[Convertible 5.0]

I think I did a BIG no, no and took some Orange cleaner and washed the entire underhood of my 94 convertible GT. It had been on a dirt road and road grime and debris was all over the engine.

It cleaned up well.. but now it will not keep a charged battery when key is out!! I'm on my second battery and it still zaps it. It will make the "Check Engine" light stay on even when the key is OUT (after it drains). I did check the computer behind the pass kick area.. just for a touch wet test. It passed dry. I did this before I replaced the battery.

My former ford mechanic tech stated it was probably the computer got wet during the cleaning. He said buy a used one or new one. Yikes! $200. cheapest I've found thus far guaranteed to work.

Anybody heard of this happening and could give me any tips on what to dry out to see if I could get it staying charged when the key is out?

[dcraig8]

sounds like you got the distibutor wet under the cap. check it out.

[Convertible 5.0]

So water under the cap will make a drain on the battery? I knew it would keep it from starting.. but drain a battery when turned off?

Zowie. I'll look.

[Convertible 5.0]

Nope, no water.. but lots of crud under the cap on the rotor end and posts.

[Convertible 5.0]

Ok.. I've taken my meter and put it between my positive wire and positive terminal on my battery. It reads a 12.50 volt draw.. without the key on.

I've taken my alternator out totally and still get this draw. I've also unhooked a few items on the motor and still get this draw...

I then took out all my high current master fuses under hood one by one and nothing. I only get a 2 volt on the Cig Lum (assuming Cigarette Illumination). If this was 12v I would check it out more.. but it's only 2v running thru the fuse and it doesn't make my meter dip at all.

So I guess I'm headed inside next.. but how do you open the door and get to the panel without tripping a volt to display? Remove the door fuse?

Any insight helpful.

[dcraig8]

check your main engine ground to make sure that it is tight. that being loose will cause all the problems you are having...

[Convertible 5.0]

Thanks. Will do. Btw..where is that located? hummm

[dcraig8]

on my 94 it is located just forward of the left motor mount about the same level. it will be a large gauge cable.

[Convertible 5.0]

Well. I added a HUGE cable from the block to the strut tower brace bolts that mount into the body. Nothing. Do I need to connected somewhere else?

I also went thru my Fuse Block and found the offending drains.. but it is several of them. I then took each one at a time and removed the interior fuses to see if I could eliminate them to the inside. I only found inside fuse for two out of the several in the fuse block that when plugged.. draw power over 12v stated by my meter.

Whew.. the rabbit hole is going deeper. Do you actually thing it is my Computer? If I were to unplug my computer would that not erase the draw... IF it is the culprit?

I'll post some photos later.

[dcraig8]

follow your battery ground cable to where it connects to the block... thats your main engine ground

[Convertible 5.0]

First... I guess I've been doing it all wrong... testing with my meter. I tested my 97 Ford OffRoad and it had the EXACT same voltage draw on the battery as the Mustang does.. so bingo.. I was doing something wrong. *sigh*. I have disconnected practically everything and tested the false/wrong way above.. so I guess I need to be schooled on the Amp draw usage or basically even how to use a meter etc. I'm going by a friends house today that knows more about how to use it. Another friend suggested that I keep disconnecting things until that large spark goes away when I apply the positive to the battery. This is a hard way to tell.. I need something more reliable.

The car runs fine. It just will kill a battery overnight.

[turp]

First in order to measure a draw on the batt. you must read amperage IN SERIES(very important) in the neg. cable. You will need at least a 20 Amp voltmeter and hook the positve to the batt. cable and the neg. to the battery (make very sure the pos. lead on the meter is set up for amps.) Key out car at rest take your reading ensuring that the leads are not broken away from the batt. and cables. You will have a large draw of amp( about 1A) to start with and as the computer shuts down different systems it will diminish until it is down to less than .5A It usually only takes a minute or two for the computer to completely shut down but the service manual says 30 or 45 minutes (I think). If you end up with an amperage reading of over .5A you have a parasitic drain on the battery and can then start pulling fuses and attempt the reading again. You should be able to narrow it down fairly quickly. Just remember to NOT re-install the fuses you have checked until you find exactly which one it is. Then you can take the appropriate action from there. I hope this helps!

