Well, dangit. Someone owes me a freakin' battery blankie.

 

I kept having issues with the stock battery, bought an Optima 3 years ago and haven't had an issue since.

 

couldn't find that post, new on this board, just found out how to get to my old posts, won't make that mistake again.

 

you can go to your local autozone and have them test your charging system for free. Keep in mind sometimes at idle it will show it is charging but as soon as you add some RMP's the charging rate drops. That means bad alt.

 

Advance Auto also tests batteries, starters, and charging systems free, and the tester will prompt for idle loads off, 1500+ plus loads off, idle loads off, and 1500+ loads on and compare ..... and if loaded with paper ..... print out results for keeping. If it doesn't prompt for those and simply says "turn off engine" ..... bad juju for charging system .... or just a plug undone?

 

Ok here goes, I have been having trouble with the battery going dead on this car, I keep a battery tender on while not driving. Today while I was driving the radio came on ( I keep the radio turned off most the time) I turned the radio off. I parked the car and we had to move it and the radio was on again. On the way home the radio came on and said low battery and the lights on the dash all came on the the car quit running, while I was waiting for the wrecker the radio came on and the cd player started changing channels. Now during all this the car will not start. When I got the car home I put he battery charger on it and charged it for a few minutes and got it started and put it in the garage(cranked right up as if nothing was wrong). I am thinking all this is related to the radio. I pulled the fuse under the hood and will put the one inside tomorrow. Could all my problems be with the shaker 500 radio? Has anyone had this problem? Thanks for any info

 

I took the car to Advance Auto today, was told the battery was good but the alternator was not charging. Drove the car home and will pull the alternator tomorrow and replace it. I also pulled both fuses to radio.

 

That killing of the battery several times was probably not very good for it

 

I've read quite a few posts on Mustang website forums of folk having unwarranted battery failures and seems the Shaker radios get a lot of mention.

Mine has a base AM / FM / CD stereo, is a 2008, and has OEM battery still.

 

I bought a new alternator today and installed ,I still have the fuses for the radio out,I might put the one back in the goes inside the car or I might wait a few days and see if the battery goes dead again, I have also read where the shaker 500 radio has given alot of trouble. The thing that I am worried about is that the radio came on while I was dead in the water on the side of the highway Saturday night I still had the fuses in for the radio then maybe I wait before installing them...might be time for a new radio also.

 

It won't hurt to leave the fuse out for a few days just to see what happens

 

That is the same thing my wife said today..so I will leave it out for about a week and go from there.

 

Yep, said that 2 weeks ago...

 

I pulled the fuse that is under the hood about two weeks ago but I put it back in after four days when the battery was dead again. This time I pulled both radio fuses and replaced the alternator, I haven't cranked the car since Monday afternoon but I will take it out today and see how things go, if the battery stays charged I will see about replacing the radio.

 

Monday will be two weeks since I put he new alternator on haven't had any trouble with the battery going dead.still have both radio fuses out..I think I will put them back in Monday and see if I have any trouble ,if I do then I will be getting a aftermarket radio.

 

cool keep us updated.

 

Sorry it has taken me so long to reply on my battery issue,but here goes ..like I said I replaced the alternator and everything seemed find till I had to let the car sit for 8 days, tried to start the car and battery was dead, Stll had all the fuses for the radio pulled, my son came over with a volt meter and I had a 1.3 amp pull all the time, started pulling fuses and as soon as we pulled the 30 amp fuse under the hood for the front radio amp the constant drain quit, we left the fuse out and I have had no more issues with this problem, I replaced the radio fuses and everything works just fine.Thanks for all the help ya'll gave me.

 

So the fuses were defective?? That would be a major find if it's that simple!

Seems like Gary (2k7gtcs) isolated a number of circuits and always thought it was from the stereo circuit.

The problem was so random. Some had it, some didn't.

My 08 has had zero issues and I store for 5 months of the winter (starting and driving up to temp every 4-5 wks, doors not locked so alarm is off). Still on factory battery.

 

A... bad fuse?



That's just weird. And scary.

 

Or maybe some oxidation on the fuse's terminals(acting like a resistor)? Was the fuse warm at all when you pulled it out?