Hello all Ford owners,

going through the posts i couldn't find what an answer to my question, about a year ago i had the alternator on my Focus changed as it wasn't giving enough voltage and of course damaging the battery, in the time this alternator wasn't charging the battery (EFB 730A) well i have seen the battery voltage at 12.0V (last year) and just this week i measured (always with multimeter, engine OFF) 11,8V, so i need to either change the battery or recondition/recharge if possible - my question to anyone who has experience with the Focus /EFB batteries is: since simply changing is a hefty €130 payout do i have other options?I can't find any good info about reconditioning/recharging a low voltage (<12V) EFB battery but i am looking for the confirmation of a few Ford owners so i don't find out AFTER just changing the battery(€€).

There are no immediate problems, car always starts in the morning, however last year one time when START-STOP kicked in and i put my foot on the pedal to start again i heard a "clack" like a relay but no engine start-up, then i pressed the engine ON button and it did start, however i am worried this is related to the low battery voltage and don't want to risk this happening again. Any comments on your experiences are appreciated, thanks.

Mine has shown 11.8 volts after resting overnight for the last 4 years. It still starts reliably even in winter but the stop-start hasn't worked for about 18 months. The alternator still works correctly (showing between 14.8 and 15.25 volts with the engine running). The smart charge isn't designed to fully charge the battery, it aims for about 80% charge. I'm not buying a new battery just to get the stop-start working again. If I charge the battery with a charger it will hold above 12 volts for several days until the smart charge system lets it fall back to its normal 11.8 volt rested level.