If the truck sits for a week, it will not start as the battery is dead. Dealer cannot find anything drawing power. Is this a common problem? Is there something special we can look for?

Buy a new battery

That was the first thing we did but it made no difference. We disconnected everything from the battery and let the truck sit for 3 weeks. When we hooked up the battery again, it started without any problem.

Then you have a parasitic drain. Hard to isolate. unless you have an aftermarket alarm~anti theft, try disconnecting that or any other aftermarket device

Unhook the negative battery cable and put a test light or multi meter from the neg. terminal to a good ground and there should be no current flow

Dome , cargo, glovebox light could be on

Have they checked the alternater?

Yes they did. They are coming to get it again and see what they can find. Thanks everyone.

There are many items in new vehicles which draw power from the battery when the ignition is off. The clock is a perfect example. Any electronic device which remembers settings, including those pertaining to computer engine devices remain powered when key is in the off position. The drain has to be very very small to take a week or so discharge the battery, as a small dome light would drain the battery in a day or so. I would begin with starting the vehicle and shutting it off when it is completely dark outside. Note the dash and accessories making sure nothing stays illuminated after the twenty or so seconds it takes for everything to switch off. Check the bells and whistles installed which are seldom used. would suspect a keyless entry system problem or anti-theft problem. If the vehicle is at a dealership being checked out, remember this. The mechanics at the dealership have access to computer info subjecting quirks and seldom occurring problems for all their models. They also have charts indicating proper voltage for every system in the vehicle. If they cannot locate it, you'll have a hell of a time.

A car clock draws 0.02 amps. A decent battery would take a months to drain from that. But you are right OJ. A parasitic drain from an aftermarket device, or even a leak..a wire can leak and lose current for no apparent reason. I still say if you remove the negative battery cable and ground it there should be no flow from a test light, and a good, sensitive multi ~meter/volt meter set on 12 volts and set to measure amperage flow it should show that 0.02 amps, but that's all and I also agree with you OJ you are correct that a little dome light, say the switch in the trunk or glovebox does not kill the bulb, you won't know it it may drain overnight..a high quality battery,,say about 48 hours even. One thing: the OBD draws no power when car is not in use. Fault codes are stored while it's running and stay in the chip until scanned.

do you have aftermarket alarm? mine was drawing 5.2 amps while vehicle was shutdown. just a thought. my viper alarm was fried. pulled brain and sent back to viper. replaced with new brain and now fine.

One reason I suggested checking various electric devices was because of a problem I had in 2006 with my 2002 explorer. Exiting the vehicle in the evening it was completely dead the next morning. I attempted to push the vehicle out of the garage to jump start it but it would not come out of park. A called the Ford dealership for a tow, believing I had a serious problem. Explaining the situation to the service manager he stated my model ford will not come out of park gear if the battery is completely dead. I changed the battery and everything worked perfectly.

I have exactly the same situation with a 2012 F-150. No after market attachments; no cell phone charger, etc. If left alone for more than 4 days, battery is dead. Dealer has replaced battery once; has had in his service bays for more than 20 days; cannot "duplicate" the problem. Very much like the truck, but can not deal with the question of reliability. Squire

Same issue, all devices are disconnected over night but battery will still die. I connected a multimetre in series between the battery and positive cable, I'm constantly drawing 330 amps while the truck is just sitting there shut off. It's a ford problem as I've found similar issues on forums with plenty people. I'm going to pull fuses 1 by 1 until I find the mass power eater, will update if found.

Same issue, no remote start or aftermarket parts on it. F150 2011 fx4 5.0. Will update.....

Same issue with 2013 F150 STX 4x4 5.0. My problems started with the battery light coming on every once in a while, then becoming more frequent. I have been to the dealer no less that six times. After about the fifth time, and the involvement of a ford engineer, I thought they had the problem fixed (replaced a wiring harnes). That is until about 2 months later. The truck sat over night and was dead the next morning. Took it to dealer again, and they replaced the battery. Went about a week and a half without any problems. Now the battery light is coming on again. If anyone discover a solution, please keep us updated!

