2017 SHO Battery Drain

[sho goes]

Hope everyone enjoyed their xmas.
I am storing my new SHO for the winter in my heated garage. The car has been parked since Nov 1, a couple of weeks ago I opened the door and nothing no interior lights at all. I looked at the battery, the little window on the battery was red. I got my volt meter and it read 1.76, put a charger on it for a few hours, light is still red and it doesn't go above 1.76 v
Called Ford and of course they need to see the car before they will replace the battery, I am not willing to take it to the dealer on the salty roads so I bought a new Motomaster battery. Hooked up the battery and all is good, I decided to put my battery monitoring charger on it, these are the units that will keep it topped up over the winter. Well the charger was full green as expected meaning the new battery was fully charged. A couple days late I notice the monitor has turned red meaning the battery was charging, this is unusual it should not be draining at all.
So my question is has anyone else experienced this sort of issue? I don't mind just leaving the monitor on for the entire winter however this is a $50k car with only 300 miles on it......

 

[SHOdded]

Could be many reasons. A bad battery from the factory, known to happen on occasion. Let it sit too long without use it will continue to discharge. 100mA-400mA draw is considered normal, if you want to check it out. Also the charger needs to be an intelligent-type charger to charge the battery properly. Old style chargers can cause overheating of the battery, and possibly early demise. A battery brain type device could be a fallback if nothing else works.

 

[Magna]

Hook a trickle charger to it and leave it alone. Its what I do to all my batteries, RV, motorcycle and extra battery. Cold weather will drain a battery quicker if not used.

 

[Johnbigdog]

Should only have a 50 mA draw. 500 mA is too much.

What kind of batter charger/tender are you using. Are you sure it doesn' float charge it occasionally?

If your going to store the car untill spring, just electrially disconnct the battery. I'm certain the owners manual states to disconnct if storing over 30 days. Being the car sat for 30 days without a charger, may not have a problem. A batter draw test will tell for certain.

 

[Johnbigdog]

Owers manual v1 page 265 : http://www.fordservicecontent.com/F...s-Manual-version-1_om_EN-US_EN-CA_10_2016.pdf

VEHICLE STORAGE If you plan on storing your vehicle for 30 days or more, read the following maintenance recommendations to make sure your vehicle stays in good operating condition. We engineer and test all motor vehicles and their components for reliable, regular driving. Under various conditions, long-term storage may lead to degraded engine performance or failure unless you use specific precautions to preserve engine components. General • Store all vehicles in a dry, ventilated place. • Protect from sunlight, if possible. • If vehicles are stored outside, they require regular maintenance to protect against rust and damage. Body • Wash your vehicle thoroughly to remove dirt, grease, oil, tar or mud from exterior surfaces, rear-wheel housing and the underside of front fenders. • Periodically wash your vehicle if it is stored in exposed locations. • Touch-up exposed or primed metal to prevent rust. • Cover chrome and stainless steel parts with a thick coat of auto wax to prevent discoloration. Re-wax as necessary when you wash your vehicle. • Lubricate all hood, door and luggage compartment hinges and latches with a light grade oil. • Cover interior trim to prevent fading. • Keep all rubber parts free from oil and solvents. Engine • Change the engine oil and filter prior to storage because used engine oil contains contaminates which may cause engine damage. • Start the engine every 15 days for a minimum of 15 minutes. Run at fast idle with the climate controls set to defrost until the engine reaches normal operating temperature.

• With your foot on the brake, shift through all the gears while the engine is running. • We recommend that you change the engine oil before you use your vehicle again. Fuel system • Fill the fuel tank with high-quality fuel until the first automatic shutoff of the fuel pump nozzle. Cooling system • Protect against freezing temperatures. • When removing your vehicle from storage, check coolant fluid level. Confirm that there are no cooling system leaks and that fluid is at the recommended level. Battery • Check and recharge as necessary. Keep connections clean. • If storing your vehicle for more than 30 days without recharging the battery, we recommend that you disconnect the battery cables to maintain battery charge for quick starting. Note:It is necessary to reset memory features if battery cables are disconnected. Brakes • Make sure the brakes and parking brake release fully. Tires • Maintain recommended air pressure. Miscellaneous • Make sure all linkages, cables, levers and pins under your vehicle are covered with grease to prevent rust. • Move vehicles at least 25 ft (7.5 m) every 15 days to lubricate working parts and prevent corrosion. Removing Vehicle From Storage When your vehicle is ready to come out of storage, do the following: • Wash your vehicle to remove any dirt or grease film build-up on window surfaces. • Check windshield wipers for any deterioration. • Check under the hood for any foreign material that may have collected during storage such as mice or squirrel nests. • Check the exhaust for any foreign material that may have collected during storage. • Check tire pressures and set tire inflation per the Tire Label. • Check brake pedal operation. Drive your vehicle 15 ft (4.5 m) back and forth to remove rust build-up. • Check fluid levels (including coolant, oil and gas) to make sure there are no leaks, and fluids are at recommended levels. • If you remove the battery, clean the battery cable ends and check for damage. Contact an authorized dealer if you have any concerns or issues.

 

[SHOdded]

Owner manual? What is this creature?

 

[sho goes]

I use a tender that uses three different modes of charging, solid red the unit is charging, flashing green means the battery is at 80% charged and solid green means the battery is fully charged. I use several of these are my cars and motorcycles when I store them for the winter. The one on the SHO never gets to solid green, I see it flashing green once in a while but its mainly or red which tells me the battery is constantly charging. My bikes and cars are at solid green and have been since storing them in November.

