LikeNew02 said:
so i am waiting to pick up my car now.
they said that they found a bad battery.
how does that battery go bad in 7 months?
why is it that when they checked the car for the same thing 2 months ago, they said the battery checked good(and took a wild guess on the ignition switch)? are these guys getting lazy?
If it is the battery then those ass clowns should know to follow this procedure. More than likely your radio is defective and continues to draw power. IIRC it is the radio tha commonly induced this problem
Battery Drain Diagnosis
Notes
In order to properly diagnose a battery drain concern, the following procedures must be followed exactly as stated to produce the most accurate results.
1. Ask the customer how long the vehicle must sit before the battery goes dead. The vehicle is equipped with a 750 Amp Hour battery from the factory. If the battery is in proper working order, it will be able to withstand a 1 Amp draw for 48 hours without dropping the battery voltage below 10.5V. This information may help determine the amount of current drain present. For example, if a vehicle with a fully charged battery will not start after an over night soak, it can be assumed the battery current drain is greater than 4 amps. This knowledge may aid in diagnosis.
2. Check for any Aftermarket equipment installed in the vehicle. Ask the customer if they removed any Aftermarket equipment before bringing vehicle in for service. All Aftermarket equipment remaining should be removed before proceeding with this test.
3. Ask the customer if any electrical component(s) is inoperative or malfunctioning. In many cases a draining battery concern can usually be traced back to a component that has experienced operational trouble.
4. Using an appropriate scan tool, check all available modules in the vehicle for both On-Demand and Continuous Memory Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs). Repair any On-Demand DTC's before continuing with this article. Record any Continuous Memory DTCs which may aid in future diagnosis.
5. Check that the vehicle battery is properly charged and that the charging system is operating correctly. Refer to Workshop Manual Section 414-00.
6. Install a quick disconnect style Battery Saver/Vehicle Anti-Theft Switch between the negative battery post and cable, such as Littlefuse part number ATD 100 BP or Moroso part number 74103.
7. Drive the vehicle for at least 20 minutes over 48 km/h (30 mph) to reach full engine operating temperature and to turn on and activate vehicle systems. Make sure all electrical components operate correctly. i.e. horn, audio system, exterior/interior lighting, climate control, etc.
8. Open the Left Front and Right Front door and engage the latches so the vehicle interior can be accessed with out disturbing the modules during this test.
9. Lift the hood and compress the Anti-Theft Hood Switch with a clamp (if equipped).
10. Open the trunk lid and unplug the electrical connection to the Luggage Compartment Lamp. Lift and secure the trunk floor panel hook to the trunk opening pinch weld. The Battery and the Rear Power Distribution Box are now easily accessible.
NOTE DO NOT ALLOW BATTERY POWER TO BE DISCONNECTED FROM THE VEHICLE AT ANY TIME DURING THIS TEST. IF BATTERY DISCONNECT OCCURS, THE ENTIRE TEST MUST BE PERFORMED AGAIN STARTING AT STEP 5.
11. Use a Multimeter (DVOM) with a MN/MAX feature to measure the battery current drain. The DVOM must be capable of reading DC milliamps (minimum 1mA) and have 10 amp - fused capacity.
12. Use the following procedure to measure current drain.
a. Turn on the DVOM and select DC AMPS.
b. Attach a large alligator clip on each side of the Battery Saver/Anti-Theft Switch Terminals.
c. Connect the DVOM in series by securing the leads to the alligator clips on the Battery Saver/Anti-Theft terminals.
d. Loosen the knob on the Battery Saver/Anti-Theft Switch to break the contact between the negative battery terminal and cable.
NOTE DO NOT USE A TEST LIGHT OR A VOLT METER AS A CHECK FOR EVIDENCE OF CURRENT FLOW. A TEST LIGHT WILL NOT ACCURATELY DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF CURRENT FLOW.
13. Wake the electrical system up by depressing the lock or unlock button on the key fob. Observe the reading on the DVOM. The current flow will "jump" momentarily then after 1-2 minutes settle to the level listed below (a). Actual readings may vary slightly depending on vehicle equipment, battery condition, ambient temperature and DVOM:
a. .85 amps (850mA) or less (Stand By Mode)
b. .035 amps (35mA) or less after 45 minutes minimum (Power Down Mode)
14. During Stand By Mode, current drain readings of 850mA or less indicate the vehicle is performing normally. However, the concern may be intermittent in nature. Set the MINIMAX feature on the DVOM and periodically check the meter for evidence of excessive current drain. The MIN/MAX feature will record the highest measured current reading.
15. An electrical system that is operating normally will power down to 35mA or less after 45 minutes minimum. However, it may not be necessary to wait for Power Down Mode to begin diagnosing the source of excessive battery current drain. For example: A current drain reading of 2.5 amps is observed during Stand By Mode. Knowing a normal system will measure 850mA current drain, we can estimate the suspect component is consuming 1.65 amps from the system.
