Battery drain

[johnnytb32]

Has anyone experienced a problem with battery discharge? Dealer said battery tests OK but have had to jump-start twice in the past month,Dealer suggest installing a kill-switch to disconnect battery after driving.Said some programs maystill be running after ignition is off which may be draining battery.

[wcoates]

Has anyone experienced a problem with battery discharge? Dealer said battery tests OK but have had to jump-start twice in the past month,Dealer suggest installing a kill-switch to disconnect battery after driving.Said some programs maystill be running after ignition is off which may be draining battery.

john, how long does car sit idle between starts?

[couture]

I put Battery Tender on mine as it sits for a while ( 2-3 weeks at a time ) and does seem to have a great deal of parasite drainage.

[Sealy]

You have the hard top on? I seem to recall something about checking the plug in for the rear defroster and making sure it is turned off. Someone with a better memory may have to clarify.

[carntz]

If it has a modern radio I have heard it could cause a drain. I bought my 07 Mustang brand new and if the radio was not physically turned off it drained the battery. (Side Note The retro replaced the Mustang)

[Brad]

You have the hard top on? I seem to recall something about checking the plug in for the rear defroster and making sure it is turned off. Someone with a better memory may have to clarify.

The rear defroster on the hardtop has to be manually turned off after use, it csn stay on even though light is off and car is off, i had this issue on a 2003

[Quickdraw]

Agree that the hardtop is the culprit... The only time it happened to me was with the hardtop on. Hasn't happened in 14 years since the hardtop has been off. Now if you don't have the hardtop on obviously it's something else causing the battery drain.

[lfk_tbird]

I heard that leaving the headlights on auto, drains the battery. Also, check to make sure the light switch at the rear view mirror is not malfunctioning. Hope this helps.

[Rondor]

In my case the trunk lid was barely cracked open which allowed lite to be on. apparently it was popped by key fob while in my pocket.

[5bird7]

and don't forget to check the position of the interior light dimmer switch. If left in it's highest position, can cause a drain on the battery. This was/is the problem on our 02. With the list above, that comes to at least 5 possibilities for battery drain.

[couture]

All the more reason to use a Battery Tender. I also use one on my 2 hot rods, my boat and airplane.

[Jimr]

That dealer should have been able to tell exactly how much current if any was draining the battery. All they had to do was put an ammeter between the battery and the battery lead.
Sounds to me like that dealer was being either lazy or incompetent.

[steelblue5505]

There are many circuits in the Retro that are electrically HOT at all times. There are about 35 fuses that are labeled HOT all the time, at the ready to provide a power source to a function whether the ignition is on or off.

The places to begin looking for shorts are the places or functions that are usable that do not require the key to be on such as; the power mirrors, the power seats, the telescoping steering wheel, the power door locks, interior lights and the remote keyless entry.

A lot can be eliminated by removing one by one the 4 large relays found in the battery junction box. They are SSP1-4. These Switched System Power Relays are HOT at all times & each provides power to a separate part of the car. By removing just one and waiting overnight to see if battery power is lost would tell you a lot about what area of the car to look deeper for a battery draining problem.

[Brad]

In my case the trunk lid was barely cracked open which allowed lite to be on. apparently it was popped by key fob while in my pocket.

The trunk light has an auto-shutoff after about 5 or so minutes

[Quickdraw]

The trunk light has an auto-shutoff after about 5 or so minutes

The problem is when the auto-shutoff doesnt work. In my case I think it was the rear hardtop window heater that failed to shut off.

Brad, did you see that red tbird for $2,800? You could give it to the kids for Christmas.