[HowardT]

We have a 2013 1.0 Titanium spec B-Max that has been giving us massive issues with battery drain. It started a few months ago and we originally put it down to lack of use during lockdown. Then problems became more frequent so we decided to replace the battery with a new one from Halfords.

Things seemed better for a few weeks but it was still being driven every few days. The car went into the garage for a (presumed) separate issue of a leak in the boot and an airbag module fault. Both faults were resolved in November.

But the battery drain persisted, and in December it would go from 100% charge to completely flat in less than a week.

The same garage had it in last week and said there was a 0.4A drain on the battery when off. With a 60AH battery, this was consistent with our estimate (6.25 days).

I’ve received a phone call today to say they have reduced the battery drain down to 0.1A, which is obviously better but still seems high to me? This was achieved by a combination of:

1) Replacing the battery (again)
2) Replacing battery wiring/harness (exact part TBC)
3) A software update performed by the main Ford dealer in town

However I have a couple of concerns before I collect it. Firstly, is 0.1A acceptable when off? By my maths, that will still be completely flat within 25 days.

Secondly, I’ve read of water ingress issues with rear parking sensors. Is this common? I mentioned it to the garage, but he’s not said anything specific on this. With our boot leak, it seems that might be connected? Especially when you look at the timing.

And finally, he said the start/stop still isn’t working and it might need a new body control unit. He’s quoting this work for me tomorrow. My main concern was the battery drain, but I assumed the lack of stop/start was linked to the battery fault and would have been fixed at the same time.

The repair costs for this car have mounted considerably in the last few months, so I’d appreciate any guidance you can offer before I contact the garage again.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Hywel S Wales]

If you search "Battery Drain" (top right corner) you will find other related posts. Seems maybe disconnecting bluetooth can be the answer ?

 

[HowardT]

If you search "Battery Drain" (top right corner) you will find other related posts. Seems maybe disconnecting bluetooth can be the answer ?

Thanks Hywel. I saw some posts that mentioned Bluetooth, but they were a few years ago and there was talk of a software update that was going to fix it. Is it still an issue now?

 

[pegleg]

The cars ECU's don't all shut down immediately after switching off. A quiescent drain of 100mA after switching off is normal, but after a few hours I'd expect it to be at least half that value.
Changing the battery and harness will do nothing to reduce quiescent drain, but a software update may do so.
In any event, it's still wise to charge the battery during a cold spell if you're not going to use the car for a week, even more so if you're driving short distances.

 

[Gremlin]

as pegleg says, many things stay on for up to half an hour after switch off/ lock.

the stop-start models require a particular battery design. else they will generally fail within a few months. [designed for very rapid charge rate and almost immediate restarting demand.]

after changing the battery it is usual that the car has to relearn that it is charged, I think there is a procedure for this, but usual use for a few days should do it. - you will probably find the heated screen doesn't work properly at the moment! and remote/central locking may be messed up too.

one other note, rear parking sensors only go though the outer skirt of the car, not in the boot. but I think the wires do enter. - see other threads for water ingress.

 

[cianpars]

I keep stop/start off most of the time, especially so in the winter to avoid batteey drain.

 

[HowardT]

Update on this. We picked up the car from the garage yesterday, but the start/stop is still not working. I plugged in an OBD2 diagnostic and ran FORScan, which confirmed the same fault codes that were present before it went in, along with several news ones(!).

These are the ones it had before going into the garage. I highlighted these to the garage in the hope it might help narrow down the cause.

===PCM DTC P0A1F:13-2F===
Code: P0A1F - Battery Energy Control Module A Performance

Additional Fault Symptom:
- Circuit Open

===PCM DTC U0112:00-2F===
Code: U0112 - Lost Communication With Battery Energy Control Module B

===PCM DTC P058A:68-2F===
Code: P058A - Battery Monitor Module Performance

Additional Fault Symptom:
- Event Information

Since receiving the car back, these codes are still present (after a reset) and the start/stop system is still not working. He says the drain should be sorted, but we'll have to wait and see.

I put it into the garage on the assumption that our battery drain and lack of start/stop were linked (as they started at the same time), so with the start/stop still not working, I'm naturally dubious that the battery drain has been fixed. It feels like I've spent money on yet another battery (second in 5 months) that I didn't need, along with a cable that hasn't solved the issue. I've attached his invoice and work summary to this post, along with the full fault output from FORScan below.

