Crazy electrical problems, message center beeps, guages max out, loss of steering,etc

[Torx]

2003 LS, v8, 113k miles

The other night my car went frantic, dashboard cluster went black and came back on, guages maxed out then returned to normal. It did this a couple times until i got home.
Message center went frantic with various errors, parking brake, fuel sensor, some other crap.
Turn signal flashers were flashing very slow, VERY slow, and not consistant.
Got home, and woke up today with dead battery.

I've had message center problems in the past and woke up with a dead battery. Dunno what could be draining the battery.
I know my dccv needs replacing so i pulled the fuse just in case. Pulled the fuse to the parking brake tonight as well.

Was able to drive home from work because i disconnected the battery before going into work. Im sure if i left it connected it'd be dead.
So i drive home, get home, pull along curb and i can feel the steering wheel tighten up like its hard to turn, and turn my lights switch to OFF, but they stayed on! Dash went out, guages reset again, message center beeping.. I just said fu this, took battery out and now its charging on 12v/2amp charger.

Anyone got any ideas? I really wanna turn the message center off completely like disconnect or pull the fuse.
Any modules i need to inspect for water?


Battery is 3 years old, motorcraft max battery.
Alternator i think is stock.
Coils replaced about 4 years ago, can check later for oil seepage.
The parking brake module i know needs replacing, i never use it would rather just disconnect or keep fuse out.
Any fuses or relays i should inspect?

After egr, and tranny not going into gears through the winter, here it is super hot out and the car is falling apart in other ways too.
Thanks for any help!

 

[RigsLS]

Despite a somewhat new OEM battery, I'd still be looking in that direction given the description of issues. Verify the ground to chassis. Reseat the Mega fuse in the trunk. Check the Rear Electronics Module.

Very humid out right now where you are at?

 

[joegr]

Alternator.

 

[02LincLS]

^ agreed. Bad alt will kill a new battery in short order.

 

[G-RELL]

Both

 

[RigsLS]

They often recommend replacing both the alternator and battery at the same time (on LVC here at least), however I've dropped a total of three brand new OEM batteries in LS'es and never had a need to replace a single alternator. Not that I don't believe or heed the warnings, just one never took out the other. Still original alternators on OEM vented replacement batteries.

As with anything, hit or miss, others may have less or more luck ... such is life.

 

[joegr]

The original alternator is still going on my 04 at about 200K miles. The one in my 06 (at about 150K miles) had to be replaced some time ago. Your mileage will vary. Anyway, his symptoms of losing power while the engine is running are very consistent (almost classic symptoms) with a failing alternator.

He could confirm with a voltmeter connected while he is driving. Voltage with the engine running should be about 14.0 to 14.2 volts. Anything less than 13.8 or more than 14.8 volts is a problem. However, systems probably won't start failing until it is less than 11.5 volts. (Any car battery at less then 12.6 volts is somewhat discharged already.) Allowing the battery to go below 10.0 volts (standing) will probably damage it.

 

[RigsLS]

... (Any car battery at less then 12.6 volts is somewhat discharged already.) ...

This points clearly to my issue of a bank of 4 deep cycle batteries on my Pete to run the APU and inverter taking a crap on the return trip home last week. Charges at the control readout at 13.8 while idling but as soon as I plug the coffee maker ... it pulls around 940W while percolating, or toaster in ... ERR BATT LOW. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeepppppppp, shut down.

Continues to run my fridge, TV and APU AC or Heating but the larger pulling white appliances it no likey.

2016 model, one CDN winter and bank battery connections already look corroded. Crazy!

It'd need another visit to the dealership I'm sure. Fn thing! (warranty)




Had to jump from Timmie's to Timmies on the last half on the way home.

BigRig w/o coffee = BAD NEWS FOR ANYONE running UP FRONT.

 

[Torx]

While running its measureing 14.4-14.5 on the posts, with lights on about 14.3-14.4

once i turn the car off the battery voltage starts dropping by itself almost .1 per 5 seconds.
woke up with the batt dead again its at 8.6v so i know its shot. Got it on the charger again because i need to get to work in an hour.

I started to just disconnect the battery just in case the batt is damaged or theres a short somewhere.

 

[gaylemike]

In the past two weeks almost the exact thing happened to my '05 LS........replaced the alternator and the battery checked good, two days later the battery went dead, charged it up, took it to Advance where I bought it 3yrs7months ago, it had a dead cell in it.......probably caused by the alternator going crazy. Only thing I didn't like was the 7 year battery warranty got me a new battery for half price but there are no more prorated batteries in my town as I had Advance call 5 other stores. Good luck with your problem.

 

[cammerfe]

I had the same sort of symptoms when my '02 was five years old. The only place that had an alternator was Auto Zone (Saturday afternoon) so I got one and also bought a new Optima battery. That alternator lasted about a month and a half but they gave me another under warranty.

About every six months for a while I'd have to put in a new warranty'd alternator. And along with the 4th one---I think---I also installed a voltmeter. But since about 2011 or so the gauge has always held steady at 14.2-14.4 volts so I suppose I finally got a good one. And I'm REALLY good at swapping alternators---even in the dark, in the dirt, with a flashlight in the pits at an ECTA race. (I set the record the next day)

KS