Hi All

Bought my Focus 1.6 TDCI LX hatchback yesterday, and everything seemed fine. The drive home was problem free, smooth and responsive, I was impressed and chuffed with my purchase. Got back home at half 8, parked her up, ready for tomorrow.

I went out this morning to go for a quick drive with missus, and the car would not start. Instead I get a clicking noise about every second or so. During each click the dash display cuts out, then comes back, then cuts out again, and so on. I have put a voltmeter across the battery and I get a reading of 10.72, to me this suggests the battery is pretty much out, it's an actual Ford licensed battery, perhaps original? However, I tried to jump start the Focus with a Passat and still the clicking happened, even leaving them attached for several minutes.

I know there is a problem with the boot, in the fact that it can only be opened with the key fob as the switch doesn't work. Our son wanted a good inspection when we got home with the car, so there was a male bonding thing going on, which involved a lot of door, boot and bonnet opening and closing, with locking and unlocking going on. I didn't know if I might have triggered the immobiliser somehow, the key fob unlocks and locks the car fine, it just won't start it.

Do any of you guys have any ideas, help or advice on this. Any help would be very welcome, I'm desperate to start driving it around, nothing worse than a new car sitting on the drive.

Many thanks in advance.

Hi welcome :)

new batery

Hi dezwez

Cheers for the welcome, and quick response.

New battery is on the way as I was pretty convinced it was this, but thanks for confirming, I'll update with results.

Thanks again

could be the starter, have someone turn the key while you tap the starter with a hammer or a long stick, something wooden, not metal!

You should never jump start a dead focus with another car the focus can put out up to 18v enough to fry another cars ecu although its rare and people do it all the time.....not so convinced its just the battery 10.72 suggests the battery has had it but it should still turn so it may be the starter as suggested had a battery at 10.4 that still started the car

Thanks for all the comments.

I'll give the starter motor a tap and see what happens. I did pop out last night to try and start it again, this time the car turned over twice, although it was a struggle, then went back to the clicking sound. Put the voltmeter across battery again last night and it read 9.20v, so battery is definitely loosing charge.

I'll do the starter motor tap thing, then fit the battery, and I'll let you know how it goes.

Cheers for all the advice to now.

Hi All

Quick update for you. I put a new battery on yesterday, and car started first time. Went out for a couple of small drives, and no problems with starting each time. Quickly put the voltmeter across the new battery whilst car was running, got a voltage of just over 14v, so all seems good at the mo.

Cheers for the help, much appreciated ;)

that's good news :)

I'd have been very surprised if the old battery at 10.72V would have had any chance of turning the engine over at all.

Hi 

So was the battery ? Did you any have problems after that?