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Red Battery Light

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Am I right in thinking the smart charge is controlled by the main ecu so if the smart charge is fried then it's a no repair and buy a new ecu ?

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    Am I right in thinking the smart charge is controlled by the main ecu so if the smart charge is fried then it's a no repair and buy a new ecu ?

    from the hassle i had with my dads 2006 focus, yes that is correct unfortunately

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    Well I've got the answer . I'm going yo unplug and have battery 14 v during the winter and I will pug it in and take out battery bulb in the summer . Don't think my £1000 transit will get a new £1000 ecu . Happy days.

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    Removing the bulb is not advisable as a non working dash warning light is an MOT failure.

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    Removing the bulb is not advisable as a non working dash warning light is an MOT failure.

    At present the battery light illuminated will not fail an mot - we have not long since had my dads car mot'd and they said it was not an issue

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    I believe that extra legislation comes in after the new year.

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    I believe that extra legislation comes in after the new year.

    I know they were adding bits in about battery and wiring looms but I ain't heard of the battery light yet? Going to be more and more cars written off for ridiculous little things that have no real affect on the cars safety

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    The legislation will be that any warning lights that don't illuminate on position II on the ignition, or conversely light up when the car is running i.e. airbag, abs, etc will be a fail.

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    I spoke to my local mot man and he said at present and in the near future the battery light off/on/ flashing is not a fail . He said airbag tc and brake warning is a fail . He is not aware of any changes to do with battery light . Anyway I checked the alternator again today and its charging constant 14.4 v . Battery light still on . I pulled the plug off and checked battery and there was no charge at all . So I will leave it plugged in and try to ignore the light for a while untill I either spend thousands fixing the smart charge or scrap the van

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    I reckon smart charge circuit failure then.

    i agree with Stoney.

    By the sound of it the ecu cant detect that your unplugging the alternator (it probably thinks it constantly unplugged) so it might be worth inspecting what you can of the wiring around the engine bay

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    • The Digestive Forum Roundup (24th May - 31st May 2026)

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      The Digestive Forum Roundup (24th May - 31st May 2026) We hope this email finds you well and enjoying your week. As always, our forum has been buzzing with activity, so we’ve compiled the highlights for you. Plenty of interesting discussions are taking place, especially around the Ford Focus and Fiesta models. Starting off with the Focus, many members have been discussing issues with the Emergency Call System, particularly in the Mk4 model. PLB raised concerns about persistent malfunctions, a se
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