Would appreciate any input you guys can provide, as I'm losing faith in the car now.

===PCM DTC P058A:68-2F===
Code: P058A - Battery Monitor Module Performance

Additional Fault Symptom:
 - Event Information

Status: 
 - DTC Present at Time of Request
 - Malfunction Indicator Lamp is Off for this DTC

Module: Powertrain Control Module

 Freeze Frame :
-LOAD: 0.00 % - Calculated Load Value
-ECT: 81 °C - Engine coolant temperature
-RPM: 0 1/min - Engine Revolutions Per Minute
-FUELSYS: error  - Fuel System Status (Open/Closed Loop)
===END PCM DTC P058A:68-2F===

===PCM DTC U0112:00-2F===
Code: U0112 - Lost Communication With Battery Energy Control Module B

Status: 
 - DTC Present at Time of Request
 - Malfunction Indicator Lamp is Off for this DTC

Module: Powertrain Control Module

 Freeze Frame :
-LOAD: 0.00 % - Calculated Load Value
-ECT: 81 °C - Engine coolant temperature
-RPM: 0 1/min - Engine Revolutions Per Minute
-FUELSYS: error  - Fuel System Status (Open/Closed Loop)
===END PCM DTC U0112:00-2F===

===PCM DTC P058A:81-6C===
Code: P058A - Battery Monitor Module Performance

Additional Fault Symptom:
 - Invalid Serial Data Received

Status: 
 - DTC Maturing - Intermittent at Time of Request
 - Malfunction Indicator Lamp is Off for this DTC
 - Test not complete

Module: Powertrain Control Module

 Freeze Frame :
-LOAD: 0.00 % - Calculated Load Value
-ECT: 81 °C - Engine coolant temperature
-RPM: 0 1/min - Engine Revolutions Per Minute
-FUELSYS: error  - Fuel System Status (Open/Closed Loop)
===END PCM DTC P058A:81-6C===

===PCM DTC P0A1F:13-2F===
Code: P0A1F - Battery Energy Control Module A Performance

Additional Fault Symptom:
 - Circuit Open

Status: 
 - DTC Present at Time of Request
 - Malfunction Indicator Lamp is Off for this DTC

Module: Powertrain Control Module

 Freeze Frame :
-LOAD: 0.00 % - Calculated Load Value
-ECT: 81 °C - Engine coolant temperature
-RPM: 0 1/min - Engine Revolutions Per Minute
-FUELSYS: error  - Fuel System Status (Open/Closed Loop)
===END PCM DTC P0A1F:13-2F===

===OBDII DTC None===
Successful DTC reading, no error codes found

Module: On Board Diagnostic II

===END OBDII DTC None===

===APIM DTC None===
Successful DTC reading, no error codes found

Module: Accessory Protocol Interface Module

===END APIM DTC None===

===FCDIM DTC None===
Successful DTC reading, no error codes found

Module: Front Control/Display Interface Module

===END FCDIM DTC None===

===ABS DTC None===
Successful DTC reading, no error codes found

Module: Antilock braking system

===END ABS DTC None===

===RCM DTC None===
Successful DTC reading, no error codes found

Module: Restraint Control Module

===END RCM DTC None===

===PSCM DTC None===
Successful DTC reading, no error codes found

Module: Power Steering Control Module

===END PSCM DTC None===

===ACM DTC None===
Successful DTC reading, no error codes found

Module: Audio Control Module

===END ACM DTC None===

===IPC DTC None===
Successful DTC reading, no error codes found

Module: Instrument Panel Control Module

===END IPC DTC None===

===PDM DTC None===
Successful DTC reading, no error codes found

Module: Passengers Door Control Unit

===END PDM DTC None===

===DDM DTC None===
Successful DTC reading, no error codes found

Module: Drivers Door Module

===END DDM DTC None===

===HVAC DTC None===
Successful DTC reading, no error codes found

Module: Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning

===END HVAC DTC None===

===RFA DTC None===
Successful DTC reading, no error codes found

Module: Remote Function Actuator

===END RFA DTC None===

===BCMii DTC B1A84:41-0A===
Code: B1A84 - Car Configuration Data

Additional Fault Symptom:
 - General Checksum Failure

Status: 
 - DTC Present at Time of Request
 - Malfunction Indicator Lamp is Off for this DTC