I have had the same problems with my 2013 F150, in fact it is in the shop right now. I was told today that a sensor in the shift column was bad and that when the truck is parked and turned off it sometimes doesn't know to shut everything down. They are replacing it tomorrow. Hope it works because I am tired of this intemittant problem and using a jump box to get to work on a new truck

Vehicle manufacturers have pushed the limit on the 12 volt system for twenty years. What needs to be done is go to a 24 volt system and simplify the electrical system. Of course, in the back of their mind they can hope it holds for one day longer than the warranty so the dealership can such a grand out of the owner, or sell a new vehicle.

Same problem 2006 F150. First I load tested battery. Then validated that even with another good battery the same thing occurs. Withing a few days, battery is below 12.2 volts (or less than 50% capacity). I have no aftermarket accessories. I have used an ammeter to check the current draw at every fuse and find three that draw .01A which is normal and not enough to drain a battery that quickly. For a drain that quick, it must be pulling about .25A or more. I'm stumped.

Same problem 2006 F150. First I load tested battery. Then validated that even with another good battery the same thing occurs. Withing a few days, battery is below 12.2 volts (or less than 50% capacity). I have no aftermarket accessories. I have used an ammeter to check the current draw at every fuse and find three that draw .01A which is normal and not enough to drain a battery that quickly. For a drain that quick, it must be pulling about .25A or more. I'm stumped.

I have a 2013 F150 with 10,000 miles on it. Been in the shop 4x with this problem, which just started happening a couple of weeks ago. Dealer has changed out two batteries and a power module with no luck fixing the problem. No aftermarket electrrical devices have been added. The only thing I have noticed is the dash lights are on when I go to get in the truck. This is before I unlock it or open the door.

Update: I filed a lemon law claim on my truck. I sent it in for the final repair, and the dealer said there was nothing wrong with it and to come pick it up. The thing is sitting in my driveway dead as a door nail right now! And to top it all off, I just recieved a call from Ford saying they rejected my claim for a new vehicle. I am going next week to speak with a lawyer about the situation. Hopefully then I can get some results. I have been a Ford fan all of my life, but I will never buy another Ford product as long as I live.

I have the same problem. Battery goes dead after 1 day of sitting. Have replaced the battery the problem persists. We can hear a small whirring sound like a small electric motor or fan running but have not been able to isolate the sound. On this note, it is ridiculous that car manufacturers don't have built-in isolation switches so that electrical problems can be easily isolated. The cost for this may be $100 to $200 per vehicle and that is being high.

2015 Explorer Sport with dead battery three times now after being left at airport. One new battery so far via my warranty. Towed from airport today and at dealership now. No aftermarket with the exception of DVD player installed through the dealership prior to taking ownership. Not acceptable for a brand new car!! Stranded alone in an airport parking lot now twice in the cold and rain. Love my explorer but this must be corrected.

I've seen this problem both on Explorers and Edges. The culprit was the shift lever malfunctioning. Even the vehicle was physically in park, the computer did not recognize that and the vehicle wouldn't shut everything down. The result was a dead battery the next morning. It's occurred intermittently making it harder to diagnose. Good luck everyone!

Floor shifters on edges have been a concern had one myself, ford tech

2013 F150 - Mostly same issue as all above. Anyone else find a resolve or find a way to convince the Dealer that there really is an issue? Dealer just said they did Sync updates to the radio since those have caused issues - not sure if this fixed it for anyone else, but I guess I'm a skeptic. I had this happen as short as over night, with battery @ 7volts in the morning. More often it happens every few weeks or more. Car at most sits for a few days. Dealer said they did 2 load tests, checked alternater, starter, battery - couldn't find anything. Ugh.

Wow, had we known...We are currently dealing with a 2014 F150 Stx. Bought it new in June of last year. If it sits for 3-5 days, it'll be dead. Ford has replaced 2 batteries, a starter, and an ignition sensor. Now we are dealing with the BBB. Ford says it's a parasitic drain from the aftermarket brake controller, but we've already disconnected it, and it still died! Plus it was paid for by Ford and installed by their accessory shop as part of our purchase agreement. It was also tested and not found to be draining! On to arbitration. You can have Ford because we don't want it!

