Battery seems to drain in my 2005 f-150 changed battery seemed fine but its dead again this morning
My truck was working fine but the other morning it wouldn't start battery was dead I replaced it seemed fine the gauge on the dash is charging just over the half mark but the new battery was dead this morning had put a new alternator in about 70 000 km ago so not sure any advice would be great thnx
Cars & Trucks
Answers & Comments
This problem sounds like more of a battery draw than an alternator that is not charging. the truck would die while driving and the amp meter would read below 12 volts if this was a charging problem. You have replaced the battery and the alternator that is okay but the problem you are having is a draw problem.
Something is drawing on the battery as it sits with the key of, if you were to remove the negative battery terminal overnight i would bet the truck would start in the morning. the problem is a draw. Take a good look around the truck and make sure the lights are all going off, like the dome light or the glove box light and also check the under the hood light and make sure all the lights are going off.
The next step if all lights are off, note the mirror lights the small reading lights on bottom of mirror , some people over look those. so if all is good then the next step would involve a meter.
If you have a meter an amp meter, with amp clamp you would connect it to the battery and watch the amp draw. for example with all doors shut and key off it is normal for readings to be 0 to .03 amp draw. any thing more is the problem that is killing the battery.
Once you see the draw the next thing would be to start pulling fuses one at a time, pull a fuse and see if the draw drops, when you locate the fuse that stops the draw you now know where it is.
For example , lets say the fuse is the acc, fuse. you will then start unhooking everthing on that system, like radio or inside lights or cig lighter . you would unhook one thing at a time until draw drops.
Some of the things that cause this problem on this 2005 ford could be like a horn relay. hit the horn and see if it works if it does then not the problem.
If you do not have a meter with an amp clamp then remove the pos terminl and take meter leaks and connect one leak to pos terminal on battery and the other to cable but do not turn key on just use to see draw and find.
Hey Jeremy, I dont think its anything to do with the charging system. If it was the vehicle would have cut off on you while you were driving it. I'm betting there is a drain on the battery.. To verify this for me you can remove the negative battery terminal overnight once the battery is fully charged. The next morning connect it and lets see if it starts or is dead. If its dead it means its a defective battery, just because its new doesn't mean it good.
if it works then you got a drain on the battery.
To fix this you will need a volt meter. Connect i to the Positive of the main fuse on the cars fuse box and ground the negative on the cars body, change the volt meter to amps. you will notice some amps being pulled into the cars system. Remave each fuse ONE AT A TIME until the drain stops. That fuse will tell you whats draining your power. check why and see if you get that fixed. Normally its the trunk lights..
SOUNDS LIKE A CLOSED GROUND MEANING THAT THERE IS A GROUND SOMEWHERE THAT IS CAUSING A DEVICE IN YOUR TRUCK TO REMAIN ON OR IT COULD BE A DIRECT DRAIN THROUGH A GROUND
Replace the alternator one more time. . .