Need Advice Please!

[gordizmom]

Hi all. It's been a while since I've been on here and it's because I haven't had any problems with my truck until a few months ago.
I have a 2000 Ford Expedition, Eddie Bauer Edition. This truck is a beast and has served me well since I bought it used in 2014.
Since I've owned this truck, the engine light has come on and gone off on occasion. I had it diagnosed and was told it's some kind of glitch in the computer and nothing to be alarmed about. Okay great.
I've had the starter replaced a couple of times and I think that's odd but whatever. The first starter was junk and it was replaced.
Fast forward to last year. I moved from Florida to South Carolina and my truck had a brand new AAA battery. No issues until Fall. It was a bitter cold season and my truck wouldn't start. Dead.
The cold shouldn't have caused my new battery to die and I had to have a jump start from the local garage several times. I finally took my truck to the AAA garage and they replaced the battery for free since it was still under warranty. Everything was fine all through the Winter.
I only drive my truck probably once a week.
Recently however, I'm having the same issue again. Truck won't start. I have already used my AAA service calls twice this year for jump starts and I finally got sick of it and had the garage put their diagnostic machine on my truck today.
They told me they checked everything they possibly could on the truck and couldn't find the cause for the truck not starting. Something is pulling the battery but the battery is fine. It should be because it's relatively new.
I was advised to drive all the way into Columbia to a place that specializes in Fords. Well I'm thinking that they are going to tell me it's something in the computer system and they will probably charge me a fortune trying to rule things out.
I am retired and am on a fixed income. I can't afford to pay for every little issue gone wrong in the computer system on my truck. I am considering buying a portable battery charger and just use it when my truck won't start.
The alternator is fine even though it's the original one. The starter is fine, fuses are fine, everything is fine according to the diagnostic machine.
Has anyone on here had this problem or even heard of it?
I moved here to SC and I don't know a soul here. I have no one to depend on and there aren't any taxis here, no bus services either. Without a vehicle I'm screwed.
Please help!

 

[Rich_007]

Don't have any magic answers based on what you said. I did see AAA mentioned in your post. I would be a little suspect of what kind and what quality that battery really is. They may be slapping their name on garbage, and the replacement they gave you is just another low quality item. I have been with AAA for my insurance for years an my experience with AAA approved shop was less than favorable. They actually installed things incorrectly on my wife's car that I had to pay the dealer to straighten out. So I am thinking they aren't the quality rating I had hoped. If all this started after you started using that brand battery, I might call it a loss and buy a known good one, or go to a different shop and have them take a look. I have seen posts on here of people trying to run down a drain and it can be an involved process.
If you trust the shop that they checked it out, they should have easily been able to see a drain, unless it is intermittent. if you are convinced the shop was competent, I would get a known quality battery. If that doesn't do it: You got three choices, start tearing into it yourself, keep paying shops a fortune until they finally fix it or you are living on the street, or since it is 20 year old vehicle you only drive once a week, rig some easy way to disconnect the battery between uses.
Good Luck

 

[Boostedbus]

It sounds like there is a draw on the battery. Check the under hood light if it has one. Remove the bulb to make sure it’s not staying lit when the hood is closed. This could be an intermittent draw.

 

[Plati]

It sounds like there is a draw on the battery. Check the under hood light if it has one. Remove the bulb to make sure it’s not staying lit when the hood is closed. This could be an intermittent draw.

I had a 1999 have a 2003 & 2014 Expy No under the hood light. Maybe some of the other trim models have that, doubt it. Do any?

To the OP. You need someone to diagnose the problem, the internet diagnosis is highly unlikely. I would hazard a guess that few on here could diagnose it if it was in their garage.

 

[Rich_007]

My 01 XLT has an under hood light that comes on when you open it.

 

[Boostedbus]

My 01 XLT has an under hood light that comes on when you open it.

Yeah they work by a mercury switch like an old house furnace thermostat. Raise the hood and the droplet of mercury rolls with gravity and completes a circuit in the switch that illuminates the bulb. I’ve had them get knocked out of position and not work properly on some past vehicles.

