Battery trouble after car has been off for extended time

Asked by Ben Oct 16, 2018 at 11:57 AM about the 2008 Ford Fusion SE V6

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Okay to sum it up briefly my battery will hold a charge and
start the car unless I turn the car off for 30 minutes or more
with the battery still connected. If I disconnect the positive
cable from the battery terminal and then turn the car off it
stays charged up and will start up again after

1 Answer

26,780

Your battery is draining. Check amp draw. I use 50 ma as a generic spec, that is .050 not even a tenth of an amp. If much higher, there is a problem. Check for lights left on in the vehicle, interior--trunk--under the hood. The best time to check is in the dark. It might drain back through faulty generator? Pull/replace fuses one at a time, when you pull the fuse on the problem circuit, the drain returns to normal, then you check everything on that fuse circuit. Any applicable trouble codes? In my area some of the national brand auto stores will check codes for free.

2 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    GuruVGPHS
    Reputation
    8,060
  • #2
    Michelle Tapley
    Reputation
    3,060
  • #3
    Katherine Ramirez
    Reputation
    1,660
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Toyota Camry
48 Great Deals out of 1,142 listings starting at $4,795
Used Honda Accord
50 Great Deals out of 974 listings starting at $2,995
Used Ford Focus
15 Great Deals out of 512 listings starting at $2,995
Used Chevrolet Malibu
54 Great Deals out of 1,065 listings starting at $2,495
Used Ford Taurus
5 Great Deals out of 80 listings starting at $2,499
Used Honda Civic
188 Great Deals out of 4,003 listings starting at $440
Used Nissan Altima
27 Great Deals out of 673 listings starting at $3,153
Used Ford F-150
318 Great Deals out of 13,660 listings starting at $3,800
Used Ford Mustang
46 Great Deals out of 1,664 listings starting at $5,977
Used Ford Escape
119 Great Deals out of 4,173 listings starting at $3,495
Used Dodge Charger
26 Great Deals out of 879 listings starting at $5,495
Used Toyota Corolla
142 Great Deals out of 2,244 listings starting at $2,699
Used Ford Explorer
65 Great Deals out of 2,071 listings starting at $3,333
Used Ford Edge
86 Great Deals out of 3,756 listings starting at $4,000

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.