 

[Yipeekayea]

I am really disappointed with the way Ford engineered this car charging system wise. Especially after reading all the stuff about needing to reset the "BCM" with a simple battery change. See my thread about the issues I'm having. I've never owned a car with such a finniky, fragile charging system. In My 1985 Camaro I could run the radio for hours and still start the car but my $50k late model SHO can barely handle 10 minutes with the door open before I need a jump. Pathetic.

 

[sho goes]

Thanks for the reply, I will read your thread although I have a feeling I will not like what I am reading. I stored my 2016 Mustang GT last year, the car sat for 6 months, in the spring I got in turned the key and away I went with not one issue. I have a funny feeling the SHO is going to leave me stranded somewhere because of the battery.

 

[SHOdded]

I hope not!!!

 

[SilverSH0]

Thanks for the reply, I will read your thread although I have a feeling I will not like what I am reading. I stored my 2016 Mustang GT last year, the car sat for 6 months, in the spring I got in turned the key and away I went with not one issue. I have a funny feeling the SHO is going to leave me stranded somewhere because of the battery.

I started up my SHO this morning just to let it run for about 30 minutes. It's been sitting since the end of October untouched and not hooked to any battery charger. Put my foot on the brake, pushed the start button, and it started up. It was a little bit slow cranking so I could tell the battery was a bit low. But after sitting for over 2 months it still started up.

What happens if you disconnect the positive cable on the battery and leave it connected to your charger. Will it ever show completely charged? It might be an issue with a new battery (I've had bad new batteries before).

 

[sho goes]

I am going to try that to see if I can get the battery to a full charge.

 

[Yipeekayea]

Thanks for the reply, I will read your thread although I have a feeling I will not like what I am reading. I stored my 2016 Mustang GT last year, the car sat for 6 months, in the spring I got in turned the key and away I went with not one issue. I have a funny feeling the SHO is going to leave me stranded somewhere because of the battery.

Yep, it will. they seriously under-engineered this car in the charging and battery department for the amount of electrical crap they loaded it with. I'm hearing from a lot of SHO owners that not many people have batteries that last more than 2 years. **** the old POS walmart battery I had in my F150 lasted 8 years.

 

[Lostneye]

I just changed the original battery in my 2013 last month after having to jump it after playing with forscan for a half hour.

 

[jtreber]

I had to replace my battery exactly 3 years from the day I drove it off the showroom. No warnings whatsoever. One slow crank and it was finished.

 

[Foran]

Why store a rapidly depreciating car , which is the best winter car I've ever owned when equipped with winter tires. Your call but I say drive it !

 

[Lostneye]

Why store a rapidly depreciating car , which is the best winter car I've ever owned when equipped with winter tires. Your call but I say drive it !

I agree. If guys with tons of appearance mods who show the car like Bpd can do it(well not anymore but still) so can I. Just am sure to wash it often enough to keep the salt off of it.

 

[bpd1151]

I agree. If guys with tons of appearance mods who show the car like Bpd can do it(well not anymore but still) so can I. Just am sure to wash it often enough to keep the salt off of it.

I enjoyed using my SHO as a DD for its' first 5yrs, including during CHI-Town's most craptastic winters (blizzard of 2011, and then the sub zero, arctic like temps the following years, where (actual) temps dropped down into the -20 range. It was a blast to drive. Even with the lowered H&R's at that time.

But for me personally, having so much invested into my SHO to date, it would've been poor decision making on my part, to continue driving it everyday. Primarily in the Winter, whereas the worry isn't so much me, or the conditions, but more so how other people tend to drive during such weather.

Also, the materials used here, to keep the roads clear (salt, beet/brine juice, sand) would've continued to be detrimental. During the Winter, I would hook up a 'Y' splitter to the HOT water side of my laundry washer tap/water service, and extend a garden hose into the garage and clean the bejesus out of the SHO, as well as other cars we own/drive. Using the HOT water helped tremendously in eradicating all that crap off from everything.

But again, it wasn't uncommon for me to do so, 2x-4x per week.

Now that both the SHO, and I, are a little bit older, I've chosen to be easier on both of us, by purposely choosing to no longer use my SHO as a DD. Instead, relegating it's use exclusively for car shows, track events, and/or the occasional leisure drive around town.

There is value in these cars, and depreciation is normal. But there are always interested buyers down the road. Just look at how regarded the older GEN's are now. Especially those in truly good condition. Sought after for sure.

But ultimately, to each their own. I drove mine like I said, daily, for 5yrs straight. Tons of fun and these are meant to be driven. But at some point, there are those die hards to the platform, like myself, that are dedicated to keeping them long term. Again, akin to the tradition of the previous GEN owners.

It's a Taurus thing people.

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[Foran]

I really doubt if they will ever have collectible value. I like them but they are big heavy outdated Cop/family cars with cramped interiors. Without fleet buys , I doubt they would still be made.

 

[bpd1151]

Oh, and speaking of battery drain, etc.

I prevent that by using a unit/device that is BOTH a power converter, as well as a smart charging system.

They can be sourced by visiting either of the two below listed websites:

http://powerflow-usa.com

https://thewireszone.com/p-5774-pow...to-12v-dc-100-amp-power-supply-converter.aspx

These are great devices to not only power your display at car shows (especially those indoors, where battery disconnect is mandatory) but it also smart charges your battery as well during extended storage periods.

Hope that's of help to some of you looking for options. Wanted to be sure to keep on topic of the OP's thread as well. Good luck!

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