2005 Mustang Dead Battery Problem??

gp001 · Jan 21, 2007

red05bullitgt said:
I know that your not trying to start an argument GP ? and I feel your frustration believe me.. I was going through it for almost a year and took my car to 3 different dealerships who tested everything from the shaker 500 Amp, to the active alarm and every fuse in the engine bay and the only conclusion the field service engineer was able to pinpoint to was the K.A.M ? does this mean that I'm satisfied ?? hell no I'm not and I still don't understand why I have to keep my Stang Plugged into an automatic tender charger in order to prevent their crappy Motorcraft batteries from going dead from sitting anywhere from just 7-10 days as it still doesn't make any sense to me at all..As for why the K.A.M doesn't drain all the S-197 Stangs ? I honestly don't know and if I did ? you would be the very first to know about it but I can tell you that I've noticed quite a few members not only from this forum but also from other Mustang forums, who've complained their batteries have also gone completely dead in the very same 7-10 day period as mine has and it seems very strange when you end up finding out how so many hundreds of other S-197 owners would complain about the very same problem as you have to the point where something like this has to be far more than just a coincidence wouldn't you think ? Now let me ask you this ? what is the longest period you've let your Stang sit since you replaced your Motorcraft battery with your Optima ? and have you experienced any further battery failures since ? anyway when you get a chance could you let me know because I'm extremely very interested and curious...

Longest sit time so far with the Optima is 6 days. I have not turned off any of the accessories before shutdown and I have not experienced any issues.

red05bullitgt · Jan 21, 2007

gp001 said:
Longest sit time so far with the Optima is 6 days. I have not turned off any of the accessories before shutdown and I have not experienced any issues.

Humm, that's very interesting indeed I wonder if you would let it sit for 14 days if it would still hold a full charge and if it does ? then there's no question the Motorcraft batteries are the only cause for the failures but if your willing to try this ? have all your accessories shut off just in case..

tr7driver · Jan 22, 2007

red05bullitgt said:
Is there anybody out there who lets their Stangs sit between 10-30 days without turning the car over who hasn't experienced a dead battery issue ??? IF any of you happen to be out there ? let us hear from you...

My 05 GT Vert with Shaker 500 stang sat for 16 days in December while I was in Canadia and it started right up when I got home, I drove it for the first 2 days in January and let it sit until today. It started right again this morning, (and the radio was left on, much to my surprise.)

It snowed yesterday, so I didn't drive it, I just wanted to see if it would start. I hope I didn't jynx it.

FWIW -- I have a Triumph with a kill switch on the battery and old style optical point ignition. I can turn the battery off for the winter and it never goes flat just sitting. Its such a cute little battery, too. I wonder what would happen if you used a $15 switch on a new stang, besides loosing the radio settings....

I'm itching for spring to get the boys out!

red05bullitgt · Jan 22, 2007

tr7driver said:
My 05 GT Vert with Shaker 500 stang sat for 16 days in December while I was in Canadia and it started right up when I got home, I drove it for the first 2 days in January and let it sit until today. It started right again this morning, (and the radio was left on, much to my surprise.)

It snowed yesterday, so I didn't drive it, I just wanted to see if it would start. I hope I didn't jynx it.

FWIW -- I have a Triumph with a kill switch on the battery and old style optical point ignition. I can turn the battery off for the winter and it never goes flat just sitting. Its such a cute little battery, too. I wonder what would happen if you used a $15 switch on a new stang, besides loosing the radio settings....

I'm itching for spring to get the boys out!

Here's my understanding from the field service engineer.. If the battery is fully charged ? it can go up to 30 days without running it before the K.A.M drains it but anything over 30 days ? is pushing it to the extreme..What I don't understand is how exactly do you know when it's considered as fully charged before allowing it sit

PDXStangDude · Feb 25, 2007

this just happened to me today... I'll try the keep the radio off trick first. I probably get a new battery asap.

hethj7 · Mar 4, 2007

I'm sick of all these little problems that keep popping up in my 06 GT. I'm working out of state right now, so my car sits for long periods at work (in the parking garage) while I am gone.

My car sat for 3-4 weeks and started up fine. Then, after sitting for just about a week, I came back into town this weekend and it was dead. If it were just the KAM, this problem should be more consistent. Perhaps the amps are more of an intermittent problem. I think a lot of us are frusrated and it may very well be a combo of problems.

One thing I do know is I shouldn't have to put a trickle charger on a brand new vehicle! If I keep experiencing the problem, my dealer is going to hear about it. I bought a new vehicle thinking it would be trouble free and I could just enjoy it, but at times is has been a real pita.

red05bullitgt · Mar 5, 2007

hethj7 said:
I'm sick of all these little problems that keep popping up in my 06 GT. I'm working out of state right now, so my car sits for long periods at work (in the parking garage) while I am gone.

