Hi, I've recently experienced this problem. I checked with the previous/first owner of my 2013 KA about the s/s unavailable problem. He told me this -

"I bought the car from brand new and was told by the salesman not to expect too much from the stop/start. In his words it was on the car to bring the road tax down to make it more attractive to customers. He told me that it will only work under certain conditions and he listed a load of them. I cannot remember them, but I know he said it was linked into the aircon and outside temperature, engine temperature etc.

It rarely activated when I used the car and I am used to stop/start with my wife’s car and my work vehicles, so it is not as if I don’t know what I am doing.

It mainly activated in the summer, but then I would say only 2 out of ten journeys. In the winter, never, no matter whether it was a short or long journey, town or rural."

So I've had an on-going dispute with Evans Halshaw. I bought the KA (2nd owner) at the end of July 2015, the s/s wasn't working when I bought it. I didn't realise there was a problem at first until I read the manual - not had s/s before.

Oh, I also found out that the vehicle was part exchanged to EH in Beverley in March 2015; I didn’t buy the car until the end of July – I have heard that leaving a s/s battery for this length of time is damaging – which I also shared with EH and Ford – fell on death ears.

EH first told me the car had forgotten it had s/s technology, it was kept in to download software and charge the battery. Got the car back the next day, s/s worked until I got home about 5pm then the unavailable began showing again.

I phoned EH at the end of the next day to tell them it had stopped working, the insulting service assistant, Carl, asked me if I knew how s/s technology worked and went through all the circumstances where it wouldn't including the battery being low. I told him I'd just travelled from Lincoln to Mablethorpe and back again. He told me it takes a lot to re-charge a battery.

Car went in again - had again forgotten software and had to be charged. S/s worked again until I got home (about 5pm) and then stopped.

Next time car went in EH blamed the telematics device - clashed with s/s software. This is bearing in mind I drove the car for 3-4 weeks before I put the telematics device in (son on insurance). I left the device out for a week which made no difference, no s/s. Insurance company said they'd not heard of such a problem before.

Next time EH told me the battery was at 70%, which 'concerned' them. I had done long journeys on the two previous days. They charged the battery, they didn't replace it. S/s worked briefly then stopped.

Next time EH told me the telematics device was faulty! I discussed this with my insurance company who referred me to the telematics manufacturers. They told me the device was working normally, and asked exactly what EH were referring to, what evidence did EH have – none. I kept the device out of the car for 5 weeks whilst I carried out my own ‘investigations’. By this point I was convinced it was the battery. Searches online revealed similar problems with the same battery – EXIDE 12V 63Ah 450A (EN2-SAE) Heavy Duty PN:51873924, which states is a Special Flooded Battery. I believed the battery was wrong or unsuitable for the car’s s/s function.

Anyhow, I then told Carl I just wanted a new battery. Car went in, EH told me the battery was at 75% and not low enough to be of concern and they could not therefore supply a new battery under warranty. I told the nice young lady, Hannah, I wasn’t making a claim under the warranty as warranties are restrictive; I was making a claim under my statutory rights (Sale of Goods Act – bought vehicle before Consumer Rights Act) and reminded her the s/s didn’t work when I bought the vehicle, and never works unless the battery is charged and then only briefly. She told me she had some prices for me for a new battery. I told her I wasn’t paying for one. I asked to speak to the manager. She said she would put a request through for the manager to call me back. I had been exchanging emails with Ford during this time and received an email from them stating that Hannah at EH had confirmed that as long as I continue doing short journeys the s/s will not work. So recently I’d done some short journeys. What about all those months I’d been driving short and long journeys, including 6 distance courses that were 100 miles either way – s/s didn’t work then!

Eventually I received a call from the service manager; both managers were/had been off but no-one bothered to phone me to tell me there would be a delay in contact. We discussed my s/s problem; I was all ready to submit a complaint on MotorCodes which would highlight my dispute with the trading standards service who have a Primary Authority relationship with both Evans Halshaw and Ford (he didn’t know this). The service manager offered me a new battery; the same as the one in the vehicle, and a full diagnostic test to check everything was working okay and highlight any problems with the s/s. (I was convinced the car had again forgotten it had it).

I’d been driving for two weeks by this point, using no technology in the car – no fans, no radio, etc and still no s/s.

Car went in for new battery and diagnostic test. About midday I was told the battery was due to arrive at 2pm and the car would be ready for 3pm and that Ash had something to show me on my car. I don’t know why the battery wasn’t ordered when the appointment was booked, but never mind. When I went to collect the vehicle, Ash showed me a video showing a significant drainage on the battery by the telematics device. The vehicle was Off and the battery tester showed a drain of 0.056 with the telematics device in; which reduced to 0.007 when removed. I had read that leaving lights on, radio on, etc will continue to drain the battery even when the ignition is switched off – so it’s always good practice to switch everything off, especially when parking overnight.

EH had plugged the s/s back in; I asked them to remove it again as I didn’t want it draining my new battery. I did query why the s/s didn’t work for the 5 weeks the telematics device wasn’t connected; but just got “your battery charge would have been too low”. When I started my car to leave the radio was on which I think that was the 0.007 drain.

I am still convinced – telematics device drain or not – that the battery was insufficient for the car, from new. The new battery actually states it is an Enhanced Flooded Battery – not a Special Flooded Battery like the original. It has only been a week but the s/s has worked every time I’ve used the vehicle, short and long journeys. Although I am still restricting the use of other technology in the car.

As I only have a couple of months left on my car insurance they have agreed I can continue without connecting the telematics device. The insurance company have been very supportive and understanding (Direct Line).

I found EH less helpful and got the impression they were as fed up with seeing me and my KA as I was taking the KA back in. Not the best customer service.

Anyway, I apologise for the length of this post but I felt it was important to share the whole saga with you. I hope it will helps others; if your s/s isn’t working and you’re constantly getting the unavailable warning, the chances are your battery needs replacing.

Thanks

Rebecca