Ford TSB 05-22-9 Battery Drain Diagnosis---service tips TSB 05-22-9

[irands]

Anyone have ideas of how to find this TSB? Thanks

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[phyllis]

They will have it at a Ford Service Dept. I took my 2005 in last Thursday. I gave the tech that number and he looked it up. They have a booklet of TSB's. He said this one was quite detailed. I will let you know the results when I get my car back.

 

[irands]

Thanks, I believe that the answer to "battery drain" on these Birds is the regular use of Battery minders, maintainers, or tenders, i.e., for the long haul. The electronics draw on the battery probably is too much for a Bird that sits for more than a month or so.

 

[dchamb]

The clock is the only constant "parasitic" draw I am aware of, although there may be some insisnificant small amt of current used to hold info in engine computer. It annoys me that the map light stays on so long when the car is switched off. However, all modern vehicles have the same situations. I have an 02 and my wife has an 03 tbird and we never have a battery problem, and our cars sometimes sit 2-3 mo.s and fire right up. I am convinced there is something that would account for your problem. My pickup has sat 5 mo.s and started. The problem is finding someone smart enough to diagnose whats wrong. Few mechanics have kept up with what has changed in the tech end of autos.

 

[George]

Thanks, I believe that the answer to "battery drain" on these Birds is the regular use of Battery minders, maintainers, or tenders, i.e., for the long haul. The electronics draw on the battery probably is too much for a Bird that sits for more than a month or so.

Thanks Phyllis, it is lengthy and that's why my copy is all garbled and I was unable to share a good copy.
You're right, (Dave) dchamb and I disagree on this one Ira...I left mine off the battery tender for over two months and no problem......and it's an '02 with original batttery.
From all the postings I've read on various forums it appears that there have been battery issues with some '05's. So if you mask it with a battery tender you'll never get Ford to fix it. Just my opinion
Personally, I wouyld let it die and call them every time until it was fixed - unless you're out of warranty.

 

[phyllis]

"The Wiz" mechanic called me today regarding my 2005 T-bird. He has had it on a machine for two days and there is absolutely no electrical drain on the battery. He called two other knowledgable mechanics and the answer is: I don't drive the car enough in the winter. The 2005 T-bird and 2005 Lincoln share the same problem. Too much electrical stuff on the car. He said the TSB 05-22-9 basically says the same thing. The answer is to buy a battery tender for the winter months. I definitely drive it more in the summer, but it doesn't set in the winter. I drive it at 3-4 times a week but not far. I definitely feel the mechanic checked my car thoroughly and I trust him completely because he is the father of a long-time friend of mind. It wasn't the answer I was hoping for.

 

[George]

Phyllis: Please allow me, but I still disagree with that assessment. I have a 2002 which is 6 years old with 12,000 miles. That's 2000 miles per year and never had a problem. I use battery tender occasionally, but forget it more often than not.
Like I said, if it's under warranty, I'd haunt Ford with tow pick ups. Just my opinion 🙂

 

[irands]

Phyllis, I have seen the tsb 05-22-9. It is very detailed. The Birds have a lot of electronic modules which all have power supplied at all times. My conclusion is that the use of a battery minder/tender/maintainer use of probably once a month for 3 or four days is probably the answer. Short drives do not appear enough to give the battery the charge necessary.

 

[George]

I knew 2005's had problems w/batteries and now I found out why I was so positive.
Go to this link and click on all 5 tabs and you will see a service bulletin 0295 for "Excessive electrical system current draw which could result in a discharged battery and a no crank condition". Put out by NHTSA office of defects investigation:
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/tsbsearch.cfm

 

[dchamb]

Way to go George. I found that site VERY interesting.

 

[phyllis]

irands is right. That is exactly what the TSB says. (For your information, the TSB has been changed from 05-22-9 to 05-07-13.) FoMoCo has battery drain problems on 2005 T-birds, Lincoln Navigator, Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Edpedition, and Mercury Mountaineer. I don't store my vehicle but only drive short distances. The TSB states that once the battery is dead, short drives will not charge it enough. It also states that after the dead battery you have to drive it two hours straight to recharge. The answer is a battery tender/minder. I think that is ridiculous too George, but I think that's the only problem. The mechanic performed various draw and other tests and everything is okay. Of course I had just driven the car 45 miles to the dealer. Why a company would build cars with many electronics and not have a battery to support it under any circumstances is way beyond me. I am going back to a Toyota. Never any service calls.

