Dead SMax

[keith trowbridge]

Hello,

This is my first post on here, and I am desperatly looking for an answer to a problem with my 07 SMax 1.8 Zetec 6 speed diesel. Whenever the car is not used for more than 4 days it is dead, Cannot even operate the remote control in the key.Up until now it has gone to local Ford dealer, they keep it 10 days give it back and say try it. OK it then works fine until it is left for 4 days not used, it is currently in the dealers again, 7 days elapsed and no news. Problem for me is that it is on 62500 miles and out of warranty, does any one have any suggestions as to the problem, dealers just says never seen it before, plugs it in and says it has been remapped. I am seriously thinking of getting rid of it and getting a Transit Connect, but does that use the same engine and electronics in the LWB 110 version.

Many thanks in anticipation

[Dawnl]

Hi,

My Uncle has an auto diesel, his died as he was driving along, not sure what the dealer has done, talking to him Thurs will post to let u know what his outcome was.

Hello,

This is my first post on here, and I am desperatly looking for an answer to a problem with my 07 SMax 1.8 Zetec 6 speed diesel. Whenever the car is not used for more than 4 days it is dead, Cannot even operate the remote control in the key.Up until now it has gone to local Ford dealer, they keep it 10 days give it back and say try it. OK it then works fine until it is left for 4 days not used, it is currently in the dealers again, 7 days elapsed and no news. Problem for me is that it is on 62500 miles and out of warranty, does any one have any suggestions as to the problem, dealers just says never seen it before, plugs it in and says it has been remapped. I am seriously thinking of getting rid of it and getting a Transit Connect, but does that use the same engine and electronics in the LWB 110 version.

Many thanks in anticipation

[keith trowbridge]

The dead SMax is back from the dealer who say they can find nothing wrong with it. The engine cover is in the boot, the radio needs a code, the alarm sensors are covered in masking tape, and the date shows February 2006, Is this typical of Ford dealer service or am I expecting too much? I have decided to take the car back to the dealer Monday morning and leave it there until they put it right and then get rid of it,the dealer cannot tell me whether the Transit Connect uses the same electronics so it is goodbye Mr Ford and hello anybody that can provide a reliable disel load carrier.

[dmozz]

I bought a fiesta a number of years ago from a dealer - about 3 years old. battery kept draining every few days. Took it back, but they said it was fine ('tested' the electrics). I took the parcel shelf off and noticed the boot light was on and just removed the bulb to solve the problem. The moral is - don't trust the dealer, try looking for obvious drains on power. Good luck!!

[artscot79]

The dead SMax is back from the dealer who say they can find nothing wrong with it. The engine cover is in the boot, the radio needs a code, the alarm sensors are covered in masking tape, and the date shows February 2006, Is this typical of Ford dealer service or am I expecting too much? I have decided to take the car back to the dealer Monday morning and leave it there until they put it right and then get rid of it,the dealer cannot tell me whether the Transit Connect uses the same electronics so it is goodbye Mr Ford and hello anybody that can provide a reliable disel load carrier.

if the battery is dead then theres a drain somewhere are all the lights going out when its locked it could be faulty glow plugs though they would eventually burn out but ive seen some seats where they just dont switch off draining the battery to death if they have it for 7 days and it isnt draining then could it be summat you are doing ? the cover shouldnt be in the boot etc take it back touch nothing and ask for the manager then take him out and ahow him the car then tell him that theres a drsain somewhere and why canyt they find it as the battery should not be dead after 4 days they should do the basics battery test is the battery needing replaced...alternator test is it charging correctly... then with a voltmeter attatched they should be swithchindg the electrics on one at a time and checking the draw simple basic checks that take no more than 2 hours max to do if nothing is shown there then its difficult to find the issue the charging system is basically battery alternator voltage regulator and various sensors in between if the battery is dead either the battery fitted is wrong should be calcium/lead or silver calcium not lead acid as the charging system will fry these if its the right battery and its holding a charge then the alternator should be tested to ensure 1 its charging properly 2 its not faulty and not charging causing the battery to deplete then the voltage regulator should be checked

[Carlos McTavish]

I'm no mechanic but I am a reasonable electrician. I have suffered the exact same problem with my 08 S-Max after the car was left for a few days or I left the fridge on whilst camping. The camping incident was the first to show the issue as I thought I'd simply ran the battery flat but the car was not just low on electrical power, it was dead. 2 hours later the AA turned up but after 45 mins he was scratching his head calling for recovery. I suggested something that seemed outlandish but the AA man said why not as everything else had failed. What we did was to plug a cigarette lighter plug into the cigarette socket and dabbed the positive wire onto the battery directly. The result was that it "woke up" the car.

It was today that the second occurrence happened and I tried the trick again and again it worked. This time the car had been left for 3 days with no obvious drain on the battery. One of the things noted was that there was no power available at the cigarette socket or the interior light but there was AFTER I simply back fed the cigarette socket by dabbing the positive terminal on the batter to the centre pin on the socket.

I now carry a lead round with me in case it happens again.

Interestingly and unsure if its related. I recently had a ABS brake issue and Ford chose to replace two looms that they deduced as faulty.

Hope this helps and do the above at your own risk.

[tunne1rat]

I'm no mechanic but I am a reasonable electrician. I have suffered the exact same problem with my 08 S-Max after the car was left for a few days or I left the fridge on whilst camping. The camping incident was the first to show the issue as I thought I'd simply ran the battery flat but the car was not just low on electrical power, it was dead. 2 hours later the AA turned up but after 45 mins he was scratching his head calling for recovery. I suggested something that seemed outlandish but the AA man said why not as everything else had failed. What we did was to plug a cigarette lighter plug into the cigarette socket and dabbed the positive wire onto the battery directly. The result was that it "woke up" the car.

It was today that the second occurrence happened and I tried the trick again and again it worked. This time the car had been left for 3 days with no obvious drain on the battery. One of the things noted was that there was no power available at the cigarette socket or the interior light but there was AFTER I simply back fed the cigarette socket by dabbing the positive terminal on the batter to the centre pin on the socket.

I now carry a lead round with me in case it happens again.

Interestingly and unsure if its related. I recently had a ABS brake issue and Ford chose to replace two looms that they deduced as faulty.

Hope this helps and do the above at your own risk.

The cigar lighter socket is switched on and off by the general electronics module (GEM). Putting 12v on the socket could seriously dammage the GEM.

There is a TSB regarding a faulty light switch causing a flat battery.

[Carlos McTavish]

The cigar lighter socket is switched on and off by the general electronics module (GEM). Putting 12v on the socket could seriously dammage the GEM.

There is a TSB regarding a faulty light switch causing a flat battery.

Agreed, but the battery isn't flat. It is as though the GEM (as referred to) switches off completely and puts the car in a coma. If there was another way of "waking" this device then use that but removing the power and reapplying it didn't work.