Van battery question

[Snikwahjm]

Free but they didn't fix the cause of the dead battery...

[Gr8ful]

I had a mouse pee on the wiring & computer, just had storage insurance as it was my plow truck. The insurance totalled it & paid me more than I would have. Storage insurance cost me $50/year & works like comp does. I just put new pepermint oil on cotton balls in both diesels today. Hope it's not that.

[Snikwahjm]

It's the lights they come on automatically everytime the door goes open. If I don't move the van the battery dies. It is a Ford problem.

[justjim]

The interior lights? Turn the dimmer switch for the dash lights all the way down and it won't happen. I can't help you if it's the head lights. That only happens on mine if I unlock it.

You could put a disconnect switch on the starting battery unless you are using it as a house battery too.

[GypsyDogs]

or if it is a Side or Rear door that is tripping the lights all the time - put a piece of tape over the toggle.. lights won't go on..

[Snikwahjm]

We can’t find the door switch. I think it must be computer. I wonder if I need LED replacement of some kind on the ceiling. There is a lot of light. For now I switched the ceiling lights off. I’m trying to keep an eye on the outside lights. Those come on when ever the door opens or the key is touched. I wondered about a switch on the battery or disconnecting it when I’m parked but I worry if it will screw up the computer.

[B and C]

Disconnecting the battery for a time will erase what the computer learned and put it back to factory defaults (radio stations too). It won't harm a thing.

Edit to add: You may want to check the manual to see if there is a way to turn the interior lights off when a door is opened. Changing the bulbs to LED will help too. Incandescents draw a lot of power.

[GypsyDogs]

There should be a 'program' to op out of exterior lighting. Consult manual - some wizardry with ignition and buttons and stuff

[Snikwahjm]

I asked the dealer to make the computer not turn on lights unless I turn them on. They said they can’t do anything about it, I say they haven’t updated their info. I saw on linewhere some dealer updated the computer. I asked them if they get this a lot. No direct answer. I’ll try another dealer. If no Joy, I’ll have Texas Jaybird help me holler at them.

[Trebor English]

With my Ford I installed a battery disconnect.  All the doors trigger both the front and rear computers then they turn on relays to supply everything.  For example, the relay that supplies the AC blower motor comes on even though the AC blower motor is off.  The computers and relays stay on for 30 minutes.  The disconnect works to end the battery death.  I had no other issues.  When you reconnect the battery the headlights flash and sometimes the horn honks, not stealthy.

The solar panel charging the starter battery will also work.  What I have is an upgraded deep cycle battery that gets solar charged.  The one battery runs everything including the starter and the MaxxFan over my stove.  In 3 years I have never had a failure to start. 

A computer fix is unlikely.  Some doors are connected to the rear computer.  Some doors are connected to the front computer.  The computers talk to each other over the network.  When one computer sees a door open or close it wakes up the other computer.  The computers turn on relays to supply power to stuff.  Other things like stepping on the brake pedal have a similar effect.  The brake pedal wakes the front computer.  It uses the network to wake the rear computer to have it turn on the right brake light and the left brake light.  They are separate switches on the ground side of the brake light bulbs.  The +12 volt side of the brake light bulbs is switched by one of the four relays.  If you get any help from Ford please please please post it here. 

I have a 1999 Ford Windstar.  My brother in law has had several large Ford sedans that behaved the same way.  I suspect Ford uses the same or similar computers in many of their vehicles.