With winter coming, cars tend to suffer, the most common scenario is to have difficulties starting your Ford Focus early in the day with very low temperatures. Generally speaking this is related to problems recharging the battery of your Ford Focus . There are several factors that can describe why your battery does not recharge effectively anymore, and today we will try to help you to solve this problem that can prevent you from using your car. To do this, first we will describe how recharging your car battery works, then the different problems of recharging a Ford Focus, and finally how to recharge an empty car battery.
How does recharging the battery of a Ford Focus work?
Before we detail the different complications of recharging the battery on a Ford Focus , we will describe to you how its recharging system functions so that you can understand the complications you are struggling with. A car battery works like a phone battery, it will store energy to start your Ford Focus , turn on your headlights, play music, lower your power windows… Nevertheless all these actions will consume energy and it may deplete the energy reserve that your battery can store. To overcome this problem, the engineers have developed a component called the alternator , this component will use the energy produced by the engine unit of your Ford Focus to produce energy thanks to a copper coil and a magnet. This energy will recharge the battery of your car . Nevertheless, consider that this process can just work when your motor vehicle is running, using electrical components of your car when it is stopped will decrease the energy reserve of your car. It is considered that a battery of a xxx has a life span of 3 to 5 years.
Problems recharging a Ford Focus’s battery
We will now describe the different battery charging complications on a Ford Focus you may be victim of. If your battery is not recharging because there is necessarily a problem in your electrical set up, we will now see the different cases.
Battery charging problem on Ford Focus: My battery is discharging even if I am recharging it with a particular charger
In this first circumstance, it is quite possible that your alternator is dead , in fact, if you control to recharge your battery with a charger and your Ford Focus to start, the problem certainly originates from your alternator which should not be able to produce any more current.
Battery charging problem on Ford Focus: My car shuts off and does not start even if I have charged the battery
If you have recharged your battery and you have been able to start your Ford Focus but it switches off while you are driving and then does not start, the trouble with recharging the battery of your Ford Focus is that your battery no longer holds the charge .
Battery charging problem on Ford Focus: My battery is discharged although it is new
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If you’ve just bought a battery and it discharges while you’re driving, the problem most probably originates from your alternator. It cannot result from your battery, which is new and consequently holds the charge. The second opportunity is that you have a ground somewhere in your electrical system.
How to solve the problem of battery charging on Ford Focus?
We will now give you the solutions according to the problem you are struggling with. Here are the different complications and their solutions:
- Faulty alternator: You can try with basic mechanics to check it with a pressure gauge to see if it’s producing power. If it doesn’t, changing it is the best solution, based on your motor you will pay a few hundred euros. This repair is feasible in case your alternator is accessible.
- Battery that no longer holds the charge: In such a case, the purchase of a new battery is the just realistic solution. In actual fact, if you have already recharged it but it is still empty because it is good to be changed, count between 60 and 100 euros based on your engine.
- Ground in the electrical circuit: If you cannot start your Ford Focus but your alternator and battery are in good condition, it is possible that you have a ground on your wiring harness and that you lose energy, a check by a car electrician is in such a case necessary.
How to recharge an empty battery of a Ford Focus
At last, to recharge the empty battery of a Ford Focus there are just few solutions, using a battery charger is the most efficient solution, you can locate some for 50 to 100 euros at vendors like Oscaro. In any other case you can use cables that will just provide the energy needed to start.
To find more tips on the Ford Focus, take a look at the Ford Focus category.
