Chronic Dead Battery Issue is Back?

[JackJack]

So, 2013 Ford Edge AWD - wife's car. She works for an airline, so the car is frequently parked at JFK for a few days, and she often comes back in during the evening.

 

Back in 2015 we chased a chronic dead battery issue, put in a new battery and still would turn up dead, with nothing having been left on, etc. Ended up replacing the BCM, kinda pricey with labor, but seemed to do the trick.

 

Last night get a call from my wife, she's in the desolate crew parking lot, dead battery on the Ford, nothing was left on, and to make matters worse, she was parked head-in with cars on either side of her, and she couldn't get the car into neutral to roll it back for her jumper cables to reach the good Samaritan's car. She's no dummy, but said it just wouldn't shift with the key twisted, and there was enough juice to light the dome light. Had to run AAA out there with their long jumpers.

 

What the hell is it with Ford Edges and whacky battery drains? Not knocking the car on the whole, but I have zero tolerance for a spontaneously unreliable car for her (for me too I guess). Is it likely the BCM again, or is there another well-known issue causing the battery drain?

 

And why the heck wasn't she able to put the car into neutral?

[Chipster]

...And why the heck wasn't she able to put the car into neutral?

Just a guess, but probably because there was insufficient voltage to satisfy the brake interlock switch that controls the shift out of park.

[akirby]

There is a manual override to shift into neutral - instructions are in the owners manual.

Edited January 16, 2017 by akirby

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

It is definitely a frustrating issue. I would put a device on the battery to shut off all :accessory" power after a certain amount of drain. As a failsafe. Too many modules, and shifter, and CD player, etc. that are in play.