battery draining

[pulsar_nx]

I've got a 09 ford escape that can't hold a charge. Ford garage checked it out and couldn't locate the problem so i've got all weekend to look myself.

Removing the ground and checking the pow to gnd resistance I'm getting almost 400 ohms which should equal about 0.03 amps draw from the battery. Does this seem to be more than normal for an average car? And what should I expect for an approximate resistance on a good system? I would assume something in the K ohms.

[delcecchi]

I've got a 09 ford escape that can't hold a charge. Ford garage checked it out and couldn't locate the problem so i've got all weekend to look myself.

Removing the ground and checking the pow to gnd resistance I'm getting almost 400 ohms which should equal about 0.03 amps draw from the battery. Does this seem to be more than normal for an average car? And what should I expect for an approximate resistance on a good system? I would assume something in the K ohms.

Sounds like not a short to ground but something that is supposed to be off is staying on and continuing to draw electricity. Here is something I would try, it is easy and cheap. Might not work but whatever. Park the car somewhere really dark, like inside the garage with all the lights off and see if there are any light coming from somewhere, like under the hood. If it is really dark you should be able to tell.

If it isn't a light staying on when supposed to be off, you need one of the real mechanics to come up with something. (You did get the battery checked, right?) (and try putting your meter, set to current, between the negative terminal and the ground cable and see if there is a current draw)

If the battery is good and there is a draw, I think you get to start pulling fuses to isolate the problem.

[Jeremy airjer W]

I've never heard of anyone measuring resistance to find a draw. Why not just measure the current the draw is pulling. A multi meter with an amp setting hooked in series in between the battery and the battery cable will tell you what's up in about 30 - 45 minutes. The amount of time everything needs to power down (some cars more some cars less). After an hour if you see more than .050 amps you have a draw. Anything less than .050 is fine. If your math is correct there is no draw.

Try unhooking the battery overnight, or the amount t of time it takes for the battery to go dead. Then hook up the battery and see if the car starts. If it doesn't than the battery is bad. It is rare but the battery can be internally shorted and draw itself down. I have run into 2 or 3 over the years. J

[fishing tech]

Do you use your rear wiper? If so or if it doesn't work or doesn't park could be the cause of your draw if you have one. Very common on the Expeditions, haven't seen a lot on Escapes but possible.

[jmd1]

with cold engine see if alternator is warm. if so it is leaking current and makes your draw. Also check the glove box light, dome light. If there are two bulbs in dome light one is out it might cause an issue. We had a crown vic that did the same thing i think it was the dome light. good luck gremlins stink.

[pulsar_nx]

I think that the instrument cluster is bad. Pulling the fuse causes the current to drop the most. This makes sense to me because the LCD isn't going to run on 12v thus wouldn't effect the 12v resistance to ground to much. We'll see if the real mechanics agree with me in round 2 of troubleshooting. BTW thanks airjer you were very helpful.

[Jeremy airjer W]

I would be careful condemning the instrument cluster until you take a good look at the power distribution wiring diagrams. It is entirely possible that fuse is protecting more than what you think. Making sure to eliminate all the possibilities on a circuit would be a better route than possible just replacing the cluster.

[jmd1]

Did you pull the memory fuse for the radio? Could be the draw if it is leaking thru. quick check. good luck

[pulsar_nx]

Turns out that by the time I got it to the garage it was for the most part fixed. They think that the escape also has the design flaw of the rear wiper draining the battery when it's frozen to the glass and not freed after turning it on. The wiper unit was damaged and causing spikes in current. So far it's holding a charge.

[fishing tech]

Do you use your rear wiper? If so or if it doesn't work or doesn't park could be the cause of your draw if you have one. Very common on the Expeditions, haven't seen a lot on Escapes but possible.

Hmm, you mean this?

[Fowlmouth]

Do you use your rear wiper? If so or if it doesn't work or doesn't park could be the cause of your draw if you have one. Very common on the Expeditions, haven't seen a lot on Escapes but possible.

My brother had this problem on his escape, the rear wiper was froze up causing it to not seat properly and would drain the battery.