I am having the same problem as described above with a 2014 F150 XLT. Replaced the battery and it lasted about a week and a half. The last two times, it was so dead, the remote wouldn't unlock the door. I bought a jump box and, when I use it, it kicks right off. I wish I had kept the 2012 Fi50 XLT that I traded for it.

Your 2014 should still be under warrant. I recommend you bring it to the dealership to at least document the problem with Ford.

watch the dash lights, floor shifters usually biggest culprit but also have seen column shifters do the same thing. When vehicle is put into park the PCM does not see that due to faulty park sense switch which is part of the shifter assy. When PCM thinks vehicle is not in park networks will not go to "sleep" causing the battery draw. First indication is intermittently the dash lights will be on without key in ignition. Also a DLC breakout box will show activity on the network. Repair is shifter replacement

Same problem here, 2014 F150 FX2. I replaced battery with Optima yellow top after I found OEM battery dead one Sunday morning. After 3 days the battery was dead again. Took to dealership who had it for a week, found amp draw to be nominal (.05) and decided the Optima battery I put on was bad. They made me purchase a new Motorcraft battery since I had traded the OEM one to buy the Optima. Well, 3 days later we are dead again. What is the answer if Ford cannot fix this problem under warranty? Apparently from previous posts, having a new vehicle, under warranty, that cannot be used reliably isn't a reason for Ford to act. Do I just allow them to keep the vehicle with repeated attempts to repair until the warranty expires when their responsibility is over???

Just wanted to add my two cents worth. I have the same battery drain issue with a 2014 F150 FX2. Truck has been to dealer three times, 5 days each first two times, 3rd day as of today, on this, the 3rd visit. 1st visit they replaced battery, 2nd visit they re­programmed BCM, now they are going to replace 3 wire harnesses (1 of which is the rear camera harness I've read about on some forums). Looks as if I'm in for the long haul as have many others with this problem. Thanx for the insight this forum has given me!

Ditto on our 2010 F150 Crew Lariat. Battery dies after sitting a few days. Dealer said if there is no fault code there is nothing they can do. Guess the Ford uses monkeys for mechanics...see a code and replace what the fault code tells you to replace. We've had problems with the headlights flashing intermittently when the truck is parked. Key fob did not work to unlock the doors, memory seat did not work, lamps on the instrument cluster all come on. Truck will start, but not come out of park. Pulled the negative battery cable and reconnected and everything is back to normal. Dealer has had the truck for a week and says they can not get the problem to repeat. Service advisor says he has been driving the truck every day and it works fine. IDIOT....it happens when the truck sits. He said to just have it towed in next time it fails. Probably not going to be a next time. Going to be done with Ford.

Glove box door vibrates open just a tiny bit, can see the light comes on, shut it twice but it will crack open again...drained battery in four days and had to call road-side emergency service for a jump. This be the same problem with all the above issues...

2010 F150 does not have lights in either the glove box or center console.

Ford has found my problem and corrected it. After three trips to the dealership, they consulted with Ford and found the problem to be with three wiring harnesses that apparently get wet & corrode. One was the harness under the tailgate that is part of camera wiring. Anyway, repair was made about three weeks ago & so far no more problems.

Did the truck computers report and fault code?

No, no codes were present. Dealership couldn't even see any amp draw in excess of normal (.oo4 amps, I believe). They had the car for several weeks and verified there was a battery drain daily, but couldn't locate it. I insisted they reach out to Ford Mfg. for help, which they were hesitant to do.

Good information to share with my dealer. I am on the Ford F150 forum and supposedly they are going to help get the problem figured out. One more thing to check. Interesting the they were only able to measure 4 milliamps, but yet the battery was still draining.

I agree, I sometimes (always) wonder if the dealership was being completely honest with me on their findings. I post also on the F150 forum, actually about this same problem as it was happening. Good luck with getting your situation resolved.

I have a 2013 Ford F150 XLT extended. I used to get this problem about 4 times a year. It being that intermittent made it really hard to troubleshoot. Yet such a pain when you try to use your car you end up stranded. I haven't had the issue in about 8 months so I THINK its fixed. I'm electronically inclined and was convinced there was some draw on it when parked, but obviously hard to figure that out, especially when it's intermittent. I had a suspicion it was the radio/Sync/Bluetooth. The last thing they did was a firmware update on the radio and the issue hasn't come back (knock on wood). I would have that checked or force them to do it to rule that out.

