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Old 05-27-2007, 11:24 PM
mikecee48 mikecee48 is offline
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Re: F150 Won't keep charge

Yep, electrical problems can be a real pain in the rear. You're on the right track though. As you've done, it's a matter finding the circuit that's draining the battery. Pulling each fuse and then checking to see if the battery draw has reduced is usually the first step.

I had an auto repair shop years ago and electrical was one of our specialties. The shops will simply charge you their per-hour rate and do the same checking. We did discover common problems in the various cars that allowed for quick fixes though. One problem causing a drain-down in some cars was bleed-back current through a bad diode in the alternator rectifier, but I suppose that was checked when they tested your alternator.

One thing often needed is a wiring schematic (diagram). Check the Haynes books for your year/model, they usually have them in the last pages. You might need a magnifying glass to read parts of it. You should then be able to tell what fuse #21 is on and go from there. The same with the other fuses you mentioned.

One thing to remember is that there is usually always a small drain caused by radio clocks, the computer, alarm systems, etc.

Finding a mechanic who is good at this stuff is rare. If you get good at this, you could make some good bucks!

One nice thought about doing all of the replacements that you've done is that many of those parts wear out anyway, you've just beat them to the punch : )
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