Dead Battery - Narrowing down the cause.

[drolds1]

I'm not even sure. I know computers, but not cars, that well. But that's the area that is fuzzy for me. I didn't hear it mentioned. I'll see if I can find out though.

 

No issues at all now. Power was being bled from recharging the battery.

It should be on the paperwork they gave you when you picked the car up.

[scherp69]

Sorry to bring back an old thread...head4trauma would you mind checking your paperwork or asking the dealer what they replaced. I have a 2017 fusion sport which has been at the dealer now almost 3 weeks for a dead battery. On the fusion sport forum, there a a bunch of us who are having dead battery issues. One guy just got his car back after a month only to get another dead battery. It would be greatly appreciated if you could confirm if it was the bcm or pcm that was replaced. Thanks.

[head4trauma]

Sorry to bring back an old thread...head4trauma would you mind checking your paperwork or asking the dealer what they replaced. I have a 2017 fusion sport which has been at the dealer now almost 3 weeks for a dead battery. On the fusion sport forum, there a a bunch of us who are having dead battery issues. One guy just got his car back after a month only to get another dead battery. It would be greatly appreciated if you could confirm if it was the bcm or pcm that was replaced. Thanks.

 

 

Yeah, about that. I got another dead battery and took it in. So they checked out, installed a new battery. I was heading out last night...........dead battery. So I'm going in Tuesday. Less than 4,000 miles and FIVE jump starts? That's what buying a new car is supposed to avoid.

[zip89105]

Lemon law that car.

[head4trauma]

Lemon law that car.

 

yeah, That's where my head is going. SUCKS, I love this car. But needing to jump start it 5 times in the 8 months I've had it really blows. Especially since I traded in my 2004 Taurus I never DID need to jump start. I don't know crap about engines......electricity, yes. They assured me it was the battery this last time and replaced it. There goes that theory. And they never looked beyond the battery the last time.

 

I even named her, held her so tight.........got interviewed by the police for some questionable behavior in my driveway...

 

 

http://fordfusionforum.com/uploads/gallery/album_710/gallery_29769_710_146532.png

Edited January 9, 2017 by head4trauma

[akirby]

Probably a bad switch or module - a good dealer would be able to pinpoint it.

[head4trauma]

Probably a bad switch or module - a good dealer would be able to pinpoint it.

 

Actually, it turns out to be an issue that's hit or miss. It's a known issue (by Ford) and they are apparently working on a permanent fix. Even though in park, the system believes it's sill in gear, so nothing gets shut down. The battery saver never kicks in. And (for lack of better wording) the computer continues to monitor and perform, as though the key is in the "on" position. Kind of like a parasitic draw, but it shows up as normal.

 

I took it to the dealer this morning. I had heard about this, but didn't think it would be the same issue. The tech confirmed it is. The updated software that HOPEFULLY solves the problem. Unfortunately, this doesn't kick out an error code (surprised me too). So he didn't have a way of knowing if a part was needed in the shifter itself, but told me what to watch for.

 

http://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Fusion/2016/electrical/electrical_system.shtml#8

 

I know, the next link pertains to the 2017, BUT, it's the exact same issue I'm having.

 

The obvious difference is the gear shift itself. The 17's have that rotary deal.

 

http://www.fusionsportforums.com/forum/257-fusion-v6-sport-audio-electronics-lighting/3770-dead-battery.html

 

Ford is aware of it, and working on a fix. Part of that was the software update. Hopefully, that's the end of it for me.

[akirby]

That's been an issue with a defective shifter up to this point, not software. Do you have more details?

[head4trauma]

Probably a bad switch or module - a good dealer would be able to pinpoint it.

 

Forgot something. They've checked over everything. Despite my car having less than 4,000 miles on it.

[Heisenberg_31]

I didn't read the entire thread so I don't know if someone already said this but, I got my fusion and right at around 5000 miles the battery seemed dead no start or turn over or nothing. I jumped it but then the power steering didn't work. So I took it to the dealership (biceps got a workout on the way there with no power steering). But they had to put a new battery in and a new wiring harness. warranty covered everything.

[jcy100pa]

Maybe nothing is more frustrating than discovering your car battery is dead; even more frustrating is not having enough juice to unlock the door to pop the hood in this modern tech world. Ok, the manual explains how to find the hidden keyhole and manually unlock the door, but I wish the salesman would have told me about it. It took a Ford roadside assistance service call to send out someone who used an air bladder to spread the door and mechanically pull on the door handle... apparently the phone reps and service folks don't know where the hidden keyhole is either, unless easy money is too tempting.