My exact feelings. 4ma draw is not going to take a battery down that quickly. I know car batteries are designed for cold cranking amps. Not sure what the reserve rating is on Motorcraft batteries, but would expect the reserve capacity to be about an hour or so. If I understand it correctly, the reserve is rating on a 25 amp continuous draw, measuring the time it take to get the battery voltage to 10.5V. Do the math. It would take weeks for a 4ma draw to kill the battery.

TSB 13-9-22 for SYNC issues for model year 2012-13.

I just repaired a 2012 F-150 with this concern. Only a 20 mA draw when I had the meter hooked up in-line. The truck would be dead the next morning. Have your mechanic check for corrosion in connectors C405 and C4000 in the rear of the vehicle. If either circuit has corrosion, replace both ends of the connector and the issue will most likely be resolved. My vehicle had corrosion in C405. If your truck does not have a back-up camera and is out of warranty, you can use replacement 8 pin pigtails WPT-1045 and WPT-1136 to repair the 7 wires used in that 16 pin C405 connector. Ford does not offer replacement pigtails for that circuit, so a little improvisation is needed. I hope this helps. Steve

well i am having a draw and have isolated it to the wiring loom that goes from the batt. around the batt. between the batt. and the right fender.i put a test light in line on the + side of the batt. pulled fuses and relays. the only result is that when #21 is pulled the test light blinks. i left it out and the next day the batt. was dead. the batt is a month old and is 700 amp.driving me crazy trying to find it. its a 2005 f 150 4.6 4x4 auto. man i need help. i'm hoping one of you come up witth a fix and let everyone know.

Okay... After reading all this with tall the unrelated questions and answers, what was the final solution? !!

My solution was mentioned in a previous post here. It's been 6 months with no recurrence. Sorry if you felt it was unrelated to the original post, I was just attempting to help others that may be experiencing the same symptoms.

Same problem. Ford F150 2012 Ecoboost. dead next morning everytime...No aftermarket, no lights on....Shifter is on console...First 5 Frods I had got 250000 no problems and were still running when sold. The last two have been nightmares and Ford skirts the problem. I am now looking at several competitor SUVs. Sorry Ford you have lost a long time customer. Would have cost you maybe a couple thousand to help me in these situations but you get an estimated 15000 profit on each SUV...Now you get no profit from me or my family ever again - not good business sense..

Is this switch the same for shifters on the column or would that be another issue? I have a 2013 F150 crew.

Marvan13: Please supply a new question as to your problem. This thread is over a year old.

Same problem. Replaced the fuse panel no problem till I used my trailer port. Staying charged so far knock on wood. After market lights or door latch was screwy.

When I bought my 2014 F150 XLT, I found if it set for a couple of days the battery would drain and the truck would have to jump started. Dealer could not find the problem. I had another problem--when the engine was shut down, the 'battery saver' would flash a message on the radio saying it was being turned off to 'save the battery'. This would occur within 4-5 seconds after I turned the engine off. I did eventually find the fog light circuit was drawing power when the truck was setting with everything off. The fog lights and harness were replaced and I've had no dead battery issues in the past 10 months or so. BUT, I still can't listen to the radio unless the engine is running??? HELP.

My radio display doesn't turn off. It stays on very faint after i turn off my truck and lock it. my battery dies after 2-3 days. I removed the fuse for my radio and my truck hasn't died since (It's been about 2 months). I read that there's a corroded splice in a purple wire that's in the wiring harness in the driver door threshold. I can't find the splice. Does anyone know anything about this?

Following: my 2004 F150 has been slowly killing me with the sit-and-drain issue. Learned to disconnect the battery each time I stopped it, but now that's unreliable. My favorite mechanic tried and tried to find a drain, no luck. Just looking for an answer, and the switch idea (center console) looks like a possibility.

