Can You Bump Start Newer Fiesta's(mk7)?

[Skezza]

Hello,

Firstly, I'm not a Ford guy at all, I'm a VW guy, but my missus has a KA, so I sometimes pop on here. Please forgive any of my ignorance :P

My house mate owns an 11 plate MK7 Fiesta. Last night, he stupidly left the key in the ignition, all night. He woke up and the battery was dead as a doornail. No instruments, no starter turns, nothing. Quite surprising, I figured with all this technology someone might have put in a check of some sort to prevent your battery from going flat.

Anyway, I tried to bump start it (I've bump started plenty of cars) yet it didn't want to fire at all? I've been able to bump start cars with as much as a little nudge, yet despite being on a steep'ish hill, I simply couldn't get this going. I'm just wondering what with the modern immobilizer systems and what not, whether it's not possible to do on the newer Ford's? To me, the mechanics behind bump starting car is you're simply replacing the starter motor with different kinetic energy, so there's no reason it shouldn't work?

Anyway, ended up jump starting off my car it because he needed to get to work and was already late. All fairly straightforward although the radio is dead (it's on but there's no sound) so I wonder if we've blown a fuse in the radio? Or perhaps not enough juice in the battery to fire up the whole centre console? Surely once the car was running the alternator should have handled that though?

[DieselPig]

If the battery is completely flat there will be no power for the electronic systems so it will not start.

You need a code to activate the radio.

[Rogue2]

The mk7 fiesta has electronic ignition. So because the battery was completely flat there was no charge to power the ignition process.

[mintalkin]

it is not recomended to bump or jumpstart the newer fords with the smart charge system as this can force the system to surge 18 volts through the ecu and componants and cause problems, so keep a eyeout for any electrical gremlins.

[Skezza]

Thanks for the replies guys. Much appreciated. Certainly explains my inability to get it going. @DieselPig, no need for the code in the end. After my friend drove it work (a good distance to be fair), and left it for a few hours switched off, the radio was fine on his drive home. So all sorted in that regard. I'm no Ford expert at all, but I wonder if the lack of battery charge meant the smart system didn't fire all the instruments and electronics or unnecessary peripherals? I've seen a similar system on another car.

@mintalkin, he's driven the car a few times now and it all seems ok but I'll keep an eye out. Why would it surge though? The donor vehicle (mine) was switched off, so there was no unnecessary charge flying around from my alternator or whatever. We hooked the donor car battery, gave it 30 seconds, fired it up and then disconnected. Surely the fact that the donor vehicle was totally switched off means the conditions were very similar to that of a regular start when the battery isn't depleted? I'm only asking for future reference, not to be difficult. It's a tricky one of course. He was already on the verge of being late for work and hooking up a slow charger really wasn't an option.

[alexp999]

If donor vehicle is switched off you should be fine.

I keep a boost pack in the back of my car now just in case.

[Skezza]

If donor vehicle is switched off you should be fine.

I keep a boost pack in the back of my car now just in case.

Thought as much. I very rarely jump start a car with the donor vehicle running. Unless your donor cars battery is absolutely nailed, there's no reason it cannot start both cars comfortably and the donor car in this case is my VW diesel which has a big chunky battery that I replaced at Christmas, so really was no need to risk anything by running my car at the same time.