Dead Battery - Stock Radio to Blame?

Went on vacation last week for five days, came back and the car (05 mustang GT) was dead. Deader than dead. So yesterday, I tried to jump it for about 30 minutes, no luck. Ended up just push starting the damn thing. It ran like crap for 10 minutes, then everything powered up, and I let it run for about 30 minutes. Turned it off, and started it a few times just to make sure.

So...fast forward to this morning, I try to go start it, and it won't start. The battery still has some charge on it though, but not enough to start the car. I'm going back offshore tonight, and it will most certainly be dead by the time I get back next week.

However, I think I know the issue. Yesterday and today, I sat in the car and noticed that the six-CD changer sounds like it's rotating trays. I removed all the CDs yesterday, that didn't help...it's still making all sorts of noise today with the key out of the ignition, and the door open.

Has anyone else experienced this issue? I'd hate to take it to the shop if it's just something simple.
 
  • Sponsors (?)


Same thing happened to me. I think at the very least, the security system (and other systems) is always active to a certain extent and if the battery is a little old or weak, it doesn't take much to knock the rest of the way down. I also now have a battery tender that I connect when I'm not going to be driving the car for a week or so and have not had any battery issue since.
 
My battery kept going dead 2 years ago. Radio would be weird with car off, so the shop replaced my radio. Didn't fix it. They dug deeper and found a short in the SJB (smart junction box) which is where a lot of different electrical circuits cross paths and intersect. Replaced the SJB and it's been perfect ever since.
 
My 08GT was doing that also, I started turning my radio off before turning the car off and my battery hasn't gone dead since.