Fiesta Titanium 67 Plate - Battery Drain

[Jds1510]

I bought my car seven months ago and had to call the AA out twice, due to the battery being completely flat.  The last time it had not been driven for five days.  It’s been back to the dealer twice but they can’t find anything wrong.  The first time it went back the battery did go flat on them.  They were going back to Ford and doing some investigations but ended up charging the battery again and giving me the car back.  I’m starting to lose faith in the car now. 

[King683]

The battery could have an internal short or the terminal connectors are either loose or corroded, it could be a short to ground somewhere, although that in theory should blow a fuse,  the alternator might not be charging the battery enough/correctly when the vehicle is running or have a faulty voltage regulator, the auxiliary belt may be slack or incorrectly adjusted. It could be a parasitic draw. All of these things should have been checked and verified by the dealer.

 

It's up to you if you want to let the dealer have another look at it. Although personally if it was me and the dealer had looked at it twice and said that they were unable to find anything, I'd be taking it to another garage and asking them to diagnose it. If the fault still persists, I'd look into your consumer rights to see if there is anything that can help you. 

[tef89]

22 hours ago, Jds1510 said:

I bought my car seven months ago and had to call the AA out twice, due to the battery being completely flat.  The last time it had not been driven for five days.  It’s been back to the dealer twice but they can’t find anything wrong.  The first time it went back the battery did go flat on them.  They were going back to Ford and doing some investigations but ended up charging the battery again and giving me the car back.  I’m starting to lose faith in the car now. 

Hi Joanne, I had a similar issue wih my 67 plate.  After leaving it for 6 days it was dead.  I took it to the Ford dealership and they tested it and charged it overnight.  Since then I've been making sure to take it out for a 45 minute drive every 4/5 days.  During lockdown there seemed to be a disproportionate amount of MK8s with dead batteries on the forum.

One of the problems with buying a 'nearly new' car like we did is that we just don't know how it had been used previously, or how long it sat on a forecourt.

I had a few other issues with mine so I finally sold it today, luckily I managed to avoid any more battery issues, but in your case I'd be tempted to try and push for a replacement battery under warranty (it's covered by the 3 years apparently).

[wordchild]

Hello folks,

Does anyone know if the battery drain glitch was fixed on later mk8s, eg 18- or 68-plate cars?

[Luke4efc]

On 6/15/2020 at 7:17 PM, wordchild said:

Hello folks,

Does anyone know if the battery drain glitch was fixed on later mk8s, eg 18- or 68-plate cars?

I don't think it's a "glitch" as such, just the car draws a little too much power for the size of the battery fitted. An 18-68 plate isn't a late mk8, intact it's one of the earliest ones available.

[tef89]

18 minutes ago, Luke4efc said:

I don't think it's a "glitch" as such, just the car draws a little too much power for the size of the battery fitted. An 18-68 plate isn't a late mk8, intact it's one of the earliest ones available.

As 17 plates were the earliest I think Blair just meant 'later' as in, upto a year and a half later 😉 but as you mentioned, no specific issue as such, just the MK8 seems to burn through it's battery when left stood for a while.

[wordchild]

Hello folks,

Thanks Gary 🙂 yes that's what I meant. Is a bit disheartening to hear this as am considering buying a used mk8 so was kinda hoping this was an early cars' problem that's since been ironed out - but perhaps not by the sounds of it. My 2011 mk7 has been left over 10 days unused at times with no problems. 

I may be clutching at straws but wonder if the diesels' batteries might be any stronger than the petrols', as their starters have to work that bit harder...? 

[Eric Bloodaxe]

1 hour ago, wordchild said:

I may be clutching at straws but wonder if the diesels' batteries might be any stronger than the petrols', as their starters have to work that bit harder...? 

Probably. Diesels do generally have beefier batteries but as you mention also have a harder job starting with heating glowplugs and turning over a higher compression engine.

There are plenty of posts on here from owners of more recent Fiesta Mk 8s and Mk 4 Focuses still reporting battery issues. One theory is that they have "intelligent" charging systems which don't seem to be that effective at keeping the battery charged. My car hasn't yet suffered a flat battery, but I have had the warning screen, locking issues, mirror folding issues, etc.

It may be coincidence, but I've been putting my car on a smart charger for a full cycle every month or so during lockdown, and the issues have not appeared since, even though I've done less than 300 miles since March 23rd.

