With winter weather coming, automobiles often suffer, the most basic case is to have troubles starting your Ford S-max early in the day with very low temperatures. Generally speaking this is associated with problems recharging the battery of your Ford S-max . There are some reasons that can show you why your battery does not recharge effectively anymore, and in this article we will try to help you to solve this issue that can prevent you from using your car. To get this done, first we will show you how recharging your car battery functions, then the different problems of recharging a Ford S-max, and finally how to recharge an empty car battery.
How does recharging the battery of a Ford S-max function?
Before we detail the different problems of recharging the battery on a Ford S-max , we will show you to you how its recharging system works so that you can discover the problems you are facing. A car battery functions like a phone battery, it will store energy to start your Ford S-max , turn on your headlights, enjoy 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 handle this issue, the engineers have designed a component called the alternator , this component will use the energy developed by the engine of your Ford S-max to generate energy thanks to a copper coil and a magnet. This energy will recharge the battery of your car . Nevertheless, take into account that this process can only work when your car is running, using electrical components of your car when it is stopped will drain 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 S-max’s battery
We will now describe the different battery charging problems on a Ford S-max you may be victim of. If your battery is not recharging because there is necessarily a issue in your electrical set up, we will now see the different situations.
Battery charging problem on Ford S-max: My battery is discharging regardless if I am recharging it with a particular charger
In this first case, it is quite possible that your alternator is dead , obviously, if you control to recharge your battery with a charger and your Ford S-max to start, the problem certainly comes from your alternator which should not be able to generate any more current.
Battery charging issue on Ford S-max: My car shuts off and does not start regardless if I have charged the battery
If you have recharged your battery and you have been able to start your Ford S-max but it switches off although you are driving and then does not start, the issue with recharging the battery of your Ford S-max is that your battery no longer holds the charge .
Battery charging issue on Ford S-max: My battery is discharged although it is new
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If you’ve just bought a battery and it discharges although you’re driving, the issue most likely comes from your alternator. It cannot result from your battery, which is new and consequently holds the charge. The second possibility is that you have a ground somewhere in your electrical system.
How to solve the issue of battery charging on Ford S-max?
We will now give you the solutions according to the issue you are facing. Here are the different problems and their solutions:
- Defective alternator: You can try with basic mechanics to verify it with a pressure gauge to see if it’s producing power. If it doesn’t, changing it is the best remedy, based on your motor you will pay a few hundred euros. This fix is feasible in the event that your alternator is accessible.
- Battery that no longer holds the charge: In such a case, the purchase of a new battery is the only realistic remedy. In 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 S-max 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 verify by a car electrician is in this case required.
How to recharge an empty battery of a Ford S-max
At last, to recharge the empty battery of a Ford S-max there are only few solutions, using a battery charger is the most efficient remedy, you can discover some for 50 to 100 euros at vendors like Oscaro. Otherwise you can use cables that will only provide the energy needed to start.
If you want more guides on the Ford S-max, go to our Ford S-max category.
