Sporadic starting issue Ford Transit Connect 2011

[GertsWerks]

My 2011 Ford Transit Connect has sporadic issue with starting after it sits. Have been able in past to start with a jump. replaced battery. Problem persists. 134k miles. I’m a total novice but would like help to pass on to mechanic. ( I have spent $$$ with 3 different shops trying to solve this). The car starts for them no problem so they say. But there it sits in my driveway. Immovable again.Advice much appreciated.

[lowspeedpursuit]

Depending on how long you're letting it sit for, and what the temperature's like outside, the battery dying could be anywhere from "totally normal" to "parasitic power drain". Whatever mechanics have blown you off on this with "it starts right up" are idiots. As long as it's charging, obviously it's going to start right back up after you drive it over to the shop.

 

Assuming a drain, you can google how to find it with an ammeter through trial and error. Basically, you check see how much current is flowing out of the battery when everything is supposed to be off, and if you get a significant reading, you start pulling fuses until it drops, then you investigate the system covered by that fuse.

 

Before that, obvious places to start are: are any lights getting stuck on? This really should be taken care of by the auto-cutoff in the GEM that kicks in after a certain amount of time, but that system could be acting up. Are any relays getting hot to the touch, indicating that they're continually engaging and disengaging? Or, are there any non-stock accessories attached to the battery, like lights or power outlets for the cargo area?

 

If you're consistently letting the van sit for some time (say, >2 weeks) in between each use, it's might be best to set up a battery tender, and leave it plugged in when you're not using it.

[Double Nickels]

12 hours ago, lowspeedpursuit said:

Whatever mechanics have blown you off on this with "it starts right up" are idiots.

 

 

Some are also lazy.  They don't want to do the work.  They would much rather do simple things like oil changes with a coupon.  Some mechanics just don't know how to do it, and they know that they don't know how.  I'll admit that I don't know enough and that a customer should try to find someone with training in automotive electronics to troubleshoot and look for parasitic power loss.  

 

 

12 hours ago, lowspeedpursuit said:

Or, are there any non-stock accessories attached to the battery, like lights or power outlets for the cargo area?

 

 

Good point.  A lot of people leave things plugged in the 12V ports.  Radar detectors.  CB radios.  Dash cams.

 

 

 

It may not be the battery.  The battery could be fine.  The alternator could be fine.  It could be the starter.  Bad solenoid.  It could be wiring at the battery terminals.  Or a bad ground.  Maybe check the starter's connections.  My Dad used to say check the battery first, but then look for more.  Fuel pump?  Fuel pump relay?  Are the spark plugs okay?  Where do they get their "spark"?   The coils.  Where do those wires lead?  It's a lot of work.  

 

There have been a few posts with bad starting, or similar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[G B L]

how long does it have to sit?  A good battery tester will be of great help here.  Before you crank the TC get an Idea of what the condition the battery is.

The starter could be worn and that would make for an intermittent starting issue.

[lowspeedpursuit]

6 hours ago, Double Nickels said:

Some mechanics just don't know how to do it, and they know that they don't know how. 

Completely fair. I could also not be giving the shop a fair shake myself: maybe they had him drop the van off, let it sit in the lot for a week, then tried to start it and said "yeah, can't reproduce the problem".

 

I think we need more detail than is in the original post. He says "it used to start with a jump, replaced battery, problem persists". If it's still starting with a jump, that leans towards the battery eating itself again, although it could also be old starter/old wiring demanding absolute max juice. If it still has trouble starting, but a jump is now ineffective, that leans towards other causes. I'm a big fan of the diagnostic flowchart 1: check/clean/tighten major wiring connections, 2: jump/charge/test/replace battery, follow up on charging/drain as needed, 3: bridge solenoid, 4: tap starter lightly with a hammer. But, I work on shit from the dark ages, and my 2010 TC is far and away the newest vehicle I own.

 

In any event, any parts store can give you a (more or less) reliable pass/fail test on both the battery and alternator. They're not right 100% of the time, but it is free.

[Fifty150]

On 10/27/2022 at 7:55 AM, GertsWerks said:

replaced battery. Problem persists

 

 

That's one thing that we do know.  The battery is new.  Test the battery.  See how many volts it has.  

 

15 hours ago, lowspeedpursuit said:

any parts store can give you a (more or less) reliable pass/fail test on both the battery and alternator

 

 

Auto parts and battery stores have a machine which they hook up up to test the electrical system.  That's a good start.  You could buy the tool.  I've thought about it.