Had a problem with a 2012 F150. Turned out to be a sensor that had to be replaced. The vehicle didn't know it was in park and the dashboard lights stayed on. Had the truck to 2 different Ford dealers, neither could diagnose it. Got the tip on another forum.

its the key switch....brake interlock switch and radio (if lights come on once in a while ) if you are pulling fuses for radio and checking milliamps there are two fuses one for startup and one for power,,,,,interlock switch panel get burned out....dont try to solder it resistors are burned....computer thinks it is not in park and remains on ...also cruise wont work.....key tumblers are worn computer still thinks vehicle is on

I installed a battery disconnect on the negative post and I can let it set indefinitely , it is my winter vehicle ,a pain but so far it works .mine is a 2002 ford ranger .

i just put a shift interlock switch jn trickle charged the battery and it works ...knock on wood...my radio was playing tricks with its lights and coming on every time i started the truck after i had shut it off lights are working on it so i havent turned it on........can you put your truck into gear with out putting your foot on the brake

purple wire splice is in the back door threshold drivers side

Took my 2011 fx4 to the dealer. Problem: the gear shift interlock sensor was bad. Solution $700

I have a 2018 f150 for 2months, no after market items. It has stranded me twice with a dead battery. Once when sitting for 1.5 days and the other today. I knew something was going bad since it was going into deep sleep every time I turned it off right away since the battery was getting low. First time into the dealer was new software. Agree they should be able to isolate the offending device

I’ve done tons of troubleshooting on parasitic type draws in vehicles over the years and the most common problem is a stuck relay 90% of the time. I will usually close all the latches and pin switches to simulate the vehicle completely closed then go through pulling every fuse or relay while watching a meter to see the amperage draw to change within reasonable limits. Hope this helps anyone with this issue.

My 2013 F150 Super Crew XLT ecoboost has had electrical issues since I bought it. If parked for 3 days battery is dead. today is 3rd time this year. biggest headache is the truck does not shift to neutral. if parked in my garage I cannot open the hood. for some reason the geniuses at Ford designed it so you must remove the steering column cover and pull a white plastic tab to manually shift to neutral. plus the idiot's used 3 very small bolts (3/32?) WHY did they make it so fning hard?

Premiercaraudio So I have to pull out a relay switch every night so that the battery doesn't die. Do you have any suggestions on what may be making this happen?

the weather is getting better...i am going to do a parastic draw test....one day my draw is there and the next it is not ...i have replaced the shift interlock switch ...no go ....i am told it is aftermarket accessories...like radio ...trailer hitch

Have a good one to share on a parasitic battery drain on my 2002 Ford Supercrew 150 pickup. For three weeks now I've been dealing with a dead battery after buying a new one at Wal Mart. My last battery from W.M. was bought by a friend as a gift, which lasted 7 years so, I wanted another just like it. It went dead after a couple of days. I only have 25 K miles on the vehicle so, I was perplexed after having virtually no problems for 16 years. I brought it back and got another last week. That refused to hold a charge after a couple of days so, my friend who is mechanic told me to check the glove box light. Sure enough my envelopes were blocking the light switch leaving the light on. When I ran a meter test again thinking I resolved the problem the damn battery was draining again. I did a test on the alternator disconnecting it from the power and it was fine. I charged the battery and got a full charge of 12.79 volts. The next day I would be down to 12.7 volts so, there was another draw. I brought that back thinking it was a coincident bad battery. When I put in the third battery I had it tested by a W.M tech who gave me the print out that the battery was fully charged. The battery sticker was for this month so, it didn't sit on the shelf losing amps. I charged it up anyway to make sure the amps were up and drove it for a 100 mile drive to set the computer to see if that corrected the problem. Of course the following day it was down again. My friend and I checked just about everything you could think of with the exception of doing the fuse pulling crap. I took it to the Ford Dealership I bought it from a couple of days ago for them to get the issue figure out. The test I was told was $90.00 for the first hour. Then it would be more if it went beyond that. The tech guy and I went to the truck to see the millage to add to the worksheet. As he was standing in front of me bending over to turn the truck on I noticed my seat cover that I put on a couple of years ago was over the seat switch. It was tightly pulling on the center switch to make the seat go up and down. It was pulled in the up position and stuck there. I asked the guy to step aside and showed him the elastic band on the seat cover caught the bottom of the switch after it slipped up from it's former spot at the base of the seat. The guy look at me and said he believed that was my problem and said, " good call" you found the problem. I took my truck home and saw that there was a minor amp drop yesterday so, I'm going to test it for the next few days to see if there is yet one more issue. Hope this helps anyone who never thought to check the seat switch.

