Right so battery ran flat the other day, got boosted of the lorry, sprint the day at work (care work in home, so about 10 stop starts. And about a mile in between) on second day at work today. And the car is trying its hardest to start. The time it takes to turn over you can hear there is no life left. So what is up with it? Is it going to be the battery or alternator?
If it was the battery which battery from halfords do I get?
Or what details of the battery, so I can go scrappy haha
Also could it be the alternator not charging? I have no idea, really hoping its the battery as cba with trying to change the alternator
Get a multimeter on the battery while the cars running if it's around 13.4v alternators fine and battery's f*cked
Okay so what do I put where? I guess probe on either terminal?
Moved to correct section :p
Set the multi meter to 20v range and put the red onto + and the black onto -. While the engine is running the voltage should be 13.4-14.5v if the alternator is good. Any lower and it's bad. If it's reading good, turn your lights on and heater fan and read it again. It should cope with that without dropping below 13.4v at idle.
Halfords have a book but 12v between 50-60ah and about 600cca!
A healthy battery should be about 12.6v, that's measured an hour or so after any use.
(25-11-2013, 09:38 AM)Danny2009 Wrote: [ -> ]Get a multimeter on the battery while the cars running if it's around 13.4v alternators fine and battery's f*cked
I'll post in here instead of starting a new thread.
I think the alternator on my HDi is on the way out. I put a new battery in back in October, a 640A beasty, but for the first few miles of a drive in the dark, the headlights go slightly dim (and the instrument binnacle lights, and the heater blower slows down) whenever I lift off the throttle. Once the car is up to temp it all behaves itself again though.
Thoughts on this?
I never thought to try a multimeter on it yet. Derp. It never, ever struggles to start though.
Sounds normal when cold as the glow plugs / water heater will be on. Get a meter on it. If it's dropping below 13.4v when doing it then you might have a problem.
Matt, I'll be 'home' next weekend; can pop round??
(26-01-2014, 03:17 PM)andywhy Wrote: [ -> ]Sounds normal when cold as the glow plugs / water heater will be on. Get a meter on it. If it's dropping below 13.4v when doing it then you might have a problem.
Ah, do the glow plugs / water heater on the HDi draw a lot of current then?
My old XUD never did this.
Matt not sure where you live these days. I have a basically brandnew battery if it is that. Will cost you but a lot less than halfords
Further to my post above, I'm looking at alternators, and when I search online I get alternators that produce 70A, 80A, 90A and 150A listed. Which one should I go for? Confusing as hell.
The highest possible that fits and is within your price range.
Well, the biggest fuse on the car, according to the Haynes manual, is 40A. A 90A alternator should be enough then. No point in having 150A. The 150A on Euro car parts is listed as being for vehicles with heated seats... so probably bigger, more luxurious cars that were fitted with the HDi lump!
Remember that all those fuses could be in use at once so that's more than a 40A load. The bigger the alternator, the less strain there is on the alternator windings at high loads, so it'll last longer. It'll also mean you're less likely to overload it (and in turn overheat it) with turning everything on and end up draining the battery. The stock is about 80A I believe but I always found mine struggled a bit with fan, glow plugs (when starting from cold), lights and demist on (needed in winter). It often drained from the battery for a while which isn't good for it. Your choice, go with stock size if you're not sure.
Well, ECP have 24% off the 150A alternator today, so it's £4 cheaper than the 90A one.
I've reserved a 150A and I'll pick it up on the way home from work tomorrow, heh.