Only me, again. Suspected battery

[mr_merc]

Hi guys.

Yet again, I fix one problem, another comes along.

Having spent from 9 until 11:30 pm last night in the dark with a light bulb under my car sorting everything this happens.

Went to Trax today, car started on the button.

Left Trax, car started on the button.

Pulled up on the road and switched engine off whilst waiting for a mate. Switch engine on, car turns over, trying to start and cant.

Jump start the car, runs fine all the way back to Milton Keynes.

Go to Milton Keynes badminton tonight, come out, car struggles to start, but does. Driving the 5 minutes down the road the car lights get dimmer and dimmer and dimmer, and the dash lights go out, until luckily pulling onto the drive the car struggles to drive at all, idling all over the place, all the lights have gone out until it dies.

Now sat in my garage having wheeled the sod in and Im sat here in a piss, hating the f**king valver because my hands are f**ked from the oil filter change, the coolant pipe was a sod to get off and having just spent the thick end of £100 on a service that I did myself, Im now looking at either a battery or an alternator - neither of which I can figure out whether theyre broken.

I hate cars this evening.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Clarkie172]

alternato sounds like its fooked m8 if lights went! they power everything once started! and this will explain not charging the battery properly!

 

[mr_merc]

Is there any way I can test either of them or do anything with it. My car was out of action for three days last week as it is, I cant keep borrowing the girlfriends car.

I really am this close to selling up and just getting a cheap diesel.

 

[john.med]

All fingers do seem to point to your alternator,

however, you can get your battery tested at Halfords for free - good service too. Next Id check every electrical connection; removing, cleaning and WD40ing them as you go, especially earth straps!

If all the above doesnt help, then Id look at a new alternator.

John

 

[mr_merc]

Thanks mate, looks like Ill be taking a trip to hellfrauds tomorrow.

That said, the battery will be dead if the alternator isnt working anyway so it probably wont prove anything. Perhaps Ive knocked an earth or something, I dont know.

 

[john.med]

Even a flat battery can be tested, no worries

 

[mr_merc]

I went through some of the old receipts from the previous owner last night. It turns out that its had a new alternator, genuine Renault part from Lookers, in 08/04. So the alternator is just over a year old - surely it cant have given up already.

I read somewhere that all parts have a warranty if theyre genuine Renault, is this correct? Am I dreaming when I also thought Id read that if they break within the 3 year warranty then Renault will replace them free of charge? Or am I dreaming!!

 

[DAVE_RSi]

sounds like problem my mate was getting

his battery was the cause in the end

id charge the battery a bit and then get a voltmeter, check what the battery puts out with engine off and then what it puts out with engine on, then report back

that will show if the battery is just crap, of if the alternator isnt charging enough

or halfords can prob do it for you

bit weird if its alternator, how old is the battery?? could just be dying

 

[mr_merc]

But as the previous chap said, surely the alternator is what charges things when the car is running?

So if the car is switching itself off eventually and getting dimmer and dimmer that would indicate alternator although I agree that its very weird. The car was running fine before that.

Ill get a voltmeter today in that case and report back later.

 

[y0z2a]

i think you are just having an unlucky run James.

I feel a feeling of impending doom everytime you ring me. LOL

hope it sorts out.

/y0z

 

[Don]

Dont forget that Batteries only have so long a life. When was it put in? Is there a receipt for it? Does it have any life guarantee (1 year, etc.,)?

Dont know if that helps, but may give an indication as to whether the fault is more than likely to be at the battery, although I cant see the Alternator being at fault if its only one year old.

Good luck anyway

 

[AJR93RT]

Sound like your alternator mine did exactly the same thing, changed the alternator and re-charged the battery and all was fine. My alternator wasnt to old either but the belt had been over tightened and i think this caused it to wear out faster.

 

[bang]

when mine went it was both the alternator and the battery at the same time.

if your hassled that you have just done a service and now have to do the alternator as well, all i can say is get used to it, not being rude, but with these cars they always get worse before they get better.

My one always has at least one thing wrong with it, and its a good example, its just the way it is owning an old renault.

look on the upside, you get to learn lots about car maintenance !

 

[BRUN]

does sound like the alternator, but only being a year old your unlucky if it is...

if you lived closer i could borrow the battery tester from work and test it for you, but Milton Keynes is a bit far !

do you have a battery charger ?

did the battery light come on, on the dash when you were driving home ?

 

[mr_merc]

Ive charged the battery overnight now and will test it again tonight.

FWIW the battery was reading 11.9 volts with nothing on before it was charged, then turning the engine over it read 4 volts.

Any thoughts on the Renault Parts Warranty issue then? How long are they supposed to last because if it was the alternator, a year is awful.

I should be able to solve the problem now one way or the other because I have a particularly helpful bloke talking me through it now

 

[BRUN]

thats low voltage that mate, when its running it should ideally be 14.4v ish.......definitely above 13.5v

let us know the outcome

 

[mr_merc]

I wasnt going to, but seeing as you were all so helpful...

I rang up the previous owner of the car last night as hes been really good to me at helping out so far and he talked me through it.

We worked out it was the alternator and guess what (yes, I am a nob), in changing the oil filter Id knocked the positive off the alternator.

Now the whole car is running perfectly - map sensor problem sorted (was a clean break in the metal hose between the sensor and inlet manifold), charging sorted and coolant and service done.

Thank you everyone that helped out, really appreciated and hope to see you at the track some time. Just waiting on some pagid blue pads to go with the rest of my Yozza setup.

 

[BRUN]

i had someone the other day come to work for a battery test, the battery was low but it was a new one

before i even checked the alternator though, i realised he didnt have a fan belt on lol !