need help bad! can a bad battery cause this?

Night Shifter · Jan 11, 2013

Ok so i havnt driven my car for a month or so due to moving. The car sat for about a whole month at my parents house and drove fine when i parked it. The day i got the garage ready at my new house and went to pick up the car it had a hard time starting. It took a second to crank over, just like it would if your battery was going dead. I figured since it was cold and its sat a while that was the issue.

Once it started i let it idle for a second and drove it to the new house. It drove perfectly fine there with no issues at all. It was actually a pretty nice drive...

Last week i finally got a chance and decided to take the car out. Well it wouldnt start cause the battery had went dead. No big deal..

Today, i hooked the charger up to it and let it charge...first try it didnt start but on the second try it fired right up. I let it idle for a bit then got in to take it for a ride.. the second i put it in reverse the abs light kicked on and the car stalled.. when i turned the car back on every light came on and theft flashed for about 30 seconds.. all the lights went crazy..when i shut my head lights off all the dash lights shut off

so i backed the car out of the garage. when i did so, the gauge cluster went dead. all needles fell and nothing. put the car in neutral, lights flickered gauge cluster came back on. pulled the car forward and as i gave it gas it starting spitting and sputtering.

i backed the car all the way down my driveway and pulled it forward.. the more gas i gave it the less the car would run..its acting like its not getting any fuel

so can the battery be causing this? i checked the cops and they are fine...for some reason im getting a crazy show from my cluster and the car wont run for crap.. the gauge cluster and radio lights are all super dim.

the only other thing i can think of is the ecu going bad. i just dont understand what is happening because the car ran perfectly fine when i brought it home. im going to try to get the vids from my phone to load in a sec..

any ideas would be great.. i need this car running asap.. the battery is stamped with the date of feb 2009 so its old. hoping it is the issue...cant see any other reason why it would do this

Night Shifter · Jan 11, 2013

uploading video now

blacksheep-1 · Jan 11, 2013

Well, uhmmmmm low battery voltage can produce some pretty weird results, The old battery, the fact that the car set so long, combined with it receiving a large charge while you drove it to your house could have sent the battery over the edge. I was in Daytona last week and there was a major cold front that came through as well. I'd check all the connections and go for the battery.

Night Shifter · Jan 11, 2013

god i hope thats the case

here is the vid

wmburns trinity_gt id love for your input as well

thanks blacksheep-1, you made me feel a little better.. i did pull it out of the garage on the 16th of dec and it had a hard start as well.. i had it out of the garage for a bit, then put it back in...no issues then but the car was still starting at that time as well

joshjwc9 · Jan 11, 2013

The gauges sweeping are telling me it is the battery. The theft light is saying it could be the key. But, depending on the age of the battery I'd replace it first anyways.

trinity_gt · Jan 11, 2013

It looks like your system voltages are all over the map. The needle sweeps suggest the cluster, at least, is seeing zero-volts at times.

First thought that comes to mind is a fault in a major chassis ground connection, such as the main lead coming off the battery, at either end. Check for loose crimps, frayed wire, loose fasteners (battery and chassis ends...)

It may be that the battery is suffering internal failure: sulfation, broken supports leading to internal shorts etc.

You might try this: Remove the battery hold-down bolt. Power the car up by turning the ignition to 'on' but don't start it: Are the gauges, lights etc all stable? If so, try wiggling the battery leads. Try physically moving/shaking the battery; rap it with your hand as well as tilting it side to side a bit to induce some internal vibrations. If there's a fault you should be able to get the lights and cluster to do wacky things and identify the problem.

Night Shifter · Jan 11, 2013

Whats really puzzling me most is that when the car is in gear and i pull it forward, if i give it a lot of gas it acts like there is no fuel or spark and just sputters...i would assume this means the fuel pump or ignition system is not getting the correct voltage needed if the battery is dead?

trinity_gt · Jan 11, 2013

Night Shifter said:
Whats really puzzling me most is that when the car is in gear and i pull it forward, if i give it a lot of gas it acts like there is no fuel or spark and just sputters...i would assume this means the fuel pump or ignition system is not getting the correct voltage needed if the battery is dead?

If my assumption is correct that the system voltages are all over the place that will include the PCM, the ignition circuit and the fuel pump. Intermittent power could cause any number of crazy driveability issues.

Night Shifter · Jan 11, 2013

Well it looks like i will be getting a new battery next week...if it doesnt fix the problem then i might cry lol

roadman4.6 · Jan 12, 2013

Stupid question, did you check the battery connections. I had a similar problem without the sputtering after leaving my car sit for over a month. When I went to pull the battery to have it checked my negative terminal was loose and the positive terminal was cracked. Ford OEM terminals are crap and it is hard to tell when they are broken. Cleaned battery terminals, replaced positive terminal, charged battery & she fired right up. Just a thought.

Night Shifter · Jan 12, 2013

Yeah, i tightened the hell out of both sides....i might buy a new negative terminal though because its always looked like hell...maybe that plus a really dead battery is whats going on

Night Shifter · Jan 12, 2013

Welp bought a new battery and the car is still a piece of ...last straw, this car will be for sale in about 10 minutes

Night Shifter · Jan 12, 2013

I just tried to drive it, pulled out of the driveway and when it hit about 2k all lights came on, gauges went dead and the car slammed and bucked....idk how the car was perfectly fine before the battery died and now its not.... i effing hate this car

Night Shifter · Jan 12, 2013

I cant put another ecu in the car without it matching the key can i?

Night Shifter · Jan 12, 2013

So there is an 18ish gauge ground wire that runs from the negative terminal to the front headlight panel...it was coming out of its sleeve at the panel.. replaced it, problem fixed....how freakin dumb... the things that make a his car piss me off amaze me... definitely a sign that it needs a new home

trinity_gt · Jan 12, 2013

Told you so, more or less: "First thought that comes to mind is a fault in a major chassis ground connection, such as the main lead coming off the battery, at either end. Check for loose crimps, frayed wire, loose fasteners (battery and chassis ends...)".

Night Shifter · Jan 12, 2013

Haha i guess you did...good call!

blacksheep-1 · Jan 12, 2013

I'd check all the connections and go for the battery.

I'm glad you got it fixed, srsly, these cars are pretty bulletproof, I don't understand why you are having so much trouble. It might be that the connection has been intermittent for awhile.
Heck, if it's the car in your sig, give me a call, I might beinterested

need help bad! can a bad battery cause this?

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