Ford Focus lost all electrical power

Damo810

Hi lads/Lasses new to the forum but joined in an hour of need. Own a 2008 Ford Focus 1.6 TDCI, was driving this evening when the abs and traction control lights started flashing along with the handbrake light, they went away until a mile down the road when I was turning into the yard the power steering vanished and a warning came up saying power steering malfunction.

I turned off the car to inspect under the bonnet when I noticed a bit of a burning smell from the alternator. It passed but when I went to restart the car the dim headlights came on along with the small red light between the two clocks but no dash lights or cranking, after numerous attempts the dim lights eventually stopped coming on but still won’t turn over. 12V socket is still providing power and there is still power going to the light switch (it lights up even if the lights won’t come on) no radio no interior light.

Had a quick look at the fuses but didn’t see anything and couldn’t find my volt meter so couldn’t check anything like that. Parked in the middle of the yard no with an uphill push into the shed which I am not looking forward too! I have read different posts about similar cases but they all seem to have different issues, any idea on where to start? Would it be a wire to the alternator that is frayed? Or something to do with the power steering?

Many thanks,
Damien

case_sensitive

Damo810 wrote: »

Hi lads/Lasses new to the forum but joined in an hour of need. Own a 2008 Ford Focus 1.6 TDCI, was driving this evening when the abs and traction control lights started flashing along with the handbrake light, they went away until a mile down the road when I was turning into the yard the power steering vanished and a warning came up saying power steering malfunction.

I turned off the car to inspect under the bonnet when I noticed a bit of a burning smell from the alternator. It passed but when I went to restart the car the dim headlights came on along with the small red light between the two clocks but no dash lights or cranking, after numerous attempts the dim lights eventually stopped coming on but still won’t turn over. 12V socket is still providing power and there is still power going to the light switch (it lights up even if the lights won’t come on) no radio no interior light.

Had a quick look at the fuses but didn’t see anything and couldn’t find my volt meter so couldn’t check anything like that. Parked in the middle of the yard no with an uphill push into the shed which I am not looking forward too! I have read different posts about similar cases but they all seem to have different issues, any idea on where to start? Would it be a wire to the alternator that is frayed? Or something to do with the power steering?

Many thanks,
Damien

Without sounding too obvious, I’d start with a new/charged battery, start the car, and if the voltage going to battery isn’t ~13.8v or higher, the alternator is either busted or wiring is bad.
Work back from what you know for sure.

micks_address

case_sensitive wrote: »

Without sounding too obvious, I’d start with a new/charged battery, start the car, and if the voltage going to battery isn’t ~13.8v or higher, the alternator is either busted or wiring is bad.
Work back from what you know for sure.

Could be battery.. went in my Octavia few weeks ago. Was sure must have been alternator or something else but they put in a new battery and all's well

Indestructable

Have a look at YouTube videos re the dashboard instrument cluster malfunction, see if the symptoms are the same. Fairly common in the Focus, my own had that issue.

MrFireCoalMan

Almost certainly dead battery. Had the same symptoms in a 08 1.8tdci. Power steering going heavy then really light, along with different warning lights coming on. The dead battery also killed the alternator on mine.

case_sensitive

After battery check, try to find out why it’s dead. The earth point on my 159 was corroded and I saw similar symptoms, abs light, air con went, could t wind down the windows towards the back end of the journey.
Alternator is an obvious culprit, and easy to check, but don’t discount the earths which cost nothing.
Documented it on AlfaOwner

https://www.alfaowner.com/threads/inertial-switch-intervened.999545/#post-15249073

Sounds like battery. I had a 1.8tdci with a dead battery, replaced it and I told the guy in the shop the one he gave me was too small, he insisted it was fine. Few months had symptoms with electrics freaking out. Assumed alternator but since putting the correct battery in there's been zero issue.