Hi all! Hope you've been out enjoying the snow?
This is a bit of a novel but I like to be through :wink2:
About 10 days ago, I finished work at about 9pm and it was about 1degC. Went to start the nav but she was totally dead; one half-***** crank followed by the solenoid clicking away and the trip counters resetting. Metered the battery to 8.5V:surprise: Managed to blag a jump start, metered the battery with the engine running to 15.2v (seems high?) and carried on my way. Did the 15-mile journey to a mates house, parked up for a few hours, came back and started the first time. Drove the 30 miles home, metered it again to 12.8v, left it overnight and again, started the first time so I put it down to "maybe I left a light on without realising" although I did notice the indicator on the battery is now black for 'Needs charging' when I've only ever notice it being green.
Every morning since, started absolutely fine. Thought nothing of it until yesterday...
I went out a bit later than normal, at about 3pm (-1degC) jumped in and totally dead again, same symptoms. Connected up the Mrs' car (1.6 Diesel Fiat 500L) and got the nav going straight away.
- Sadly didn't meter any of this.
This evening didn't get in her until about 5pm (-2degC) but was again totally dead. Same symptoms. Connected up to the Mrs' car again and had to wait quite a while before the nav had enough juice to crank over. But again this evening has stopped and started 3 times with roughly an hour stopped between each. One of these stops was to Halfords, got them to test the battery and apparently the reader said it's reading as cold but saying the condition is "good". I've bought another battery but don't want to fit it if the battery is okay and my issues are from something else.
I forgot to meter before jumping but have tested more now she's charged up again, these are the kind of average result from testing a few times. It's -8degC at the time I tested.
12.6v ish: Engine off, 10 minutes after turning off the engine.
9.8-11.2v: Voltage shown when cranking the engine over
14.5-15.6: Voltage with the engine running.
Interestingly, the indicator on the battery has remained black for 'needs charging'.
So my questions are
1- ]Is the battery and charging system all good but there is something somewhere drawing power from the battery intermittently? (Christ, that would be a PITA)
2- Is the voltage regulator on the alternator not working, I heard you're supposed to expect a higher voltage at lower temperatures but even so, over 15v to the battery seems high? Is it overcharging the battery? Supplying too high voltage but not enough current?
3-Is the battery is TF and Halfords are useless? (Please, please, please let it just be Halfords giving out the wrong advice again.
To try and eliminate parasitic draw, I've disconnected the negative terminal for tonight and I'm praying that when I connect it back up at 8am she doesn't start! If that's the case the battery is F***ed and this whole post is rendered pointless but at least it's an easy fix :grin2: would it even be worth sticking it on a mains charger to see if that improves things or simply not bother??
If I connect her up and she does start...what do I do next?
TIA :cheers:
This is a bit of a novel but I like to be through :wink2:
About 10 days ago, I finished work at about 9pm and it was about 1degC. Went to start the nav but she was totally dead; one half-***** crank followed by the solenoid clicking away and the trip counters resetting. Metered the battery to 8.5V:surprise: Managed to blag a jump start, metered the battery with the engine running to 15.2v (seems high?) and carried on my way. Did the 15-mile journey to a mates house, parked up for a few hours, came back and started the first time. Drove the 30 miles home, metered it again to 12.8v, left it overnight and again, started the first time so I put it down to "maybe I left a light on without realising" although I did notice the indicator on the battery is now black for 'Needs charging' when I've only ever notice it being green.
Every morning since, started absolutely fine. Thought nothing of it until yesterday...
I went out a bit later than normal, at about 3pm (-1degC) jumped in and totally dead again, same symptoms. Connected up the Mrs' car (1.6 Diesel Fiat 500L) and got the nav going straight away.
drove 2 miles to the shop, parked up, engine off for 5 minutes, started.
Drove another half mile, off, 10 minutes, started.
another half mile, left it two hours, started. Another 1 mile, stopped for 5 minutes, started.
Drove a mile or so home, left overnight and all day - Sadly didn't meter any of this.
This evening didn't get in her until about 5pm (-2degC) but was again totally dead. Same symptoms. Connected up to the Mrs' car again and had to wait quite a while before the nav had enough juice to crank over. But again this evening has stopped and started 3 times with roughly an hour stopped between each. One of these stops was to Halfords, got them to test the battery and apparently the reader said it's reading as cold but saying the condition is "good". I've bought another battery but don't want to fit it if the battery is okay and my issues are from something else.
I forgot to meter before jumping but have tested more now she's charged up again, these are the kind of average result from testing a few times. It's -8degC at the time I tested.
12.6v ish: Engine off, 10 minutes after turning off the engine.
9.8-11.2v: Voltage shown when cranking the engine over
14.5-15.6: Voltage with the engine running.
Interestingly, the indicator on the battery has remained black for 'needs charging'.
So my questions are
1- ]Is the battery and charging system all good but there is something somewhere drawing power from the battery intermittently? (Christ, that would be a PITA)
2- Is the voltage regulator on the alternator not working, I heard you're supposed to expect a higher voltage at lower temperatures but even so, over 15v to the battery seems high? Is it overcharging the battery? Supplying too high voltage but not enough current?
3-Is the battery is TF and Halfords are useless? (Please, please, please let it just be Halfords giving out the wrong advice again.
To try and eliminate parasitic draw, I've disconnected the negative terminal for tonight and I'm praying that when I connect it back up at 8am she doesn't start! If that's the case the battery is F***ed and this whole post is rendered pointless but at least it's an easy fix :grin2: would it even be worth sticking it on a mains charger to see if that improves things or simply not bother??
If I connect her up and she does start...what do I do next?
TIA :cheers: