I might have made things worse with my actions today but I finally cracked and wanted the car back. Full details in the screenshot below. 

Bah Humbug !!

I'd have probably put it a bit stronger 🤣

11 hours ago, unofix said:

Bah Humbug !!

I'd have probably put it a bit stronger 🤣

I would normally go a bit more Karen but they have been really good and I cannot fault them. The part delay is totally out of their control (M53 and FCC) and I am not out of pocket at all, in fact I'm being paid for the inconvenience of it all. So I felt like I had to be a bit calmer about the situation. Ford do get a bad rap but on this occasion they cannot do anything more in my opinion. 

Spoke with F.C.C again today (Emily) and she agreed if the car starts then no reason not for it to be used. Having got rid of the hire car, it's one less thing to worry about. Calling me again on Monday to discuss the refunds etc (need to send receipts over etc) and getting a call from Ford Credit to discuss the payments. So while some (a lot) of people have had bad customer care, I cannot fault them nor M53 on this occasion. Above and beyond for the most part. (My friends have Audi's & Tesla's and their experience is 10 times worse I assure you).

An uneventful Sunday led me to do some testing regarding this battery. 

I've since removed the 3rd party L.E.D indicator rear bulbs, and the side indictor ones too. (I have mentioned these to the garage and they said it shouldn't make a difference, but I've never been one to 100% trust anyone 🙂 ) I've also charged the battery up to 100% (14.8 volts to be exact).

The test will be to see if the battery drains overnight with those unplugged? On the one hand, I want it not to solve the issue, but on the other I do so I can move with my life.  

After charging it up full and removing the 3rd party lights, I reconnected the battery and took it for 10 min spin around the block (ignoring the light fault warnings) and parked up as usual. So will see tomorrow what my efforts have brought.

14 minutes ago, LukeJQuinn said:

An uneventful Sunday led me to do some testing regarding this battery. 

I've since removed the 3rd party L.E.D indicator rear bulbs, and the side indictor ones too. (I have mentioned these to the garage and they said it shouldn't make a difference, but I've never been one to 100% trust anyone 🙂 ) I've also charged the battery up to 100% (14.8 volts to be exact).

The test will be to see if the battery drains overnight with those unplugged? On the one hand, I want it not to solve the issue, but on the other I do so I can move with my life.  

After charging it up full and removing the 3rd party lights, I reconnected the battery and took it for 10 min spin around the block (ignoring the light fault warnings) and parked up as usual. So will see tomorrow what my efforts have brought.

Let us know! I am finally due at the garage tomorrow morning for this issue but snowing loads tonight!! 🙃

13 hours ago, LukeJQuinn said:

After charging it up full and removing the 3rd party lights, I reconnected the battery

Do you mean you were charging it disconnected from the car? It's recommended to charge in the car with the negative charger lead connected to a chassis point so the BMS keeps track of the SOC.

1 minute ago, mjt said:

Do you mean you were charging it disconnected from the car? It's recommended to charge in the car with the negative charger lead connected to a chassis point so the BMS keeps track of the SOC.

Yeah 😞 , I know but think my car is beyond that now. Plus it's the way the garage has been doing it (I can get them to reset the SOC when it next goes in, if I can't work it out via YouTube) 

 

Update on the work yesterday - Went out this morning and things seemed normal but I'm mindful it had a full charge yesterday so will have to give it another day or two before I can rule in or rule out those crappy L.E.Ds.

13 hours ago, Gus T said:

Let us know! I am finally due at the garage tomorrow morning for this issue but snowing loads tonight!! 🙃

Keep up updated mate, make sure you tell them that yours is not the only 4.5 Focus suffering with battery drain issues.

5 hours ago, LukeJQuinn said:

can get them to reset the SOC when it next goes in,

The BMS that monitors the battery SOC should only be reset if a new battery has been installed. Using the reset procedure sets the 'Days in Service' counter back to zero, which gives a false appearance as to how old the battery is.

Failure to reset the BMS is something that often happens and not critical. After 2 or 3 days the BMS will work out the new SOC without the need to reset the system.

Worryingly.....the car still has power and keyless entry is still working (this normally stops after 1 day due to battery drain) and this is with the Amazon LED bulbs removed. The jury is out as it could be fluke. I hope to god I've not caused my own issue here! I will have to go into hiding for at least....the rest of my life. 

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07WK3K761/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There's a bit of a contradiction in the specs of those bulbs - unless I'm missing something obvious:

It says colour temperature is 6000K which is cool white (closer to daylight) then says the colour is orange.

Or does this mean they're daylight LEDs with an orange filter added?

