The "Space GhoST" has lost its powers....

[Dale5403]

A fully charged battery should test about 12.6V. It should have been fully charged as it was when I started and drove 45 minutes at mostly highway speeds. No stops at all. So it lost charge while the vehicle was putting out 15V

 

[st8]

A fully charged battery should test about 12.6V. It should have been fully charged as it was when I started and drove 45 minutes at mostly highway speeds. No stops at all. So it lost charge while the vehicle was putting out 15V

Oh okay good to know. I will have to check mine.

 

[st8]

Well after having the Battery-Minder on for a day and half I removed to check some things. Here is what I found.

Battery Voltage 12.95V A little high
Vehicle running Voltage 15V Again a bit high
After driving for about 45 minutes still A/S not working.
But here the message I get. Engine on due to vehicle charging.
After stopping checked voltage again.
Vehicle running. 15V still a bit high.
Vehicle off 12.2 Dropped .75 Volt.
So looking at how much the voltage dropped after driving my first guess is the battery is on the way out.
Plan to call my service advisor to see what he says.
Hoping he agrees as I'm down to 2 months of 3/36 warranty.

View attachment 15536

Any updates on? I just got a deep sleep message today. Thinking this confirms my battery is on its way out. I’d rather get this addressed before it completely dies. Is the battery supposed to be covered under the main warranty?

 

[Dale5403]

Any updates on? I just got a deep sleep message today. Thinking this confirms my battery is on its way out. I’d rather get this addressed before it completely dies. Is the battery supposed to be covered under the main warranty?

When I took it in for service the battery passed. So I was wrong I guess.

Funny part is the Auto S/S starting working just before I took it in. And has been working ever since.
All I can think of is after a couple days with my Battery-Minder on it woke the battery up.

 

[st8]

When I took it in for service the battery passed. So I was wrong I guess.

Funny part is the Auto S/S starting working just before I took it in. And has been working ever since.
All I can think of is after a couple days with my Battery-Minder on it woke the battery up.

Just tested my battery after sitting all day today and yesterday. 12.1 volts.

 

[Dale5403]

Just tested my battery after sitting all day today and yesterday. 12.1 volts.

That is on the low side for sure.

 

[st8]

That is on the low side for sure.

Yeah from what I’m reading, that puts it at about 50% charged. I will call them tomorrow but I also disabled the park secure feature on my garmin dash cam. See if that helps at all.

 

[Big Turk]

Yeah from what I’m reading, that puts it at about 50% charged. I will call them tomorrow but I also disabled the park secure feature on my garmin dash cam. See if that helps at all.

If you have recently unlocked or opened the door etc., there would be an immediate draw on the battery and make it appear lower than it really is. I would leave the hood open and recheck the voltage about an hour after you unlock or open the hood. There are so many things that click on my ST when I walk by with the key fob, it must draw on the battery for a little while until they turn back off. Just a thought. 12.8 or 12.9 would be fully charged. 12.1 is pretty low.

 

[st8]

If you have recently unlocked or opened the door etc., there would be an immediate draw on the battery and make it appear lower than it really is. I would leave the hood open and recheck the voltage about an hour after you unlock or open the hood. There are so many things that click on my ST when I walk by with the key fob, it must draw on the battery for a little while until they turn back off. Just a thought. 12.8 or 12.9 would be fully charged. 12.1 is pretty low.

I waited close to an hour and it read 12.42. I will have to keep an eye on it.

 

[TMac]

Here's my sad update. The new battery they put in worked for 10 days. I went out to it Wednesday the 21st, and it was dead as a door nail again. Called service department to see if they would give me a jump, since if you read the original post, I was more than a bit leery to have another fly-by-night wrecker service tow it again. I kept being put through to the service manager's voicemail and finally Friday the 23rd, another manager promised me I'd hear back by the close of business. Didn't happen. By then, with Christmas weekend in hand, I had to go to a rental.

Monday the 26th, I finally got a service arrangement for Wednesday the 28th, they sent the utility guy by to jump it. I managed to limp it into Ford at 8:30 in the am, with nearly every alert cycling through the dash. Finally heard back from them at closing time Friday the 30th- they had just got it into the bay and there was definitely a current draw coming from somewhere. No loaners were available so I had to extend the rental....again.

I'm not sure how I managed nearly 3 years of service with no service problems, only to have this happen. As I stated earlier, I understand it's the Holidays, and it's not personal, but I was not happy that the service department couldn't at least contact me when I leave a voicemail. It's a sign of the times I guess, the service manager told me he could use 30 more techs, but can't find them to hire them.

 

[Dale5403]

Here's my sad update. The new battery they put in worked for 10 days. I went out to it Wednesday the 21st, and it was dead as a door nail again. Called service department to see if they would give me a jump, since if you read the original post, I was more than a bit leery to have another fly-by-night wrecker service tow it again. I kept being put through to the service manager's voicemail and finally Friday the 23rd, another manager promised me I'd hear back by the close of business. Didn't happen. By then, with Christmas weekend in hand, I had to go to a rental.

Monday the 26th, I finally got a service arrangement for Wednesday the 28th, they sent the utility guy by to jump it. I managed to limp it into Ford at 8:30 in the am, with nearly every alert cycling through the dash. Finally heard back from them at closing time Friday the 30th- they had just got it into the bay and there was definitely a current draw coming from somewhere. No loaners were available so I had to extend the rental....again.

