5 replies to this topic

[MiniMonty]

Hi all,

I have an electrical (I think) problem and here's the history:

it started about two months ago with the battery seeming to lose almost all power overnight.
This has got gradually worse to the point where I have to charge the battery (only for about ten minutes)
every time I want to start the car for the first time each day.

On charge, the batery will go from not enough juice to turn the starter motor to "fully charged" according
to the starter in about ten minutes which in itself seems pretty odd...

Today it got worse - turned over on first try but wouldn't fire so charged the battery (ten minutes until it showed fully charged),
battery back in and didin't turn over but instead produced loud fast clicking from (I guess) the starter motor.
Then the battery is dead to the point where it won't sound the horn or run the fan.
Try a different (fully charged) battery which produced one "click" from the engine bay then wouldn't even light
the red and orange lights around the speedo more tyhan 10% normal brightness.

A bit of research says "solenoid" so went to get one but Minispares are out of stock so I thought I'd ask questions here then
on the basis of advice start looking on the spares section or eBay.

So - any ideas / suggestions / advice ?

Best wishes
Monty

[MIGLIACARS]

it could be anything.

make your your batterys are good and make such there is 12v at the battery.
make sure the earth is good from battery to chassis, even if it looks good take of and clean up. even the red terminal.
make sure the earth strap from engine to chassis is good again take off and clean even replace.

make sure there is 12v at the starter with ign on, if not it could be a fault wire from red battery term to the starter.

it could also be the starter its self.

failing all this get the AA out to it, i must say i do this when im stuck or its wet and very cold, they have never let me down and test all circuits on the car.

[CMXCVIII]

Everything sounds exactly like a flat battery to me. I know you've put it on a charger, but if it won't take a charge you stand to have the same problem again and again. And from your description, the other battery sounds worse! How did you check they were "fully charged"

Have you tried either battery on a different car? Does either work?

[Mighty made]

I agree, it sounds like a battery/earth fault.
Had the same problem a few years ago, changed solenoid, starter etc.

Turned out it was the battery after all.
I could charge it to get 12v but when it came to delivering the amps, the poor thing was shot.

I went to a bettery shop, and they tested it free using a high resistance tester across the terminals.
You could see the failed cell bubbling, £40 later and I haven't had a problem since.
(quietly forgot about the other £70 spend on replacing the solenoid, starter etc!)

[Ethel]

I assume it's a pre engaged starter? It does sound like the battery, but it could be the starter motor. Try disconnecting the little link cable from the solenoid into the motor itself and see if the other functions (fan, lights) return with your good battery.

[MiniMonty]

Thanks all.
Stuck a new battery in (£54:99) ! and all is well.