*NOW BOOKED FOR 2024* Transitmania 15 @ Santa Pod 19th to 21st July 2024 *ALL DETAILS HERE*


Flat battery issues

Use this section to post all specific Transit Connect topics and questions

Flat battery issues

Postby Refined Detail » Wed Dec 16, 2009 3:48 pm

Right, am getting a bit fooked off with my van now!

I'll try to explain the problem;

Tends to only happen when I've been parked up all day at a job where the doors have either been open all day or are being open / closed fairly regularly as I go to and from the van with cloths, products etc etc.

Go to start the van at the end of the day and it won't start. However, stereo etc work fine. I never leave wipers, lights etc on when I switch the van off, so the giveaway it's going to happen is the clock, odometer etc flicker and the wipers go across the screen slowly 3 times.

Hook up to a jump pack (which is now permenantly in the van atm!) and it starts first turn, no issues, and usually will be fine once I'm home etc and try starting the van again.

Had the van in at Ford for a full service and MOT recently and mentioned the issue; they carried out various checks on the battery and checked voltage draw once the van's switched off etc and they said it was fine. However, it's becoming more regular now, and if it isn't totally flat, the van sounds very sluggish to start before kicking in.

Any ideas? The van's fitted with a Cat 1 alarm and immobiliser too, but think this is fine - never immobilised anyway.

Any ideas, advice on things to check etc would be more than welcome.

Cheers,

Rich
User avatar
Refined Detail
Transit Aficionado
Transit Aficionado
 
Posts: 447
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2008 9:06 pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: Flat battery issues

Postby SirKit Breaker » Wed Dec 16, 2009 5:00 pm

Check your engine earth strap and all connections to the starter motor and battery connections. If theres anything amiss the cold will soon find it. your booster pack probably has enough power to overcome any small electrical problem you have like a bad earth connection etc. It doesnt take much of a problem to cause chaos with vehicle electrics. Your wipers/ lights etc dont draw much current so they will appear to work ok even with a dodgy earth. The engine will also be sluggish to start as well.

Cheers..........Howard
GREAT BRITAIN LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT.
SirKit Breaker
Transit Devotee
Transit Devotee
 
Posts: 653
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 5:23 pm
Location: Leeds West Yorkshire

Re: Flat battery issues

Postby Icurus » Wed Dec 16, 2009 6:25 pm

I have a similar problem too!

Last week in the heavey rain the battery light comes on 5 miles into my journey. Alternator was replaced in June of last year btw. I pull over to the hard shoulder and re-start the van, light comes back on, so I continue to end of my journey with it on, about 22miles in total.

I do a lot of stop start work and the van was perfect all day, started on the button and the battery light never came on again.

Got home and tested the battery at idle, got 13.9volts, so I assumed all was ok.

next morning dead battery, instrument panel flickering and wipers going across the screen slowly as above! Had to jump start it and again it behaved all day long.

But once more the next morning it was dead, but I had tested the battery before a tried to start it and it did read only 9volts. Jumped the van again and all was ok for the rest of the day! With the engine running I was now getting 14.7 across the battery.

Had the battery tested by SC Spares as it was new in 2008 and got a 5 year warrenty, and they passed it as ok.

Well the van has been fine since!?
Transit Connect LWB T220 75PS - KnN - HID's
User avatar
Icurus
Transit Aficionado
Transit Aficionado
 
Posts: 176
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2008 10:27 pm
Location: Ashford, Kent

Re: Flat battery issues

Postby Refined Detail » Wed Dec 16, 2009 6:46 pm

Does sound pretty similar to mine then, never had the battery light on though.

Is on charge again tonight, yet when it's running it reads right sort of voltages etc so really confused.

Just to add, mines 2004 04 plate, with just over 30K on the clock and afaik original battery, alternator, starter motor etc etc etc

EDIT: Just seen your reply Howard - thanks. Battery terminals are fine, will check the engine earth strap - although where is it? :lol: Again AFAIK everything else is in order.
User avatar
Refined Detail
Transit Aficionado
Transit Aficionado
 
Posts: 447
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2008 9:06 pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: Flat battery issues

Postby Mike » Wed Dec 16, 2009 6:54 pm

Put a jump lead from the body to the engine the next time it fails to start, if it starts then it's the engine earth strap. It's certainly common on the MK6, so may be the same with the Connect.
Mike
Wind up merchant!
 
Posts: 19592
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2007 11:08 pm
Location: HP17 0UZ

Re: Flat battery issues

Postby Refined Detail » Wed Dec 16, 2009 6:57 pm

Cheers. Will chuck one in the van and try that next time. Out of interest, how easy a fix is that and what sort of cost?
User avatar
Refined Detail
Transit Aficionado
Transit Aficionado
 
Posts: 447
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2008 9:06 pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: Flat battery issues

Postby Mike » Wed Dec 16, 2009 7:13 pm

Refined Detail wrote:Cheers. Will chuck one in the van and try that next time. Out of interest, how easy a fix is that and what sort of cost?


Probably less than £10 for the strap, fitting is a five minute job, once you've found it. (well it is on a MK6)
Mike
Wind up merchant!
 
Posts: 19592
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2007 11:08 pm
Location: HP17 0UZ

Re: Flat battery issues

Postby SirKit Breaker » Thu Dec 17, 2009 3:37 am

Refined Detail wrote:Does sound pretty similar to mine then, never had the battery light on though.

Is on charge again tonight, yet when it's running it reads right sort of voltages etc so really confused.