16. With the Wiring Diagrams Manual and Owner's Guide easily accessible, begin to track the 1.65 amps excess drain by removing fuses one-at-a-time until the battery current drain drops to an acceptable level. Once the problem fuse is found, use the EVTM to guide you through the schematic identifying all potential components or circuits. The complexity of the vehicle makes it impossible to diagnose the source of current drain without the appropriate model year Wiring Diagrams Manual.
17. Start diagnosis in the Rear Power Distribution Box (RPDB) located in the trunk. Remove the smaller amperage mini-fuses, listed below by vehicle, one-at-a-time while checking the meter for~current drain drop. If current drain does not drop down to 850mA, leave the fuse out and move on to the next. Continue to remove mini-fuses until all are removed from the RPDB. If the current drain does drop to an acceptable level, proceed to step 20. If the current drain in unaffected, proceed to step 18.
a. Lincoln LS - Fuses 4.01 through 4.18
b. Thunderbird - Fuses 4.17 through 4.41
NOTE REMOVING AND REINSTALLING FUSES 2.20 (LS & THUNDERBIRD) & 4.14 (LS ONLY), DURING THE FOLLOWING TESTS WILL PROMPT THE SYSTEM TO "WAKE UP". THE CURRENT DRAIN ON THE METER WILL JUMP MOMENTARILY FOR 1-2 MINUTES THEN SLOWLY DECREASE TO PREVIOUSLY MEASURED LEVELS.
NOTE DO NOT REMOVE THE LARGE AMPERAGE CARTRIDGE FUSES OR ANY RELAYS FROM THE RPDB. BY DOING SO POWER WILL BE LOST TO MULTIPLE FUSES, RELAYS AND COMPONENTS ALL AT THE SAME TIME. THIS TEST IS ATTEMPTING TO LOCATE THE BATTERY CURRENT DRAIN AS CLOSE TO THE COMPONENT LEVEL AS POSSIBLE.
NOTE DO NOT REMOVE FUSES 4.23, 4.24, 4.27, 4.32 (LS) - 4.10, 4.15, 4.27, 4.28 (THUNDERBIRD) OR SSP RELAYS 1, 2, 3, 4 DURING STAND BY MODE. REMOVING THESE FUSES AND RELAYS WILL LESSEN BATTERY CURRENT DRAIN BECAUSE YOU HAVE REMOVED POWER TO THE REM & FEM DURING STAND BY MODE. DO NOT FALSELY DIAGNOSE A REM OR FEM PROBLEM AS A RESULT OF THIS ACTIVITY.
18. If the current drain is not discovered in the RPDB move to the Central Junction Box (CJB), located behind the Right Interior Kick Panel. Remove the mini-fuses one-at-a-time, 2.01 through 2.35, while checking the meter for current drain drop. If current drain does not drop down to 850mA, leave the fuse out and move on to the next. If the current drain does drop, proceed to Step 20.
19. If the current drain cannot be located in the RPDB or CJB, continue to the Auxiliary Junction Box (AJB) located in the engine compartment. All fuses in the AJB are Hot At All Times. Start by removing the mini-fuses 1.01 through 1.12. If current drain does not drop down to 850mA, leave the fuses out and move on to cartridge fuses 1.13 through 1.24. If current drain does not drop to 850mA, remove the relays from the AJB and check for current drain drop. If the current drain does drop, proceed to Step 20.
20. If the excess current drain is discovered when removing any of these fuses or relays, use the Wiring Diagrams Manual, Section 13, to determine the component and/or mini-fuses that are wired downstream in the circuit. Remove those mini-fuses or disable those components to help determine the root cause of the current drain. Use these findings to repair the vehicle as needed and repeat the process starting at Step 7 to verify the repair.
NOTE IF IT'S DETERMINED THAT A MODULE IS THE SOURCE OF THE CURRENT DRAIN, SELF TEST THE MODULE WITH A SCAN TOOL FOR CODES. ALSO CHECK THE MODULES AVAILABLE PIDS INDEX FOR POSSIBLE ERRANT INPUTS THAT MAY BE CAUSING THE MODULE TO OPERATE ABNORMALLY.
By following this procedure, we have eliminated all potential sources of current drain while not disturbing SSP relays 1 through 4 or power to the REM & FEM. Continue to Step 21.
21. Cycle the key fob unlock button several times to make certain the vehicle is "awake". Leave the vehicle unattended and observe the battery drain after 45 minutes minimum. The vehicle should have entered Power Down Mode by this time which drops the current drain to 35mA or less.
22. If the current drain is greater than 35mA, reach inside vehicle and turn on the Left Front Map Lamp (LS - button on the dome lamp assembly, Thunderbird - button on the rear view mirror). Does the lamp illuminate?
Yes - The FEM & REM are awake and the SSP relays are active. Continue to next section of this TSB.
No - The FEM & REM have Powered Down. Return to Step 4 and repeat diagnosis.
23. If the current drain is 35mA or less the vehicle is operating normally at this time. However, the concern may be intermittent in nature. Continue with the next section of this article.
Errant activity or a false "wake up" message present in the SCP Link will not allow the system to power down, or may wake up a system that has been Powered Down. This condition may be intermittent in nature.