CANbus-friendly LEDs normally just have a resistor, or some other circuit, added so they draw the same current as an incandescent bulb so it's difficult to see how they could affect your battery drain. The only way to be sure it's not a fluke is to put them back in after a suitable time has elapsed and see if the problem returns.

38 minutes ago, mjt said:

There's a bit of a contradiction in the specs of those bulbs - unless I'm missing something obvious:

It says colour temperature is 6000K which is cool white (closer to daylight) then says the colour is orange.

Or does this mean they're daylight LEDs with an orange filter added?

CANbus-friendly LEDs normally just have a resistor, or some other circuit, added so they draw the same current as an incandescent bulb so it's difficult to see how they could affect your battery drain. The only way to be sure it's not a fluke is to put them back in after a suitable time has elapsed and see if the problem returns.

All very true. However my test has only proven that the car indeed has a drain. Left it with back and side indicators out and still drained to the point it normally does. 
 

I’m just glad it’s nothing I’ve done after all. 

So.....an interesting development occurred today.

Parked up in my usual spot near work in the NCP car park (work offer discount to park in there, I ain't made of money) and I always leave my glovebox open so any wanna-be thieves know there is nothing inside worth taking (I always have a empty glove box anyway as I hate stuff rattling round).

Someone from work said as I walked off, do you know there is light on in your car?! So I went back and they were correct. The glovebox light was still on even though the car was locked. After further testing, and putting my phone on record inside the glovebox, the thing only ***** stays on!! So its been staying on this whole time. I have tested this 4 times on lunch and confirmed every time it is staying on and only going off when the car boots its off due to the power being low (have around 4 alerts in the app warning about low power)

So I want the bulb removing or the switch unplugging but Ford have built both into the trim for some insanely stupid reason. The garage however are keen to get it in to verify my findings and are calling tomorrow to get it booked in.

In the meantime, I'm gonna try jam the little stalk that pops out to keep it in the off position over night and charge the battery back up. I think this is related because the garage said it was reporting a light being on....and this is most certainly remaining on when the car is off and regardless if the glovebox is shut or not. 

It's an incandescent bulb too, not LED, so it will be pulling 5W the whole time.

I think the entire glovebox has to come out to get to the bulb, as I looked in to changing it to LED, but decided it wasn't worth the effort.

53 minutes ago, LukeJQuinn said:

So.....an interesting development occurred today.

Parked up in my usual spot near work in the NCP car park (work offer discount to park in there, I ain't made of money) and I always leave my glovebox open so any wanna-be thieves know there is nothing inside worth taking (I always have a empty glove box anyway as I hate stuff rattling round).

Someone from work said as I walked off, do you know there is light on in your car?! So I went back and they were correct. The glovebox light was still on even though the car was locked. After further testing, and putting my phone on record inside the glovebox, the thing only ***** stays on!! So its been staying on this whole time. I have tested this 4 times on lunch and confirmed every time it is staying on and only going off when the car boots its off due to the power being low (have around 4 alerts in the app warning about low power)

So I want the bulb removing or the switch unplugging but Ford have built both into the trim for some insanely stupid reason. The garage however are keen to get it in to verify my findings and are calling tomorrow to get it booked in.

In the meantime, I'm gonna try jam the little stalk that pops out to keep it in the off position over night and charge the battery back up. I think this is related because the garage said it was reporting a light being on....and this is most certainly remaining on when the car is off and regardless if the glovebox is shut or not. 

Wow this is interesting and sounds promising in diagnosing this ***** issue! I will defo check my glove box to see if it's doing the same and report back ASAP.

So an update from me. Took my car to the dealer yesterday and it stayed with them overnight and I just picked it up this afternoon. The said that they have replaced the battery and reset the body control module and it is now appearing to be all working in order. I noticed that indeed the B&O sounds system has had a notable improvement (maybe placebo effect but I'm 99% certain it's improved) as well as the general climate control system.

I asked them if they knew exactly what was causing the drain in the first place as I'm worried that the new battery may just get the same drainage in a month's time but the receptionist said they didn't know any of the details and they don't bring the mechanic out to speak to customers which is annoying and quite frankly pretty stupid!

So the issue for now is fixed for me but I am not convinced that the underlying issue is sorted.. and I will be sure to update here if any changes. In the meantime I will check the glovebox light.

All the best!

19 minutes ago, Gus T said:

Wow this is interesting and sounds promising in diagnosing this ***** issue! I will defo check my glove box to see if it's doing the same and report back ASAP.

So an update from me. Took my car to the dealer yesterday and it stayed with them overnight and I just picked it up this afternoon. The said that they have replaced the battery and reset the body control module and it is now appearing to be all working in order. I noticed that indeed the B&O sounds system has had a notable improvement (maybe placebo effect but I'm 99% certain it's improved) as well as the general climate control system.

