Ford Focus 05 - Dead!

Optimus Prime

Hey, got some help on here before with my car so was hoping you guys might know whats wrong now!

Just went to head home from work and my car wont start, 05 Focus. when i say it wont start, its like the engine isnt even trying to start, the lights come on the dash, the radio is looking for its unlock code and the lights seem dimmer.

its making a kind of clicky\scratchy noise that seems to be coming from the glove box. and when i got out of the car, the doors wouldnt lock when i clicked the button on the key.

Im clueless when it comes to cars, so any ideas would help.

To make matters even worse still, im parked up on the 6th floor of my jobs carpark!

George Dalton

Sounds like the battery is dead. Did you leave anything switched on all day do you think?

Nissan doctor

The radio looking for the code means that radio lost power and the clicking noise is the starter motor solenoid, again clicking as it hasn't got enough power to engage.

Dead battery is almost certainly the problem.

Avns1s

Yes deffo sounds like a dead battery.

If it's the original battery at 6 years old, it might just be at its end of life. In other words, nothing might have been left on to drain it.

You should get going with a jump start but I wouldn't let it cut out as it may not start again even when hot, unless of course, you do find that you left something on.

Optimus Prime

Guys thanks a lot, i was talking to a few people in work and Battery was mentioned a bit. I dont think i left anything on to be honest, but i couldnt swear by that. The fact i couldnt even lock the doors with the key threw me a bit!

I didnt have much time to check it out in work as the work car park was just closing, ill be able to have a better look tomorrow.

how easy is it to replace the battery, is it something i could do? the reason i ask is because its up on the 6th floor of the jobs car park, theres no way id be able to get the car out of it without getting it going, its really tight getting in and out of the place. one of the lads said he was bringing in something tomorrow that can hook up to the battery to see if its dead or whatever, so should give me a better idea.

EDIT: Just should mention aswell, it is the original battery, I bought the car in 06 when it was a year old, and the battery has never been changed.

aujopimur

If you have breakdown cover on your insurance call them to get you started, then go to the nearest motor factor for a replacement battery.

swhyte027

Yes in defo a dead battery you'll have it changed in 5mins in the mornin bring a 10 and a 13 socket and ratchet easy as 123 just make sure to connect the +2 the + and -2 the -

CharlieCroker

Have you anyone who can give you a jump start?
If you can, get it jumped and take it for a spin up and down the motorway to charge it.
Should be ok then til u get around to changing the battery

Avns1s

CharlieCroker wrote: »

Have you anyone who can give you a jump start?
If you can, get it jumped and take it for a spin up and down the motorway to charge it.
Should be ok then til u get around to changing the battery

It MIGHT be ok IF the cause for it going flat yesterday was something being left on. The OP has mentioned that he doesn't think anything was left on so it would seem to me that there is a cell gone in the battery and therefore it will be unlikely to start the car on its own, even when the engine is hot and the battery has had the benefit of a "charge" going up and down the motorway.

You could perhaps get a jump start and drive to where you can change the battery more conveniently.

Optimus Prime

Thanks a lot, going to take a look now soon. Just to make it a bit clearer for me, someone who doesnt know much about cars! is it possible for me to get a battery and change it myself? it doesnt need to be in a garage to do this?

Avns1s

keithgeo wrote: »

Thanks a lot, going to take a look now soon. Just to make it a bit clearer for me, someone who doesnt know much about cars! is it possible for me to get a battery and change it myself? it doesnt need to be in a garage to do this?

Yes it is. It's a very simple procedure with a few basic spanners to undo the clamp and the terminals. Just make sure you get the proper sized and shaped replacement for your car and MAKE SURE YOU CONNECT THE TERMINALS CORRECTLY.

aujopimur

Most motor factors will fit a new battery free of charge, phone first just to be sure.

Optimus Prime

Update!

Right, so we got the AA out and they jumped the car, i drove it around the corner to advance pit stop and got a new battery. working fine now. 80 quid for the battery all in.

Delighted it was just the battery, thanks for all the help on this and for not having me worried it was something else, never would have got the car out of the multistory carpark!

