Hi & Batter Question

kwrhodes · 06-08-2009, 09:52 PM

Hi, New to the forum and relatively new to Fords. We purchased our '08 Escape (non-Hybrid) near the end of '07 and have really enjoyed the experience. My wife uses it for local business travel and especially likes the size. It's big enough to carry her equipment and behaves like a truck, but small enough easily fit into city traffic and it gets very good gas mileage on the freeway.

So far it has given us nearly uninterrupted service (>40,000 miles) with only routine maintenance. There was an issue with transmission and engine gaskets that needed replacement, but this was handled under the extended warranty and without hassle by our dealer.

One question has come up though, in the past few weeks we've started to get a dead battery after running the auxiliaries (radio/stereo) for only 15 to 20 minutes with out the engine running. The dealer said that the battery is fine and that we just need to start the engine every 15 minutes. This seems a little out of the ordinary to me. I would expect the battery to stay charged for much longer with just the radio running. Is this something specific to this model and year? Thanks!

kickapebble · 06-08-2009, 09:58 PM

Hello and welcome.
This issues does seem a little odd. I have ran batteries with the radio on all night (on accident) with no problems restarting afterward. It kinda sounds like the dealer is trying to get you to temporary fix a problem so that they do not need to fix it under your warranty. (only speculation) I know that there are some goood dealers out there. My best guess would be maybe your alternator, I believe you can bring it into local parts houses (Napa, Schucks...) and they will test it for free. I believe there is an easier way to test this than just removing the alternator completely, so hopefully someone who knows will chime in. Either way, I encourage you to not give up on your posts as sometimes the smart ones take a few days off. Good luck

kwrhodes · 06-08-2009, 10:35 PM

Thanks for the quick reply kickapebble and the comment regarding free battery checks. We have a parts store a couple of blocks away, I'll check into that.

...I was a little hesitant to post a "newbie" on the forum introduction along with a question about a problem first thing as that can be a bit off-putting to the forum heavyweights. Thanks for helping to break the ice on that too.

kickapebble · 06-08-2009, 10:54 PM

No problem with posting a question first. Most people don't even consider a forum untill they need help. Here, the help is free, the advise is free, and chances are that someone has got first hand experiance in what you are dealning with. Just keep the questions to a low as after 2 a month, there will be a $4.99 charge for every additional question.

NOTT! I do ask that when you have an update or get the problem resolved, you give a quick note on your post which indicates that the problem is solved.

ElectrolysisDoc · 06-09-2009, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwrhodes

....One question has come up though, in the past few weeks we've started to get a dead battery after running the auxiliaries (radio/stereo) for only 15 to 20 minutes with out the engine running. The dealer said that the battery is fine and that we just need to start the engine every 15 minutes. This seems a little out of the ordinary to me. I would expect the battery to stay charged for much longer with just the radio running. Is this something specific to this model and year? Thanks!

I agree that something is amiss. Seems like 1-2 hours of radio is an expected "norm". Perhaps doors are open? If so then lights might be on? Are we sure that things like blower fan are not running? Any other accessories like inverters running? I do agree with kickapebble about getting the battery checked out.

Oh yeah, Welcome to the Forum!

JFUSION21 · 06-09-2009, 05:15 PM

I also agree with the comments. I would suspect the battery. The alternator should be okay as it would light up the warning light as soon as it's output decreases - that happened when my alternator crapped out on my 06. Get the battery tested at a parts outlet and see what they say, I think it is starting to go on you and you likely won't know until it completely dies at some point in the future on a cold day.

kwrhodes · 06-09-2009, 08:36 PM

Thanks all for the great reception. your ideas, and comments. I've found a shop that will test everything for free. Should have the results in a few days and will post a follow-up.

mark v · 06-09-2009, 10:55 PM

Yes have them do a "Load Test" on the battery. What the test does is put a big load on the battery to see how it responds and reacts.

Sounds like they just did a volt test and it was reading normal. You can do this with a weak battery and get positive results where it will pass but under a load and it will fail.

theoldwizard · 06-10-2009, 03:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark v

Yes have them do a "Load Test" on the battery. What the test does is put a big load on the battery to see how it responds and reacts.

You can do your own load test pretty easily.

With the vehicle turned off, check the voltage at the battery.

Turn the headlights on and wait about 15 minutes.

Check the voltage at the battery. If is now below 11.5V, you have a bad battery.

kwrhodes · 06-10-2009, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark v

Yes have them do a "Load Test" on the battery. What the test does is put a big load on the battery to see how it responds and reacts.

Sounds like they just did a volt test and it was reading normal. You can do this with a weak battery and get positive results where it will pass but under a load and it will fail.

I did not know to ask for this mark v, thanks for the info!