draining battery (99 windstar)

This may sound like several other posts that I have searched through, but I'll post anyway.

The battery in our windstar will totally drain if the vehicle is not driven twice a day. Basically, it will drain in less than a day. I checked the current draw on the battery (with engine off, doors closed, key out of ignition). The draw was huge (~6-800 mAmps). Knowing that you can charge a battery with a 2A charge overnight, I understand why my battery is draining with a 0.8A draw constantly.

I think I have narrowed this down to Relays 1 and 4. The manual refers to these as "Switched power #3" and "Switched power #4". Each are responsible for around 250 mAmps. I do not know why these relays are energized. One of them powers the dome light circuit, including the dome/reading lights in the roof console and the reading lights over the sliding doors, but not the lower lights under the dash and low on the door pillar.

Intermittently, I am also having issues with these reading lights and dome light staying on while engine is running/driving, but there is no indication of the "door ajar" symbol on the dash.

When everyone else has these dome light issues, do you have a door ajar symbol illuminated?

I'm going to try the old WD40 trick tonight, Please respond!

-Michael

This is a post I put on Cartrackers quite a while back, luckily we can still view there even if we can't post anymore. Have you read this TSB concerning 99 Windstars and battery drain?

http://www.cartrackers.com/Forums/live/fordwindstar/1363.html

So last night, I went out and checked the current on the mini-van, and tried to trace it down through the fuses under the hood. After all of the dome lights went off and I was convinced the van was in "steady state", the current draw was about 0.720 A.

I started pulling fuses, and found four 40A fuses that each had 120-300 mA draw. Once I removed all 4, the current draw on the battery was only 50mA. This was the first time that I have seen the current draw blow about 350mA, since I have been checking it. (I have previously been trying the fuses inside the passenger compartment, with minimal luck).

The four fuses were labeled as follows in the owner's manual:
SSP1 Relay, SSP1 Relay (coil)
SSP2 Relay, SSP2 Relay (coil)
SSP3 Relay, SSP3 Relay (coil)
SSP4 Relay, SSP4 Relay (coil)


It may be worth noting that this is a 6 cylinder van, and there was no SSP5 or SSP6 listed anywhere in the fuse boxes. Regardless, I am assuming that the circuits should not be energized when the van is parked and turned off. I guess I am assuming that 3 of these are probably ignition coils, and the fourth is some other coil. My first thoughts are that the alarm/remote-starter control module wiring may be suspect.... that somehow when it was installed, someone wired the ignition coils to hot, rather than switched power???? This battery problem has just arisen in the past 6-9 months, and the system was installed before we purchased the van (over a year ago)..... though my wife drove the van to work, and back until 8 months ago, so the van may have never sat for more than 24 hours without being driven. I don't recall being able to trace the start of the problem back to the baby being born, and subsequently Amber staying home....

I have a wiring diagram coming to me that was purchased off of ebay.... I'm a little beyond my knowledge here. What's my next step?

-MW

mwedding
You are on the right track, I believe. You will find that all of these "switched power relays" have a constant positive 12v applied to their coils directly from the battery through individual fuses. It's the ground/negative side that is switched to energized the coil. For all these relays (#1, #2, #3, and #4)the negative "source" is circuit #1330(YE/LB) ... which is connected to terminal #21 of the Front Electronic Module (FEM)... and jumps to terminal #4 of the Rear Electronic Module (REM).

I don't understand why these relays exist hooked together in this fashion.... they don't make any sense to me, just all cost power if the negative signal gets "hung up". Probably the original Ford engineer did not intend that they all have a common negative signal....??

If you ever figure it all out, please share with me the logic.

Any idea as to what could be hanging the ground up? I am assuming that this is something that should be activated on switched power (ignition switch).

What is on these circuits? Or maybe I should ask what controls the rear module.

Thanks,
MWedding

I have the identical problem on my 99 windstar. I have traced it to the 4 relays you mention, SSPR 1-4. The coils are always powered. terminal #20 on the front electronic module AND terminal #4 on the rear electronic module are providing a ground to all four relays. The other ends of the coils are connected to +12 V.
Does anyone know why these relays are on? They account for about 600 mA worth of battery drain. Currently my battery drain is about 720 mA and every night the battery goes almost dead.

This is a post I put on Cartrackers quite a while back, luckily we can still view there even if we can't post anymore. Have you read this TSB concerning 99 Windstars and battery drain?

http://www.cartrackers.com/Forums/live/fordwindstar/1363.html
Did this problem affect any of the 2000 Windstars? I am having the identical problem you listed in cartrackers. I am pulling 700ma with everthing turned off. The Alt is good under load at 13.95V, so after reading this I can't help but think this problem might extend into the 2000 models. Can this be done at home?

The TSB covered 1999-2000 models and requires a PCM reprogram by the dealer to correct.

My 95 Windstar had this problem. Check under the driver's side floor carpet for a corroded connector.
Check out this post. He had the same issue with his 99 and it was also the connector.
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=506869.

Hello,
Does anybody has the schematic diagram for the windstar 99, I have the same problem with the battery and i wnat to fix it by myself, I already checked under the driver´s seat carpet and I dind´t found a corroded connector.

Please Help Me!!!

Do a Google search using word OPLIN, then enter arrc in the search of oplin, then scroll down to where it says omit exact wording ( something to that affect) click on it and scroll down to Auto Repair Reference Center, click on it and choose year and make then look in the wiring diagrams for that vehicle.

Your local library may also have this.

hope this helps

thank you tempfixit, i tried to get th diagrams, but a couldn´t watch it, when i select one of the diagrams the page goes blank.

thank you tempfixit, i tried to get th diagrams, but a couldn´t watch it, when i select one of the diagrams the page goes blank.

