Drained Battery
Dusty77
06-19-2006, 09:28 AM
I was wondering if anyone can help me here; I have a 99 Windstar 3.8L with 150,000kms on it, when I shut the van off I have power to my radio and power windows for 10 mins or till one of the doors are opened, if I sit inside of it and let it go till the 10mins are up and the radio shut off, when I go to try and start it the battery is dead and I have to jump it, I was wondering is it the battery or something else that's just draining the battery alot, not sure how old the battery is cause I bought the van used, it does start up fine any other time tho, any help would be great, thanks
phil-l
06-20-2006, 04:04 PM
The 10-minutes-or-until-a-door-opens feature is a handy factory feature. The interior lights will also turn themselves off after awhile (20 minutes, IIRC) if a door is left open.
If the battery is unable to start the engine after only 10 minutes of radio use, I suspect the battery is dying. A voltmeter will tell you if it's hanging on. Get a decent digital multimeter ($20 or less for basic models) and learn to use it; it's a valuable tool.
Note that other problems (dirty battery connections, starter problems, etc.) can cause similar symptoms.
If the battery is unable to start the engine after only 10 minutes of radio use, I suspect the battery is dying. A voltmeter will tell you if it's hanging on. Get a decent digital multimeter ($20 or less for basic models) and learn to use it; it's a valuable tool.
Note that other problems (dirty battery connections, starter problems, etc.) can cause similar symptoms.
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