Alternator & Fuel pump failures
Discussion
Mine was produced in March 2021springfan62 said:
Considering how many active owners there are on there I don't think the length of the thread is statistically relevant and the thread hasn't been updated for 2 months.
Owners of cars like this have a right to expect not to have issues like this but also tend to make more noise when things go wrong.
I am on a Tesla forum and the number of people moaning about poor quality yet my car is perfect and certainly on a par with Audi etc but if you read the forum you would think they are terrible.
I will be annoyed if my alternator or fuel pump fails but I accept it is a small risk. There is risk in every car you buy, it is very difficult to establish how many Porsche owners have bore scoring or RMS failure even though anecdotally it seems to be a major issue.
It is a small number, but it is unacceptably high. The other things to be mindful of are that this is affecting new/newish cars and that when the issue strikes it kills the car dead when driving. So it's not an annoyance like the air con not working or poor radio reception - it's a hazard to life. And that is not over-stating the problem. If you are driving at say 80mph in the fast lane you will probably be coming to a dead stop in that lane very, very quickly. It's in the hands on those behind you as to whether they see you and stop or come piling into the back of you. That's why it's so important for it to be resolved.Owners of cars like this have a right to expect not to have issues like this but also tend to make more noise when things go wrong.
I am on a Tesla forum and the number of people moaning about poor quality yet my car is perfect and certainly on a par with Audi etc but if you read the forum you would think they are terrible.
I will be annoyed if my alternator or fuel pump fails but I accept it is a small risk. There is risk in every car you buy, it is very difficult to establish how many Porsche owners have bore scoring or RMS failure even though anecdotally it seems to be a major issue.
Looks like you may be able to remove my name from the list. It appears that the problem is an earth strap problem caused by a bolt coming loose after an after market battery charger point was installed. Should know more on Monday but that appears to be the problem identified the be the dealer. Phew......
Esders said:
Looks like you may be able to remove my name from the list. It appears that the problem is an earth strap problem caused by a bolt coming loose after an after market battery charger point was installed. Should know more on Monday but that appears to be the problem identified the be the dealer. Phew......
thats good news!worldwidewebs said:
It is a small number, but it is unacceptably high. The other things to be mindful of are that this is affecting new/newish cars and that when the issue strikes it kills the car dead when driving. So it's not an annoyance like the air con not working or poor radio reception - it's a hazard to life. And that is not over-stating the problem. If you are driving at say 80mph in the fast lane you will probably be coming to a dead stop in that lane very, very quickly. It's in the hands on those behind you as to whether they see you and stop or come piling into the back of you. That's why it's so important for it to be resolved.
Thats what scares me, I was on the south circular having just come off a 120mile motorway drive, car shuddered to a halt from 20mph to zero within feet; luckily I was on a hill and rolled into the bus lane in neutral - still took 6hrs for the AA to recover - they sent a regular truck after 2.5hrs even after the driver told them he had no chance of loading it. After another 4hrs, demountable truck turned up, but AA had only contacted him 20 mins previously! By then battery flat on hazards so had to put some charge in to even get it in neutral and steerable with electric handbrake released. Without battery power all of these cars (the whole generation from every manufacturer) is just road furniture, there is nothing you can do like with a non electronic or classic car. A massively poor design!
Eg if a Boxster battery flattens, you cannot even get to the battery without opening with key in door key slot, electric bonnet release then needs 12v supply through cabin fusebox, then you need to use the remote on the key as the internal cabin release still wont work, only then can you get to the battery!
Alpine Legende GT said:
Eg if a Boxster battery flattens, you cannot even get to the battery without opening with key in door key slot, electric bonnet release then needs 12v supply through cabin fusebox, then you need to use the remote on the key as the internal cabin release still wont work, only then can you get to the battery!
Mostly the A110's mechanical front boot release is a real pain - but perhaps there might the odd occasion when you might be glad of it.Well exactly 1 month after last failure, just tried to start the car and same problem, after a month of perfect starts.
It seems to be an electrical problem - limited / no turnover of engine but headlights work. Same as last time get a warning about brake problem?
Could it be as simple as a battery issue?
