Battery problem update

[Smartguy67]

I can see this is a long thread already! But I thought I would post my flat battery experience anyway.
I went to start my 3 year old Puma ST (low miles c. 17k) a few weeks ago after it had been sitting overnight and the battery was flat. Lights and audio came on initially for a moment then nothing.
RAC tested the battery thoroughly charging it up again. RAC man said the good news is there was no obvious problem, but the bad news is that this meant he couldn’t tell me what the problem was! Ultimately something was draining the battery while the car was switched off.
I did a quick Google and found a YouTube video from a Ford dealer indicating that the Ford Pass App drains the battery while the car is switched off due to checks and updates carried out by the App.



All totally ridiculous in my book! And yes I had seen a number of deep sleep mode messages on my phone in recent weeks but I assumed this was normal. Anyway I have now disconnected the car from the Ford App and have had no problems since.

You can keep the app. Just turn off automatic updates on the sync 3 screen. Turn WiFi off and diagnostic reports off as well.

[Rays1]

Having had a number warnings prior to Xmas on Sync that my vehicle had shut down to save battery and having had more then enough of repeatedly sticking it on charge. For fear of it letting me down. I decided it was time to replace my +4 year old Varta (the original failed after just 6 months and was replaced under warranty.
Purchased a 60Ah EFB (027) Excide battery.
Connected up an ODB memory saver and removed the old one.. removal proved to be a bit of a tight squeeze - it doesnt simply pull out and new one drop in on my ST . But hey in the end it didnt take to long.
New battery installed, all settings were saved ok and new battery reprogrammed sucessfully.
Hey presto even in these bloody cold temperatures, works perfect and NO silly battery saver warnings any longer
The moral of the story. Don't expect your battery to last for ever (3-4 years) Those battery saver warnings can often mean your battery is on the way out.

[4251]

Having had a number warnings prior to Xmas on Sync that my vehicle had shut down to save battery and having had more then enough of repeatedly sticking it on charge. For fear of it letting me down. I decided it was time to replace my +4 year old Varta (the original failed after just 6 months and was replaced under warranty.
Purchased a 60Ah EFB (027) Excide battery.
Connected up an ODB memory saver and removed the old one.. removal proved to be a bit of a tight squeeze - it doesnt simply pull out and new one drop in on my ST . But hey in the end it didnt take to long.
New battery installed, all settings were saved ok and new battery reprogrammed sucessfully.
Hey presto even in these bloody cold temperatures, works perfect and NO silly battery saver warnings any longer
The moral of the story. Don't expect your battery to last for ever (3-4 years) Those battery saver warnings can often mean your battery is on the way out.

Have to disagree, I expect a lead acid battery to last at least 10 years. And they do on every other manufacturers cars, as long as they aren’t allowed to go totally flat which renders them useless from then on. The car should be able to stand a month or two without any issues whatsoever. I doubt the vast majority of issues mentioned here have anything whatsoever to do with the battery, It is Ford’s useless battery management software. It needs a regular resets to keep it functioning anywhere near normally. Plus messages informing you it is going into sleep mode are normal and in my case can be totally ignored without issue.

[Ron240]

I seen what I assume is the battery saver warning on my infotainment screen last week for the very first time when the weather was particularly cold.
I cant remember exactly what it said but it was on the screen when I got in then disappeared when I started the engine.
I had forgotten about it until I read the posts here.
My car is 17 months old.

[Rays1]

Having had a number warnings prior to Xmas on Sync that my vehicle had shut down to save battery and having had more then enough of repeatedly sticking it on charge. For fear of it letting me down. I decided it was time to replace my +4 year old Varta (the original failed after just 6 months and was replaced under warranty.
Purchased a 60Ah EFB (027) Excide battery.
Connected up an ODB memory saver and removed the old one.. removal proved to be a bit of a tight squeeze - it doesnt simply pull out and new one drop in on my ST . But hey in the end it didnt take to long.
New battery installed, all settings were saved ok and new battery reprogrammed sucessfully.
Hey presto even in these bloody cold temperatures, works perfect and NO silly battery saver warnings any longer
The moral of the story. Don't expect your battery to last for ever (3-4 years) Those battery saver warnings can often mean your battery is on the way out.

Have to disagree, I expect a lead acid battery to last at least 10 years. And they do on every other manufacturers cars, as long as they aren’t allowed to go totally flat which renders them useless from then on. The car should be able to stand a month or two without any issues whatsoever. I doubt the vast majority of issues mentioned here have anything whatsoever to do with the battery, It is Ford’s useless battery management software. It needs a regular resets to keep it functioning anywhere near normally. Plus messages informing you it is going into sleep mode are normal and in my case can be totally ignored without issue.

