Battery Drain
#1
Battery Drain
My Next problem - hope someone can help!
I have a drain on my battery and it goes flat at night - I put an amp meter on it and it reads 0.20. If I pull out fuse 26 the reading goes to .01 - i suspect that is a good read.
I looked at the manuals and fuse 26 controls things that I am not sure about - the only noticiable thing is that the wipers will not work - in the manual the wipers are on a different fuse! My question - how can i further identify the problem.
Thanks for your help
Ford Ranger 4x4 2002
I have a drain on my battery and it goes flat at night - I put an amp meter on it and it reads 0.20. If I pull out fuse 26 the reading goes to .01 - i suspect that is a good read.
I looked at the manuals and fuse 26 controls things that I am not sure about - the only noticiable thing is that the wipers will not work - in the manual the wipers are on a different fuse! My question - how can i further identify the problem.
Thanks for your help
Ford Ranger 4x4 2002
#3
RE: Battery Drain
Have your battery tested. A common probelms to show up in cold weather is marginal batteries failing to start the next morning. I bet it is fine all day for repeatedstartsafter a quick jump start? If so I would lookat the battery. FYI, if you are also experiencing mid day or after work drain it can be alternator related, particularly withlate 90 models, there is a diode that fails and allowsthe alternator to drain the battery, however the alternator willtest fine.
#5
RE: Battery Drain
I would start by putting the amp meter back on and and start unplugging the items that fuse #26 controls one at a time. It's shot-gunning trouble shooting, but it's a start.
The 2002 owners manual shows fuse #26 (located on the drives side of the dash) as being for the "Battery saver relay, Auxiliary relay box, Restraint Central Module (RCM), Generic Electronic Module (GEM) and Instrument cluster". Position # 26 under the hood (High-Current fuse panel) shows that this position isn't used.
#7
I would find a new FORD garage. A battery should not be going dead in 3-4 days unless the battery is going bad, you have a load not shutting down, or you have a bad charging system. I always stored our 2001 Mustang in my back garage (temp set at 50 degrees for the puppy). The Stang would get put in the garage the beginning of November and started for the first time about the beginning of April. Would always start right up.
I would get an amp meter and start checking for a load on the battery after vehicle shut down.
I would get an amp meter and start checking for a load on the battery after vehicle shut down.
#8
The Ford garage tested the battery and it was OK. They checked the draw with it shut down and it was 100ma and 50ma was normal. I have my ham 2 meter radio plugged in but it draws very little when off. Even at 100ma it should not go dead in 3 days. One test the garage did they had to wait 45 minute. They said it had to do with the battery cut out relay.
Last edited by W1UXI; 09-19-2009 at 05:27 PM.
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