Optimus Prime

I think i may have found out what drained my battery, theres some sort of fan running in the engine of my car at the minute, its going about half an hour so far and hasnt stopped, its like a hoover or something. does anyone know what that is?

my engine is off, key out etc i should say.

Plug

Thats the radiator fan. There is a PCM recalibration to solve that problem on some of them or it could be a stuck relay. Did it come on when you were driving or just as you stopped? What engine?

ford jedi

is your focus new model 05,, if so there is a recall for the fan motor staying on wasnt for all models but easy nenuf to check.

Plug

Another thing as well, just to stop the fan killing your battery pull out fuse fifteen in the fusebox beside the battery, its a 30 amp fuse, it will say 30 on top. Obviously make sure to put it back in before you drive.

Optimus Prime

Plug wrote: »

Thats the radiator fan. There is a PCM recalibration to solve that problem on some of them or it could be a stuck relay. Did it come on when you were driving or just as you stopped? What engine?

Just noticed it when I stopped earlier its been on an hour. I just came out to the car about fifteen minutes ago decided to go for a drive to see if it stopped. It didn't. Just pulled into a garage and stopped the car and its still going.

Plug

Pull fuse fifteen when you get home, the thirty amp one. Bring it to a Ford dealer or a specialist with the proper diagnostic equipment as I say its a PCM problem.

Optimus Prime

Plug wrote: »

Pull fuse fifteen when you get home, the thirty amp one. Bring it to a Ford dealer or a specialist with the proper diagnostic equipment as I say its a PCM problem.

Thanks lads just trying to locate fuse fifteen its a bit confusing. I can see them numbered with f1 and so on but I can't locate the exact one. There are two pink ones with 30 on them kinda small. Will i do any damage just pulling these out?

Optimus Prime

keithgeo wrote: »

Plug wrote: »

Pull fuse fifteen when you get home, the thirty amp one. Bring it to a Ford dealer or a specialist with the proper diagnostic equipment as I say its a PCM problem.

Thanks lads just trying to locate fuse fifteen its a bit confusing. I can see them numbered with f1 and so on but I can't locate the exact one. There are two pink ones with 30 on them kinda small. Will i do any damage just pulling these out?

They seem to have r number

Optimus Prime

keithgeo wrote: »

keithgeo wrote: »

Plug wrote: »

Pull fuse fifteen when you get home, the thirty amp one. Bring it to a Ford dealer or a specialist with the proper diagnostic equipment as I say its a PCM problem.

Thanks lads just trying to locate fuse fifteen its a bit confusing. I can see them numbered with f1 and so on but I can't locate the exact one. There are two pink ones with 30 on them kinda small. Will i do any damage just pulling these out?

They seem to have r number

Managed to get it there was two with 30 on the top. Pulled out the first and nothing happened so quickly stuck it back in haha. Pulled out the second and it stopped. Happy days. I'll get onto ford about it. Once again thanks to all for the help! Life savers!

Optimus Prime

ford jedi wrote: »

is your focus new model 05,, if so there is a recall for the fan motor staying on wasnt for all models but easy nenuf to check.

It's an 05 focus new model yeh. Cruise control and all that jazz. Is it prone to this problem?

Optimus Prime

and she is dead again!

Something went coming home from work last night, i was going about 100 in 5th gear and notice i was losing power going up a hill on the motorway. i dropped back to 4th and pulled off up the slip road. again i reached the top of the slip, the car had cut out, powersteering etc gone.

when i start the car its spurting\sometimes cutting out unless i keep reving the engine, engine light on etc. I manged to get the car home by driving keeping the revs up in second gear (wasnt far away from home)

Coil gone? The coil has gone on me before but seemed to happen gradually in the past, this just went in the click of a finger.

2012 Rio

Sputtering like that sound like a problem on the HT side or else the fuel injection.
If you have access to a fault code reader, even a bisic one, get a code from it and take it from there. Otherwise just do some exploring. remove and check the HT leads for slits, cuts or burn marks. Check the plastic bit that goes down into the head closely. Even a pinhole sized burn mark will cause a misfire - happened me twice.

to know for sure though, getting a fault code is your best chance.