Anyway, my brand new car was about 9 months old with 5800 miles before I experienced the now famous Fusion Dead Battery Syndrome. The car had sat in my driveway for a week while I was on vacation in August 2016. When I came back home to put something in the car, I was stuck. Since it was late evening, I waited until the next morning to call Ford roadside assistance. Then the guy came to open the door. After popping the hood, the battery voltage was down to about 2.2 volts. I jump started the engine, letting it run for 30 minutes, and everything seemed fine again. I had nothing plugged into any 12 volt outlet. All the light switches were off, and the trunk light was off (checked before and after I started the engine). I took the car to the dealer the next day and explained what happened. They did a quick check on the battery but found no problems.

The next time my dead battery occurred was Feb-2017 after sitting unused in the driveway for 2.5 days. So the car was 15 months old with less than 10k miles at this point. (Two weeks before this, the car sat in an airport parking lot for 8 days and started up easily when I returned.) At least this time I knew how to open the door. I measured 2.6 volts before jump starting the engine. I took the car back to the dealer the next day to get it checked. I left it there for an extended electrical current draw test... for 2 days (since I didn't need the car). They did not find any problem. So they are reluctant to replace anything, like the battery, even though it could be the problem. They just said "make sure the keypad lights on the door jamb go out before you leave your car alone." I have not had a dead battery since then, but I feel it's just a matter of time. I've read about this issue online, on this forum, and the FusionSport forum. One indication is that the key fob isn't far enough away from the car and wants to occasionally wake up, or fails to go to sleep. My car sits in my driveway next to my house. My key is usually about 20-25 feet away. My key still works in the house from about 40 feet away. Am I suppose to bury my key in the yard or wrap it in tin foil when I'm not driving?

While washing my car over the weekend, I noticed the water stream from the hose turned on the keyless entry light on the door jamb, but it went out in a few seconds. Has anyone noticed that?

 

I've had key fobs on 5 different cars over the past 15 years and never had any issue with them or dead batteries. At least one of my two cars sits for a week without use once or twice a year. I even had a 2007 Ford Fusion and never had a dead battery because my car failed to go to sleep. I know something about how automotive software is designed and implemented. And it really sounds like a software bug is responsible. But there does not seem to be a definitive test for the problem. I'd certainly be interested in any test process you've found that causes the problem.

[head4trauma]

I just realized I forgot to update. (new job, yadda yadda yadda).

 

Anyway, from what I remember, it's been awhile.....they replaced an "iffy" component in the electrical system. And they replaced the stock battery with a name brand battery that performs a bit better in the cold. Not a single issue since. They told me the next time (if it did the same thing) to just call the dealer and they'd come check it out in the driveway, then get it to the shop. So that's what I did, had the car back the next day and I haven't had a single issue with the car since. 

[theandies]

Do you know what iffy component they replaced?  It should be on the paperwork they give you for the service call.  I ask as I have a 2016 Titanium and I just had to jump start the other day because of a dead battery.  I was only reading 11 volts and the starter solenoid just clicked when I tried to start it.  I put it on my charger for a while and then took it off the charger and let it sit for a while then tried to start it and it was dead again.  I immediately went and bought a new battery. The old battery I assume is the original battery as it was a FoMoCo battery.  So far so good but I'm worried reading all theses dead battery threads and would like to know what they changed on your car.  My car only has 28,000 miles on it.  BTW I've been working on my own cars all my life and restored a 1971 Corvette from the ground up so I do know my way around an engine compartment and am an electronic engineer to boot.

[bighank]

To the poster who said that the 590 CCA battery might be causing problems,  ABSO:LUTELY BS.  You could put in a 2000 CCA battery or a 5000 CCA battery and all you are doing is allowing more CAPACITY before the battery will not have enough amperage to start the car. 

In this case BIGGER IS BETTER.   I have ALWAYS put in a larger capacity battery as a replacement of the OEM battery if I can find one which will fit the battery case.

I have even used a side terminal battery with additional posts to attach to top terminal connectors on the cars battery cables to supply additional capacity for accessory usage.  Voltage is ALWAYS 12.6 and the amperage is what the battery will supply.