Will call out Alpine Assist tomorrow and see if they can get it started and to the dealers for checking.
It seems to be an electrical problem - limited / no turnover of engine but headlights work. Same as last time get a warning about brake problem?
Could it be as simple as a battery issue?
Will call out Alpine Assist tomorrow and see if they can get it started and to the dealers for checking.
I'm sure mine has a parasitic current draw, currently only manifests itself as the start stop not working until its charged itself up enough. Start stop works off the drive if its been on the trickle charger.
Will get the multimeter out and try to find it if the weather is good over the weekend...
Will get the multimeter out and try to find it if the weather is good over the weekend...
Martyn P said:
Well exactly 1 month after last failure, just tried to start the car and same problem, after a month of perfect starts.
It seems to be an electrical problem - limited / no turnover of engine but headlights work. Same as last time get a warning about brake problem?
Could it be as simple as a battery issue?
Will call out Alpine Assist tomorrow and see if they can get it started and to the dealers for checking.
Low battery seems to manifest in odd ways. When my alternator failed, the low battery caused lots of error displays - but the engine started no problem. Couldn't get into gear...It seems to be an electrical problem - limited / no turnover of engine but headlights work. Same as last time get a warning about brake problem?
Could it be as simple as a battery issue?
Will call out Alpine Assist tomorrow and see if they can get it started and to the dealers for checking.
It would be useful if telematics could be upgraded to include battery voltage and a warning of alternator failure /no charging (given the older stuff can do this) given a reasonable distance can be driven after the alternator dies and when the battery does go flat the car goest straight into limp…wherever you are…including joining a busy roundabout…
I have one of these plugged into the cigarette lighter socket, not super accurate but sufficient to tell you if the alternator is charging it not:
Lancizy Car Charger, 36W Dual QC3.0 USB 12V Car Charger Socket Mini Aluminum Alloy Car Cigarette Lighter Adapter with Blue LED Voltmeter for iPhone 13/12/11/XS/XR, iOS Android and Tablets (Black) https://amzn.eu/d/4B80Ys3
Lancizy Car Charger, 36W Dual QC3.0 USB 12V Car Charger Socket Mini Aluminum Alloy Car Cigarette Lighter Adapter with Blue LED Voltmeter for iPhone 13/12/11/XS/XR, iOS Android and Tablets (Black) https://amzn.eu/d/4B80Ys3
So quick update...
Again, as previously, Alpine Assist were brilliant and RAC came out Monday morning and everything was sorted within 2.5 hours after initial call - great service.
Because the car could not be started they could do a full check on the electrical system in the failed state.
As before no faults detected with starter or alternator but battery had poor reserve capacity (40% state of health).
RAC man banged in a replacement and now everything working perfectly.
The batteries he was carrying (RAC brand) were rated higher than the one removed.
After 4 days on the drive (away travelling) started first time and stop start working within 10 minutes.
So hopefully problem sorted as duff battery ... maybe we need to add this a potential electrical issue!
Again, as previously, Alpine Assist were brilliant and RAC came out Monday morning and everything was sorted within 2.5 hours after initial call - great service.
Because the car could not be started they could do a full check on the electrical system in the failed state.
As before no faults detected with starter or alternator but battery had poor reserve capacity (40% state of health).
RAC man banged in a replacement and now everything working perfectly.
The batteries he was carrying (RAC brand) were rated higher than the one removed.
After 4 days on the drive (away travelling) started first time and stop start working within 10 minutes.
So hopefully problem sorted as duff battery ... maybe we need to add this a potential electrical issue!
LGC-Adams said:
OK, are there any auto electrical gurus on here?
There have been various folks describing batteries used as replacements.
However, what are the figures to look for to get the most electrically robust battery for the A110 (without going to exotic solutions!)?
Would be very surprised if the battery itself was causing issues, unless old and past it. More likely the problem is a parasitic draw on the battery when not in use, therefore depleting it and shortening it's life, or the alternator is faulty and under charging the battery at some point.There have been various folks describing batteries used as replacements.
However, what are the figures to look for to get the most electrically robust battery for the A110 (without going to exotic solutions!)?
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