My car sat for 3-4 weeks and started up fine. Then, after sitting for just about a week, I came back into town this weekend and it was dead. If it were just the KAM, this problem should be more consistent. Perhaps the amps are more of an intermittent problem. I think a lot of us are frusrated and it may very well be a combo of problems.

One thing I do know is I shouldn't have to put a trickle charger on a brand new vehicle! If I keep experiencing the problem, my dealer is going to hear about it. I bought a new vehicle thinking it would be trouble free and I could just enjoy it, but at times is has been a real pita.

HethJ7, as for the KAM not being consistent ? you need to realize that if your battery is fully charged ? it can sit up to 4 weeks before the KAM drains it..However, if the car did not run for very long after it sat during those 4 weeks ? then YES chances are it will be dead if you let it sit for another week, because if you leave the car sit more than you run it your not running the RPM's high enough in order for the alternator to keep your battery fully charged, in fact it's even worse to let your car sit in your garage and run it for 15-20 min. at idle for that very reason..Believe me I know none of this makes any sense, I went through it myself for over a year and fought it out with 3 different dealerships until the last one finally had a field service engineer brought in from Detroit to run his own diagnostic check on the electrical system during a two week period in which both the amps and voltage readings were within normal specs and when I asked the very same questions your asking right now.. that was the both the answer and explanation I got and all I can say is..since I've been using a battery tender ? I haven't experienced any further battery problems..

CAPD06 · Oct 16, 2007

My girlfriend just had to replace the shaker 500 radio in her car. Same dead battery issue, the unit would try to play when the car was off, skip with cds, had poor quality sound and would jam. After 4 replacements and much frustration with the dealership, the problem was solved with the installation of an alpine. The car was a 2006 model v6, although it has only been a few weeks there has been no more problems with the car. I wouldn't hold my breath for the dealer to find a problem, there were many promises that were never delivered including one of having a ford electrical engineer inspect the car. Insult was further added when customer service used a series of excuses to try and discount the problem. For a stereo with no problems there seems to be a large market on ebay for second hand units. I suspect the problem is more related to Ford's cost effective engineering approach then it is anything else. I am familure with the money saving design software Ford is using and I believe that the company trys to provide a high quality product in a competitive market. However failure to recognise a problem and provide a solution for the product is reflecting negatively on the old and trusted marques reputation with future generations of potential customers.

Jenns01TA · Oct 16, 2007

I always like seeing new members using the search function for topics and then replying - THANK YOU. Good subject to bring back up.

Many owners with the Shaker systems have found them to be a PITA; however, some have not had a problem at all. One interesting item to note is the OFF button on the radio does wonders.

The amplifiers continue to run an open loop after the vehicle is shut off; however, when the stereo is shut off instead of using the accessory delay to regulate the relay series the issue with the battery drain is negligible. So draw is reduced. It does not make the issue go away, but parasitic draw is reduced to a manageable level until an aftermarket unit can be installed. lol Unfortunately, most have found this to be the only viable solution to the issue, as you have noted.

You are correct that Ford is hard pressed to cough up a true issue with the Shaker system wiring and relay systems. In the grand scheme however a radio is not so bad. I sit with a beautiful engine that used net build production and has piston slap. So, rest assured knowing that replacing a head unit is far cheaper than rebuilding an engine. (I still love my LS1 even with the slappy-slap. hahaha)

crowbar47032 · Oct 17, 2007

My 06 GT with the Shaker 1000 had the same problem. If the car sat for more than a couple of days the battery would be dead. I even tried turning off the radio like some have suggested, but that didn't work either. BUT I DID GET IT FIXED, it took 4 trips to the dealer. First trip resulted in a replaced battery, didn't work. Second trip a "predatory draw" was discovered. Dealer removed the fuse to the rear amps and sent me home to "test" the theory of the amps being the problem. Car sat for three weeks, and started right up. Third trip, dealer removed the rear amps and had them "rebuilt" by a sub-contractor radio store shop. It took a week to get them back. Fourth trip dealer re-installed the amps and fuses and everything works perfectly now. The car can set for weeks and has never failed to start in over a year. If you're in the Cincinnati OH area, I recommend Colerain Ford. They were very willing to work with me on the issue, even provided a courtesy car and numerous follow-up calls to make sure the fix worked. I hope this helps someone, as I've gotten a lot of information off of this board that has helped me.

stang8urimport · Oct 17, 2007

Another tip.... When I worked for a ford dealer as a tech, I was instructed to take off the "blanket" around the battery when replacing. Something about they shortened the life of the battery. Dunno if that's true, but I've done it with my cars and never had a problem.