 

 

[wordchild]

Thanks Roger. Still a bit unsure what to make of this as I live in a 2nd floor flat and even if I owned a battery charger it would be all but impossible to use it. I'm hoping to view a used mk8 tdci in coming days & am aware it's been in stock for some months, what with lockdown and all. (Many used cars must be in similar situation... would be interesting to hear from dealers if Fiestas or Focuses have needed more tlc to stop their batteries draining over past weeks). So am also hoping the dealer will tell me honestly how much battery charging it's needed while they've had it in stock....🤔

[Eric Bloodaxe]

11 hours ago, wordchild said:

 Still a bit unsure what to make of this as I live in a 2nd floor flat and even if I owned a battery charger it would be all but impossible to use it..🤔

Ah, that's a beggar!. I mentioned on another thread how I route my charger lead out through the letterbox, and I have seen a guy with a lead out of his window, across the yard and the pavement via several extension leads to get to his car parked on the road. 2nd floor will take a bit more ingenuity I guess!!😀

[tef89]

12 hours ago, wordchild said:

Thanks Roger. Still a bit unsure what to make of this as I live in a 2nd floor flat and even if I owned a battery charger it would be all but impossible to use it. I'm hoping to view a used mk8 tdci in coming days & am aware it's been in stock for some months, what with lockdown and all. (Many used cars must be in similar situation... would be interesting to hear from dealers if Fiestas or Focuses have needed more tlc to stop their batteries draining over past weeks). So am also hoping the dealer will tell me honestly how much battery charging it's needed while they've had it in stock....🤔

I'm not sure how much experience of buying cars you have, so my apologies in advance, but unless you have a good relationship built up over years of buying from them then you're likely to get zero honest feedback about that from a dealer.

Forums can be a bit geared towards people posting about problems so it's easy to get the impression they all have issues so it's a difficult one to sift through.  My personal feeling is that the MK8 asks more of its battery than it can consintently provide, but I also think if your usage pattern is to drive regular decently long runs and it had a new battery fitted, you may well be ok, as long as we don't all get locked in again.

Even though the battery is still under warranty, I'd personally factor in buying a new battery at between 80 - 100 quid as part of the purchase.  Like I said, we just don't know how it was used previously and leaving it sat for months with a dead or nearly dead battery is sure to have reduced it's capicity if not killed it.

[TomsFocus]

2 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Ah, that's a beggar!. I mentioned on another thread how I route my charger lead out through the letterbox, and I have seen a guy with a lead out of his window, across the yard and the pavement via several extension leads to get to his car parked on the road. 2nd floor will take a bit more ingenuity I guess!!😀

I route an extension lead and a hose out from a 1st floor flat....  Second floor would definitely be more of a challenge though! 

(Unless you have a 'landlord supply' socket by the external door and no security cameras!  )

[Milkman]

There should be a date code on the battery as to when it was manufactured and first charged, the battery could be considerably older than the car, if you can't find the code take it to a battery specialist that can and they will also test it.

[fiestaecoboostman]

17 hours ago, wordchild said:

Thanks Roger. Still a bit unsure what to make of this as I live in a 2nd floor flat and even if I owned a battery charger it would be all but impossible to use it. I'm hoping to view a used mk8 tdci in coming days & am aware it's been in stock for some months, what with lockdown and all. (Many used cars must be in similar situation... would be interesting to hear from dealers if Fiestas or Focuses have needed more tlc to stop their batteries draining over past weeks). So am also hoping the dealer will tell me honestly how much battery charging it's needed while they've had it in stock....🤔

You can get a solar trickle charger that sits on the dash and provides a small charge into the 12v socket, probably enough to counter the drain 3/4 of the year. People use them when the car is laid up for a few weeks.

 

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/battery-maintenance/battery-accessories/ring-solar-power-150-battery-charger-196463.html?istCompanyId=b8708c57-7a02-4cf6-b2c0-dc36b54a327e&istFeedId=367c5610-f937-4c81-8609-f84582324cd6&istItemId=xwplalapp&istBid=t&_$ja=tsid:94971|cid:1034356518|agid:94231512623|tid:pla-905688901644|crid:419395957326|nw:g|rnd:12666124530835610230|dvc:c|adp:|mt:|loc:1007200&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIt-HwyZ-Y6gIVD-ztCh14uQtbEAQYAyABEgJrk_D_BwE

[tef89]

1 hour ago, fiestaecoboostman said:

You can get a solar trickle charger that sits on the dash and provides a small charge into the 12v socket, probably enough to counter the drain 3/4 of the year. People use them when the car is laid up for a few weeks.

 

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/battery-maintenance/battery-accessories/ring-solar-power-150-battery-charger-196463.html?istCompanyId=b8708c57-7a02-4cf6-b2c0-dc36b54a327e&istFeedId=367c5610-f937-4c81-8609-f84582324cd6&istItemId=xwplalapp&istBid=t&_$ja=tsid:94971|cid:1034356518|agid:94231512623|tid:pla-905688901644|crid:419395957326|nw:g|rnd:12666124530835610230|dvc:c|adp:|mt:|loc:1007200&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIt-HwyZ-Y6gIVD-ztCh14uQtbEAQYAyABEgJrk_D_BwE

The 12v socket in the MK8 only stays live for a short while after the engine is turned off so this wouldn't work unfortunately.

