#1: New battery needed or something else? Author: MNARAA, Location: In a traffic jamPosted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:15 am ---- 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?
#2: Re: New battery needed or something else? Author: NorthantsBen, Location: Raunds, NorthamptonshirePosted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:19 am ---- 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 Last edited by NorthantsBen on Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:20 am; edited 1 time in total
#3: Re: New battery needed or something else? Author: ukskater01, Location: sutton surrey/welwyn garden cityPosted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:20 am ---- 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
#4: Re: New battery needed or something else? Author: E5GDM, Location: EssexPosted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:53 am ---- Get the alternator output checked to be sure, but it does sound like the batteries had it.
#5: Re: New battery needed or something else? Author: Mrs_Howey, Location: WorthingPosted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 4:42 am ---- 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
#6: Re: New battery needed or something else? Author: Werdnal, Location: Cornwall, UKPosted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:36 am ---- 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.
#7: Re: New battery needed or something else? Author: smiddies, Location: BrightonPosted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:36 am ---- Saleswoman^^^
Make sure you get a trade card before going to Halfords!! It works out better!! lol
#8: Re: New battery needed or something else? Author: Werdnal, Location: Cornwall, UKPosted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 8:09 am ----
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!
#9: Re: New battery needed or something else? Author: DeadEyePaul, Location: Rugby,WarwickshirePosted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 10:34 am ---- 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
#10: Re: New battery needed or something else? Author: Lee, Location: EnglandPosted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 10:39 am ---- Test the battery yourself if you have a multimeter
#11: Re: New battery needed or something else? Author: MNARAA, Location: In a traffic jamPosted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 1:03 pm ----
NorthantsBen wrote:
Do the dash lights dim when try turn over?
Dim? Go out more like, but yeah.
#12: Re: New battery needed or something else? Author: E5GDM, Location: EssexPosted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 4:01 am ---- "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?
#13: Re: New battery needed or something else? Author: V9977, Location: Athens, GreecePosted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 4:47 am ---- What?
#14: Re: New battery needed or something else? Author: macca1411, Location: Westhoughton, LancashirePosted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 5:44 am ---- 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.
#15: Re: New battery needed or something else? Author: V9977, Location: Athens, GreecePosted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 6:50 am ----
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.
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