Car Won't Start "Immobiliser Active"

GK · 10-05-2014, 12:43 AM

Hi All,

I have a 2009 Zetec TDCI which is stuck outside my brother in law's place.

The Mrs said she noticed a code (amber illuminated sign) on the dash yesterday but forgot to tell me about it.

Tonight of course, the car wouldn't start for her. It wouldn't crank at all.

Tried jumping it - fail! Then the "immobiliser active" message came on.

Do you reckon I should replace the battery? Will that allow me to start it? Or should I resign myself to calling the RACV and having it towed to Ford?

I might add that I believe the battery is the original. I had intended on getting it changed a few weeks ago, considering its age, but of course got distracted by a number of other things. Nuts!!!!

Ideas???

GK

JC · 10-05-2014, 01:40 AM

GK, RACV to the rescue. They'll know what to do with it.

GK · 10-05-2014, 02:42 AM

I wondered if you were still up when I posted!

If I had known, I'd have called you for a chat!

I'm going to take out the battery in the morning, take it to Battery World, get the replacement and pop it back in. Hopefully all this will be done by 10am.

I'll let you know how I fare! If it doesn't work, I'll have the a RACV tow it to Ford on Monday.

Bloomin fancy shmancy high tech cars!

GK

AlanD · 10-05-2014, 09:24 AM

Hi GK,

The symptoms you describe do indicate that the immobiliser has gone active, and based on a number of posts in 2010 this seems to occur as a battery sinks below some threshold voltage. And where this has happened it has resulted in a tow to the dealer in many cases. If this is the current condition, I'll be surprised if the RACV can get this going - sort of defeats the purpose of an immobilizer I would think.

My user manual is quite specific about battery dis-connection and it is "Don't do this". Some while ago I put up a battery replacement technique that avoids the problems of inadvertent immobilizer activation (and it maintains the "learned settings" for the car). You will find it here:

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11357539

Although, it may now be rather too late to avoid the problem - but you may get lucky and have the car start after the car gets a new battery, some owners have gotten this result.

Let us know how you get on.

Good luck

Cheers

GK · 10-05-2014, 11:21 AM

Thanks for the posts JD and AlanD.

Car is all good! New battery in! I managed 4 years, 7 months out of the original!

I took out the battery (700CCA) and drove to Battery World. A $219Century/Yuasa DIN75LC 730CCA battery and 30 minutes later and I was back in business. I had the old battery tested there, only 330CCA, so it'd dropped a cell.

Couple of interesting things.
The battery, although rated at 730CCA was actually measured at 830CCA. The Battery World guy said that Century regularly understate their battery's output. Sort of reminds me about Ford and Holden power figures! LOL!

The Century was way cheaper than the Varta, which I originally had wanted, but the Century had 100CCA more, for far cheaper.

The other thing was the breather tube that came with the battery. I'd never seen one on a car battery before, and could see on the original battery that it had not been installed, or had worked loose over the years.

Connected it all up and it started instantly.

The clock needed resetting but nothing serious.

All good.

GK

AlanD · 10-05-2014, 12:50 PM

Good outcome.

I wonder if the car is "smart" enough to know, based on battery voltage, that attempts to start are futile, so it doesn't try to.

And I had a thought whilst out doing some last minute shopping (Bet I'm not the only one). When this happens and a new battery fails to fix the problem, then cycling the door locks through a couple of lock/unlock cycles might reset an immobilizer on the basis that the car's BEM is aware that a legal key is being used to access the car and resets the immobilizer circuit.

If it works it might save someone a trip to a dealer with the attendant costs.

Cheers.

GK · 10-05-2014, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlanD

Good outcome.

I wonder if the car is "smart" enough to know, based on battery voltage, that attempts to start are futile, so it doesn't try to.

And I had a thought whilst out doing some last minute shopping (Bet I'm not the only one). When this happens and a new battery fails to fix the problem, then cycling the door locks through a couple of lock/unlock cycles might reset an immobilizer on the basis that the car's BEM is aware that a legal key is being used to access the car and resets the immobilizer circuit.

If it works it might save someone a trip to a dealer with the attendant costs.

Cheers.

I was reading about this myself late, late last night Alan. My workshop manual mentioned that sometimes a legit key is rejected because of interference or such, and using the key to cycle the locks proves that the key is legit, thus re mobilising the car.

However, I don't think this would help in the case of the flat battery, but may do, after you've had one, and then installed the replacement.

The battery dude this morning was saying that smart cars will automatically immobilise if the voltage drops below a set point, due to systems (many safety items) potentially being compromised.

It's better to protect the occupants and the car, rather than let it be driven with a growing risk of problem.

Smart I guess.

GK

JC · 11-05-2014, 01:18 AM

No worries GI.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GK

Thanks for the posts JD and AlanD.

Car is all good! New battery in! I managed 4 years, 7 months out of the original!

I took out the battery (700CCA) and drove to Battery World. A $219Century/Yuasa DIN75LC 730CCA battery and 30 minutes later and I was back in business. I had the old battery tested there, only 330CCA, so it'd dropped a cell.

Couple of interesting things.
The battery, although rated at 730CCA was actually measured at 830CCA. The Battery World guy said that Century regularly understate their battery's output. Sort of reminds me about Ford and Holden power figures! LOL!

The Century was way cheaper than the Varta, which I originally had wanted, but the Century had 100CCA more, for far cheaper.

The other thing was the breather tube that came with the battery. I'd never seen one on a car battery before, and could see on the original battery that it had not been installed, or had worked loose over the years.

Connected it all up and it started instantly.

The clock needed resetting but nothing serious.

All good.

GK