck would not start again. I also just noticed the rear window wiper is stuck in partial stroke and not returning to resting position. Could this be the cause of my battery drain.
Apr 14, 2020 at 12:17 PM (Merged)
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BLUELIGHTNIN6
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the wiper stuck could definitely cause the wiper circuit to remain closed which will drain the battery quickly. pull the fuse to the wiper circuit until the repairs can be made to fix the wiper issue.
Apr 14, 2020 at 12:17 PM (Merged)
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WAYNEMERTZ
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I have a battery drain which drains my current battery overnight. On a new battery in two days.
I have tested the drainage several times and see a drainage of .08 milliamps. When I pull the #1 fuse (Audio) it goes down to .01 milliamps. Now this looks good, but in the morning the battery is dead to the point that the car will not start. . . I am currently trying to pull the 15amp fuse for the interior/running board lights and the 25amp audio fuses to see if the battery holds up overnight. It seems something is coming on overnight that is draining the battery.
I just picked up this truck, so I know very little about it. I know something isn't correct with the load leveler system, but I have that switch turned off (lower kick panel on passenger side). Any further suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks
Apr 14, 2020 at 12:17 PM (Merged)
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MHPAUTOS
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Place Amp meter between Bat Pos (+) and the cable, read off current draw with all doors closed and key out of ignition, now you can pull all fuses one at a time and check for any circuit drawing excessive current, do not forget to also test alternator, by disconnection battery feed as well as, as a blown diode in the regulator can cause current draw and still give you a charge rate, albeit lower than what would be normal.
Apr 14, 2020 at 12:17 PM (Merged)
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WAYNEMERTZ
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I have traced the battery drain to the 30amp fuse under the hood that controls the PCM. With the fuse out, the battery stays charged. When put in, the battery drains out within hours. The question is: How many outgoing circuits are there from the PCM which might somehow drain the battery with the ignition off? Perhaps I can find their connectors and disconnect them one at a time to see if the battery stays charged.

Thanks.
Apr 14, 2020 at 12:17 PM (Merged)
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MHPAUTOS
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The PCM uses a multi pin cannon plug that feeds all the engine management system, disconnecting each control unit will cause more problems than it is worth, I would first do a scan for any codes and if you can get a good test unit as a trial, plug that in and see if it fixes the problem, the PCM may well be at fault itself.
Apr 14, 2020 at 12:17 PM (Merged)
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BAYOUJOHN
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was driving and my abs light came on then a few seconds later my radio went out, after another minute all the dash gauges went down to nothing,the car lost acceleration and then stalled. couldnt start car,lights inside were blinking and clicking off and on. I got a tow,charged the battery and the car ran fine for a couple of days. had the alternator and battery tested,both good. driving car and battery light comes on and after about 5 miles headlights and dash lights dim. got the car home b4 it stalled. charged battery over night now the car starts but the battery light stays on. What could be my problem if the alternator tests good?
Apr 14, 2020 at 12:17 PM (Merged)
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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Hi:
I think you need to recheck the alt. I will provide directions at the end of this post. As far as the problem. If the alt checks good, then there is a wiring problem. There are fuseable links between the alt and the battery that can go bad.

Check this and let me know what you find. The only tool you need is a volt meter.

https://www.2carpros.com/how_to/how_to_test_alternator.htm
Apr 14, 2020 at 12:17 PM (Merged)
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BAYOUJOHN
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Hi,
thanks for your advice. I checked the alternator and found it good so i checked the fusible link and found no continuity. then after i moved it around a bit i had conntinuity so im going to replace the fusible link and see if that solves my problem. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thank you again.
Apr 14, 2020 at 12:17 PM (Merged)
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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That is the problem. I feel confident it will take care of the problem. Let me know how it turns out for you.

Joe
Apr 14, 2020 at 12:17 PM (Merged)
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CASSANDRA_A
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Battery goes dead overnight. New Battery installed. Hooked positive cable up. Test light between negative cable and negative post. Light bulb bright. Pulled audio fuse light bulb goes dim and on and off. Relay #2 (battery saver relay) clicks on and off. Why?
Apr 14, 2020 at 12:17 PM (Merged)
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EDIMARTINO
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Cassandra_a....please help!!! I'm chasing down the exact same problem with my 2000 Expedition and it is driving me nuts. I can't find anything similar on the net. Can you tell me what the outcome of this was and what the problem was in the end? If you can remember from 2008 that is.

Huge Thanks,
Eric
[email protected]
Apr 14, 2020 at 12:17 PM (Merged)
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CKM11
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Just this morning noticed that defroster was running even after car off. drained battery overnight. able to jump start with no problem. any ideas???
Apr 14, 2020 at 12:18 PM (Merged)
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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This is an interesting one because there shouldn't be any power to the system with the key off. There could be a couple problens. One, the ignition switch isn't working properly to shut the power, or you have a dead short that is providing power all of the time.

I need you to check for a draw. We already know you have one, but while checking, take one fuse out at a time. Identify which fuse stops the draw so we know if we are even working with the correct circuit.

Here is a how to for checking for a draw:

https://www.2carpros.com/first_things/why_is_my_car_battery_dead_over_night.htm

Let me know what you find.
Apr 14, 2020 at 12:18 PM (Merged)
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2000 ford expedition front blower runs on high with key out and drains battery. with truck running it works properly.
Apr 14, 2020 at 12:18 PM (Merged)
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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There should be no power to the switch with the key off. Start by checking the ignition switch. Also, check to see if there is power to the switch with the key off so you can determine if that is where the power is coming from or if there is a short at another point.
Apr 14, 2020 at 12:18 PM (Merged)
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WOODBINE58
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I can charge the battery and the car starts fine. After it sits over night the battery id draining. Also if I charge the battery the car again starts fine but as I drive I can see the battery indicator going down as the battery drains. What could cause this?
Apr 14, 2020 at 12:18 PM (Merged)
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RASMATAZ
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If the alternator is okay -you have a battery drain do below


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/12900_parastic_draw_1_211.jpg

Apr 14, 2020 at 12:18 PM (Merged)