Car won't start no power to cabin

[Harbor]

Hello all,

 

I had an issue today regarding my 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid and I was hoping someone could explain it.

 

I noticed I had had no cabin lights, the car was completely dead. So I hooked the jumper cables to the battery in the rear trunk which lit my cabin but I could not start the car, turning the ignition did nothing. I hooked the jumpers up to the front battery but the cabin lights went out and I could not start the car as well.

 

So I got two tickle chargers - one to each battery and waited an hour. The car started and seems to be normal.

 

Can someone explain what the two batteries are, and what may have happened. I checked and I did NOT leave any lights on in the car that would have caused it to go dead.

 

Thanks,

 

 

[Darkside]

I'll take a guess. First, as far as I know there is no "front battery", only the typical jumper post where it tells you you should jump from, the post is merely a connection to the low voltage battery in the rear. The reason you got lights connecting in the rear the first time is because of where you connected jumpers, my "guess" is you bypassed the battery saver feature that disconnects the rear battery when it is close to not being able to start the car. When you connected to the front post you were actually charging the battery and doing it the correct way, worked.

Edited December 2, 2015 by Darkside

[Darkside]

PS I will have to look into getting a "tickle" charger........ :)

[GrySql]

Probably a good time to have your battery tested.

 

A low input battery charger (trickle) will not start your car if the battery is discharged. It would take some time to add the Amps necessary to start the car and is probably why the car started after leaving the chargers on for 1 hour.

 

As noted, there is only one 12v battery, it is in the trunk. The front connections are the proper way to charge the battery in these cars.

Here are some answers --> http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/topic/9602-ffh-factoids-parts-quiz/?p=95811

[Merrimand]

2013 Fusion hybrid 44k miles. About two weeks ago my doors will not unlock with key. The door key sensors won't allow to input code. Unlock door with key. Open door, no power to instrument panel and console. Put key into ignition... will not start... see message on LCD display batter saver turn ignition on to start or remove key... something like that...took key out and back in a couple of times and it finally started. This has happened about 5-10 times in the past two weeks. Does anyone have suggestions? This is the first issue that I have had since I purchased this car new from dealer 4 years ago.

[lolder]

Replace the 12 vdc battery no matter how it tests.

[mwr]

How long do the 12v batteries in the FFH usually last?

[murphy]

If it has ever been allowed to be discharged it has been damaged. Wet cell lead acid batteries are designed to provide high current for a few seconds and then immediately be recharged. When they are completely discharged material flakes off of the plates and accumulates at the bottom of the cells. When the pile of debris reaches the bottom of the plates the cell shorts out. With material missing from the plates the capacity is reduced.

 

Wet cell lead acid batteries in standby generator service are recommended to be replaced every 3 years.

 

The proper battery for an Energi and a Hybrid is an AGM battery. They cost about twice as much as a wet cell which probably explains why Ford didn't use them.

 

I put an AGM battery in my Energi four year ago. It is still doing the job.

 

If the car is driven every day there should not be a problem. If the car is driven once a week, like mine, the 12 volt battery needs to be connected to a battery maintainer to keep it charged. Most of the microprocessors run 24/7 and will discharge any battery. The AGM advantage is that the voltage stays much higher that a wet cell as it discharges. Also an AGM is not damaged by being discharged.

[lolder]

How long do the 12v batteries in the FFH usually last?

Many FFHs OEM batteries had problems and needed to be replaced early. They either had manufacturing problems or they were discharged during transportation or sitting on factory or dealers lots. Replacement batteries from Ford did much better and last normally. The first course of action with strange or multiple dash warnings should be replacement of the original battery.

[mwr]

Replacement batteries from Ford did much better and last normally.

What does "last normally" mean?

[Griswald]

"Last normally" means many different things to many different people. A "normal" battery life is dependent on time, temperature, discharge rates, discharge amount, cable connection, preventative maintenance and many other factors.

 

If you take care of the battery it can last a long tome, if you don't it may or may not last a long time. You stated that you have owned the car for 4 years, so in my estimation 4 years is "normal" for your battery under your conditions. Now, if this happened at 3 months or even 2 years, I would say that is not "normal".

[lolder]

Precisely !