l bought an M reg Ford Escort LX Turbo Diesel. Since l,ve had it the battery has been drained constantly. l,ve had it to the garage numerous times. the alternator seems ok. the battery has been changed twice, the main fuses were done. l,ve had the car a month, and hardly been able to use it. PLEASE CAN ANYONE HELP.

Sylvia Ridden, August 2005

Boot Contact are alway a prime suspect check that they are moving freely and they have not melted the plastic around them also it is worth taking the time to clean the contacts
also to check the fuse box firstly remove the battery and check the condition of the bulk head because if the battery has no cover over the top of it water runs off the windscreen and over time it fills up the battery which then leaks acid over the bulk head and it burns a hole throught the bulk head and then that lets water into the fuse box

Gav, July 2006

Sylvia. You need to check if something is still live when everything is switched off. Something like a relay is still operating or it could be relay contacts burnt & sticking. You need to check current draw from the battery when switched off to see how bad the problem is. No an easy one to diagnose over the internet. Malc

Malcolm Manser, August 2005

fuse boxes are a big problem on escorts.

paul., August 2005

You say the alternator 'seems OK'. Has the charging rate been checked by the garage to make sure it actually is OK? Is the fan belt tight? Have you got a light that's staying on anywhere, such as in the boot or luggage compartment or even the glove box? Even though it's only a small bulb, it can still drain the battery over a period of time. Has the garage checked the cold start relay? This sometimes causes problems by staying 'connected' and means the preheat plugs are on for too long, draining the battery. Is the radio/CD player turning off OK? Is it left on when the ignition's turned off? Again, even though it takes only a small current, it can still flatten the battery. Are all the lights turning off properly? There could be a short somewhere which keeps maybe one or two rear lights on, again draining the battery. An electrical fault like this is sometimes very, very difficult to track down. You say you've taken the car to a garage. They may not have the expertise or equipment to find the fault. Try a proper car electrician (in the Yellow Pages). He'll have proper test gear to find any drain in the circuitry. Best of luck!!

Denis Langley, August 2005