# 2008 Ford Taurus - Battery drain where to start? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** ford\ **Created:** [February 12, 2020, 6:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-ford-taurus-battery-drain-where-to-start/158392 "2020-02-12T18:50:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dannis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@Dannis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Dannis)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 6:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-ford-taurus-battery-drain-where-to-start/158392/1 "2020-02-12T18:50:55Z")
New battery…car not driven much…once a week short distance…something is draining battery. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 3:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-ford-taurus-battery-drain-where-to-start/158392/2 "2020-02-13T03:05:08Z")
The first step is to measure the battery current with everything turned off. It should measure less than 50 mA. It can take 20 minutes or longer after the car is turned off and the doors are locked to get everything, all the computers etc, turned off. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 7:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-ford-taurus-battery-drain-where-to-start/158392/3 "2020-02-13T07:40:42Z")
The computers in the vehicle are draining the battery, try recharging the battery once a month. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 12:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-ford-taurus-battery-drain-where-to-start/158392/4 "2020-02-13T12:30:36Z")
Once you determine if the parasitic drain is within normal limits, my suspicion is the once a week short drive is not enough to recharge the battery. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 1:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-ford-taurus-battery-drain-where-to-start/158392/5 "2020-02-13T13:57:22Z")
I agree with Purebred. You might need a battery tender here. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 2:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-ford-taurus-battery-drain-where-to-start/158392/6 "2020-02-13T14:16:52Z")
> [@Purebred](#): > > my suspicion is the once a week short drive is not enough to recharge the battery. +1 That “short distance” drive, once per week, is not sufficient to recharge the battery after using the starter, which uses a LOT of the battery’s charge. If the OP operates the heater and headlights during those very short drives, that means the alternator has even less of a chance of recharging the battery. Additionally, as was already stated, the car’s computers and the car’s security system are draining the battery while the car “sits” for extended periods of time. For the sake of the car’s battery, its exhaust system, and the engine itself, the car needs to be taken out for a highway drive once each week, for at least 30 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 4:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-ford-taurus-battery-drain-where-to-start/158392/7 "2020-02-13T16:09:38Z")
> [@lion9car](#): > > You might need a battery tender here. Yes, a battery tender will help the battery, but unless the OP begins to drive the car as it was intended to be used, the engine and the exhaust system will suffer greatly. Note to @Dannis: In case you are not aware of it, all car manufacturers define your current usage of the car as **“severe service”**. That type of usage mandates that the oil be changed at least every six months in order to prevent an accumulation of damaging sludge that is deposited in the engine as a result of driving it only for short distances. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 5:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-ford-taurus-battery-drain-where-to-start/158392/8 "2020-02-14T05:46:42Z")
> [@George\_San\_Jose1](#): > > The first step is to measure the battery current with everything turned off. It should measure less than 50 mA We are in agreement You used to mention a much higher number What changed your mind . . . ?! ---
**Author:** ![pyrolord314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6a8cbe/32.png) [@pyrolord314](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pyrolord314)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 4:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-ford-taurus-battery-drain-where-to-start/158392/9 "2020-02-14T16:37:08Z")
> [@db4690](#): > > You used to mention a much higher number > > What changed your mind . . . ?! hopefully the three or four hundred times you told him otherwise?? 🤔 🤔 🤣 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 4:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-ford-taurus-battery-drain-where-to-start/158392/10 "2020-02-14T16:39:41Z")
> [@pyrolord314](#): > > hopefully the three or four hundred times you told him otherwise?? 🤔 🤔 🤣 🤣 I have a feeling he learned it the hard way . . . He may have measured a 500 milliamp draw with his multimeter and decided it was okay . . . only to have have a dead battery in the morning 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pyrolord314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6a8cbe/32.png) [@pyrolord314](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pyrolord314)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 5:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-ford-taurus-battery-drain-where-to-start/158392/11 "2020-02-14T17:30:42Z")
> [@db4690](#): > > I have a feeling he learned it the hard way . . . > > He may have measured a 500 milliamp draw with his multimeter and decided it was okay . . . only to have have a dead battery in the morning 😉 nothing teaches better than experience! My friend is a master plumber in Tennessee and has said this many times when he gets apprentice plumbers working with him. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 3:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-ford-taurus-battery-drain-where-to-start/158392/12 "2020-02-15T03:48:35Z")
This is what Optima Battery Corporation says " a 25-milliamp draw is normal and anything that exceeds 100-milliamps indicates an electrical issue" If I suggested 500 ma is normal, that’s my mistake. But as much as 100 ma could be normal for newer cars according to Optima. > **[What is "normal" for a parasitic draw?](https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/experience/2010/12/what-normal-parasitic-draw)** > > What is "normal" for a parasitic draw? ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 4:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-ford-taurus-battery-drain-where-to-start/158392/13 "2020-02-15T16:21:42Z")
> [@George\_San\_Jose1](#): > > as much as 100 ma could be normal for newer cars according to Optima. huh . . . Well, I wouldn’t tell anybody 100 milliamps is acceptable I’m sticking to 50 milliamps max 😜