Fiat batteries, 2.8l take note!!!!!!!!!!!!! Forums

moncayomike

We are now in a state of shock and near panic, for our dear "Monty" ( I know it's sad, but thats his name) is ill and at the garage, overnight!!!!!!

Yester day after locking up the store for the night and returning to Monty, yes I even have to take him to work with me, he's only young ( two monnts old), jumped in, key in the ignition, turned it and nowt, not a thing no gentle hum of his pistons sliding up and down......... just a click and nowt, not a thing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Got one of my assistants to join me, connected up the jump leads, who on this earth choise that location for the battery, how do you get to the + terminal???????

We no luck with the jump leads.

Called for the "Nice Man", big battery pack, yes it's going.
"you mst have left something on" says he ( I think not, not for over thirty years). IT will now charge up on the way home (ten miles).

Oh! no it didn't.
So this morning knowing what would happen, up early (6.15am), out to Monty, key in the ignition, nowt, not a thing.

Time for another "Nice Man".

Told him the story.

Long looks, testers, tools, battery packs, jump leads, jump leads and battery pack, yes it's going, but wait, system charging OK, but there is a large drain on the system!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well we decide that the main dealer is thew only option, "drive to work, it will charge on the way and then you can get to the main dealer later, Oh! now it didn't, got to work ten miles later and the DAMNED thing is still flat.

Phoned the main dealer, local, I have talked to them before buying Monty ( I like to think ahead), yes we can look at it, no we can't recover it though.

Time for "Nice Man" number three.

Told him the full story, yes he agreed, it's flat, there's a drain on the system, scratched heads, puzzeled looks and "Eurika", " I have just been on a course about this, you have a FREEDOM battery", " a what", " A Freedom Battery".

Now here is the crux of the situation, a Freedom battery is good, sealed for life, maintainece free, however once it is flat, you must remove it from the vehicle and charge at 16V for 16 hours, to bring it back to life.

So Monty is in the Main Dealers, lost and lonely, he has a new battery, and the auto electrician is trying to find out what is causing the drain of 0.7-1.0 amp.

Shall try to keep you informed, but check your battery.

Our base vehicle is a Fiat Ducato 2.8 2004.

moncayomike

well I can now report, had to have a new battery fitted, and the vehicle id only two months old.