OK, I thought I had the problem fix and just found out 5 minutes ago it is not. Drove th Maverick last Sunday and got to where I was going, went in for a little while, came back out and the battery was low enough I needed a Jump to start it. Drove her home and it ran fine but when I turned it off the battery was still too weak to start the car. Figured it was in the charging system. Changed the battery and battery cables and the voltage regulator. Started it up last night and she started fine ran it around the block and shut her off and restarted fine. Headlights worked and all other electrical works fine. Horn, wipers, heater fan...ect. Went to start it this morning and got a slow grind but it started. Drove it up the road about a mile and back to the driveway, shut it off and let it sit maybe 2 minutes and she restarted fine. Drove to work this morning (30 miles), parked in the parking lot and shut it of and then restarted it and it restarted fine. Just went out to lunch and the battery is too weak to turn the engine over, just the click of the selonoid (sp?) Was planning on changing the altenator last night but it was getting late and the Maverick is an A/C car so the old altenator has the double pulley and the new one only a single pulley. So I didn't change it. But it seems to be charging because if I start the car and pull the battery cable the car doesn't quit running, however if I unhook the positive lead on the back of the altenator the car DOES quite running when I unhook the battery so that it telling me that the altenator is charging but then something is draining the battery when the car is sitting and engine isn't running. I know the electrical system isn't that complicated on this car but does anyone have any past similar experience in what might be draining my battery??
First off, that sounds like it is charging fine, just not holding a charge, so have the battery tested or replaced first thing. Next, pull the fuse that works the interior lights and door buzzer. See if it is still draining. If so, get under the dash and disconnect the door buzzer. When they wear out, they tend to drain the battery even though they are not "buzzing" at all times. Even with the key out, doors closed, etc.
yeah I have put in a new battery and I didn't know that about the door buzzer (never had a Maverick with a working buzzer). But I bet that is it because when I first picked the car up I never noticed the door buzzer and recently it has been buzzing quite loudly when I have the door open, thanks for the tip I will give that a try and see what it does. I mean really there isn't much to the electrical systems on these cars so what else could it be.. Gues I will start there and end with the process of elimination. Thanks again
It "could" be many things. The buzzer is probably the hardest to find, and one of the more common draining issues. It is very hard to reach. When you do, just snip the wire and take it off, throw it away. It is located on the passenger side, up behind the glove box, pretty high up on the side, mounted to the steel above where a speaker would be mounted.
that is what I was looking for "the common things" that drain the battery. I have always hated those buzzers any way. Guess I will get a jumpstart and drive home tonight, and pull that fuse when I get home and see if the battery drains by morning.
i would check the cables to make sure they are not corroded.. this could be keeping the charge from going to the battery get the alternator tested as well do these trunks have a mercury switch light in the trunk? if you have a light.. check to see if that is it as well.. does your dome light come on? burned out bulb? is your dome light on when the door is shut? if the bulb is blown and the interior lights are in the on position, it could be draining the battery as well, and you wouldnt know it. because the light is burned out
Battery cables and Volatage reg. Replaced with new parts. Interior dome light comes on and goes off with the door opening and closing (works as it should) that buzzer thing I think is the ticket, just because I didn't have any problems until I started hearing the buzzer. What I mean by that is when I bought the car I didn't hear the buzzer at all with the door open and key in ignition for the first week or more that I owned the car. Then one day last week the buzzer started buzzing when the door was open and key in ignition, and I was thinking WOW that is kewl the old buzzer still works, but now I am thinking maybe damn that old buzzer I never liked that noise anyways. hahaha There is no light in the trunk or under the hood So yeah the only thing in the charging system that wasn't replaced (main thing) was the altenator. I did buy a new one and have it in the trunk but need to take the old one off and swap the pulleys. Mine has the double groove pulley because the car has A/C. But I really think the altenator is charging, and something is draining it while it sits.
ok.. does the buzzer go off when the door is closed? if so.. then its not using power put a tester on the battery.. nothing on.. doors closed.. and see if it has a drain....
The guy in the post above said when those stupid buzzers go bad they have a tendancy to drain the battery even when the door is closed and they aren't buzzing and that make sense to me because that is when the problem started, so I will pull the fuse or cut that buzzer wire if I can find it and see if that stops the drain. If it doesn't I haven't lost anything because I really don't like the buzzer anyway. If the battery is still drained tomorrow morning then I'll know to look elsewhere and probably will change the altenator this weekend even if it is charging. The only other time I have had a similar problem (not on this maverick) it was the brake light switch, it was sticking and making just enough contact that the brake lights weren't coming on real bright but just barely glowing, so it wasn't noticeable but with the high resistance of it barely making contact and the light being on all night the next day the battery would be dead. The other thing that make me know that the altenator is charging is because the battery was low this morning (almost to the point of needing a jump) but after I started it and drove it up the road and back the battery was turning the engin over strong. Then after driving it to work I turned it off and let it sit in the parking lot for a couple minutes and it started right back up, but after leaving it for 3-4 hours I went out to move it into the parking garage and the battery was dead again. So who knows, could be the buzzer or it could be a drain back through the petronix electronic ignition, it could be a bad ground somewhere causing it to trickle discharge back through ground. Idunno but I think I will start with the buzzer.
might want to check glove box light if it has one. Had trouble with mine staying on until I adjusted the switch. Have also seen bad diodes in the alternator drain a battery very quickly.
Nope no glove box to have a light in, but yes I do know about the Diodes in the altenator draining the battery and that was part of my thinking for replacing hte altenator this weekend even if it is charging the battery I know 1 bad diode can cause the Altenator to charge (but not properly) and then cause the drain when the car isn't running. Thanks for the suggestions I will keep this all in mind over the next couple days. I think when I get home I am also going to pull the positive battery cable and run an ohm meter from the positive cable to ground on the chasis and see if there is any continuity there. It shouldn't have any continuity from the positive cable to Chasis ground especially with the cable disconnected from the battery. I also have another selonoid switch that I will probably put on it just in case it is maybe the coil or contacts inside the solenoid (even though the one on the car seems to be working). Keep the Ideas coming guys I am writing them down and going to go down the list and eliminate them one at a time until I find the culprit, even if you think you are stating the obvious throw the idea out there for me as I have been driving relatively newer cars for the past 8 years or so and haven't been elbow deep in grease and pistons for quite some time. If you don't use it you lose it and I haven't used it for awhile now. So anything you throw out will only help to jog the ole memory. For those of you that have already posted Ideas, I appreciate them and they will and have helped Thanks
Right but remember when checking that radiator hose you have to use the real sharp test leads so you can penetrate the Rubber and get to the electrical conductor underneath... LOL
