Battery charger

[potter18]

My 2013  fiesta,s stop start system does not cut in at all , in January I had a dash cam installed( professionally), but I think the main reason is our change of use of the car, my wife used to use it everyday for work but as she changed jobs last year she no longer uses the car and uses the bus instead, now we use the car twice a week although I try and give it a blast down the dual carriageway when we do use it, so my real question is can anybody recommend a trickle battery charger that can be left safely connected for a few days and not damage anything on the car ? 

[m1tch]

11 minutes ago, potter18 said:

My 2013  fiesta,s stop start system does not cut in at all , in January I had a dash cam installed( professionally), but I think the main reason is our change of use of the car, my wife used to use it everyday for work but as she changed jobs last year she no longer uses the car and uses the bus instead, now we use the car twice a week although I try and give it a blast down the dual carriageway when we do use it, so my real question is can anybody recommend a trickle battery charger that can be left safely connected for a few days and not damage anything on the car ? 

A good battery should be fine for quite a while without being used, I had a Bosch S4 battery in a previous car, started fine even after 3 months standing, I have a feeling there could be a battery drain somewhere - perhaps the dashcam isn't switching off or its drawing power. Might be worth checking to see if there is a battery drain somewhere before looking at trickle chargers - how old is the battery?

[Trewithy]

Ctek battery chargers can be left connected for long periods to maintain the battery charge when the vehicle is not in use without doing harm to any of the electronics.  I use mine once a week just to ensure the battery is well charged.  Available from Halfords and amazon, not cheap but one of the best you can get.

[potter18]

4 hours ago, m1tch said:

A good battery should be fine for quite a while without being used, I had a Bosch S4 battery in a previous car, started fine even after 3 months standing, I have a feeling there could be a battery drain somewhere - perhaps the dashcam isn't switching off or its drawing power. Might be worth checking to see if there is a battery drain somewhere before looking at trickle chargers - how old is the battery?

Cars coming up to 3 yrs old battery on car since new , car always starts fine 

[karl46]

After you give it a good blast and the battery is topped up, does the stop go kick in?

If it doesn't then I would think that its not the battery at fault., but sonething else connected to the stop go switching.

[Trewithy]

Going for a blast down the dual carriage way may not charge the battery at all as the Fiesta has smart charging which only charges the battery when there is no load on the engine i.e. when you take your foot off the accelerator. That's the way I think it works, if anyone can correct me then please do.

[Sharla]

I have a 2013 Ford Fiesta. I had a tow truck driver (had to call for a boost) tell me yesterday that this vehicle needs to have a charger top it up every few days or it only drains the battery while driving. I don't understand. Is this true? I bought a charger but want to make sure I actually need it.                                                                                  He called the car a cell phone on wheels. ha ha ha 

[unofix]

It's not so common for 2013 vehicles to need regular battery charging, but very common for all vehicles 2015 onwards. Having said that, at this time of year it is important to keep the battery charged and that may well include charging it every 3 or 4 weeks.

You need a smart battery charger, the Maypole unit is very popular and reasonably priced at around £25. Please take care to connect it to the battery with the positive lead directly on to the battery terminal, and the negative lead on to the main chassis earth point, NOT the battery terminal.

Put it on overnight charge for at least 12 hours. If this doesn't keep the battery topped up and fully charged then you might be in need of a new battery.

Maypole: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maypole-7423A-Battery-Charger-Electronic/dp/B009A83P1E/ref=asc_df_B009A83P1E/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309775958298&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=700103239695392327&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006688&hvtargid=pla-563002901022&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

[Eatonm112]

On 12/8/2022 at 9:47 PM, Sharla said:

I have a 2013 Ford Fiesta. I had a tow truck driver (had to call for a boost) tell me yesterday that this vehicle needs to have a charger top it up every few days or it only drains the battery while driving. I don't understand. Is this true? I bought a charger but want to make sure I actually need it.                                                                                  He called the car a cell phone on wheels. ha ha ha 

If it was me I would just buy a new battery providing that you still have the original one fitted as its coming up to 9 years old. With the colder weather now here it will leave you stranded somewhere as the cold affects the chemistry of the batery.

[unofix]

2 hours ago, Eatonm112 said:

With the colder weather now here it will leave you stranded somewhere

Too late !!

The OP must be stranded somewhere, they've not made it back to the forum since their post last Thursday 🤣