Module: Body Control Module

 Freeze Frame :
-GLOBTIM: 229552987 s - Global real time
-TOTDIST: 39035.0 km - Total Distance
-MAINECUV: 12.25 V - Main ECU voltage supply
-OUTTMP: 5 °C - External Temperature From Sensor
-PWR_MODE_KEY: Key Recently Out  - Power Mode Key State
-PWR_MODE_QF: Power Mode OK  - Power Mode Quality Factor
===END BCMii DTC B1A84:41-0A===

===BCMii DTC B1A84:51-0A===
Code: B1A84 - Car Configuration Data

Additional Fault Symptom:
 - Not Programmed

Status: 
 - DTC Present at Time of Request
 - Malfunction Indicator Lamp is Off for this DTC

Module: Body Control Module

 Freeze Frame :
-GLOBTIM: 229552987 s - Global real time
-TOTDIST: 39035.0 km - Total Distance
-MAINECUV: 12.25 V - Main ECU voltage supply
-OUTTMP: 5 °C - External Temperature From Sensor
-PWR_MODE_KEY: Key Recently Out  - Power Mode Key State
-PWR_MODE_QF: Power Mode OK  - Power Mode Quality Factor
===END BCMii DTC B1A84:51-0A===

===GPSM DTC None===
Successful DTC reading, no error codes found

Module: Global Positioning System Module

===END GPSM DTC None===

 

[Hywel S Wales]

i assume you have the EFB type battery fitted ?

 

[HowardT]

Yep. Replaced with Halfords EFB100 in August and the garage replaced with a Bosch EFB last week.

Checked voltages last night and it’s already down to 12.35v.

Feels like I’ve paid £465 to change the logo on my battery.

 

[pegleg]

I'm not surprised there are problems if communication to the battery ecu has failed.
Was the garage a Ford main dealer?

 

[Gremlin]

the charging system for the ecoboost engine is not the traditional simple charge battery all the time system.
it will normally charge to 80%, and on over-run charge at a very high rate.

it also monitors the battery when it is idle to determine its SOC State OF Charge. however, it won't do this if there is a load greater than 100mA

if it can't determine SOC, it will disable the stop/start function

you will need to find a garage who can determine where the parasitic load is, and fix that.
note to check parasitic loads you can monitor the voltage drop (in mV) across fuses
https://us.autologic.com/news/testing-parasitic-draw-via-fuse-voltage-drop

I believe this is taken straight from the 'workshop' manual
https://www.motor-talk.de/forum/aktion/Attachment.html?attachmentId=749293

 

[Hadrian1]

When my battery started going flat a couple of years ago, they did a computer reset under warranty.
This seemed to fix the problem. Although any car can get a flat battery if not used for a week or more.

 

[EASYDOZIT]

We have a 2013 1.0 Titanium spec B-Max that has been giving us massive issues with battery drain. It started a few months ago and we originally put it down to lack of use during lockdown. Then problems became more frequent so we decided to replace the battery with a new one from Halfords.

Things seemed better for a few weeks but it was still being driven every few days. The car went into the garage for a (presumed) separate issue of a leak in the boot and an airbag module fault. Both faults were resolved in November.

But the battery drain persisted, and in December it would go from 100% charge to completely flat in less than a week.

The same garage had it in last week and said there was a 0.4A drain on the battery when off. With a 60AH battery, this was consistent with our estimate (6.25 days).

I’ve received a phone call today to say they have reduced the battery drain down to 0.1A, which is obviously better but still seems high to me? This was achieved by a combination of:

1) Replacing the battery (again)
2) Replacing battery wiring/harness (exact part TBC)
3) A software update performed by the main Ford dealer in town

However I have a couple of concerns before I collect it. Firstly, is 0.1A acceptable when off? By my maths, that will still be completely flat within 25 days.

Secondly, I’ve read of water ingress issues with rear parking sensors. Is this common? I mentioned it to the garage, but he’s not said anything specific on this. With our boot leak, it seems that might be connected? Especially when you look at the timing.

And finally, he said the start/stop still isn’t working and it might need a new body control unit. He’s quoting this work for me tomorrow. My main concern was the battery drain, but I assumed the lack of stop/start was linked to the battery fault and would have been fixed at the same time.

