my battery keeps on going dead
Asked by Drake Dec 15, 2017 at 09:49 AM about the 2003 Ford Expedition XLT
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
every 2 days the ole girl decides to die the voltage drops i just spent some
money on a new alternator and a new battery both test good something is
pulling on it but i'm not sure what it could be. side notes ac does not work i
have not tested the compressor and i do have a vacuum leak, a door ajar
issue help someone before i go bankrupt.
6 Answers
Well the door ajar switch could be causing a parasitic drain on the battery when vehicle is not in use, so that's one potential culprit. Google how to find a parasitic drain and proceed from there. (or see this link: http://www.wikihow.com/Find-a-Parasitic-Battery-Drain). One caveat when hunting down these drains is you have to remove the fuses for the door, as every time you open one it keeps the computer active and a larger drain on battery. Either that or leave door closed for 10 minutes for computer to go back to 'sleep'. You'll also need some basic tools, a decent multimeter (~$30) and a fuse puller tool (although this is optional if you have strong fingernails.) Any parts stores will have those items, the fuse kits come with a puller and tester usually, or try Wally-world if on a budget.
thank you it also says check charging system any sugestions
A parasitic drain won't cause a charging system light to come on, so I would re-check components of the charging system. You may need a proper load test on both batter and alternator, and not the simple freebie test they do at the parts stores. May be a rectifier issue with alt. Also check all harness connections and terminal ends, make sure you're not dealing with a bad ground somewhere.
thank you very much by sunday ill find be back
Did you figure this out? We have a 2003 Ford Expedition that we keep having to jumpstart. Mechanic couldn't find anything, but replaced a battery cable. It ran for a week for my husband. My kids and I took it one night, so all doors had to be open, including back end, plus used button to put down rear seat. My husband drove it to work the next day and it wouldn't start after work, without a jumpstart. Not sure if us using other doors caused a draw or what??
This is really relatable I keep changing coil packs left and right after they go out and yesterday it doesn’t start when my parents try to drive it, now the battery is dead overnight with no apparent reason