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 Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:15 am |
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Joined: Mar 09, 2010
Posts: 241
Trade Rating: +1
Location: In a traffic jam
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My car is refusing to start. Dials 'twitch' and there is a 'bong', but nothing else. Clock has also reset. The car will start fine from a push start, and will then start normally after a decent run, but if left will go back to not starting.
Is this a failed battery? Or is it likely to be an electrical fault draining a perfectly good battery? Any way to easily tell?
Also how come there is enough power to make the 'bong' and operate the locks, but not the clock?
If it is the battery is it just a matter of buying one and swapping it in? Do these things come ready charged? Or will I need a charger too?
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| There\'s no sense crying over every mistake.\r\nYou just keep on trying \'til you run out of cake. | |
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:19 am |
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Joined: Feb 07, 2010
Posts: 5120
Trade Rating: +19
Location: Raunds, Northamptonshire
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Do the dash lights dim when try turn over?
Sounds just like batt if it's ok once it running, there charged up when you buy them .
Some morning I need a jump and then ok during day 
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Last edited by NorthantsBen on Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:20 am; edited 1 time in total
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:20 am |
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Joined: Jul 13, 2010
Posts: 1032
Trade Rating: +10
Location: sutton surrey/welwyn garden city
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You need to test the voltage of the battery, if that's alright you need your alternator checked but it does sound like a bad battery
also what year is your car because if you do have to change the battery there is a certain way you have to do it, it's in the how to's I think
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| You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive | |
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:53 am |
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Joined: Feb 07, 2010
Posts: 4455
Trade Rating: +1
Location: Essex
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Get the alternator output checked to be sure, but it does sound like the batteries had it.
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 4:42 am |
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Joined: Feb 07, 2010
Posts: 2800
Trade Rating: +34
Location: Worthing
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If you take your car to the local Halfords they can test your battery and alternator for free, and they have batteries too if you need a new one, which they can fit for you for just £4.99 
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| Moonstone blue 206 1.4look
pro race 1.2 White
Morettes
GTI wings
TEAM: Carbon Fibre 
TEAM: I'm a greedy jelly fiend! | |
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:36 am |
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Joined: Aug 12, 2010
Posts: 190
Trade Rating: 0
Location: Cornwall, UK
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Any battery suppliers can usually test your battery and the charging rate to determine whether its batt or alternator fault. Mine did this when the battery failed a few months back. I had no warning, no batt light on the dash or sluggish starting - it was just dead one morning and doing the "bong" every time I turned the key.
Turned out mine was on original battery (52 reg) so think it had lasted well.
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:36 am |
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Joined: Feb 21, 2010
Posts: 931
Trade Rating: +9
Location: Brighton
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Saleswoman^^^
Make sure you get a trade card before going to Halfords!! It works out better!! lol
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 8:09 am |
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Joined: Aug 12, 2010
Posts: 190
Trade Rating: 0
Location: Cornwall, UK
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| smiddies wrote: |
Saleswoman^^^
Make sure you get a trade card before going to Halfords!! It works out better!! lol |
Use Halfrauds if you prefer, but I've always had much better service from local independant battery suppliers!
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 10:34 am |
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Joined: Feb 07, 2010
Posts: 2632
Trade Rating: +6
Location: Rugby,Warwickshire
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I don't think it's the alternator from what you mentioned above as your car works after a push start, your problem lies with the battery not storing the charge
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 10:39 am |
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Joined: Feb 07, 2010
Posts: 13077
Trade Rating: +65
Location: England
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Test the battery yourself if you have a multimeter
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 1:03 pm |
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Joined: Mar 09, 2010
Posts: 241
Trade Rating: +1
Location: In a traffic jam
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| NorthantsBen wrote: |
| Do the dash lights dim when try turn over? |
Dim? Go out more like, but yeah.
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| There\'s no sense crying over every mistake.\r\nYou just keep on trying \'til you run out of cake. | |
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Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 4:01 am |
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Joined: Feb 07, 2010
Posts: 4455
Trade Rating: +1
Location: Essex
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"There\'s no sense crying over every mistake.\r\nYou just keep on trying \'til you run out of cake".
Don't you mean milk?
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Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 4:47 am |
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Joined: Feb 07, 2010
Posts: 2949
Trade Rating: +6
Location: Athens, Greece
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What?
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| 1.4i, 2001, 3-door, China Blue
Repair safely - Drive safely | |
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Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 5:44 am |
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Joined: Jan 29, 2011
Posts: 6526
Trade Rating: +10
Location: Westhoughton, Lancashire
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The alternator only puts the power you use back into the battery, it is not a dynamo. Many people get confused between an alternator and a dynamo. A good check for the alternator is see if lights go brighter when you rev. Try just giving the battery a good overnight charge, over winter loads of people have battery problems. Everything electrical turned on, the alternator can't put enough charge back into the battery and hey presto, eventually a flat battery.
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Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 6:50 am |
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Joined: Feb 07, 2010
Posts: 2949
Trade Rating: +6
Location: Athens, Greece
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| macca1411 wrote: |
| Many people get confused between an alternator and a dynamo. |
True.
Dynamo uses a comutator and can be DC or AC. Usually permanent
magnets are used.
Alternator uses additional coils instead of magnets, called exciter coils.
It is always AC (rectified to DC for charging the car battery).
The disadvantage being that some voltage has to be present in the battery
for the alternator to work at all and charge it back up.
They both serve exactly the same purpose which is to supply electrical
current from rotary movement.
I can take-off my boffin hat now thank you.
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| 1.4i, 2001, 3-door, China Blue
Repair safely - Drive safely | |
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