I've had this car about 6 or 7 years. As long as i remember I've had something coming on my console saying " shutting down system to save battery " . Two and a half years ago the car wouldn't start so I decided to buy a new battery from Kwik fit. The messages still show and last week the car wouldn't start. I put the maypole 4a charger and charged for about 10 hours , the green light came on but the red light remained on too. So I got hold of a ring 8a charger .After about 5 hours it seemed to have virtually charged but not quite fully . Another 5 hours and it still would not fully charge. Today I used a multimeter it read 12.13 with the engine off and above 10 when starting. So i'm thinking the battery is failing.

I hardly drive much , 3000 on my last MOT and 95% of journeys less than 2- 3 miles. I'm thinking lack of use and short journeys has damaged the battery. Do you think i should buy another battery ? Or return to Kwik fit

I did get a check on my battery about 6 months ago and was told it was recharging ok .

Any advice appreciated

Yes, it has failed. Definitively. I do not know if your model requires a BMS reset when the battery is replaced but somebody on here will and is likely to be able to assist. Buy another battery. With your usage profile, you would be well advised to charge overnight once a month to keep it healthy. I am assuming that yours is a modern smart charger which is what you need these days. Although the charging system is working as it should, the car, as you suspected, isn't being used for long enough to keep the battery healthy.

Assuming this is an early Mk 8 Fiesta, all engines on the Mk 8 had stop/start.

Couple more thoughts:

• Are you sure Kwik Fit fitted the correct battery?

• Have you checked the battery charging yourself while the car is running to ensure it is charging ok - should show around 14.8v.

Even under the circumstances 2.5 years seems a pretty short life. My mileage is similar to yours these days, though significantly I don't do 2-3 mile drives in mine. I do a top-up charge every 4-6 weeks as already suggested.

When charging, I ensure the charger (NOCO Genius 5 or C-tek MXS-5 in my case) has gone through its full cycle and has reached the "float" stage, which could mean leaving it overnight.

i'm not familiar with the Ring charger but we have several Maypole fans on here who might add something if they spot this thread.

Couple of threads here on BMS/Battery generally which may be worth a read if you have an hour to spare!😀:

https://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/107595-mk-8-battery-monitoring-reset/

https://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/115331-car-battery-mk8/

Eric, the battery was bought from Kwik fit two and a half years ago. As it is supposed to be a stop start battery but it hasn't done any mileage, I really think that firstly KF won't have reset the BMS and secondly the battery will be of their usual mud plated quality. It is stuffed and the OP will end up buying a new one, hopefully (hint) from a reputable online seller who sells Bosch or Varta EFB batteries.