Fair do 4251. But from what I've read an EFB battery on average lasts between 4-6 years. Never 10 years. The +4 year old Varta battery that I have just recently replaced has been ok in all respects up until the last few month's of 2024. Where upon I started receiving regular messages at start up and on my Sync infotainment screen that the system has been shut down to conserve battery.
No amount of charging the battery and re programming it made the slightest difference. So fearful it would let me down during the winter months I replaced it. The new battery has been fine and without the slightest hint of any new warning messages and thats with all of the recent very low (snow & ice) outside air temperatures.

[4251]

Having had a number warnings prior to Xmas on Sync that my vehicle had shut down to save battery and having had more then enough of repeatedly sticking it on charge. For fear of it letting me down. I decided it was time to replace my +4 year old Varta (the original failed after just 6 months and was replaced under warranty.
Purchased a 60Ah EFB (027) Excide battery.
Connected up an ODB memory saver and removed the old one.. removal proved to be a bit of a tight squeeze - it doesnt simply pull out and new one drop in on my ST . But hey in the end it didnt take to long.
New battery installed, all settings were saved ok and new battery reprogrammed sucessfully.
Hey presto even in these bloody cold temperatures, works perfect and NO silly battery saver warnings any longer
The moral of the story. Don't expect your battery to last for ever (3-4 years) Those battery saver warnings can often mean your battery is on the way out.

Have to disagree, I expect a lead acid battery to last at least 10 years. And they do on every other manufacturers cars, as long as they aren’t allowed to go totally flat which renders them useless from then on. The car should be able to stand a month or two without any issues whatsoever. I doubt the vast majority of issues mentioned here have anything whatsoever to do with the battery, It is Ford’s useless battery management software. It needs a regular resets to keep it functioning anywhere near normally. Plus messages informing you it is going into sleep mode are normal and in my case can be totally ignored without issue.

Fair do 4251. But from what I've read an EFB battery on average lasts between 4-6 years. Never 10 years. The +4 year old Varta battery that I have just recently replaced has been ok in all respects up until the last few month's of 2024. Where upon I started receiving regular messages at start up and on my Sync infotainment screen that the system has been shut down to conserve battery.
No amount of charging the battery and re programming it made the slightest difference. So fearful it would let me down during the winter months I replaced it. The new battery has been fine and without the slightest hint of any new warning messages and thats with all of the recent very low (snow & ice) outside air temperatures.

All quality lead acid batteries that I purchase now for equipment have a 10 year life cycle. Nothing has changed apart from batteries have got even better. Used to be 5 year cycle many years ago. Only common denominator in this problem is Puma 1.0 Hybrids, the clue is there. The batteries on the 3 Fords I have out there are all the originals, so 2018, 2020 and 2021 all as good as new, but none are 1.0 Puma Hybrids. The 2018 Focus ST stands for weeks and its -6 out there currently, It will start straight up instantly. I suspect your charging software is defective or there is a fault somewhere

[mr2gti]

I can see this is a long thread already! But I thought I would post my flat battery experience anyway.
I went to start my 3 year old Puma ST (low miles c. 17k) a few weeks ago after it had been sitting overnight and the battery was flat. Lights and audio came on initially for a moment then nothing.
RAC tested the battery thoroughly charging it up again. RAC man said the good news is there was no obvious problem, but the bad news is that this meant he couldn’t tell me what the problem was! Ultimately something was draining the battery while the car was switched off.
I did a quick Google and found a YouTube video from a Ford dealer indicating that the Ford Pass App drains the battery while the car is switched off due to checks and updates carried out by the App.



All totally ridiculous in my book! And yes I had seen a number of deep sleep mode messages on my phone in recent weeks but I assumed this was normal. Anyway I have now disconnected the car from the Ford App and have had no problems since.

The TCM unit (Telematics Control/Communication Module) craps out and gets stuck in a loop and in effect continually transmits info to the clowns at Ford. Wife's ST had this and it took them over 15 months to work it out.

Once replaced under warranty, and 2 batteries killed due to it, it's been fine.

[DB74]

It's not only Ford's which suffer with this as I had a Mazda which constantly tried to communicate with the keys and never shut down which drained the battery. I get the 'Remote features disabled to preserve battery' warning quite often if I don't use the car, but surely that's a good thing?

[Sparks]

I get the warning only during the really cold weather we've been having lately......To be honest, as long as it starts I don't care.
I've just done a 400 mile round trip and did notice that as it was all motorway with little or no regen, the battery still reports a shut down warning.

[DB74]

On my last car I use to get warnings on the app that the 12v battery was going flat, but it always warned you after it was too dead to start the car!