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Ford Escape Electrical Problems

130 messages,  Last post on May 20, 2013 at 8:42 PM

You are in the Ford Escape Forum.

What is this discussion about? Ford Escape, SUV

Messages Page 4 of 14

#26 of 130 Re: Alternator issues [tstimpfle] by aremp

Jan 02, 2010 (1:34 am)

Replying to: tstimpfle (Dec 23, 2009 4:25 pm)
I am having similar issues with my 2005 Ford Escape.
 
I have about 130,000 km on it. Got my battery replaced for the first time last winter.
 
However, since the summer, I have had to replace the same battery 3 times now. (All under warranty, so that is ok.) The current battery is less than 3 weeks old now and if the vehicle sits more than a day it wont start.
 
I noticed that taking short little trips wears out the battery it seems. It turns over when I start it, but it struggles. If I take long (200+ km) trips, then it will start no problem.
 
I also noticed on the highway that my lights dim. They seem to fade out (not off) slowly and gradually so that it is barely noticeable, but then for whatever reason they kick in again and I realize I have been driving with my lights on at about half strength.
 
The altenator was checked a few months ago, and they found nothing wrong with it.
 
I was going to have it replaced, but am worried this may not solve my problems.
 
Wondering how anyone else here made out with getting their altenators replaced.
 
If you could email me, it would be much appreciated.
 
emailbobjenkins(AT)gmail.com
 
thanks

#27 of 130 Re: Alternator issues [aremp] by steve_ HOST

Jan 02, 2010 (12:42 pm)

Replying to: aremp (Jan 02, 2010 1:34 am)
Please don't ask for "personal" help via email. We all benefit when a problem is discussed on the open forum. Thanks.

#28 of 130 Re: Alternator issues [aremp] by ashley44

Jan 04, 2010 (6:55 am)

Replying to: aremp (Jan 02, 2010 1:34 am)
Just to let everyone know what has ensued: After taking the Escape to a Ford dealer, they seemed eager to check out the alternator ... go in that direction. Frankly, after reading much on the web about people and similar Escape situations, I shot over to an AutoZone, had them read the codes and none appeared...none. The person at AutoZone said that the majority of issues like this she'd seen over her tenure were all traced back to faulty plugs. I then decided to hold on the Ford service until my next scheduled maintenance--a few weeks from now--when they'll be changing the plugs anyway. Incidently, the problem hasn't occurred since the last episode. But I did call Ford and share the Autozone comment about the plugs with them, and they agreed saying that if Autozone's code check hadn't produced any faulty codes then Ford's wouldn't either. When I mentioned my service documentation not ever showing a change of plugs in over 5 years, save a problem I once had just after purchasing the Escape--a bad #6 plug was replaced and its coil sprayed cleaned (was causing horribly bad starting and sluggish acceleration after only 10 or so thousand miles) Ford did offer up the fact that they use 100K plugs and that would have been the reason for no plug changes. For now, I'm going to put my money on the plug change which will occur in three weeks or so. I'll also, as a matter of course, have Ford check out the starter--a diode was mentioned as a possible culprit, also battery, which in my case is pretty new--and then I'll check back in here and share with the chat folk.

#29 of 130 Re: Alternator issues [ladydi081565] by emagpies

Jan 04, 2010 (12:55 pm)

Replying to: ladydi081565 (Jul 13, 2009 11:35 am)
Just had this same thing happen to my wife's '05. Had the battery checked, it was okay. Was just about to tackle changing the alternator and thought I'd better read a little to be sure something like this wasn't out here.
I guess I'll take the alternator back and see what the local Ford place has to say and get back.

