[mayankk]

Hey guys!
searched high and dry but didn't find anything relevant.

I am in a bit of a spot.
See, My fiesta's battery gave out after 5 years yesterday.
It was providing current, but apparently not enough to crank the engine.
so i went out and got a prestolite, which i was told is made my exide.
It got delivered about 2 hours back.
first problem, the clamp that went over the original battery now doesn't fit.
the new battery is about 1 cm higher on the top.
everything else fits in perfectly.

Even the company website indicates that its the correct battery.
but the next problem seems to refute that.

See, the new battery went in, and the car cranked immediately.
and immediately the problems came in.
one, it is not holding idle RPMs.
The second i let go of the accelerator, the revs go as low as 300-400, and try to climb back up, and keep dropping.
two, the car usually shuts down, bit if it doesn't, then after about 8-9 of the above cycles, it goes into limp mode.
the idle gets stuck at 1500 rpm, and the orange warning symbol light comes on.

I connected the OBD unit, but its not showing any error codes.


I am stuck now, cos i will not have a ride for office, and ford will not just accept a walk-in request going by the "appointment" demeanor.
so it will require a leave, or i should wait for the net weekend!

HELP!

what could this problem be?

EDIT:
Just spoke to ford guys.
They say to leave the car for 2-3 hours(battery connected), and then see.
If nothing, then will have to be picked up.
there go the greenbacks, flying....

[ghodlur]

Mayank,

Sorry to hear the battery conking off. About the new battery was it Ford recommneded and was it charged before it was installed. About the battery conked off, was the ECM in any way affected and hence the bad performance. Better show it to the Service guys before few more problems erupt.

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Mayank,

Sorry to hear the battery conking off. About the new battery was it Ford recommneded and was it charged before it was installed. About the battery conked off, was the ECM in any way affected and hence the bad performance. Better show it to the Service guys before few more problems erupt.

it isnt motorcraft, thats for sure.
I spoke to the ford ASC mechanic i had dealt with earlier, he said, "D-44", any will do, but ford's will be the cheapest.
Getiing to the ASC without the engine was a problem, what with getting a tow-truck and all hence got it done from the battery guy itself.
Proper call centre number, they came home and changed it.

Fully charged.
ECM?
well, the car was running optimally till y'day, before the battery gave out.
well, more good news.
Today ford wont take the car, and tomorrow the workshop doesn't open..ahhhh

[avigster]

Originally Posted by mayankk

it isnt motorcraft, thats for sure.
I spoke to the ford ASC mechanic i had dealt with earlier, he said, "D-44", any will do, but ford's will be the cheapest.
Getiing to the ASC without the engine was a problem, what with getting a tow-truck and all hence got it done from the battery guy itself.
Proper call centre number, they came home and changed it.

Fully charged.
ECM?
well, the car was running optimally till y'day, before the battery gave out.
well, more good news.
Today ford wont take the car, and tomorrow the workshop doesn't open..ahhhh

I am sure this has to do with your ECU calculations. You should get your throttle body resync done in your earliest chance. ECU may have the capability to sync the throttle body in case the car runs for a while, worth checking. I think fiesta runs on Drive by wire technology & in case battery is disconnected, the system erases the previous readings.

[mayankk]

good news.
Well, The ford guy was right.
I translate verbatim:
With any of these car which have anything more than a rudimentary ECU, if you change the battery after complete failure(ie, waiting for it to die, rather than stipulated lifetime), the ecu will take sometime to adjust.
in THAT time, it will guard the itself by going in limp mode.

You gotta leave it plugged in(not started) for sometime(i did it for 4 hours).

The difference from the new battery is very apparent now, at least in the cranking.
May be placebo, but i am quite sure its not.

Mods: you could close/merge this thread.
Please dont delete as I looked, and didnt find this information anywhere.

Thanks for your inputs, guys!

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by mayankk

.... first problem, the clamp that went over the original battery now doesn't fit .....

How did you sort this problem?. Is the new battery secured well?, please make sure you do.

[mayankk]

Got a custom clamp made, in fancy terms.
basically a flat piece of metal, folded appropriately to hold it in place, and reach the bolt-holes.

[cyberwhizs]

How much did you pay for the battery? I had changed my battery 6 months back and for some reason i dont think it is going to last long. Ford OEM battery costed around 2500/-

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by cyberwhizs

How much did you pay for the battery? I had changed my battery 6 months back and for some reason i dont think it is going to last long. Ford OEM battery costed around 2500/-

why do you think that?
take a multimeter to it weekly to keep a tab on it.
any local mechanic would do it, else you can get one for 2-300 bucks off of ebay.

the battery i got cost 3800 bucks, 600 exchange discount

[cyberwhizs]

Occassionally the engine requires more than a couple of attempts to start. Esp when starting from a traffic light after few minutes. The voltage readings at the moment are fine. You got a decent deal on the battery, what brand?

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by cyberwhizs

Occassionally the engine requires more than a couple of attempts to start. Esp when starting from a traffic light after few minutes. The voltage readings at the moment are fine. You got a decent deal on the battery, what brand?

voltage wouldnt show a problem, amps would, i think.
(i dont remember my school physics all that well...)

btw,its a prestolite silver.