The repair costs for this car have mounted considerably in the last few months, so I’d appreciate any guidance you can offer before I contact the garage again.

Thanks in advance!

We have a 2013 1.0 Titanium spec B-Max that has been giving us massive issues with battery drain. It started a few months ago and we originally put it down to lack of use during lockdown. Then problems became more frequent so we decided to replace the battery with a new one from Halfords.

Things seemed better for a few weeks but it was still being driven every few days. The car went into the garage for a (presumed) separate issue of a leak in the boot and an airbag module fault. Both faults were resolved in November.

But the battery drain persisted, and in December it would go from 100% charge to completely flat in less than a week.

The same garage had it in last week and said there was a 0.4A drain on the battery when off. With a 60AH battery, this was consistent with our estimate (6.25 days).

I’ve received a phone call today to say they have reduced the battery drain down to 0.1A, which is obviously better but still seems high to me? This was achieved by a combination of:

1) Replacing the battery (again)
2) Replacing battery wiring/harness (exact part TBC)
3) A software update performed by the main Ford dealer in town

However I have a couple of concerns before I collect it. Firstly, is 0.1A acceptable when off? By my maths, that will still be completely flat within 25 days.

Secondly, I’ve read of water ingress issues with rear parking sensors. Is this common? I mentioned it to the garage, but he’s not said anything specific on this. With our boot leak, it seems that might be connected? Especially when you look at the timing.

And finally, he said the start/stop still isn’t working and it might need a new body control unit. He’s quoting this work for me tomorrow. My main concern was the battery drain, but I assumed the lack of stop/start was linked to the battery fault and would have been fixed at the same time.

The repair costs for this car have mounted considerably in the last few months, so I’d appreciate any guidance you can offer before I contact the garage again.

Thanks in advance!

Hi Howard T,

We have a 2013 1.0 Titanium spec B-Max that has been giving us massive issues with battery drain. It started a few months ago and we originally put it down to lack of use during lockdown. Then problems became more frequent so we decided to replace the battery with a new one from Halfords.

Things seemed better for a few weeks but it was still being driven every few days. The car went into the garage for a (presumed) separate issue of a leak in the boot and an airbag module fault. Both faults were resolved in November.

But the battery drain persisted, and in December it would go from 100% charge to completely flat in less than a week.

The same garage had it in last week and said there was a 0.4A drain on the battery when off. With a 60AH battery, this was consistent with our estimate (6.25 days).

I’ve received a phone call today to say they have reduced the battery drain down to 0.1A, which is obviously better but still seems high to me? This was achieved by a combination of:

1) Replacing the battery (again)
2) Replacing battery wiring/harness (exact part TBC)
3) A software update performed by the main Ford dealer in town

However I have a couple of concerns before I collect it. Firstly, is 0.1A acceptable when off? By my maths, that will still be completely flat within 25 days.

Secondly, I’ve read of water ingress issues with rear parking sensors. Is this common? I mentioned it to the garage, but he’s not said anything specific on this. With our boot leak, it seems that might be connected? Especially when you look at the timing.

And finally, he said the start/stop still isn’t working and it might need a new body control unit. He’s quoting this work for me tomorrow. My main concern was the battery drain, but I assumed the lack of stop/start was linked to the battery fault and would have been fixed at the same time.

The repair costs for this car have mounted considerably in the last few months, so I’d appreciate any guidance you can offer before I contact the garage again.

Thanks in advance!

