[makem]

Has anyone left their car unattended on their drive for at least one month whilst on holiday?

I used to do this with my previous car which suffered from a flat battery after that time. I got a relative to drive it a few times and it was ok. The alternative was to disconnect the battery.

However, it will cost £100 for insurance for him in addition to the normal premium and is far to much for 3 times one month holidays in a year. (£30 a trip!)

I was wondering what would be the consequences of leaving the B-MAX, knowing how hungry it is with all it's electronics which keep running. Has anyone disconnected the battery or just left it hoping it would start later?

 

[JOHNWALES]

I definitely would not disconnect the battery, because you may well have to reset some of your systems when re connecting. Have you got a battery charger, and if necessary an extension cable. I am sure one month will not drain your battery to an extent the doors will not open, but it could well leave insufficient charge to start the engine. If you are too far away from an electric supply to connect to your car, by a battery pack from Halfords. You can power it up in the house, and then use the booster cables to get the car going, they are not cheap but a great investment. ( around £50)

 

[Doors44]

Hello Makem, I parked mine at Heathrow for 3 weeks in an outside car park. I took the keys with me so it could not have been used and it started first time with no problem.
Not sure if that helps.

 

[makem]

Thanks, I will leave just leave. I did have a battery pack but I forget what I did with it. Probably sold it. The service agent said don't need to disconnect the battery and in the event it will not start then call the breakdown they gave free as it does cover at home.

I am away for a week before Xmas and it will be April before the next month trip to China so it will be warmer then.

 

[Modestmillionaire]

One problem you may have is that the windscreen will not de ice electrically until you have driven a few miles. Something to do with "smart energy" software which senses if the battery has not been fully charged up with regular runs. Using the heated screen does impose a heavy electrical load on the system. Depending on the condition of the battery you may have no de icing at all or just the drivers side operating - not good if the car has been built to LH Euro spec!

 

[JOHNWALES]

Try not to despair on this one. A few years ago I was driving in Northern France in my then car, Freelander 2. I had experienced horrendous snow on my outward journey, and a few days later when returning home a slight thaw had started. I was driving on the A 16 autoroute and noticed brake lights ahead of me; it turned out that freezing rain was blocking drivers windscreens. I turned on my heated screen and was able to proceed without any problems.

It is unfair to rely on the electrics to de-ice your windscreen early morning, that can be done manually and more effectively, you can even cover your screen; but as a safety issue it is a valuable asset.

 

[Modestmillionaire]

John

Thanks for your reply and adding more clarification on heated screens. You are of course quite right in pointing out that using the screen heater is not the only method and there are other equally efficient methods.

As I said in my post, using the heater imposes a heavy load on the system and hence the protection of the software. The problem appears to be that few users are aware of this system and I was really trying to makepeoplefamiliar with what may happen and help prevent them rushing off to dealers complaining about faulty screens.Indeed, many dealers are not aware of this system and will happily take customers down the road of getting the screen changed which is a painful longwinded process with Ford.