What would cause a drain on batteries without running.

[dsberman94]

Came home and parked the truck Monday night from work. Go out Tuesday afternoon to leave for work and batteries are dead. Had just enough to unlock the door and put the window down. Then nothing. Window wouldn't even go back up. I disconnected the sub wiring thinking it may have been shorting out and drawing, fuse looked a little weird. Left that disconnected overnight. Today I came out to pop the hood and the door wouldn't even unlock by the fob even though I was able to lock it using the key fob last night. Had to use the key to unlock it today. What would cause the batteries to drain. What should I check? One battery is new replaced by the dealership last spring. The other, I don't know how old it is. Thanks for any help guys.

 

[PsdPullerJr]

Check your glow plug relay. It's possible maybe the older battery crapped out and is drawing off the newer one too. Don't know how much you charged or drove it but maybe alternator took a dump and you were driving on the batteries.

 

[dsberman94]

Check your glow plug relay. It's possible maybe the older battery crapped out and is drawing off the newer one too. Don't know how much you charged or drove it but maybe alternator took a dump and you were driving on the batteries.

Every day driver. Forgot to mention no lights on before I parked it Monday night. Maybe gpr, that was my next place to start as soon as I find my voltmeter.

 

[SDS97_7.3]

Also check the starter relay on the fender well. Just take a test light and test the posts, I had a small draw on one that kept killing the batteries

 

[sootie]

i would start at the fuse panel with charged batteries. pull the fuses one at a time and check for a draw across it with a multimeter. isolate the circuit and then start looking for problems.

 

[dsberman94]

Got it started. Had a code for glow plug relay. Don't remember the number. Letting it high idle for a bit. Gonna shut it down and see if the code comes back.


When I went to start it to leave work Monday, I held the key forward but not far enough to start it. It was only for about 2 seconds and the glow plug light was on when I looked up while doing this. Didn't do it on purpose just didn't turn the key far enough. Possible this could have messed up the relay?

 

[dsberman94]

This must be the problem for 192,000 miles. Then there will be another problem at 193,000. Just the way it seems to go.

 

[smokin99stroke]

How do the battery terminals look?

 

[dsberman94]

The driver side had corrosion on it but I also noticed it's missing the bolt that holds the terminal tight on the stud. Then a piece of the connector fell off when I was messing with it today. Still tight on the stud but I'm Gonna get a new one from ford. Cleaned them with a terminal cleaner brush thing. Idk what it's called. Studs themselves look good.

 

[smokin99stroke]

The driver side had corrosion on it but I also noticed it's missing the bolt that holds the terminal tight on the stud. Then a piece of the connector fell off when I was messing with it today. Still tight on the stud but I'm Gonna get a new one from ford. Cleaned them with a terminal cleaner brush thing. Idk what it's called. Studs themselves look good.

Yeah put those back together clean and rule that out first. On all my trucks what you are describing has been severely corroded terminals.

 

[dsberman94]

Yeah put those back together clean and rule that out first. On all my trucks what you are describing has been severely corroded terminals.

Batteries were definitely dead on the meter. Wasn't just a connection issue.

 

[96stacked&smoken]

They wont get charged without a good connection which you didnt have from what you say.

 

[dsberman94]

Went out and looked again and the positive cable is really eaten. Ordered a new one and will have it tomorrow morning.

Another question, should I be able to feel the gpr click when it turns on and off? I put my finger on both of the big relays to the left of the valley and neither one clicked when the key was turned. Atleast not that I could feel. I'll try again in a little bit when it cools off some.

 

[smokin99stroke]

They wont get charged without a good connection which you didnt have from what you say.

That's what I was getting at

 

[dsberman94]

They wont get charged without a good connection which you didnt have from what you say.

That's what I was getting at

And so I ordered a new one. They have the gpr in stock at my local dealer incase I find I need that. Gonna let it sit for the night and see what happens in the morning.

 

[dsberman94]

Batteries dead again today. New cable and troubleshooting will be done tomorrow. Once it starts up the first time for the day it's fine after that till the next morning. Admittedly annoying.

 

[Vader's Fury]

With the truck shut off, the doors closed and the interior light out, unhook both your negative terminals on your batteries and hook a test light between the negative post on one of the batteries and the corresponding negative battery cable. If the light comes on, that means something is drawing power when the truck is shut off.

I would start pulling fuses until the light goes out. Once that happens, you will know what circuit the short that is drawing power is isolated to.

You may need to pull the fuse for the radio before doing this. I can't remember, but I believe it pulls a slight draw on the batteries all the time and will eschew your testing results.

If you pull any fuse and the test light dims, you have a draw through that circuit.

If you hook the test light up and it does not light up, you have a battery, battery charging issue, not a draw that is killing the batteries.

 

[dsberman94]

Thanks vader. Gives me a good starting point for tomorrow. Start with the under hood fuses first then move inside then I assume

 

[dsberman94]

Excuse my stupidity of electrical. Last spring the dealership replaced one battery, the main one on the passenger side. Is it possible that the driver side battery has gone bad and is killing the good battery as it sits. I started it before I left for work, came back 7 hrs later and the horn wouldn't even honk when I pressed the lock button twice, so it's dead again. Just wondering if this is a possibility. I'll be installing the new battery cable tomorrow and trying some of the ideas I've been given by you guys. Kinda hoping it's just a bad battery or gpr. Thanks again guys.

Also I'm going to leave it on the charger overnight. Tomorrow I was thinking I would take the charger off, let it sit for a while while I change the battery cables, then leave one positive off and try to start it, if it starts I'll switch the positive cable that is attached and try to start it. Correct me if I'm wrong but this would tell me if either battery was bad and not holding a charge?

 

[rusty1161]

Excuse my stupidity of electrical. Last spring the dealership replaced one battery, the main one on the passenger side. Is it possible that the driver side battery has gone bad and is killing the good battery as it sits. I started it before I left for work, came back 7 hrs later and the horn wouldn't even honk when I pressed the lock button twice, so it's dead again. Just wondering if this is a possibility. I'll be installing the new battery cable tomorrow and trying some of the ideas I've been given by you guys. Kinda hoping it's just a bad battery or gpr. Thanks again guys.

Also I'm going to leave it on the charger overnight. Tomorrow I was thinking I would take the charger off, let it sit for a while while I change the battery cables, then leave one positive off and try to start it, if it starts I'll switch the positive cable that is attached and try to start it. Correct me if I'm wrong but this would tell me if either battery was bad and not holding a charge?

Replacing only one battery can definitely result in your symptoms. The bad battery is going to destroy the new, good one. Always replace in pairs.

Rusty