 

[JExpedition07]

My dads 2016 F-250 Lariat Ultimate has an under hood light but not my ‘07 Expedition. It’s an LED and is actually pretty nice at night. I had a very short lived experience with a diesel 350 but the thing rode like an ox cart, was a base XLT, and the CEL kept coming and putting it in limp mode so I gave it back to the company. I don’t recall if the more basic truck had the light. That truck would have bankrupted me with one emissions issue since I’m in college anyway, don’t miss it.

 

[gordizmom]

Thanks everyone for your input. The battery drain is intermittent. The truck will start up quickly most of the time but then there are those times when it won't.
The battery always shows a full charge when tested. The garage mechanic and a guy at Advanced Auto Parts said the battery shows a full charge on his device.
It very well could be the battery though. The first AAA battery I had didn't outlast its warranty and because it was still under warranty I had them replace it.
I think I'm going to buy a different battery and see if that's the problem.

What battery should I buy for my vehicle? I need one that will start in below freezing temperatures (next winter) but I don't want to spend a fortune.

Thanks again!!

 

[Blksmk]

Check the rear wiper motor. Mine if used will stay running until it kills the battery. My expedition sits for 3 to 8 weeks at a time, to solve my issue, removed the motor to rear wiper and I added a 7.5 watt solar panel to the truck. Never had an issue. Even at minus 40c up here in Canada.

Battery. Excide 750 cca would be a great start.

I got an excide 1200 cca (cold cranking amp) in my expedition

 

[gordizmom]

Hi and thank you for replying. Do you mean to say that the rear wiper constantly wipes the window? I know very little about cars so please excuse me.

 

[TobyU]

Check the rear wiper motor. Mine if used will stay running until it kills the battery. My expedition sits for 3 to 8 weeks at a time, to solve my issue, removed the motor to rear wiper and I added a 7.5 watt solar panel to the truck. Never had an issue. Even at minus 40c up here in Canada.

Battery. Excide 750 cca would be a great start.

I got an excide 1200 cca (cold cranking amp) in my expedition

I have read this before. How are you able to tell if it is staying on? Never seen one in person do this.

 

[outdare]

You can perform a draw test. This will tell you how much current is being used in a key off situation.



My father's 97 f150 gem/ body control module failed and was causing a battery draw. The dome light would come on and the radio would play.

Sent from my moto g(7) play using Tapatalk

 

[Blksmk]

I have read this before. How are you able to tell if it is staying on? Never seen one in person do this.

I could hear mine. Or take off the cover and see if its spinning. I disabled mine

 

[Atman246]

I've had the rear wiper issue too. I remember my ford service advisor friend telling me about it just after buying my 07. I got out of the truck one day,was walking away and heard the whirring. Turned around to see the rear wiper cycling. I've had issues with the handle sticking so when I had the trim off,i disconnected the motor until I replaced it. It would be easier just to remove the fuse,just be sure that it doesn't power anything else.

 

[gordizmom]

I've never seen the rear wiper staying on and in fact, I hardly ever use it because it makes a clunking sound when I turn it off.

 

[Aspen03]

You need to do a current draw test and start removing fuses one at a time until you isolate the circuit that is pulling current otherwise it's going to be random guesses and likely end up chasing this problem into next winter all while killing batteries along the way. Even the best battery isnt going to stand up to the abuse of multiple discharges.

 

[gordizmom]

The mechanic did this the other day. He still couldn't figure it out.

 

[Rich_007]

Is there a separate fuse for the rear wiper motor? I never use mine and will just pull it anyway if there is one. I haven't had dead battery per se, but have a relatively new battery and had it slow crank once in a blue moon for no apparent reason. It would be warm out and nothing left on. Just enough to make me think something intermittent may be getting ready to rear its ugly head.
My pain threshold for repair $$ is set pretty low. The old girl has over 280K on her and I am just using it to drive to work, limping thru one year at a time. Really enjoying not having a car payment.

 

[gordizmom]

I know very little about cars and don't know anything about fuses. I don't know if the mechanic checked the rear wiper fuse or not.
I too enjoy not having a car payment. I am retired and am on a fixed income so I can't afford to have a car payment anyway. Also, I moved to this state by myself not knowing anyone so there's no one I can ask to take a look at my truck without paying them.

 

[Tonyray]

I had the same problum with my 2000 expedition found out it was the radio. I put an aftermarket radio in and it has a wire hooked to 12V on all the time to keep the time and radio station stored. About 3 days of not driving it and the battery is dead.