Nick

bigcat · Oct 17, 2007

PoopDawg said:
Another tip.... When I worked for a ford dealer as a tech, I was instructed to take off the "blanket" around the battery when replacing. Something about they shortened the life of the battery. Dunno if that's true, but I've done it with my cars and never had a problem.

Nick

i had a dead battery 3 times in 3 weeks. that was about 2 years ago. i never took it in to the dealer. for what ever reason, i have not had the problem since. i never turn off the radio or do anything special. i also still have the blanket on the battery. its almost 3 years of ownership now. i dont imagine the blanket has much of an effect. i wonder how ford decided this was an issue, and HOW could the blanket possibly shorten battery life? thats a puzzle to me. im not saying what you posted is incorrect, just saying i dont see the connection between the two, or how ford came to that conclusion.

Jenns01TA · Oct 17, 2007

Interesting on the insulation blanket, Dawg. I can only think it was made of a material which would cause more heat retention and damage to the battery than prevent radiant heat damage to the cells. There are appropriate materials and there are inappropriate materials to use for battery blanket shrouding: I guess Ford used inappropriate material in some cases.

Most well made battery blankets perform three key functions and are installed to dampen vibration, absorb and neutralize leaking acids, prevent radiant heat damage to the cells/battery.

red05bullitgt · Oct 17, 2007

The batteries are not the problem ! it's the microprocessors/computer modules that are responsible for draining them. Meanwhile the alternator requires at least 1500 RPM's or more, and up to 2 hours of driving, in order to fully restore a deeply discharged battery. According to the latest TSB..a fully charged battery can last up to 30 days or longer.. However if the vehicle has only been driven for short distances, running only at idle while in storage, and or sitting for more than 7-10 day periods ! this will not be enough to prevent batteries from becoming deeply discharged, thus shortening battery life. That being said, the only solution for those who neither run their vehicles very often, due from lack of use, and aren't driven long enough. Are recommended to run battery tenders/trickle chargers, in order to maintain fully charged batteries..

Kilmar · Oct 18, 2007

I had the same problem with my car. I drive it on the weekends mostly and take the subway to work. My battery kept dying so much, I bought a battery jumper and kept it in the trunk just in case.

I lost power at least 5 times before I read about the Shaker issue. Now, I always make sure to turn off the Shaker before turning off the car. It's been more than a year since I've last lost power.

Jenns01TA · Oct 18, 2007

Kilmar said:
I had the same problem with my car. I drive it on the weekends mostly and take the subway to work. My battery kept dying so much, I bought a battery jumper and kept it in the trunk just in case.

I lost power at least 5 times before I read about the Shaker issue. Now, I always make sure to turn off the Shaker before turning off the car. It's been more than a year since I've last lost power.

THANK YOU for once again confirming that OFF buttons work wonders.

CAPD06 · Oct 19, 2007

Dually noted on the operating procedure of the OFF button, however why would power still be reaching the stereo or speaker system when the key was removed from the ignition and the radio was turned off before doing so? If current were being drawn from the battery via the speakers and only the shaker 500 how is it that it would take a matter of hours to drain a battery to level insufficient to crank? One of the suggested possibilities that the dealership proposed was that the radio also controlled other functions, I've never heard of a company doing this before and it seemed unlikely, does anyone have any ideas about that? Just curious, I've never seen this problem in any other vehicle before and although the problem has gone it still bugs me as to what caused it in the first place. Perhaps it being an early model the radio it wasn't completely suitable and that wasn't clear until long after the fact. Thank-you for the response.

red05bullitgt · Oct 19, 2007

This may answer you're question.. The Shaker's memory/clock remains on (while the battery is connected and the radio itself is off). It then cycles through the CD's to figure out which CD bays are filled. When your battery is running low, your Shaker's head unit will then lose power, and turn on by itself repeatedly, because it's not receiving enough voltage. It will then continue cycling through the CD bays, until your battery is COMPLETELY drained. Therefore don't let your battery get low, otherwise the Shaker's CD changer will completely drain the battery once it becomes discharged low enough..That being said ! the radio/head unit does control other functions, such as memory, the clock, subwoofer amps, and the CD changer. However it would take much longer than just a couple of hours, even for the Shaker 500/1000 to completely drain a fully charged battery..

SCJSTU · May 26, 2009

dead battery

great thread....just got my 2006 Gt back in Feb and its sits for weeks at a time and just went thru the dead battery deal..........left an aftermarket amp on( it has a separate off switch) and left the radio on so we will see...

fastrek82 · Dec 18, 2010

Ok... went thru 3 batteries!! Just noticed this, my passenger window will not seal up when I close the door about 1/2 from top... can this be my draining problem? Very frustrated! Thanks!

2005 Mustang Dead Battery Problem??

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