Ford Fiesta immobilized

[Chinaboy]

Long story really short, I got a Ford Fiesta zetec tdci 2007 model.

As its stored (sorn) at my parents, I ask my father to start it and run the engine until warm and keep the battery fully charged for me to keep in in order.
Anyway, last year (October) he got in it for its weekly run, the car would just not start.
He checked the battery. All ok. He checked the key fob batteries and replaced like for like (both keys). Nothing worked, no lights on the dashboard, no click of the ignition, completely dead.

I asked him to get it towed to a local garage, who connected the car to a computer to find a fault code, but no code. No red lights flashing on the dashboard to give a code. No one knows what the problem is.

I have googled the issue, and it seems many have the same problem, but there are no solutions. Even another lady in my village had the same problem with her Fiesta, and when she took the car to the local Ford dealer, even they could not find the solution. She ended up having to scrap the car. Scrapping the car has also been suggested to me via the garage mechanic, who has also asked around for ideas, only to draw a blank too.
I have heard of the coil around the key barrel sometimes can work, or putting the chip from the key in a small void in the key barrel, but I don't know.

Any of the BCF crew have any ideas about this? any mechanics here? I posted on a Ford Fiesta forum, but drew blanks too.

Any suggestions might help.

cheers guys

[Riejufixing]

"He checked the battery. All ok."

How did he check?

Perhaps a light tap with a small hammer to the battery terminals (or clean the posts/"caps"), or checking the earth connection might help if not done already?

[-]

Would the immobiliser stop all dash lights? Every one I've seen would allow dash lights but deny starter circuits like fuel pump, spark and starter motor.

The battery would be my first suspect. How was it deemed to be OK, 12V across the terminals with a meter? Anything under 12.2V can cause funky electronic issues with a car with loads of control modules.
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[Easy-X]

A really old battery might show 12Vish but as soon as you stress it in any way it all just disappears. Anyone tried anything basic like just jump starting it?

If with jumpers there is absolutely no life my first check would be the really big chunky fuses that are usually somewhere in the engine bay. Then I'd try and trace where the power stops.
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[doggone]

Jump leads sometimes upset the computer if it was already worried by low voltage.
A new battery would be worth trying if connecting jumps didn't help.

[Chinaboy]

Thanks for the replies, yes the battery was checked. By both my father and the guy in the garage.

I hear today that a specialist suggested that there might be a loose wire/dry joint in the speedo cluster, and removal and sending to ford to diagnose would 90% find the problem. It was said that the immobilser chip set was in this area, but I don't know.

I emailed Ford UK about this yesterday and I had a reply asking for VIN number, reg and proof of ownership, so i hope this might lead to an answer... will see.

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[leolion]

its not recognising the key for some reason?
ECU? or maybe get a new key coded just to check?

[UncleFester]

If it's completely dead then you have an earth away somewhere or a wiring / ECU fault. Immobiliser would give you power i think, just no starting.

Have you checked the earth to body straps / bolts?
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[bugeye_bob]

Fords used to have a habit of burning out the wiring within the fuse box, the solid tracks, is this still an issues on cars of that age at all ?

Scrapping it seems a easy way out, anyone with a meter and a bit of time should be able the find the fault , maybe not in 10 minutes, but cheaper than scraping it and buy a new car lol

[Chinaboy]

Again, for the battery issue, it was taken to a local mechanic who also tested it, I can't 100% tell you how he tested it, as I was not there, I am in China, but I am sure he knows his stuff. The car didn't have any problems stating before this time.
I know he has checked out lots of wiring, earth points fuses etc and this is why it is a mystery. Sending the instrument cluster to Ford is a last resort. I have thought about the ECU as I found some reference to the secondary fuses for the ECU might have blown, so now I will wait for the mechanic's feedback.
I really feel it should be something simple, like a broken wire or dry joint but its just finding it!

[-]

[Chinaboy]

Thanks mpd, I will try and get him to do this test just to rule this out.

Just earlier I received a reply back from Ford UK. Thank you for the information you supplies us Mr Chinaboy, but can you please book it in to your nearest Ford dealer so they can do diagnostics.... They didn't add any more.
I replied with 'for a 12 year old car, worth about a grand, do you really think it is cost effective to do this?' I went on to say that if they really wanted to help they should perhaps ask someone in their mechanical department to see if this problem has ever been reported and if so, please inform me back.
I know they wont be helpful and just tell me it must go to the dealer blah blah blah....

[Pjay]

I dont know if this will be any help for you, but it happened to me on my VW Golf.
A few years back, I hadnt used the car for around a year, I had the use of another car and a bike, so I sorned it. I wanted to put it back on the road and so I booked it in for an MOT and sure enough, the one time I needed to use it, it refused to start. Checked everything over and it all seemed fine, the battery was good in both the car and the fob, so it wasnt that. I called my friend up that specialises in VW and he said that the key is paired to the instrument cluster, so maybe that's at fault. If so its a pain in the anus and expensive to repair. Anyhow he went on to say that it could also be damp related, as often damp can get into the connectors on the inside of the car if they have been not used for a good while. He said to find every connector I could around the cluster and spray WD40 in and around them. So I did it and it worked a treat and the problem never came back.

Now, I know a Ford isnt a VW but maybe something similar is happening. Take a can and get squirting.
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[Chinaboy]

Thanks Pjay,
I can see where you are coming from. When I left the UK last year, I had used the car every day. Afterwards, it was covered in one of those silver car covers and closed up tight, but my father would run it to normal running temperature maybe 10 - 15 minutes at least every week to keep it in order. Damp cannot be ruled out. At this moment though it is at the local mechanic's garage with several other cars he is looking at, so who knows what else is going on now. I also don't think I will be back in the UK for a while so unfortunately I cant do it myself

[doggone]

Running briefly like that isn't really best for a longer period not used, but might well be your best option unless you can get it in a properly dry place and disconnect the battery or keep it on trickle charge.

[Easy-X]

I wonder some times if the vehicle absorbs some of the psychic energy of the owner. Ride/drive often? A happy vehicle free of moss in the corners, spiders living in the master cylinder and mice in your air box.

Once left for a while the soul departs and it becomes a lifeless piece of metal
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[Chinaboy]

[sickpup]

I don't know if it'll apply to you but one of the chaps at work had a 2015 Fiesta van that started exhibiting odd symptoms at just under 2 years old due to the battery. One minute it would be completley dead, next minute completely fine. Dealership couldn't work out the problem and guessed at Battery which was correct

[Chinaboy]

Thanks Sickpup, most people are suggesting the battery, I will get this looked at again.

I didn't get any luck from FOrd UK, they just want me to take it to a dealer and they cannot divulge any further information about other instances because I am not the registered owner!!

[Suntan Sid]

Sixth post down:-

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=945634
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[Riejufixing]