Battery problems I hope.
Battery problems I hope.
Author
Discussion

tvrslag

Original Poster:

1,198 posts

277 months

Wednesday 17th March 2004
quotequote all
Guys advice needed.
The Car in question is a 96 4.2.

Purchased a new Battery about 6 months ago, after the last one expired.
OK hands up, its a halfwits one (hangs head in shame)but Considering over the winter the car has seen some usage almost every two weeks for a run, I'm very surprised at the rate of decline.
So much so that Ive just spent the last half hour ripping my banana sized fingers apart getting at "THE BIG FUSE" as I thought that over time the battery wasn't being charged but, this appears to be OK.
So question is, do I just put this down to a cr@p battery, buy another and then check the alternator just in case? Or is this symptomatic of a more sinister alternator problem?
Any help greatfully recieved.

gbbird

5,193 posts

266 months

Wednesday 17th March 2004
quotequote all
Darren

have you checked the battery to see whether it is actually dead or not? Also, what are the symptoms? Car wont start? Any electrics at all?

Greg

tvrslag

Original Poster:

1,198 posts

277 months

Wednesday 17th March 2004
quotequote all
Greg

Haven't had a chance to check the battery but the only thing that worked in the car were the interior lights (very dimly). I have taken the Battery out and it feels very light with plenty of water slosh, so it could be that the Battery has overheated at some point and boiled away some of its fluid. I will check once I rescue the Battery from the boot of the car. If it has it will serve me right for buying a halfwits one.
Are alternators a common problem on Cerbs? I know they're not the easiest things to get at!

yiw1393

23,018 posts

283 months

Wednesday 17th March 2004
quotequote all
Did you get the right amperage from Halfwits? You might have a battery that fits the car but is being overworked?

Sort of Mini 1000 battery in a Cerb scenario?

J_S_G

6,177 posts

272 months

Wednesday 17th March 2004
quotequote all
tvrslag,

Was there any warning of this? ie. Car turning over slower/rev counter not working/anything else?

What's the rating of the battery? (550/630/etc. amps) The biggest one I could get to fit from Halfwits was a 630A battery.

Also, try sticking a multimeter on it & see what it reads.

tvrslag

Original Poster:

1,198 posts

277 months

Wednesday 17th March 2004
quotequote all
Cheers for the advice, anybody out there had to replace or had their alternator re-built?

Darren.

gbbird

5,193 posts

266 months

Wednesday 17th March 2004
quotequote all
Reason i asked was because i while ago my car would'nt start and it had all the classic symptoms of a flat battery so off i went and bought one, but in the end it turned out to be the starter motor.

My electrics still worked though, so yours does sound like it might be battery related (or internal electrical fault), but it would be interesting to see what the battery reads. You just never know with Tivs

Greg

tvrslag

Original Poster:

1,198 posts

277 months

Wednesday 17th March 2004
quotequote all
gbbird said:
Reason i asked was because i while ago my car would'nt start and it had all the classic symptoms of a flat battery so off i went and bought one, but in the end it turned out to be the starter motor.

My electrics still worked though, so yours does sound like it might be battery related (or internal electrical fault), but it would be interesting to see what the battery reads. You just never know with Tivs

Greg


Oh god not another visit to Halfwits to get a mutlimeter, perhaps Maplins (electronics not the hidi holiday camp) would be a better bet!!

davidd

6,660 posts

306 months

Thursday 18th March 2004
quotequote all
If you only bought it 6 months ago then take it back and get them to give you a new one. If that packs up after a couple of weeks then check the alternator

My car has an intermittant problem where it will sometimes drain the battery over a weekend ( the car gets driven all week), most weekends it is fine but sometimes it just won't turn over. I have got jumping it from the Saab off to a fine art and can be on my way in about three mins.

D.

tvrslag

Original Poster:

1,198 posts

277 months

Thursday 18th March 2004
quotequote all
davidd said:
If you only bought it 6 months ago then take it back and get them to give you a new one. If that packs up after a couple of weeks then check the alternator

My car has an intermittant problem where it will sometimes drain the battery over a weekend ( the car gets driven all week), most weekends it is fine but sometimes it just won't turn over. I have got jumping it from the Saab off to a fine art and can be on my way in about three mins.

D.


Receipt hunting is ongoing as we type.