Pulling the fuse for clock

[rhymobot]

Hi.

 

I have a 2006 Fusion 4cyl manual SEL.

 

For the past three winters I have had a problem of my car failing to start a few times. It has only happened in the winter. Basically 3 to 5 times per winter I wake up to find my battery dead. Sometimes the doors open with the fob and I turn the ignition and it's a series of clicking noises, and a couple times it was so dead that remote locks didn't even work.

 

I have had the mech give me two brand new top of the line batteries. So that is not the problem. He also changed the alternator, but two weeks later I woke up to find it dead again.

 

Then it dawned on me, as this is only happening in the winter, is it heating system related? Well when I get home from work I turn the car off while the heat was running. So I said to myself, I will always turn off the heat before turning off the car. At the same time, I'd remove the face plate from my after market radio deck. I also had an amp with subwoofer, but 3.5 years ago I completely removed the red power cord that ran from the amp to the battery.

 

Something had to be drawing power gradually in the 13 hours between getting home from work and getting up the next day to go to work. It never once happened while I was parked at the commuter train station for 10 hours while I'm working and commuting.

 

Well a week went by and I woke up to a dead car. I see that the radio deck is still in, which means I forgot to turn off the heat. Another two months went by where I always turned off the heat and removed the deck, I did not have the problem. But this past Sunday was the first day in a long time I didn't drive my car. I woke up Monday morning to a car that wouldn't start. It was making the electrical clicking noise, but wouldn't start. And my heat was definitely off. I used my booster pack to get it started.

 

This has happened a couple times in the past 3 years as well. Went a day without driving and car didn't start. One time in May, I was gone for 12 days on vacation and car didn't start. The other times it was one winter day without driving.

 

I thought I solved the issue but apparently not. It's better now because I turn off the heat but that wasn't 100% of the problem, apparently.

 

My mechanic mentioned something about some central smart relay box that controls everything. I can't quite recall what the name of it is. But basically if there's something wrong with one thing in there, you have to replace the whole thing. This would cost a lot.

 

So I'm trying to narrow down what the problem might be. Is it possible the analog clock could be drawing too much power? I know it runs when the car is off, but do you think I should start there? If so, I'm not sure what would happen if I pulled that fuse.

 

On this page of the manual:

 

http://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/catalog/owner_guides/06fsnog3e.pdf

 

It says:

 

Fuse/Relay Location: 13

 

Fuse Amp Rating: 7.5A

 

Passenger Compartment Fuse Panel Description: Cluster, KAM-PCM, Analog clock, Climate control head units, Canister vent solenoid

 

 

I have no idea what these things in the description are other than the clock. The location and amp rating are obvious. But if I pull the fuse, will I be shutting down these other things as well? Or is it saying I should pull out the panel in the centre of my car around the radio, and that's where I can find some fuses. And I can pull one fuse that is specific to the clock?

 

Thanks for the advice.

Edited April 4, 2017 by rhymobot

[akirby]

It's not the clock - sounds like it could be the radio. The heater runs off the engine coolant so that wouldn't be it. You can test the current draw for the radio circuit after the vehicle has been locked for 1 hour just to make sure all the temporary things have shut down. If it's not the radio then there are a couple of known problems on other vehicles but not necessarily the Fusion:

 

Shift Park indicator - vehicle doesn't think it's in park so doesn't shut down normally. You'll usually see an intermittent "shift to park" message even when it's in Park.

 

Body Control Module - dealer would have to diagnose and replace - no symptoms.

 

Something else to check are the battery cables - remove and clean them and check where the negative cable grounds to the chassis.

[rhymobot]

Thanks.

 

The radio system could be drawing power even though I pop out the face plate every night?

 

I should probably invest in a multimeter.

[akirby]

I thought you said the last time it went dead the radio faceplate was still in. It still wouldn't hurt to test it.

[rhymobot]

I thought you said the last time it went dead the radio faceplate was still in. It still wouldn't hurt to test it.

 

Two days ago face plate wasn't in. Two months ago, the face plate was in and heat was left on. These are the last two times battery has died.

 

Anwyay, I'm gonna print some instructions on how to test for draws. I think I'll have to buy a multimeter. Never used one before. Have to decide if I should but a $35 one from China with 5 star reveiws across the board or a more expensive one. Problem is that I have no idea what the differences between a cheap and expensive one are.

[akirby]

I have a Klein MM1000 that's great. This cheaper model should also work just fine:

 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-Auto-Ranging-Digital-Multi-Meter-MM400/206517333