Constant Low Battery

[David Kowalewski]

Hi Everyone:

I have had my 2009 Sport Trac since new and i love it.

A couple of weeks ago, I go to start the car and the battery barely moves the starter before it starts. I had the battery completely checked and it's good. Also, the alternator voltages look good too. i cleaned the battery terminals and everything seems ok. This is the second week for this problem. Any ideas? A night charge seems to bring the battery to life for another few days.

 

[seville009]

How old is the battery? A battery can show “good” voltage numbers but may fail a load test.

If the battery is more than three years old, if it was me, I’d stick a new battery in. Can’t hurt, and it may solve all your problems.

Or if you have another vehicle around and can swap batteries with that, try that and see what happens.

Just best to rule out the simple stuff first.

 

[David Kowalewski]

Thanks for the quick reply. i went to the store where I bought the battery and they metered it and gave me a printout saying the battery is fine, voltage, CCA, etc. it's only 2-1/2 years old. i may try your idea of a batter from another car. I also will try removing fuses to see if there is a power drain when the car is off.

 

[seville009]

If it turns out the battery is not the issue, another possibility is the starter itself going bad. In a Ford truck forum I follow, there was a thread about how the bolts in the starter being loose and causing issues. No clue if that applies to Explorer starters. Also check the grounds/connections on the starter to make sure they’re clean and tight. Maybe one has just worked loose over the years

 

[Tech By Trade]

Mine did that, it was the main starter wire that was pinched by the water pump after I changed it. eneded up taking it all apart and soldering it back up. Works well now. You could try dunking the cable ends in baking soda and water for a bit as well, they could be corroded.

 

[David Kowalewski]

Good to know, I'll check it out!