Technical Parasitic drain on the battery of 2013 Fiat 500C. 72,000 miles

[jrkitching]

Appear to have said the battery is 'holding' 10.3 volts ok

10.3V is fully discharged. Lead acid batteries should never be fully discharged, or they will be permanently damaged. If the battery has been left sitting at that voltage for any significant length of time, it's probably scrap, regardless of age.

Brand new cars which have been sitting for a few months sometimes need their batteries replacing within the first few weeks, as some folks here who've bought prereg cars have discovered.

A brand new StopStart battery will be in the car for @£100

Just fit a new battery. If it's reading 10.3V, it's likely damaged beyond repair.

With the Blue & Me module unplugged, and a new S/S battery, your car will likely be just fine.

If the mileage is still flashing, don't worry, it just needs resetting using a programming tool - there will likely be someone on this forum who can help you with that.

 

[Jasmine2]

So get them to put in a new battery? Pay the bill (and for the alternator) and get the car? No more checks?

"Fully discharged"?

If the car is driveable, should I take it to the garage I have used for years (who didn't know what the problem was and who never charged for checks) and get them to put in a new battery?

 

[John202020]

If only a friendly member was near you, for the parasitic drain check a simple £10 meter from Aldi is all you need to check it, yes I suspect the fairly new battery is goosed, where did you buy it from is it covered by a warranty regardless of how its failed?
Once the Blu and me is disconnected I'd bet things will improve, assuming a new battery drive the car regularly and see how it goes, you cheap meter will also tell you the battery voltage, not hard black probe to black wire on battery red to red ( must be on the correct setting/probe input )

 

[Jasmine2]

It's a Bosch, but this is what my daughter was told to get by the RAC to fix the problem when she got the car (which it didn't) so counting back, it might be nearly 3 years old? I'll have to check the date with her, but I know it has been in there for at least the last 18 months as the RAC had to call again and jump start the car when I went to collect it. I changed it to AutoAid in February last year.

My usual garage is saying a new Stop/Stop battery is £190. Where do you get them for £100?

Aldi is just a short walk from me. Is it called a battery tester?

Thanks for your time everyone. I really appreciate it.

 

[varesecrazy]

Look up Tayna batteries

Put the cars registation in

Tell us what you see..

My 500 battery had a longer Warranty than the Bosch and was @£100

 

[John202020]

Aldi is just a short walk from me. Is it called a battery tester?

Thanks for your time everyone. I really appreciate it

No it's a general electrical test meter that does most things a diy person would need, but you do need to properly know how to use it I'd hold off for the mo.
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[Jasmine2]

I've been on Tanya, but now my posts have to wait for a moderator

 

[Jasmine2]

Tanya showed a battery but for "Stop-Start suitable" it had a red cross through it. When I clicked "does not match my battery" it went through to their battery wizand; but the car in at the garage.

 

[varesecrazy]

Pretty sure mine was Enduroline

And had a 4..or 5 year warrany..a year more than Bosch..and was @£15 cheaper

Mine is a 2018.. probably identical

I will have a look again..

 

[John202020]

Does it have to be a stop start version if you don't drive it that much or often turn the ss off you can use a standard battery at about £55? Given the cars age and type of use save your money go for non ss it will perform totally normally

 

[Jasmine2]

It's showed a Tanya battery on the tanya site.

The Stop - Start hasn't worked in traffic jams or at lights. It does work if I stall it. Once at a supermarket, it wouldn't start, but then did when I dropped the clutch; stop- start came on the screen. My normal garage said a non SS is £100.

 

[varesecrazy]

95% sure I fitted their
027 enduroline AGM 60AH

its better technology to last longer

Stop start performance went from 15 seconds on old FIAT exide battery
to 3+ minutes with new one

I plan to keep the car 5 years..so the 5 year warranty seemed like a good plan


Wait and see IF you can get your BOSCH

battery exchanged.. before spending more

 

[Jasmine2]

Another update
The garage where the car is at, use Tanya as their supplier. They agree that a Stop - Start battery is about £100. However they said they are using their battery in the car. My Bosch battery is taking the charge but they agree it might be a good idea for a new battery. My daughter is out of the country and as it's the early hours where she is, I can't find who she bought the BOSCH from.

Garage said there is no charge for all their checks. The Blue and Me is out and all they will bill me for is the new alternator.

The electical engineer is there for another car and while he is there, they still want him to look for anything else. Maximum for him will be £60 for his checks. Should I say no?

 

[varesecrazy]

They do sound pretty fair

I dont think the £60 is unreasonable..BUT there may well be nothing else to see

The B+M was the likely culprit..and that is now dealt with

 

[Jasmine2]

They are being very fair IMHO. He did say at the start that he doesn't believe in all this billing for man hours and it appears that he meant it

Just in case there is something else too (it is an old car) and as he is at the garage anyway, I think that the £60 max is worth it to know there is nothing else adding to this long standing problem. I hope he doesn't find anything

I suspect my daughter will say that she can't be bothered to go back to whoever sold her the BOSCH and this garage use Tanya for their supplier; much cheaper than the £190 my normal garage wanted for a SS or £100 for a non SS. I know she will say to get a SS

I hope to hear good news this afternoon. I'll keep you updated.

thanks everyone.

 

[Jasmine2]

You were all correct; it was the Blue and Me Car just delivered on one of their breakdown trucks at no cost to me.

The very reasonable £60 electrical engineer found a split cable (wire?) that was earthing out on the bodywork and that has been replaced. Two fuses also replaced. All covered by the £60.

I had a new Stop-Start battery also as they used Tanya for a supplier. I looked on the BOSCH site and they have some strict rules for replacing. If this one fails, they said I can go back to their garage

He has now said they have left the Blue and Me in place but it is disconected and the wires folded back.

They have stopped the flashing mileage.

And the radio still works!

I have reset the soft top (instructions found on this site).

I just need to work out how to get the rear parking sensors to beep as that has stopped.

Many thanks to everyone and for all the help you have given. I can't believe that after 3 years, the car won't have to be driven every day.

 

[Jasmine2]

They have not stopped the flashing mileage. Not sure if it started again when I reset the date and time or whether it arrived like that. On the bill it has that they stopped the flashing. Is that a problem again? Or just not reset correctly?

I had a look at the new battery and saw that the box next to it, "Fuse and Relay Box" is now very loose. I know that it wasn't before as I spent a lot of time by that battery over the last year and a bit. Just below the blue line, on the right, there is no clip for that black plastic pipe (?)/round half pipe, to clip in to, to secure it and stop the box from moving.

 

[Jasmine2]

I've also found these: one in the front passenger well and the other in the back passenger well where they would have removed the panel to get to the Blue and Me. Are they needed?

They must have taken the front driver seat out too (or the back off) as there is now a big gap between the seat and the base of the back rest.

 

[John202020]

Clip goes here at the rear of the seat rails the silver bit check your vents on the dash

 

[John202020]

The drivers seat gap probably the seat base adjustment, the lever on the left of the seat beside the handbrake.
The seat rail clip, press the top left on from the side not on end ways, work down and along up other side, now push the end of the clip over the top of the rail from the side, there's a peg each side that prevents you simply pushing it on the end