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Thanks Tomt, good info. I'll ask the dealership about a replacement battery as well. So far over the past two days the car has been fine and starts without issue, however you bring up a very good point and I don't want to risk future battery problems.

BTW, Ford specs two batteries for this 2.0L 2013 Escape, the BXL-96-RA (MSRP $89.95) and the BXT-96R-590 (MSRP $109.95). After a quick look under the hood I see that the factory installed battery is the BXT-96R-590. If a replacement is necessary I'll be sure to insist on the same battery.

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Regarding the issue of putting the car in neutral when the battery is dead, a quick look on page 153 of the 3rd edition of the owner's manual explained how to perform a manual override. I feel dumb for not reading the manual first! :doh: Basically, you'll need to pop the shifter plate cover off from the shifter base with a small flat head screwdriver, then use the brake shift interlock lever to move the shifter into neutral. Other automatics I've owned have usually had a small sliding lock release tab near the shifter to perform this, this 2013 Escape is a bit different.

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The lesson to be learned from all of this...disconnect your battery cables if the car will be parked for several weeks! (or spend a day at the dealership to get the TSB 13-03-04 applied and possibly need a new battery). If a new battery is installed I'll be sure to ask the service technician how he did it and if there are any tips/tricks we can use to do it ourselves. To this day I still have no idea how to replace the darn battery in this car!
 
Discussion starter · #22 ·
Tomt said:
Just a note that you have almost certainly trashed the battery so it should also be replaced. Lead-acid batteries sulphate quickly when left completely discharged and never recover from it...

TacoJunkie said:
Well, I too just came back home to discover a completely dead battery! After 5 weeks overseas my 2013 Escape Titanium w/panoramic moonroof was completely dead.
Mine wasn't 5 weeks but it was about 4. How do we go about having a dealer replace the battery if it goes bad early?
 
calilopez said:
Has anyone learned yet how to change the battery? I am still trying to figure it out.
Here is what the workshop manual says:

Disconnect the battery ground cable. Refer to Battery Disconnect . Cover the positive battery terminal while removing the negative battery cable clamp to prevent damage from a short to the positive terminal.

Remove the Air Cleaner Intake Assembly. Refer to Section 303-12 .

To install, reverse the removal procedure.

For vehicles with window one-touch up, perform the window motor initialization. Refer to Section 501-11B

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For those of you with dead battery problems, here is the drain test procedure:

Battery Drain Test

NOTE: No factory-equipped vehicle should have more than a 50 mA (0.050 amp) draw.

NOTE: Many electronic modules draw 10 mA (0.010 amp) or more continuously.

NOTE: Typically, a drain of approximately 1 amp is attributed to an engine compartment lamp, glove compartment lamp or interior lamp staying on continually. Other component failures or wiring shorts are located by selectively pulling fuses to pinpoint the location of the current drain. When the current drain is found, the meter reading falls to an acceptable level. If the drain is still not located after checking all the fuses, it may be due to the generator. Disconnect the generator and retest.

NOTE: To accurately test the drain on a battery, an in-line ammeter must be used between the negative battery post and its respective cable. Use of a test lamp or voltmeter is not an accurate method.

Make sure the junction box(es)/fuse panel(s) is accessible without turning on the interior lights or the underhood lights.
Drive the vehicle at least 5 minutes and over 48 km/h (30 mph) to turn on and activate the vehicle systems.
Allow the vehicle to sit with the key out of the ignition for at least 40 minutes to allow the modules to time out/power down.

Connect a fused jumper wire (30A) between the negative battery cable and the negative battery post to prevent modules from resetting.
Disconnect the negative battery cable from the negative battery post without breaking the connection of the jumper wire.
NOTICE: To prevent damage to the meter, do not crank the engine or operate accessories that draw more than 10A.

NOTE: It is very important that continuity is not broken between the battery and the negative battery cable when connecting the meter. If this happens, the entire 40-minute procedure must be repeated.

Connect the battery tester between the negative battery cable and the post. The meter must be capable of reading milliamps and should have a 10-amp capability.
NOTE: If the meter settings need to be switched or the test leads need to be moved to another jack, the jumper wire must be reinstalled to avoid breaking continuity.

Remove the jumper wire.
Note the amperage draw. Draw varies from vehicle to vehicle depending on the equipment package. Compare to a similar vehicle for reference.
NOTE: If the vehicle sits for an extended period of time and the battery drains, there is the possibility of a control module staying alive and not going into sleep mode. If a module does stay alive, it can also result in battery drain. If a module is suspect, isolate individual modules by disconnecting each module one at a time and note if the excessive draw goes away.

NOTE: For vehicles equipped with aftermarket bodies or boxes which contain electrical connections, disconnect the aftermarket to factory connections to isolate the body from the chassis.

If the current draw is excessive, remove the fuses from the BJB one at a time and note the current drop. When the current level drops to an acceptable level after removing a fuse, the circuit containing the excessive draw has been located. The excessive draw can be isolated by continuing to pull sub system fuses. Do not reinstall the fuses until testing is finished. To correctly isolate each of the circuits, all of the fuses may need to be removed, then install one fuse and note the amperage draw, remove the fuse and install the next fuse. Continue this process with each fuse.
Once the main circuit is identified, continue to remove the fuses from the SJB one at a time and note the current reading. Do not reinstall the fuses until testing is finished. To correctly isolate each of the circuits, all of the fuses may need to be removed, then install one fuse and note the amperage draw, remove the fuse and install the next fuse. Continue this process with each fuse.
Check the wiring diagrams for any circuits that run from the battery without passing through the BJB or the SJB . If the current draw is still excessive, disconnect these circuits until the draw is found. Also, disconnect the generator electrical connections and retest if the draw cannot be located. The generator may be internally shorted, causing the current drain.
 
TacoJunkie said:
BTW, Ford specs two batteries for this 2.0L 2013 Escape, the BXL-96-RA (MSRP $89.95) and the BXT-96R-590 (MSRP $109.95). After a quick look under the hood I see that the factory installed battery is the BXT-96R-590. If a replacement is necessary I'll be sure to insist on the same battery.
Interesting, this is the same battery (96R) that the old hybrid had. Note that its dimensions are smaller than a typical Group 35 or 40 battery that most cars have and those batteries may not fit in the stock 96R battery tray.
If you want a small AGM battery that fits in the stock 96R tray, you can check out an Odyssey PC1200. It might need a different hold-down, though.
 
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