I have had my fiesta for just over 18 months. Since March 22 I have had the RAC out 4 times due to a flat battery. It’s been back into Fords once to try and find the issue but they couldn’t find anything wrong with the battery. It’s been ok for a couple of weeks but I’ve I’ve started to get the message “System off to save battery. Please turn ignition off or start the engine” again on the screen yesterday. I did take it for a 40 minute drive on the motorway to see if that helped but it’s still doing the same. I’ve been driving over 30 years and have never had a battery issue like I have with this car. Any help would be appreciated.

Hi Fiona,

There are many, many threads on here on this and related issues, latest:

https://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/141429-mk8-keyless-entry-fobs-dont-lockunlock-car-after-main-battery-went-flat-yet-key-presence-is-acknowledged-and-car-starts/

Basic issue is that modern car systems often will not fully charge your battery for emissions reasons and just going for a drive on the motorway (my dealer advised the same) will not do the job.

You need to invest in a charger as mentioned in the thread linked above and use it when you get "the message".

This is not just a Ford issue - I have seen similar queries on forums for several makes and the answer is basically the same.

 

It's a long complicated story, but it is  very common problem on all new cars, not just Ford but many other makes also suffer the same issue.

In short the alternator only charges the battery to a maximum of 80% no matter how far or for how long you drive. It's all to do reducing the emissions, by reducing the loading on the alternator.

If you do frequent short journeys and/or do not use the car everyday then it is normal (by today's standards) to need to put the battery on charge every 4 or 5 weeks especially during cold weather and dark days.

For more information just search this forum for 'State Of Charge' or (SOC).

The solution (which I already know you won't like) is to buy a Smart Battery Charger (Maypole, available from Amazon £24) and charge the battery once a month.

9 hours ago, unofix said:

(Maypole, available from Amazon £24)

You're not trying to get on the Honours List as well, are you?😀

Is it not an option to fit a higher capacity battery…. Space permitting. 

1 hour ago, Mike Bugler said:

Is it not an option to fit a higher capacity battery…. Space permitting.

You can fit as big a battery as is physically possible. It will not fix the issue, but will make the times between the need to top it up with a charger longer.

On 5/26/2024 at 6:31 PM, unofix said:

You can fit as big a battery as is physically possible. It will not fix the issue, but will make the times between the need to top it up with a charger longer.

 

Thank you for your reply. I have ordered a smart charger from Amazon. Will have to accept top ups will be necessary. What a crazy world we live in when for environmental reasons we have to accept this type of issue. Glad I did not buy an EV….. they will be two a penny soon. Know several people that are regretting buying one. A subject for another time!

On 5/26/2024 at 6:31 PM, unofix said:

You can fit as big a battery as is physically possible. It will not fix the issue, but will make the times between the need to top it up with a charger longer.

it fixed it for me I swapped the original 60-ah EFB for a 70-ah AGM. you need to ensure the new battery is coded to the car so it knows the new battery has a higher capacity and improved charge acceptance. 

13 hours ago, cjay1 said:

it fixed it for me I swapped the original 60-ah EFB for a 70-ah AGM. you need to ensure the new battery is coded to the car so it knows the new battery has a higher capacity and improved charge acceptance. 

 

Thanks for that. Will give it some thought. Maybe I will contact my trusted local garage and seek their advise.