I asked them if they knew exactly what was causing the drain in the first place as I'm worried that the new battery may just get the same drainage in a month's time but the receptionist said they didn't know any of the details and they don't bring the mechanic out to speak to customers which is annoying and quite frankly pretty stupid!

So the issue for now is fixed for me but I am not convinced that the underlying issue is sorted.. and I will be sure to update here if any changes. In the meantime I will check the glovebox light.

All the best!

Great news! I hope this solves it for you....however I had my battery replaced and the car was back with them within a week. I just want to be honest and not let it build your hopes up. Of course I want yours to be fixed....after all we spend our hard earned cash to drive these things. Keep us updated please @Gus Tregarding the progress and the glovebox! 

1 hour ago, alexp999 said:

It's an incandescent bulb too, not LED, so it will be pulling 5W the whole time.

I think the entire glovebox has to come out to get to the bulb, as I looked in to changing it to LED, but decided it wasn't worth the effort.

Attached is the video I recorded (converted to GIF so the site lets me upload it 😉 - and you can just see the light still shining from the bulb even though the glovebox is shut. The picture is how I've ensured the light will stay off seeing as Ford made it near impossible to get out without taking your car apart. JFC. 

2 hours ago, LukeJQuinn said:

you can just see the light still shining from the bulb even though the glovebox is shut.

If so, that's a fault to be fixed under warranty. Your dealer (and FCC) should be pleased with your investigations. So the fact that you've been leaving it open all the time has been irrelevant, but you now know what to do with the glovebox once they've fixed the fault! 

I believe that there was an inherent problem with the design of the switch for the Glovebox light on these cars but that does not explain why it is staying on when the car is locked though.

I believe that the switch just provides the Earth for the circuit although on your car with an enhanced lighting system, it may not be that simple.

I wonder if the Luggage Compartment light is staying on as well. 

Shouldn’t the drain from that bulb have shown up on the standby power draw test though?

There has been many reported problems with the glovebox switch on the Mk4 Focus. Even my own had problems with the switch not getting pushed far enough in so as to turn the light off. The actual problem is the way the plastic switch is 'clicked' in to place on the glovebox. The pressure on the spring pushes the actual switch away from the glovebox lid and the light comes back on.

You do have to remove the whole of the inside of the glovebox but that is only 4 bolts and takes about 5 minutes. The switch can then be pushed back to the front edge and glued in place. I had to do mine last year and I've not had any problems since then.

As to the 5W lamp running the battery down if it was on all the time. It only takes 0.38 Amp and so would need to be on for at least 100 hours to cause the battery to fail.

4 hours ago, LukeJQuinn said:

Attached is the video I recorded (converted to GIF so the site lets me upload it 😉 - and you can just see the light still shining from the bulb even though the glovebox is shut. The picture is how I've ensured the light will stay off seeing as Ford made it near impossible to get out without taking your car apart. JFC. 

Okay so I just tested this out with my car. Same thing is happening..
 

I've tested with my phone recording like you have done and the result is that the light goes off when I close the glove box but as soon as I then lock the car the light inside the glove box comes on again and stays on..

 

10 minutes ago, Gus T said:

that the light goes off when I close the glove box but as soon as I then lock the car the light inside the glove box comes on again and stays on..

That's just weird!

But I do wonder if it goes out after 20 minutes when all the other systems close down. That would be a rivetting video, waiting to see if that happened! 

4 minutes ago, alanfp said:

That's just weird!

But I do wonder if it goes out after 20 minutes when all the other systems close down. That would be a rivetting video, waiting to see if that happened! 

Thats a good point I may take one for the team and test this theory out tomorrow at some point and let you know. Is 20 mins the precise time for total system shutdown then?

Just going to reply to all above:

@alanfp- I will ensure they know the full details and I'm sure it will leave some people red faced if it does turn out to be the cause.

@TizerYeah internet is full of posts about it, however I removed the parcel shelf and when I lock the car, the boot light goes off straight away (glove box stays on)

@alexp999- I agree it should have came up, but he said the car is showing as a light being on...and that it will be the headlights - without knowing 100% it is in fact that. 

@unofix- Makes total sense as you clearly see the stalk isn't long enough, so it's more than likely pushed its way in. Glad its an easier fix and I will be making sure the garage sort that (or might just tell them to remove it entirely) I agree it should take longer but a halogen bulb being on constantly and when the car is off would lead us to think it would cause excessive battery drain - plus that bulb is running off the same fuse as the door control switch so it could be keeping more things alive which aren't as obvious (according to the latest fuse map for the 4.5)

@Gus T- Interesting yours is the same. I would most certainly flag that with your garage too. I'd like to compare their replies for a laugh. I respect what Unofix has said about the wattage etc but still a concern either way.