 

[George]

Way to go George. I found that site VERY interesting.

Thanks David. I knew I remembered it was somewhere, and I found it right on this site, using the search function😎

 

[irands]

Phyllis, I agree. Thanks

 

[dchamb]

Phylis, please endulge me once more. In my opinion, the battery tender is not the answer for someone that buys a car to use in the manner one buys cars. For instance, I occasaionally drive to the airport, put my car in airport parking, and don't come back for 2 weeks. There are no plug receptacles, at least not in the Atlanta airport. If I pay 25,000.00 (and up) for a car, I expect it should be well enough made to start again. If we put band-aids on serious problems (what could be more serious than not starting?), instead of insisting problems be fixed, manufacturers and dealers will take the easy road. To suggest it reasonable to expect a battery to be dead after 2weeks is laughable. Ask the question, "why just 05's"? Should people that buy an '05 be expected to accept a less reliable car than 02 and 03 buyers? I'm not suggesting your mechanic isn't competent. I'm suggesting that you insist they fix a problem HE acknowledge exists.
I recall buying a pickup that the battery would go dead after a few days. They replaced the battery and alternator, and then went to looking for something wrong (since it was warrantied and costing them not me). What they found was the hood light didn't go off when the hood was opened then closed. Maybe not your problem, but the sort of things one starts to look at. Good luck

 

[George]

Dave, I agree!! That's why I posted that site reference.
Anytime I hear something from a sales or service person that I don't believe is correct at a dealer I start with service manager and end with the owner. So far in every instance they say, "he should never have told you that. Give us some time and we'll fix the problem".

 

[Michichick]

Battery Drain

I have a 2005 T-Bird and I've had battery problems since day one. I bought a part so I could plug it in when I'm not driving it because I only drive it once or twice a week and then it will sit for two weeks. Anyway, I just don't like the whole plug in deal. I want to put a new battery in it. Any advice for me? I sure hate to pay for a new Ford battery.

 

[George]

Welcome Michi:
If you've read this thread as well as others, you'll find that many T-Birds including a lot of 2005's had battery issues.
The TB batteries are unique to this car. Since they are not under the hood where there's a lot of air flow, but in the trunk, there has to be a tube that exits to the outside for any gasses that build up. Therefore I believe that Ford is the only place and your best bet for replacement.
Two points:

If still under warranty, I would call the 800 number for service every time and therefore they would eventually replace it to cut their losses.

If not under warranty, I would have a discussion your service people that says, you think there is a drain somewhere that they have not identified it. Then ask, if you buy a new battery and still have a problem, will they search for the cause? And what are their responsibilities under the new battery warranty if it continues to drain?

Not a good situation, I agree. On another note, if you are dealing with Ford dealerships, and there is a Lincoln dealer close by, I would suggest that you switch. They seem to be better at dealing with TBird issues anyway. Why? The drivetrain for the Birds came from the Lincoln LS and there are very many of those on the road and only 68,000 of the Birds. Just a suggestion.🙂 and I hope this helps.

 

[tony millholen]

I had the same problem I posted it here several years ago . I was told by a friend of mine at Ford the computer in these cars draws 12 amps out of the 14 amps the battery stores when not being driven daily . I connect it to a slow charger. For someone with out a plug near by I understand there is a solor panel to help with the problem just sit it on the dash in the front foward part of your dash board. Good luck and happy driving

 

[vinnie]

Wow, I find that hard to believe. If your Ford guy is saying that the computer draws 12 amps when idle your battery would be really stressed constantly. One would be lucky to have a cup of coffee without experiencing battery difficulties. But . . . I could be wrong.

 

[tony millholen]

Wow, I find that hard to believe. If your Ford guy is saying that the computer draws 12 amps when idle your battery would be really stressed constantly. One would be lucky to have a cup of coffee without experiencing battery difficulties. But . . . I could be wrong.

Wow, I find that hard to believe. If your Ford guy is saying that the computer draws 12 amps when idle your battery would be really stressed constantly. One would be lucky to have a cup of coffee without experiencing battery difficulties. But . . . I could be wrong.

I said while just sitting with out driving it for several days the battery is drained from the computer ,if you are running your engine then it's charging it...