Isolator switch in a convenient location and just live with it. I drive 8 vehicles(not all at once) but I do want everything to crank when I get in. I just installed an isolator switch after taking the ground clamp off and on for 2 months. Repeat isolator switch!

I have the same problem 2013 I have had it since it was new. The charging system on this truck is #$@%$@#!@. Ford won't do anything and says there is nothing wrong

my drain in my f250 was caused by a water leak that grounded my fuse box. replaced fuse box and repaired leak. All good

My drain was caused by a shorted fuse box caused by a water leak. Changed box and repaired leak. All good.

Most of the time I find the drain is because of the PARK interlock on the column. If the light under the "P" is NOT on while in park, this is your problem and it is a very easy fix.

question on my 2014 stx same issue. changed pcm and starter no go. what would the starter relay/run start relay/ and pcm keep alive power relay coil ,canister vent solenoid have in common ? you pull any one of these fuses or relay buzzing goes away.if something is making a noise or running what can it be that has these 3 things in common ?

Ran into the same problem recently with my 2004 F150 FX4. Mine ended up being the radio. Connected a meter between the negative battery terminal and cable and was getting a 1.5 amp draw initially and about 20 minutes later when everything went to sleep was getting .8 draw. Pulled fuses and when I got to the radio it dropped to .01. Have left the radio fuse out and after sitting for 3-4 days it starts right up.

Parasitic drain , the cause is explained in this listing for 2011-2014. https://www.ebay.com/itm/2011-2014-Ford-F150-F- 150-Instrument-Cluster-Repair-Dash-Light-Staying- on-fix-/292931561061

I have a Ford F150 that was having an F21 drain of approximately .35 Amps. Following others advice I isolated it to F21 but did not have the time or patience to try and determine which wire or circuit was causing the drain. I had read on someone else's comments that they had installed a relay triggered by F19 to complete the F21 circuit. This seemed like a much cheaper solution than having some mechanic replace my entire instrument panel or whatever. I bought a relay and some fuse extenders and fixed the problem for approximately $25. I did have to modify the fuse panel cover (I think they call it CBM) to allow for the wires and fuse extenders but the changes are hidden from view. The only down side to this that I can see is that when the ignition key is off the interior lights do not work and that is because the F21 is OFF whenever the ignition key is off. It did fix the drain problem for me.

Just a wrap up of my previous post about my radio being the problem. Ordered a Sony AX1000 from Crutchfield and installed it today. After installation locked up truck and installed meter on negative battery terminal. Initial amp draw was .3, after an hour went back and checked and it had dropped to .02 so at least in my instance a new radio solved the problem. Now on to the timing chain kit and Cam phasers.

hey guru, your going to wish you were still dealing with the drain, once you get into the cam phasers, banging my head over and over with that issue

I've got an 02 f250 with a parasitic draw i cant seem to locate. Battery is good. alternator putting out >14v, when i put my multimeter in series it reads around 35-40ma for about 30 seconds then drops down and stays around 17-19 ma. with radio fuse removed it reads 4ma. i suspect something must be kicking on and off intermittently when im not reading current draw. idk this one got me stumped

oh yea, and the battery will drop from 12.6v to 12.4 within a day

Farmall44 There is a series of years that have a diode in the alternator that goes bad which causes the battery to drain. There is a video on YouTube by South Main Auto or Eric the Car Guy (maybe Scotty Kilmer) that addresses it and how to test.

It is South Main Auto... https://youtu.be/acdNBBdJWF8

2020 Ford F150 Same problem 5 times now. Low voltage indicators like dim lights etc. and solenoid just clicksI just keep trying and waiting and trying to start it and it finally lights are bright and truck starts like nothing was wrong. Weirdest thing. Been monitoring the battery with a meter and there is a slow drain. Going to call the dealer. Hope they find it. Bought a new truck so I don't get stranded Huh!!

in hell is ford going to clear up the dead battery problem for us ,THIS WILL BE MY LAST [LEMON] truck ,joe m.