Technical Panda Electrics

[kawasakikz1]

My 2013 Panda has been fault free for 68000 miles. On Thursday morning I went to start. The battery seemed totaly flat. Nothing at all. Radio, Central locking all dead. Pinched the wifes Fiat 500 for work. She put my car on charge. It is still completly dead. Can these batteries fail in this way? The charger says it is full. My multi meter has been pinched by one of the kids so I cant check that way.

 

[oyumurtaci]

It's possible, as the fluid in the battery loses chemical properties over time, retaining less and less of a charge. In the past, serviceable batteries allowed you to renew the acid in them, but today's unserviceable batteries usually last around 2 years of regular use.

Another less likely possibility is that there's a grounding issue, but I'd try swapping out the batteries between the two cars to diagnose a battery issue first.

 

[R1NGA]

... or there's a main fuse blown somewhere, which is not that uncommon. Have a look in the handbook and check the big ones. Presuming you still have warranty, so if nothing obvious, get a dealer to fix it for you.

 

[gar074]

It's unusual for a battery to go completely dead without warning, especially now you can't leave the lights etc on indefinitely. If there's suddenly no output at all (not even enough to power something that needs very little juice, such as the interior light) then I agree that it sounds like a blown fuse or a poor earth.