OK, new to me 2009 Hybrid Escape, 96k miles... Got it home and it wouldn't start in the morning... a few jumps later, and turns out the 12V battery was bad/ self-discharging, (even tho manufacture date was from Oct 2019) got a new battery from AutoZone. (could have sworn the old battery tested good before, would jumping it too often make the battery self-discharge?)

On the new battery there is still a 1.4A pull with the car off (tested from the Neg battery post to the disconnected Neg cable.. positive still connected to the car) That seems like a huge parasitic drain. . Tested after 5-min with the car off/locked/doors closed... (when I connect the probes, there is a small spark, and the headlights flash on for a moment, is that normal?)

I left the neg disconnected overnight, and the car started this morning when I re-connected it. So that's a start!

With the old failing battery, I tested every fuse, all had a 0mV reading (except #27 / Ignition Switch) but that was like 0.01mV, very very low. I assume that was for the blinking security key light on the ignition.? ... I wonder if I have to re-test now with the new battery .... the old one was around 9V at that time, so maybe too low to be showing anything?

After I did that test (removing fuses, cleaning, reinserting) .. the next morning it took 5x different cars trying to jump me before it would start! (with the old battery, even tho it metered 13V while jump-connected to the other cars) It eventually worked once I disconnected and reconnected the neg terminal,(maybe reset the computer?) went in the back, turned the safety disconnect on the HVB battery to unlock, and back to lock, and hit the red HVB switch in the trunk ... That's when I drove down to AutoZone and got the new battery

• - Did removing all the fuses somehow trip the HVB safety feature? I don't want to test fuses again with the new battery until I know ....
  
• - How do I test the relays?
  
• - The top dome light didn't work .. I removed it/disconnected and no change. I also unplugged the rear defrosters, and the rear windshield wiper .... No Change.
  
• - I read about a bad alternator diode sucking juice when the car if off .. but the Hybrid doesn't have a alternator right? It's a DC-DC converter .. where is that and is there anything I ned to check on the HVB (I don't think my fluke could handle that) ... I get +14V when the car is on at the battery, so that seems to be working
  
• - Would jumping the old battery too often cause it to suddenly self-discharge? I don't want to damage this new battery
  
• - is it normal for the headlights to pop on for a moment/tiny spark when attaching the probes for a parasitic drain test (Fluke Amp reading in series with Neg battery to Neg hook up cable)
  
• - After leaving the Neg disconnected, I loose my clock, sound presets (bass/RDS), etc... but DO NOT loose the pre-programmed FM stations...

HELP. I'm in Brooklyn, and all the shops are closed because of this shut-down. So trying to figure out what is the issue, and disconnect or pull it so I can have a 'working' car until things open back up and I can get whatever is causing the root problem repaired. .. Also Anyone in the NYC/Brooklyn area know a good mechanic who understands this hybrid? All the taxis use this, so there must be someone

 

did one of those in my lifetime - lot of work. From what i know (or knew at that time) the amps you should see with nothing on is about 350 milliamps. that provides for the radio being hot,
and alarm system and the clock running. I thought the procedure was to take out each fuse and go back to the meter and see if the meter drops. if it drops, then that is the circuit that contains
the element that is causing the problem. (your setup was correct)
i would not worry about the relays.
i dont know about removing the fuses and causing some thing to happen (trip the safety switch); not that i know of.
the 300 plus volt converter to 12 volts is on the passenger side on the fender well behind the 2nd antifreeze holding container water goes through it to cool it.
there is also a dc- to - ac converter in the transaxle along with a transaxle control module.
the answer is Yes abut the flash of the headlight

 

One thing I would add is that your 12V battery should be the best that you can find. Nothing happens unless that 12V is hot. Many here use the Optima batteries. If you are stuck with AZ, at least buy the highest reserve (not CCA) amp rating you can find.

 

A few things:

It is never necessary to touch the HV battery safety disconnect unless you need to do so for safety reasons, i.e., you are going to work on/adjacent the HV system, and you need to isolate the battery for safety reasons.

The parasitic drain of any stock vehicle several minutes after power-off and any smart-key system has gone inactive is less than 50mA, not 350mA. 350mA would drain a typical auto battery flat in less than a week.

Optima batteries are utter garbage. They are made by Johnson Controls (or whoever bought that division) in Mexico along with 80% of all batteries in the industry alongside Walmart and parts store brands. Optima used to be a premium brand, but now they're just over-priced.

Exide is made in the U.S., but they are continuously being cited for site contamination. On that basis, I won't buy them.

Best general advice is to buy the cheapest battery with the longest warranty, and even a brand new 12V can't be trusted. A 12V battery isn't good until it has passed a load test regardless of age.

Often, an over-the-counter OEM battery is extremely competitive especially when considering the much longer warranty they tend to offer. A Toyota Yuasa-made (in Japan) Prius battery is about $40 more than an Optima Yellow top, but it has an 84 month warranty. I routinely pulled original Toyota batteries out of 04-09 Prii in AZ after 8-10 years.

On to the OP's issue... in order of ask:

Possibly.

You check for function/coil resistance/open-close circuits when appropriate

Bulb?

Correct. Sounds normal.

No. If a battery needs frequent jumping, it's the deep discharge necessitating the jump that's causing the damage, not the jump.

Headlights, not sure. Don't think so. Spark when connecting? Sometimes a very small one, but if you have something pulling 1.4A, it will be bigger.

You're on the right track with measuring current. Not sure how you tested your fuses. If you just took voltage readings across the fuse, then yeah, you're going to have a 0 or near 0 voltage. If you checked each fuse to ground, then you should see a voltage.

I would look for an aftermarket alarm system that's mucking things up. Look for any aftermarket wiring or something spliced in somewhere. Aftermarket audio amplifier/speakers?

With the ammeter connected, disconnect each and every fuse to see if it changes.

 

Not endorsing Optima at all, just relating what I have seen others post. Never bought one.
I would argue your position on Exide re EPA violations. I was somewhat involved at the time. But this is not the place.

At any rate, based on the above, I would suggest you buy a Motorcraft battery from the Ford dealer. They now only offer their top-spec battery in all applications, all at the same price $139.95 IIRC. Every one has a 10 year warranty, with a straight pro-rate per month. If you use that battery for 15 months before it fails, then a new one costs you $139.95 minus 15/120ths of that. (Battery companies have traditionally sold at retail then warrantied at wholesale.)

 

I have a 2009 and 2011 Ford Escape hybrid and both a 1.5 amp parasitic draw from the battery, to the inverter and then finally the cable from the inverter to the electric motor housing. I disconnected every fuse with the hybrids fully asleep and it still drained. And here's the Kicker. It's intermittent - like weeks at a time then it's good for a week ! I have not delved into the electronics inside the housing where it enters. I did regen the power drive battery by taking it all apart and cycling them. Can the inverter send current on it's own? Or is the motor pulling the juice? More later. Any help is appreciated.