Hi, when I purchased my Fiesta Mk8 ST this year the insurers insisted that I fit a Thatchem approved immobiliser. So I decided to fit a Metatrak Plus immobiliser/tracker, which also has a tracking facility and I can use an app to disable the car even if someone has the keys.

I came back from a 2 week holiday to find that the battery was flat. I've had the battery checked and apparently there's nothing wrong with it. I've been told by the breakdown guys and a battery supplier that this is common and there's nothing I can do about it other than keep it on permanent trickle charge. So if I go on holiday again and leave it at the airport for a week or 2 I can expect a flat battery again! 

Anyone got any suggestions (other than to get rid of the car, 'cos its wicked!)?

 

10 hours ago, Harry Gadsden said:

Anyone got any suggestions (other than to get rid of the car, 'cos its wicked!)?

Hi Harry, welcome.

Assuming the immobilizer is not causing drain, which presumably has been checked, it's pretty much par for the course I'm afraid as you can see from the full thread (and the many others on the same topic).

Unless your pattern of use exactly suits the parameters of the "intelligent" charging system, you just have to keep an eye on the state of charge (see below courtesy of @unofix😀) and give the battery regular top ups. 

I've already had my current car on the charger several times, same with my previous Mk 8.

Not a lot of point swapping cars either as you will find similar threads on most makes forums these days.

 

Thanks Eric.

I'm going to buy a CTEC charger suitable for stop start. Do you know whether I can charge the car via the cigarette lighter or does it have to be via the battery terminals? 

Battery terminals , well actually positive terminal and the body earth point

 

3 hours ago, Harry Gadsden said:

or does it have to be via the battery terminals? 

• Positive of the charger directly to the positive battery terminal.
• Negative of the charger to the chassis earth point (Not the negative battery terminal).

3 hours ago, Harry Gadsden said:

I'm going to buy a CTEC charger suitable for stop start.

Always nice to see when people have vast amounts of disposable income 🤣

Most find the Maypole charger works just fine and is only £24.95 from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maypole-7423A-Battery-Charger-Electronic/dp/B009A83P1E

49 minutes ago, unofix said:

Always nice to see when people have vast amounts of disposable income 🤣

Lol, I've already disposed of mine buying a C-tek some years ago! It certainly does do the job, though I might well have gone for the Maypole if I'd heard about it back then.

I wonder though, does the fact that the Maypole is 4A as opposed to 5A for the C-tek MXS 5 (and the Noco Genius 5) make any significant difference to charging times?

Has anyone here got/tried both? You do see battery charger tests but I've not yet seen one that directly  compared those three which do seem the most popular with members on here.

 

 

1 minute ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

I wonder though, does the fact that the Maypole is 4A as opposed to 5A for the C-tek MXS 5 (and the Noco Genius 5) make any significant difference to charging times?

No appreciable difference in time unless you're charging a seriously flat battery. Remember that you can't push current in to a battery, the battery has to draw the current from the charger. If you were to install a current meter in series with the charger and battery you'd find that after the first few minutes the current will fall to less than 3 Amps.

The Maypole starts at just 1A, and then slowly ramps up over time if the battery isn't charging quickly enough when tested.  (Self-tested every 20 minutes or so)

I've mentioned before that with my current living arrangements, the Maypole is just too slow to be of any real use.  It's only good for people that have driveways attached to a house or garage.

Interested to know if the CTEK works in the same way or not?  As that could make a difference to times.

Seems they do work differently.  CTEK starts at 5A.  Maypole would take at least 60 minutes to reach 4a.

CTEK

 

Maypole

 

Given that info, I'm tempted to buy a CTEK to compare myself. 🤔 

1 hour ago, TomsFocus said:

Seems they do work differently.  CTEK starts at 5A. 

I had an idea that had been mentioned before. Just about to search for my instruction book but you saved me the bother.

I've never had to use it on a completely flat battery, but certainly the C-tek reaches the "battery usable" point (stage 4) pretty quickly, though to go through the full sequence takes 6 hours +.

I also have a Noco Genius 5 (so no disposable income😀) and that's similar, time-wise.

I feel so inadequate. I've not got or even ever  bought a charger/ trickle or otherwise

1 minute ago, iantt said:

I feel so inadequate. I've not got or even ever  bought a charger/ trickle or otherwise

You don't have a 32A charger at home for your milk float?

3 hours ago, alexp999 said:

You don't have a 32A charger at home for your milk float?

And don't EVs still have a 12v battery for critical safety systems, infotainment, etc as well as the main traction battery.

6 hours ago, alexp999 said:

You don't have a 32A charger at home for your milk float?

Ah yes. I forgot about that one. 

7 minutes ago, iantt said:

Ah yes. I forgot about that one. 

Big battery needs big charger. 😉

3 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

And don't EVs still have a 12v battery for critical safety systems, infotainment, etc as well as the main traction battery.

Yes, a smaller 12v  battery . Also there's a utility mode that uses the traction battery to power electrical loads with ign off. Like radio, lights cigar lighter sockets etc. etc. the stuff that flattens 12v battery after a few mins of use. 

3 minutes ago, alexp999 said:

Big battery needs big charger. 😉

Not that big. 

1 minute ago, iantt said:

Not that big. 

Cables are pretty hefty compared to the 12v chargers though. 

2 minutes ago, alexp999 said:

Cables are pretty hefty compared to the 12v chargers though. 

But the bill to charge it  isn't. 800+ miles for £12.74 so far this month. 

Noted this morning my interior and boot lights didn't come on. Interior light could be switched on manually, so assumed it was yet another low battery "system off" issue.

After popping the charger on, I remembered I'd seen the lights issue mentioned on another forum, but first time I've experienced it myself. S/S was unavailable also.

Not used the car much lately, other than for short trips, so low battery charge is the likely culprit. I'll update when the charger's done it's stuff just to confirm. 

 

Just now, Eric Bloodaxe said:

S/S was unavailable

OH !!!

That needs looked at straight away 🤣🤣

Let me help you out with a SOC table just encase you've missed it 😉

7 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

S/S was unavailable also.

Lol, I normally disable it anyway, but didn't this morning just to confirm my battery suspicions, and sure enough it had the "A" with a line through.

(Didn't want you thinking I'd suddenly become a fan!😀)

 

2 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

I'll update when the charger's done it's stuff just to confirm. 

C-tek just hit Step 7 - fully charged. 

All seemed back to normal, locked and unlocked the car, opened doors, interior lights came on. Then tried it again just to confirm and - zilch, no interior lights, including footwell, though all dash, switches etc illuminated ok. And the start/stop unavailable symbol still showing.

Too dark to do anything else now, so I'll have a ponder and resume in the morning. Might try leaving the charger on for a few more hours unless I think of something else!

 

Normal operation will not be fully restored until the car has been driven a couple of miles, or you leave it locked overnight and the BMS will update.

 

8 minutes ago, unofix said:

Normal operation will not be fully restored until the car has been driven a couple of miles, or you leave it locked overnight and the BMS will update.

 

Do nothing until tomorrow morning? That ties in with my plan!😀

I'll report what happens in the morning.