[Convertible 5.0]

turp, exactly.. I have to be able to determine the draw so this is what I did today. See if I'm thinking correctly.

The meter ( I have ) is set on 20 A and the Red cord is set on 10A DC plug. After I did this I got a reading from .71 to .97 (see image link below)
http://img304.imageshack.us/img304/8804/ampshotwu5.jpg

I tracked it down to my Hd Lps. 50 A Fuse under hood. Dropped to zero.
So I put it back in and went inside the car and immediately pulled the interior #8 so the door chime and lights wouldn't effect it and it all immediately went to zero.

#8 Removal.
http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/4614/8fuseouttm7.jpg

Then everything showed zero with the meter..
http://img414.imageshack.us/img414/9347/ampsoffog3.jpg

BUT something tells can't be the source of my battery going dead or can it?

This is what #8 does.
Chime for Keys in Ignition
Courtesy Lamps
Engine Compartment Light
Glove Box Light
Power Windows
Radio (MCM)
Instrument Cluster (MCM)
Clock
Trunk Lamp
Anti-Theft (door open sig)

I would think since none of this is under my hood except the engine lamp (no bulb in it).. the rest of this is just needed to keep memory and supply power? Or does the amps not push unless it's an absolute draw...?

It still cranks runs, and my power windows STILL work??
We shall see if this is the source thats killing my battery(s).

[dcraig8]

have you checked your main engine ground?

[Convertible 5.0]

(dcraig8 - thanks! yes I did try that and I even added another monster cable grounded to the chassis - no result when I did but thanks for the tip )

Well success on day two successful startup! whoo hoo... No battery drain apparent. I'm almost afraid to admit that I have narrowed it down at least to interior fuse #8.

So I have to determine next what it is on the #8 that is causing the constant drain. The freaky thing was I put the #8 BACK in and didn't get any drain whatsoever now!?

So either it's an intermittent thing or removing the power overnight.. released the stuck relay? This is why I hate electronic stuff.

Maybe I'll leave it hooked up and push all the buttons inside to see if I can start it back draining

[turp]

My first guess would be that there is a short somewhere in the #8 Fuse circuit somewhere AFTER the fuse.

[Convertible 5.0]

Today I discovered that my power drivers seat doesn't work? Bingo?
The seat could have been stuck on and when I disconnected the fuse.. it nuked it?

I did also had my seats professionally cleaned and it could have shorted the connections or fried my seat switch.

[ret27m]

Did you know that there was a factory recall on the power seats that probably caused your problem. It was a recall on ALL 94's yuou may be able to get it fixed under the rcall, hope this helps.

Campaign Number: 95V062000 Date: 1995-Mar-27

Component: Seats

Defect Summary: THE WIRE HARNESS ON THESE SEATS IS BANDED TO THE FRONT SEAT CUSHION SUPPORTS. THE END OF ONE OF THE SUPPORTS CAN PUNCTURE THE HARNESS, RESULTING IN A HIGH RESISTANCE ELECTRICAL SHORT.

Consequence Summary: OVERHEATING CAN RESULT, AND MELTING, SMOKE AND POSSIBLE IGNITION OF THE SURROUNDING MATERIALS CAN OCCUR.

Corrective Summary: DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE TIE STRAP FROM EACH OF THE FRONT SEATS.

[Convertible 5.0]

Zowie... this probably exactly it. Thanks for this info.
I doubt they will fix it.. but knowing is comforting.

I will stop by and rub it in for sure.

[ret27m]

Just for the heck of it I called ford and told them I had the problem, they said that if the recall had not been done that they would do the repair under the recall. It cant hurt to try.