[fiestaecoboostman]

1 hour ago, tef89 said:

The 12v socket in the MK8 only stays live for a short while after the engine is turned off so this wouldn't work unfortunately.

They come with wires and 2 croc clips to go to the battery too.

[wordchild]

Thanks for all your thoughts and perspective guys. 

Looks like a solar trickle charger isn't an option but that I might have to consider a mains battery charger. Is a tricky one because I would feel pretty daft having bought a newer car and finding it needed regular charging, which none of my previous ones have... 

Thanks for your tact Gary 🙂 I'm not the most experienced car buyer  - if I go ahead this'll be my 4th - but am aware it sounds a touch naive to expect an honest answer. But am still tempted to try the question and see what response I get... 

I do a mix of journeys including some medium length and longer ones, but there will be periods of several days where car is unused. Whether that will be enough who knows... 

But: have Ford dealers been willing to replace batteries under warranty? & have new batteries fixed the problem?

[Eric Bloodaxe]

10 hours ago, wordchild said:

. Is a tricky one because I would feel pretty daft having bought a newer car and finding it needed regular charging, which none of my previous ones have... 

Lol, it's better than having a flat battery. No, I've never needed to use a charger regularly in 50 years, so it's a bit disappointing to be having to use one now. Does seem to be doing the trick, though.

I guess it's all a consequence of trying to get even the tiniest CO2 reduction out of technology which is having to cope with emission standards that were undreamed of years ago. Very big fines for manufacturers from this year if they don't achieve the 95g/km average across their sales.

 

 

 

[TomsFocus]

In a few years time you'll have to be charging your cars battery every day anyway, at least you're getting the practise in now!  

[Eric Bloodaxe]

4 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

In a few years time you'll have to be charging your cars battery every day anyway, at least you're getting the practise in now!  

I was glancing at Autocar this week. They have just put a new Kuga PHEV plug-in hybrid on long term test and the guy went to get in between trips and found the 12v battery had died on him, so he had to use the emergency key to get in, then use a jump starter to get it going. So we can add new Kuga to the list of Fords with dodgy charging systems!😀

[tef89]

17 hours ago, wordchild said:

Thanks for all your thoughts and perspective guys. 

Looks like a solar trickle charger isn't an option but that I might have to consider a mains battery charger. Is a tricky one because I would feel pretty daft having bought a newer car and finding it needed regular charging, which none of my previous ones have... 

Thanks for your tact Gary 🙂 I'm not the most experienced car buyer  - if I go ahead this'll be my 4th - but am aware it sounds a touch naive to expect an honest answer. But am still tempted to try the question and see what response I get... 

I do a mix of journeys including some medium length and longer ones, but there will be periods of several days where car is unused. Whether that will be enough who knows... 

But: have Ford dealers been willing to replace batteries under warranty? & have new batteries fixed the problem?

No worries Blair, and it is worth an ask of them as you never know 😉 - I dealt with a really nice young salesman at Toyota once who seemed fairly on the level ... Made me want to buy a new Yaris, well until I drove it of course 🙂 .

I was disappointed too that I was having to think about whether my modern, almost new the car would start when I needed it to after I got my MK8.

I only gave the dealership I went to a single opportunity and they charged it up overnight and said the battery was fine.  Not sure how they would have dealt with the issue had I asked for a replacement, although reading a couple of other posts it seems that some replace without a fight whilst others push back.

I would imagine a new battery would fix the problem for a decent period of time, the length of that period may well be down to your usage pattern and the quality of battery you are able to get - some people are pointing part of the blame at the factory fitted Varta battery.  Better batteries are no doubt availabe if bought elsewhere.

[wordchild]

10 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

In a few years time you'll have to be charging your cars battery every day anyway, at least you're getting the practise in now!  

Yes 😀...well, if in future I can afford an EV... just not sure I want to start practising already haha, but as Roger says better that than a flat battery I guess...

 

6 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

I was glancing at Autocar this week. They have just put a new Kuga PHEV plug-in hybrid on long term test and the guy went to get in between trips and found the 12v battery had died on him, so he had to use the emergency key to get in, then use a jump starter to get it going. So we can add new Kuga to the list of Fords with dodgy charging systems!😀

I have this week's issue and also had a wry smile at that story🙂 I didn't think you could use jump leads on a hybrid but clearly that's not (always) true... that's another story though.

Gary - I will try asking though am aware Toyota dealers do rather better than Ford dealers or car supermarkets in most satisfaction surveys😉

As you suggested before I'll have to allow for buying a new battery if it comes to that. I wonder if the original equipment batteries are still Varta... will definitely check under bonnet of any prospective purchase.

Thanks again folks 😊