Do you have Acrobat reader installed on your computor?? You should be able to download for free. I just tried the site and it worked for me.

Ford Windstar 99 Drainig Battery,?
My windstar 99 is draining the battery, there are five relays that still activated when the truck is turned off. Two relays are from the Power Distribution Box: 303-SSP1 and 301-SSP2, and the other 3 from the Passenger Compartment Fuse Panel: Relay 1-Switched System Power Relay #4, Relay 3-Front Blower Motor Relay and Relay 4-Switched System Power Relay #3.
PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME WITH THIS PROBLEM

In my 98, I had a 350mA draw. I removed I/P fuse of interior light, current drops at 50mA.

In your 99, you can also try to turn interior light switch to OFF. Mine doesn't have this switch.

To repair the problem, I suggest you the Haynes repair manual, they have all electric schematic. I repair my problems with it.

If it doesn't work, just disconnect the 60Amp batt fuse when you leave your vehicles. Connect a backup battery in 12V outlet to keep radio preset.
And connect fuse back in morning.

I have a 2002 Windstar with a similar problem to the others in this thread. The main issue is that the battery goes flat if the Van isn't used for a few days.

I have done some diagnostics and found the following:
1. The drain seems to be related to the interior lights, based on pulling fuses. The biggest change comes when pulling fuse 1 of the internal fuse panel.
2. The entry lights for the sliding doors seem to stay on sometimes, even when the Van has been turned off and locked for quite a while. It may be happening regularly but because they are down low behind the driver they simply don't get noticed, especially in daylight.
3. I took the bulbs out of these two entry lights and checked the current drain through the battery and it seems to be in the 500-650mA range - it gets lower with time; 500mA seems to be about the minimum.
4. This remaining current looks to be related to coil current on internal Relays 1&4. If I pull them the draw goes down to around 50mA, which is probably about the lowest it will go on a normal vehicle.

I haven't yet looked at the connector under the driver's area carpet. That will be next on my list. (I am still confused as to why the two internal entry lights for the sliding door areas would stay on while other internal lights switch off - probably a clue but I don't have a decent wiring diagram).

I did also check the door open alarm on all the doors and it works well, suggesting all the door switches are operating correctly. Alternator and Battery check out OK.

(Also it seems this problem is worse in cold weather, but that may simply be related to battery capacity vs. temperature).

Suggestions welcome.

Maybe a door switch is not working. Do you have the red AJAR symbol in your dashboard?
If you just turn off the interior light with the main interior light switch, you still have the drain?

2003 Windstar Sport here, Third battery ,second altenator and finally problem almost solved. We to had dome lights coming on intermittently while driving, Its your key switch not the light switch, thats why no "door ajar" light comes on. That isn't what causes the problem though. These vans must SIT for one full hour to "power down " before you begin trouble shooting. Note - leave windows open so you can pull fuses after.
Our pile to was drawing .7 amps ,after less than one hour it droped to the proper 50 MA. After many trips to the garage to check meter I hear a click under the dash and here are the door piller lights between the front doors on all by themselves. Almost an hour later lights turned off again. I already had the seat out, carpet lifted and windows open so I poked every wire i could trying to repeat lights but nothing. Cheap solution for now was to pull the offending bulbs and kick front fender of most hated car ever (don't do this, it didn't help and now I have to explain the boot print:shakehead). Five days of sitting and 8degrees F and it starts. Yay:runaround:. We loved our 96 Windstar so we tryed this one:disappoin

I have the exact same problem, 99 windstar 600 mA draw verified ssp1,ssp2 on,(in standby mode) did anyone find out what is causing this?

I have the exact same problem, 99 windstar 600 mA draw verified ssp1,ssp2 on,(in standby mode) did anyone find out what is causing this?

Remove all the indoor panel fuse one by one, until the current drop.
Have someone check the current at the same time.

With the electric schematic (in service manual), you'll find the problem.

Check with your dealer if your van is the same but my 03 Sport has to sit for one hour to fully "power down". Checking fuses before this point is a waste of time. After pulling out the bulbs in the door pillars my vans starts perfect, sat for two different 7 day periods, outside in the winter and still started:biggrin:.

Check with your dealer if your van is the same but my 03 Sport has to sit for one hour to fully "power down". Checking fuses before this point is a waste of time. After pulling out the bulbs in the door pillars my vans starts perfect, sat for two different 7 day periods, outside in the winter and still started:biggrin:.
It doesn't make sense, if you remove interior panel fuse or BATT mega fuse, current should drop if bulbs are always lit.

I didn't say that the fuse is blown. It has nothing to do.

Going to dealer is expensive. This is an easy fix.

What I'm saying is I asked my dealer about the 600 to 800 Ma draw with nothing on. Head Tech said to wait one full hour before checking as it takes that long for the van to fully "power down" and as was checked many times before that it will drop to 50 MA after this time period. As I said in an earlier post everything was great and then all on its own the lower piller lights came on and then turned off about an hour later. I was chasing my tail looking for problems that weren't there trying to find the 600 to 800 draw when I should've waited the hour.
I paid the dealer to replace my interior light switch as all the interior light would come on while driving. Months later the problem really showed up hitting bumps. BIG KEY CHAINS pull down and will screw up the Key switch---- You know , it turns on the lights when the key is removed!
No doubt pulling lights isn't the full cure but is much cheaper than paying 10-12 hours labour for the oil changers at the local stealers:lol:

I think you may find what you're looking for over here:

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=7034879#post7034879

-dougl

Just to reconfirm ,I'm still on the same battery and haven't had one problem since pulling out those lower lights. However , dent is still in the fender where the boot hit it :lol: . Kids piont out all the Windstars with electrical problems based on the fender dent:rofl: