I've had no signs of any issues cranking my 2011 Ford Escape ever, until yesterday. After being parked for 8 hours at work, I came out and the car was completely dead. I couldn't even use the remote to open it. Turning the key yielded no response. After allowing my car to charge (with cables connected to another car) for 15 min, it finally cranked. This was last night. It has cranked all day today with no problem whatsoever. I've had 2 battery tests done that reported the battery was good. Also had an alternator test completed yielding 14 amps. I don't want to risk being stranded again. What in the world could be wrong?

 

The later models have many modules that carry out the commands from the driver and various other modules in the vehicle. The modules are supposed to go into sleep mode where they shut down so as to not drain the battery once you turn off the key.
Sometimes a module will not function correctly and wake up on it's own , or from a signal from various sensors. This does not have to be the problem with your vehicle, but if it is, will require a good scan tool to verify if that is the problem. One of the ways the system with the problem is located is doing voltage drop tests on the various fuses. Unless you are equipped with some electrical savy , best to have an experienced tech check it out.

 

Did you ever solve this?

I'm having exactly the same issue. Battery tested good. Yet, zero electrical activity. My code reader has no codes to read. Thought I'd get a battery post cleaner tool and try to see if that helps. Then move on to fuses.

 

A little FYI,
Anytime you remove a battery cable from the battery, or if the battery becomes discharged for whatever reason, all adaptive (learned) memory gets erased.
Things like radio stations , driving habits, shifting, idle speed , etc., need to be relearned. Not a serious problem since most of them get relearned automatically.
So , expect this.

What was done in the past was to observe battery current drain and remove fuses one by one until the drain went away.Now you had some idea what system was involved. This procedure did nothing more to help pin down just where the problem was originating. It requires a special procedure to isolate the area and culprit. Even a lot of shops don't know the procedure so you might need to get to a shop that is qualified to check this problem out. Sometimes modules don't go into sleep mode and can be a constant drain on the battery. This is where some knowledge is required to isolate to malfunctioning module and most folks don't have the equip to do this.

 

Thanks for the reply, hanky!

I have heard that a lot of learned behaviour is reset 2.5 years ago when I changed the battery. So that's fine. The battery test didn't indicate HOW charged it was, but when it flips on, lights are bright, starting is very easy. It isn't starting due to a lack of power, there is something blocking it. I literally thought I heard a 'click' when starting today off one of those battery driven jump start rigs. As I attached it, and moved the clamps around to get grip, everything popped on.

I'll try cleaning the posts: perhaps it's a contact problem, but they are not very dirty. I wonder if the security system is wonky and is a place to start. I suppose another module could be draining it, and then something else kicks in to save the battery. Is there some kind of master reset somewhere, or some way to trigger a reset?

 

By this time I'm sure you are aware a battery cable terminal can look good and not appear to be a problem, but all it takes is a little oxidation to get between the post and the terminal and now full power is not always available to the vehicle and in addition the resistance it offers makes the charging system think the battery is fully charged and resists addl charging leaving us with a low charged battery that may not be enough to start the engine.

 

So true! I have really found that 'it's the little things' as I've worked on my KLR 650!

I have the tool, so they will be cleaned. I've also got my multi meter to look for a parasitic draw, but I'm found that other 2011 Ford Escapes have wiper motors die and kill the battery. Funny enough, mine wasn't working at the time all this began! I had pushed it from my mind to figure out after I sorted the battery. Obviously, it's looking now like the likely culprit. I will let you know how it turns out.

 

First I restarted the car from a jump. As I started to take the cover off the rear wiper motor, I could hear it trying to actuate. It wasn't moving, and a push helped it complete a cycle, although I had checked that the switch was off. Once the cover was off, the motor was warm to the touch.

Clearly it was half baked, and was continuously trying to run, draining the battery in the process. All it was doing was shorting out and warming itself. A repair is in process, but with no more posts consider this solved!

BTW: Excellent videos out there on checking the fuse box for parasitic drains on power, as well as changing a rear wiper motor.

 

Thank You for sharing the solution with us.
I'm sure this will come in handy for a lot of folks with a similar problem up the road.

 

I had a none start on the 06 Escape.. charged it for about 6 hrs, started right up. next day took it to were I bought the battery 3 years ago...
I bought a Dura Cell from Cosco. with a 3 year warranty...
To make a short story shorter... did not replace the battery, have not had it die since that one time.
The mechanic at Cosco checked not only the battery but the cars system (what ever that means) and the car is running fine..
I had done a voltage check and always charges at around 14.3... has not gone below. 11.9v since..
Best
Take care, be safe