Ford Ka - Ford KA 2001 - Battery dies overnight

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Tue 4 Nov 2014 10:09
Ford Ka - Ford KA 2001 - Battery dies overnight - sumner17

I need some advise please, my Ford Ka's battery died a few weeks ago ( one cold morning) so I purchased a new one.

It's been fine until this morning (cold and frosty) and it wouldn't start again:

Nothing was left on overnight

Engine didn't even attempt to tick over when I turned the ignition

Heated windcreen light has been on constantly for a few months but the heated windscreen isn't actually on

Can someone offer some advice?

Thank you!

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Tue 4 Nov 2014 10:25
Ford Ka - Ford KA 2001 - Battery dies overnight - gordonbennet

HRW (or screen) light is possibly a clue, relay sticking?

If poss, once you've charged the battery diconnect it and then wire it to the main lead through an ammeter, you should find a discharge in process, by a process of elimination, removing fuses, you should be able to track down the fault.

First though check the boot and glove box/vanity mirror lights are going off as they should, and are the interior lights going off, with these daft dimmer gimmicks where fitted it can be 30 seconds before the thing goes out, so check that too.

Check radio is silencing and any phone or other aftermarket kit fitted is turning off.

Edited by gordonbennet on 04/11/2014 at 10:26

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Tue 4 Nov 2014 10:48
Ford Ka - Ford KA 2001 - Battery dies overnight - Galaxy

Sounds like something is permanently draining the battery, even with the ignition switched off. Could be a hidden light staying on somewhere, e.g. glovebox. I'm not 100% sure that the heated windscreen will operate with the ignition off.

Of course, it could also be an alternator fault which is causing he problem. You really need to start taking a few measurements, or get someone else to take them.

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Tue 4 Nov 2014 15:27
Ford Ka - Ford KA 2001 - Battery dies overnight - Andrew-T

Is there an immobiliser draining the battery? They sometimes misbehave after 10 years or so.

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Mon 2 Feb 2015 08:55
Ford Ka - Ford KA 2001 - Battery dies overnight - originalroro

i have the exact same problem

been checked with a meter nothing draining at all

gone back next day battery completely dead

so strange

any further ideas?

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Mon 2 Feb 2015 09:45
Ford Ka - Ford KA 2001 - Battery dies overnight - Galaxy

I can only add that, particularly at this time of year, if you should happen to be using the car for fairly short journeys only, it's quite possible to take more power out of the battery on start-up than you're putting back in from a comparatively short drive.

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Tue 3 Feb 2015 10:38
Ford Ka - Ford KA 2001 - Battery dies overnight - firefox599

I had a few older cars that done this, a mechanic told me to stay in 3rd gear a while on short journeys as this charges the battery better, in the end with two of the cars it was an alternator I needed. May not be the same problem with yours but worth a try.

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