#30 of 130 Re: Alternator issues [aremp] by tstimpfle

Jan 05, 2010 (4:03 pm)

Replying to: aremp (Jan 02, 2010 1:34 am)
I put in a second battery and it ran for about 2 hours. The shop ( licensed Ford Dealer ) has it now and there are changing the alternator again. This is the third in about 4 months. The first was bad out of the box. I also purchased the supposed top model alternator. They have run diagnostics and say that they cannot find a problem. Having read about other people with similar problems I believe it is something wrong with the Escape and will more than likely trade it in. I would like to mention that all of the replacement parts have been covered by warranty , so I guess it is a good thing that it burns things out so quickly. lol

#31 of 130 Everything Dimming by bobbiebryant

Jan 09, 2010 (9:13 am)

I have a 2001 Escape and on 2 or 3 occasions, I would be driving and suddenly all of the dash and headlights would noticeably dim for just a few seconds. Then everything would go back to normal. I have tried to force this to happen by turning all the lights on and the radio all the way up. The battery is new. can anyone help?

#32 of 130 FOGLIGHTS INOPERATIVE!! by vg33e power

Feb 02, 2010 (10:34 am)

Looking for someone that knows for sure what could be wrong with my Escape. I installed an HID kit on my Escape and it works great, I lost my high beams because I got the non-hi/low HID kit. However now my foglights do not work. I checked the fuses and I know for sure that the installation is correct because I followed it step by step. The HID bulb is using the low beam connector/power because when I switch it to high beams the HIDs turn off meaning that they are not using the high beam connector to get power, therefore, it is not a matter of my switch being in the high beam position which turns off the foglights.
  
There is power to the foglight switch because it still illuminates and all other lamps (parking, turn signals, stop, back-up and HID (headlamps)) are in perfect woking condition. Any help or suggestions???

#33 of 130 ford escape misfire by dimefan

Feb 05, 2010 (12:00 pm)

I'm working on a 2005 Escape 3.0l one of the coil packs has been replaced but the miss returned, I was asked to look at it, the miss is on the #4 cylinder I have tested it with a known good coil and have no spark, I have power at the connector but no spark at all. I can unplug the connection and it does not change the miss, if I unplug any other coils it get worse so I have traced it to this spot, but even with a known good coil it makes no difference. Any suggestions?

#34 of 130 Re: 2005 Escape Ltd Power cut out [ashley44] by sara28

Feb 08, 2010 (6:51 pm)

Replying to: ashley44 (Dec 29, 2009 3:09 pm)
Not sure If you had the problem resolved, but I had something very similar happen to me. I had driven to Texas over the Holiday and on my way back the engine light came on and started flashing. I thought maybe I had gotten some bad gas because the car would drive fine for a while but then it would sputter. Made it about 30 miles from home the theft light came on and the car stopped in the middle of the highway. My mechanic determined that my catalytic converter had burnt out all but 2 coil packs. Once I had everything replaced, the car was been fine. Unfortunately I was about 2000 miles past my warranty (78,000 ). I read some place else in this forum where there was a similar problem around 78,000 mi.

#35 of 130 Re: 2005 Escape Ltd Power cut out [sara28] by ashley44

Feb 09, 2010 (1:53 pm)

Replying to: sara28 (Feb 08, 2010 6:51 pm)
Thank you for the info. I meant to post what ultimately fixed my "theft light and engine cut out," which continued to unpredictably happen, that I and others have wondered about here in this chat room.
 
For my particular problem, it was this simple:
 
I had all six plugs changed. Ford installed new 100 kmile platinums. The old ones made it to over 95,000 before konking out. Along with this, to avoid a large bill in the future, just in case, and at the suggestion of the Ford rep I dealt with, we replaced the three rear spark plug coils. It has driven perfectly since.
 
There is one thing I can alert everyone to: make certain your Ford dealer has connected everything correctly when finishing up. Mine didn't! I got the check engine light this time, one day after picking the Escape up from Ford. Kind of threw me. But after reporting the light to them--just a light, no engine problems whatsoever--Ford said bring it back in. I did, and I have to say they were honest about this--the mechanic who had done the job left one wire dangling and disconnected. I was charged nothing, and the truck runs almost as good as the day I purchased it (2005). That's it ... that's all!

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