Hi Howard T,
I have or at least thought I had similar problems, in that I would find that all though my 2012 Ford B-Max with 1.0ltr EcoBoost engine never failed to start, I was getting the classic signs of a low battery ie; Stop/Start and Front and Rear screen heaters not working, these would all work again immediately after a manual battery recharge. I decided to buy and fit a new 65AH battery. All then worked well for a few days when the same thing started happening again.
I decided to try and find if there was a parasitic drain on the battery, in order to do this with any amount of accuracy I needed to know what should be drawn when the car's systems were at rest, but neither Ford Customer Relations or my local Ford dealer were either able or willing to answer my question.
I had a rough idea what would normally be the expected drain from a car's systems once it had gone to rest, so I decided to do a few tests to try and find what my vehicles drain was.
I should point out that all this was happening during the Covid-19 Lockdown and the car was not being used for several days at a time.
I started the test by making sure the battery was charged (needs to be a minimum of 12 volts).
I then closed all the windows and locked the doors, the bonnet switch I short circuited, I then set the alarm, and because my car has Keyless entry I removed the key so that it was not in range of the sensor.
I then used both the Clamp meter and the Ammeter in series methods to check the battery's drain, both methods produced similar results.
Because this is becoming very long winded (for which I apologise), I will try to keep it brief.
I found that when the doors are first closed and locked there is about 4.12 amps drawn, this quickly reduced to 2.73 amps, then after a few minutes this went down to 500mA, after about 2.5 hours from the start of the test it was down to about 22mA and there it remained for the rest of my tests which lasted at least 5 hours from start to finnish.
I do not know whether or not you have sorted your problems (if you have I would appreciate knowing the solution), but if not I thought my experience might be of some help.
I have still not sorted my water leek into the boot, but the most common place for water ingress appears the be the vents behind the rear bumper.

Regards.

 

[HowardT]

Hi EASYDOZIT

Hi Howard T,

Hi Howard T,
I have or at least thought I had similar problems, in that I would find that all though my 2012 Ford B-Max with 1.0ltr EcoBoost engine never failed to start, I was getting the classic signs of a low battery ie; Stop/Start and Front and Rear screen heaters not working, these would all work again immediately after a manual battery recharge. I decided to buy and fit a new 65AH battery. All then worked well for a few days when the same thing started happening again.
I decided to try and find if there was a parasitic drain on the battery, in order to do this with any amount of accuracy I needed to know what should be drawn when the car's systems were at rest, but neither Ford Customer Relations or my local Ford dealer were either able or willing to answer my question.
I had a rough idea what would normally be the expected drain from a car's systems once it had gone to rest, so I decided to do a few tests to try and find what my vehicles drain was.
I should point out that all this was happening during the Covid-19 Lockdown and the car was not being used for several days at a time.
I started the test by making sure the battery was charged (needs to be a minimum of 12 volts).
I then closed all the windows and locked the doors, the bonnet switch I short circuited, I then set the alarm, and because my car has Keyless entry I removed the key so that it was not in range of the sensor.
I then used both the Clamp meter and the Ammeter in series methods to check the battery's drain, both methods produced similar results.
Because this is becoming very long winded (for which I apologise), I will try to keep it brief.
I found that when the doors are first closed and locked there is about 4.12 amps drawn, this quickly reduced to 2.73 amps, then after a few minutes this went down to 500mA, after about 2.5 hours from the start of the test it was down to about 22mA and there it remained for the rest of my tests which lasted at least 5 hours from start to finnish.
I do not know whether or not you have sorted your problems (if you have I would appreciate knowing the solution), but if not I thought my experience might be of some help.
I have still not sorted my water leek into the boot, but the most common place for water ingress appears the be the vents behind the rear bumper.

Regards.

Hi EASYDOZIT,

Thanks for taking the time to post such a detailed reply. I ended up taking the car out of the original garage and to an independent Ford specialist that’s local to us. Within a day they had identified a problem with water ingress within the “DC/DC converter”, which I believe is beneath the steering wheel.

The new garage said the carpets were still wet from the original leak. They currently have the car while waiting 1) for the part to come into stock and 2) for the carpets to be properly dried.

We’re expecting some news this week. I’ll update you when I have the car returned!

 

[EASYDOZIT]

Hi EASYDOZIT

Hi EASYDOZIT,

Thanks for taking the time to post such a detailed reply. I ended up taking the car out of the original garage and to an independent Ford specialist that’s local to us. Within a day they had identified a problem with water ingress within the “DC/DC converter”, which I believe is beneath the steering wheel.

The new garage said the carpets were still wet from the original leak. They currently have the car while waiting 1) for the part to come into stock and 2) for the carpets to be properly dried.

We’re expecting some news this week. I’ll update you when I have the car returned!

Hi Howard T,

Thanks for the reply.
I thought the DC/DC converter was under the carpet beneath the right hand front seat, but I would be interested to know if that has sorted your battery drain problem.
I would also appreciate it if you could let me know where the water leak was coming from.

Regards.