2002 Ford Windstar battery keeps doing dead

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I have a 2002 Ford Windstar, mileage 61,234, garage kept and in excellent condition.
On 6/30/12, I went to take the car out but the system was completely dead. We put a charge on the battery overnight to no avail. We then replaced with a new battery and it started right up (7/1/12). The car ran well until 7/18/12 (17 days) when the system again was completely dead.

This time I had the car towed to the Ford garage where they kept it for 2 days and could not find a problem. They installed another new battery (charging parts and labor). The car drove well again until 8/15/12 (less than a month) when the styem was dead again.

The car was towed back to the Ford gagage and kept for another 2 days. They said the electrical system was checked completely and they could find nothing wrong. They put a charge on their battery and told me to drive the car at least twice a week. That’s where we stand at this time.

I am not satisfied with their diagnosis and would appreciate any suggestions or comments you may have about this problem.

Many thanks,

2

Try an independent shop. This should be a really easy trouble shoot. At worst it takes a few hours of removing fuses while monitoring the power drain on the battery. An alternator test and a starter drain test are also called for. But this should not be days of checking if you kill a battery in three weeks.

3

You may be able to determine where the current is flowing with one of these gadgets. It basically plugs instead of a fuse and allows you to read the current.
http://www.harborfreight.com/20-amp-automotive-fuse-circuit-tester-67725.html

4

I wouldn’t be surprised if the alternator was at fault and needs to be replaced.

@RemcoW
That is a nice current tester for a good price. I think I need one of those myself. Good find. Thanks.