2003 Consequence of a long-time dead battery

[Redroc]

I didn't drive my 2003 James Bond Edition T'Bird all last winter and didn't start it either (my bad). When I tried to start it this past spring, the battery was dead. I replaced the battery, but it still wouldn't start. I had to have it towed to my auto repair shop nearby, and they replaced the Power Control Module, but it still wouldn't start! They had to call in a Ford rep to reprogram the module. The Ford rep said that when a battery stays dead for too long (didn't say how long "too long" was), it messes up the entire computerized system. All that cost me $900... just because of a dead battery. Anyone else had this problem with a retro 'Bird?

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[Frankie the Fink]

ALL my cars, boat, jet ski and truck are on maintenance chargers when stored long-term...
Modern cars are all about the computers and if the main battery goes dead I would daresay there will be bad results...
A "smart" maintenance charger will not hurt your battery no matter how long it stays connected.

 

[biddle]

Use a battery tender.

 

[Frankie the Fink]

Some don't like to leave a battery tender on their car long term, if not there are several wireless options to get notified if your car's battery gets low such as this....$39 is a lot cheaper than $900:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WCW49YM/?tag=thunderbirdforum-20

 

[tbird]

Some don't like to leave a battery tender on their car long term.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WCW49YM/?tag=thunderbirdforum-20

They may not "like to" But why? It's all computerized and basically does what the product you posted does, except it starts charging the battery when neccessary. Out of 6,000+ reviews 92% rated 4 and 5 stars which is about as high as you can get.

 

[Frankie the Fink]

I have a friend who has multiple classic cars that won't use battery tenders because of concerns about them starting fires....in his detached garage. I don't get it, but then their his cars and its his concern... I use them continuously...

HOWEVER, a charger did fail on my jet ski (no fire of course) and the battery died and I didn't know it until I had a house full of company wanting to take it out... A "push" notification of the battery draining (via the device above) would have prevented that...

 

[tbird]

I have a friend who has multiple classic cars that won't use battery tenders because of concerns about them starting fires.

Yeah, but this is a fear based concern, not a fact based one. These are very low current. Same guy probably has a refrigerator in his garage which is far more likely to cause a fire. Anything plugged in can cause a fire, even a toaster or coffee maker.

 

[Frankie the Fink]

No argument about that from me...
But this is a zany guy that also backed his 62 Corvette out of the garage with the battery tender still connected and is the more likely reason he's not a fan of the devices IMO...😀

 

[highwayghost]

I have a battery switch on the 2003 Tbird (and most things I own). In the trunk with next to the battery, disconnecting the ground. It sits the winter without any power. The warmer weather is coming so I uncovered it yesterday, after 3 months just to check it out, flipped the switch and it started right up. Everything is normal. Same as every year. Shut it off, disconnected the battery again for another month or so. Yes, resetting the windows, radio, etc may be necessary, no biggy, but not a computer replacement. No power to electronics is not a problem, it's low power that will cause the damage. This is what works for me. I like to give everything a little break. Keep the battery charged or disconnect it, your choice, but don't let it get low.

 

[Thunderbird22]

Yeah, but this is a fear based concern, not a fact based one. These are very low current. Same guy probably has a refrigerator in his garage which is far more likely to cause a fire. Anything plugged in can cause a fire, even a toaster or coffee maker.

Well said !

 

[Redroc]

ALL my cars, boat, jet ski and truck are on maintenance chargers when stored long-term...
Modern cars are all about the computers and if the main battery goes dead I would daresay there will be bad results...
A "smart" maintenance charger will not hurt your battery no matter how long it stays connected.

Frankie..... Thanks for your reply. I failed to mention that I had a battery tender hooked up to the battery, but it died anyway! It must have been near the end of it's warranty period, so the tender didn't help. So, the moral of this story is to replace the battery prior to the end of its warranty, whether it has a battery tender attached or not!

 

[Bond007]

Some don't like to leave a battery tender on their car long term, if not there are several wireless options to get notified if your car's battery gets low such as this....$39 is a lot cheaper than $900:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WCW49YM/?tag=thunderbirdforum-20

I like that idea. Thanks for passing this along.

 

[JW in Dixie]

I like that idea. Thanks for passing this along.

Or use a timer to limit the hours/day connected. ??

 

[Johnvins]

So I must store my 2005 in a location with no AC power, so no tender. This past winter I didn't take it out for a good drive to recharge verything and now the battery is dead. Is there a battery in the computer to keep settings in memory alive? What problems might I face after a jumped restart or a new battery?

 

[Frankie the Fink]

The owners manual covers the procedures after a battery replacement.
It’s nothing complicated.