Boss Doctor Posted August 29, 2008 Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 Since my wife had surgery last Friday, I didn't drive my GT500 from Friday afternoon to Thursday morning. The only time it was started was on Sunday to move it out of the garage, wash it, then back into the garage. When I got into the car on Thursday morning and turned the key, the car starter, lights, stock alarm, dash indicators, and radio went crazy. The car acted like the battery was drained, so the above noises and lights were also weak. The alarm wouldn't reset, so I disconnected the battery for a couple of minutes. When I reconnected the battery the car continued to do the same thing. I jump started it with my wife's car, and it's worked normally since. The only thing electrical I've done to the car lately is adding sequential tail lights two weeks before, and the wires were taped after connection. Nothing that has not been wired into a switched circuit was left on, so I can only conclude that I have a short somewhere. Any ideas as to a course of action? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabber Posted August 29, 2008 Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 Since my wife had surgery last Friday, I didn't drive my GT500 from Friday afternoon to Thursday morning. The only time it was started was on Sunday to move it out of the garage, wash it, then back into the garage. When I got into the car on Thursday morning and turned the key, the car starter, lights, stock alarm, dash indicators, and radio went crazy. The car acted like the battery was drained, so the above noises and lights were also weak. The alarm wouldn't reset, so I disconnected the battery for a couple of minutes. When I reconnected the battery the car continued to do the same thing. I jump started it with my wife's car, and it's worked normally since. The only thing electrical I've done to the car lately is adding sequential tail lights two weeks before, and the wires were taped after connection. Nothing that has not been wired into a switched circuit was left on, so I can only conclude that I have a short somewhere. Any ideas as to a course of action? Were the new seq tail lights the plug and play type? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCStangFanatic Posted August 29, 2008 Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 This happened to me with my Mustang GT and there are no mods to that car other than CAI and tune. Once I jump started the car and let the battery charge awhile the problem was gone. I just assumed it was a battery issue because I have kept the battery charged since then and I have had no problems but I don't know for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shel-b001 Posted August 29, 2008 Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 Could have been just a low charge in the battery do your sequential lights still work properly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelbymotorsports Posted August 29, 2008 Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 Sounds like the typical battery getting low but that shouldn't happen in just a week. Your battery is either previously damaged or something on your car is draining the battery while it sits. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCMO-GT500 Posted August 29, 2008 Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 those are exactly the symptoms when the battery on my wife's freestyle went bad recently, but it was 3 1/2 years old, which I think is still too early for a battery to go bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpretzel Posted August 29, 2008 Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 I've seen similar symptoms in other cars. Bad battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss Doctor Posted August 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 Were the new seq tail lights the plug and play type? They required connecting a new blub plug and some splicing, but I made sure to properly recess the bare wire into the connectors, crimp them snugly, and then taped them up with electrical tape. I'll check again this weekend, but I don't see how they could be grounding out. I thought maybe the sequentials themselves could be draining power, but power should only be going to the unit when initiated by the driver's actions. But then again, the key being off should cut power too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss Doctor Posted August 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 Could have been just a low charge in the battery do your sequential lights still work properly? I was by then late for work, so I didn't check. I'll do that tonight if'n the fuzz don't stop me first! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard 95 Posted August 29, 2008 Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 The best way to check is see if you have a draw on the vehicle. Disconnect negative battery cable, find a digital voltmeter, hook in series with the negative cable and switch meter to amps. It should read below .05 amps after 30 minutes or so with vehicle off. Most likely it is just your battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss Doctor Posted August 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 The best way to check is see if you have a draw on the vehicle. Disconnect negative battery cable, find a digital voltmeter, hook in series with the negative cable and switch meter to amps. It should read below .05 amps after 30 minutes or so with vehicle off. Most likely it is just your battery. Thank you, I'll certainly try that. I have a multimeter although I never really learned how to use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard 95 Posted August 29, 2008 Report Share Posted August 29, 2008 Thank you, I'll certainly try that. I have a multimeter although I never really learned how to use it. Just make sure you put in on dc amps, move the red wire to the 10amp hole. Just disconnect the negative cable, hook one end up to battery cable and other to post on battery. Turn the key on and off, it will read pretty high at first then start going down when modules start going asleep. If it stays over .05 for like over a hour you may have a draw. If so, start pulling fuses, but don't open doors or it will cause a higher draw reading due to the interior lights coming on. Again, most likely your battery but never hurts to be for sure since it is so easy to check for draw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss Doctor Posted September 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 Just make sure you put in on dc amps, move the red wire to the 10amp hole. Just disconnect the negative cable, hook one end up to battery cable and other to post on battery. Turn the key on and off, it will read pretty high at first then start going down when modules start going asleep. If it stays over .05 for like over a hour you may have a draw. If so, start pulling fuses, but don't open doors or it will cause a higher draw reading due to the interior lights coming on. Again, most likely your battery but never hurts to be for sure since it is so easy to check for draw. Thank you very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super-bee_ski Posted September 3, 2008 Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 Since my wife had surgery last Friday, I didn't drive my GT500 from Friday afternoon to Thursday morning. The only time it was started was on Sunday to move it out of the garage, wash it, then back into the garage. When I got into the car on Thursday morning and turned the key, the car starter, lights, stock alarm, dash indicators, and radio went crazy. The car acted like the battery was drained, so the above noises and lights were also weak. The alarm wouldn't reset, so I disconnected the battery for a couple of minutes. When I reconnected the battery the car continued to do the same thing. I jump started it with my wife's car, and it's worked normally since. The only thing electrical I've done to the car lately is adding sequential tail lights two weeks before, and the wires were taped after connection. Nothing that has not been wired into a switched circuit was left on, so I can only conclude that I have a short somewhere. Any ideas as to a course of action? I'll bet 10 dollars you have had a "wet" season in the "Volunteer State" Chances are you have an invisible film of corrosion on your NEG/POS battery terminals. Clean em w/ steelwool or scotchbrite pad. (wanna bet?) Mark AKA: Super-bee_ski (2 2007 GT500s and a ..."yup its a Hemi" 1970 Superbee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old guy Posted September 3, 2008 Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 You'd be surprised how often new batteries are bad. The first and easiest thing to do is have the battery checked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
07SHELBY GT Posted September 3, 2008 Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 Ford seems to have a problem with batteries as of late.Possibly holding a decent surface charge only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoneDoc Posted September 3, 2008 Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 snake doc do you have a radar detector? if i forget to turn my radar detector off.... the battery will go low in 2-3 days and i will get the same thing as you are describing. some have wired their detectors to power up and down with the car... but if you plug into the lighter socket it will stay on. otherwise is probably just the alarm ystem draining your battery.... but shouldn't happen that fast? Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoneDoc Posted September 3, 2008 Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 oops double post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss Doctor Posted September 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 Due to family drama this weekend I wasn't able to check the system with the multimeter, but I will have the battery checked first. The sequentials still function properly. The RADAR detector was off, and so was the LASER jammer. I have both wired to switches in the console. Thanks a bunch, guys! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.