Just to add, mines 2004 04 plate, with just over 30K on the clock and afaik original battery, alternator, starter motor etc etc etc

EDIT: Just seen your reply Howard - thanks. Battery terminals are fine, will check the engine earth strap - although where is it? :lol: Again AFAIK everything else is in order.


Your voltages will be OK, the problem is the current (amps), a bad connection will slow or stop the current flow hence your starter motor needs a few hundred amps to crank the engine over, where as the clock needs only a few miliamps so it works OK, its a bit hard to explain electrical theory but that what happens.
GREAT BRITAIN LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT.
SirKit Breaker
Transit Devotee
Transit Devotee
 
Posts: 653
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 5:23 pm
Location: Leeds West Yorkshire

Re: Flat battery issues

Postby Altransit » Thu Dec 17, 2009 4:14 pm

With a five year old battery, you could have a dodgy cell which is discharging faster than the good ones. This won't always show up on a voltage check, but only on a drop test where it will 'boil' before the others. This will give similar symptoms to a bad connection :|
1994 Mk4 SWB 115 Minibus 70ps Di (R.I.P.)
1997 Mk5 SWB 115 Minibus 70ps Di (Gone, but not forgotten!)
2004 Mk6 SWB T280 Medium Roof 85PS 2.0 TDDi - Vantunered (Also gone)
2008 Mk7 SWB T280 Medium Roof 85PS 2.2 TDCi - Also Vantunered
User avatar
Altransit
Site Moderator
 
Posts: 40197
Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2006 12:23 am
Location: Bicester, Oxfordshire, UK

Re: Flat battery issues

Postby Grenadekid » Fri Dec 18, 2009 9:18 pm

Personally from my experiences with our fleet of trannys in the yard i would replace the battery on them symptoms. as altransit said batterys can be misleading as i have found out in the past and most people mess around trying to find faults where there is none rather than spending the 60 or 80 quid which somebody has probably already charged you for fault finding at the van already.The first sign of cold weather or frost can really test a battery especially if its 5 years old or over
At home
05 220 tdci connect (remapped to 115)
94 toyota rav4 2.0 petrol
2011 kia sportage kx3 2.0 diesel
2001 RAV4 NG
User avatar
Grenadekid
Transit Devotee
Transit Devotee
 
Posts: 1354
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2009 9:45 am
Location: N.Ireland

Re: Flat battery issues

Postby SirKit Breaker » Sat Dec 19, 2009 3:27 am

Grenadekid wrote:Personally from my experiences with our fleet of trannys in the yard i would replace the battery on them symptoms. as altransit said batterys can be misleading as i have found out in the past and most people mess around trying to find faults where there is none rather than spending the 60 or 80 quid which somebody has probably already charged you for fault finding at the van already.The first sign of cold weather or frost can really test a battery especially if its 5 years old or over


True enough mate :wink:
GREAT BRITAIN LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT.
SirKit Breaker
Transit Devotee
Transit Devotee
 
Posts: 653
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 5:23 pm
Location: Leeds West Yorkshire

Re: Flat battery issues

Postby Refined Detail » Sun Jan 17, 2010 6:10 pm

Just to update this as I haven't had any issues for a while now, so THINK (fingers crossed) it's sorted:

I had been a ponce and swapped the festoon bulb over in the cab to an LED version. This used to work fine - much brighter than a standard bulb etc. Then a few months back it started suffering from poor output or flickering or not working at all - depending on it's "mood" it seemed!

Anyway, have removed this and fitted the standard bulb back in, and since then the vans been fine - so I think the bulb was excessively draining the battery during the day when I had the rear doors open for work etc - as obviously the cab light comes on with the rear ones.

A very trivial little thing seems to have solved it though as even through the snow the van started first turn of the key with no hesitation like a van with 30K on the clock should :lol:
User avatar
Refined Detail
Transit Aficionado
Transit Aficionado
 
Posts: 447
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2008 9:06 pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: Flat battery issues

Postby andye » Sat Jan 30, 2010 10:33 pm

first time caller. my 220LX 54 plate connect has had unexplained flat battery syndrome intermittently since new. neither Ford or independent motor electrician can source the fault. it happens if i use the rear doors a dozen times a day or if i leave them open.(but not always). the battery will be dead flat but try to turn the wipers on. jump start is no problem whatsoever. interior lights go out after about half an hour if doors are left open or one minute if closed.
i carry spare battery and jump leads at all times. there is long term damage being caused to the battery as they have to be replaced every year, although the last one with a three year warranty has just lasted for eighteen months before failing to hold a charge. i have about once a year had the ignition light come on but if i stop the van and restart it, it will go out .
mileage to date 37K. normal journey times 20 minutes and no accessories on to drain the battery, ( i wouldn't dare!)
andye
Newbie
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2010 9:33 pm

Re: Flat battery issues

Postby Refined Detail » Sun Jan 31, 2010 11:54 am

Hmmm that is an odd one Andy - although you get the same tell tale sign of the wipers so it must be a similar fault...

Typically a week after updating my post above, it all went wrong again!

It even struggled to jump start and the clocks were totally dead etc. I eventually got annoyed and replaced the battery lol. 2 weeks on (fingers crossed) it is working ok now - just need to replace my fubarred battery tray now!
User avatar
Refined Detail
Transit Aficionado
Transit Aficionado
 
Posts: 447
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2008 9:06 pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: Flat battery issues

Postby billyjo2002 » Mon Sep 29, 2014 8:15 pm

Where is the earth/engine strap on a Connect T200 2006 plate?

Thanks
billyjo2002
Newbie
 
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2014 10:21 pm

Next

Return to Transit Connect



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users

This site contains affiliate links for which we may be compensated.