I'm not sure how I managed nearly 3 years of service with no service problems, only to have this happen. As I stated earlier, I understand it's the Holidays, and it's not personal, but I was not happy that the service department couldn't at least contact me when I leave a voicemail. It's a sign of the times I guess, the service manager told me he could use 30 more techs, but can't find them to hire them.

Well that really sucks. Hope they get it fixed sooner than later for you. Any chance you have an extended warranty that pays for the rental?

 

[Big Turk]

I bought my Father in Law a Noco GB40 for Christmas after he had a run down issue while hunting this October. It will boost most vehicles, including ones that do not even have a battery. I know it does not help now, but maybe next time. Fingers crossed there is no next time. Good luck.

 

[TMac]

Well that really sucks. Hope they get it fixed sooner than later for you. Any chance you have an extended warranty that pays for the rental?

I do not have an extended warranty. I'm still within the bumper-to-bumper timeframe. Service rep says they don't have to supply a loaner until "two days after the problem is diagnosed". I mean, if it takes two months to diagnose the problem, I suppose you're on your own 'til then?

He did say that they would try to back me up with Ford to get some compensation from Ford on the rental, but at this point, I'm not counting on anything.

I did have nearly 3 years of problem free operation, so I'm taking it in stride. S..t happens.

 

[Blown F-150]

I bought my Father in Law a Noco GB40 for Christmas after he had a run down issue while hunting this October. It will boost most vehicles, including ones that do not even have a battery. I know it does not help now, but maybe next time. Fingers crossed there is no next time. Good luck.

I haven't had to use them on our own vehicles yet, but carry a GB40 in the ST and a GB70 in the truck at all times. They have come in handy to boost others and sleds/quads after they have been sitting off season. I won't hook up booster cables to my vehicles anymore, so these are a great stand-in.

Best of luck @TMac that is not a fun situation at all.

 

[Big Turk]

As a slight aside, one of my employees had a dead battery after Christmas and it would not take a charge. I walked her through some tests and we eventually got her battery to take a charge after disconnecting the positive battery cable. I figured there must be some type of draw that was draining the battery. Eventually she discovered that a snowbrush (a device to clear your vehicle of snow deposits, for those in the southern US ) fell down between the passenger door and the power seat controls and was activating one of the motors. Guess this is not a protected circuit and it killed the battery. It seems that if two batteries go in a few weeks there must be something using the power up. Electrical gremlins can be so hard to find. Again good luck.

 

[dolsen]

As a slight aside, one of my employees had a dead battery after Christmas and it would not take a charge. I walked her through some tests and we eventually got her battery to take a charge after disconnecting the positive battery cable. I figured there must be some type of draw that was draining the battery. Eventually she discovered that a snowbrush (a device to clear your vehicle of snow deposits, for those in the southern US ) fell down between the passenger door and the power seat controls and was activating one of the motors. Guess this is not a protected circuit and it killed the battery. It seems that if two batteries go in a few weeks there must be something using the power up. Electrical gremlins can be so hard to find. Again good luck.

That's weird stuff, but it happens to the best of us

 

[sadeen]

I do not have an extended warranty. I'm still within the bumper-to-bumper timeframe. Service rep says they don't have to supply a loaner until "two days after the problem is diagnosed". I mean, if it takes two months to diagnose the problem, I suppose you're on your own 'til then?

He did say that they would try to back me up with Ford to get some compensation from Ford on the rental, but at this point, I'm not counting on anything.

I did have nearly 3 years of problem free operation, so I'm taking it in stride. S..t happens.

I had an 'extended stay' at the shop and they didn't have loaner. I called Ford Customer Care and long story short they opened a case, I sent the rental receipt and they sent me a prepaid card promptly. Might be worth a call, good luck!

 

[bluesnake01]

I do not have an extended warranty. I'm still within the bumper-to-bumper timeframe. Service rep says they don't have to supply a loaner until "two days after the problem is diagnosed". I mean, if it takes two months to diagnose the problem, I suppose you're on your own 'til then?

He did say that they would try to back me up with Ford to get some compensation from Ford on the rental, but at this point, I'm not counting on anything.

I did have nearly 3 years of problem free operation, so I'm taking it in stride. S..t happens.

Different dealers have different rules. One of my local dealers wont work on my Explorer unless I pay a $200 diagnostics fee. . Currently is still under the NEW CAR bumper to bumper warranty

Went to another dealer. no questions asked. They set me up with an appointment, car rental (free of charge) since they have no loaners currently.

I never understood why some dealers are shady. Thats one of the upsides in my experience with owning luxury cars, they get you going no questions asked. BMW and Cadillac have always been great to me on their new car warranties regardless of the dealer. Ford has been dealer dependent.

 

[st8]

Wow that’s crazy!

Tmac, hope you get it sorted out.

 

[TMac]

Well, I can pick up the ST tomorrow. After 10 days, they say there isn't a current draw after all, it was a bad battery. Of course they supposedly replaced the battery under warranty the first time. Why do I get the feeling they simply charged my old battery up, to get me out of the shop the first time? I wonder what the odds are of them putting in a new battery that worked flawlessly for a week, and then failed. Oh well, it only cost me $700 bucks in rental fees. I'll try to see if Ford Customer care will cover it.