Gone to use my GP tonight after an hour of last using it.

It would not start, dashboard lights flicker, radio flickers. Even tried spare key.

- Clicking noise coming from passenger/battery side.

Called my assist, they did not do a diagnostics but they said it is likely the immobiliser has kicked in because the car was possibly left unlocked (door not shut properly)

The other thing it could be is that I had my radio played about with lately. Put an aux lead in and the whole thing began overheating and the radio signal no longer worked. I just left it how it was stupidly.

Reading about ecu problems has me worried - the car does not always start 1st time unless you put it in gear. I always put this down to glow plugs/diesels.

Please help. I can't afford to get ripped off by a main dealer. What can I do from here?

Sounds like you're recovery agent hasn't a clue what they're talking about and have fobbed you off.

Sound like a typical flat battery to me, remove it and recharge it, and all should be ok

Most Easterly Pandas said:

Sounds like you're recovery agent hasn't a clue what they're talking about and have fobbed you off.

Sound like a typical flat battery to me, remove it and recharge it, and all should be ok

Click to expand...

He checked the battery in front of me and said that it was on but something had drained it. He plugged it into something (I'm guessing a power supply) and told me to turn the key, and it did nothing?!

I mean why would there be a clicking noise from the passenger side dash?

I get worried of being fobbed off, I'm female!

BexLu21 said:

Please help. I can't afford to get ripped off by a main dealer. What can I do from here?

Click to expand...

Do you have a choice, to say only main dealers rip people off and other garages don't is totally wrong. Garages end up getting nowhere then take to main dealer then charge the owner.

Do as MEP said and charge the battery up or get a jump start from a neighbour.

BexLu21 said:

I mean why would there be a clicking noise from the passenger side dash?

Click to expand...

Because the battery is flat.

Does sound like a flat battery. Can you hear it trying to start or does it not get that far.

MarkW7 said:

Does sound like a flat battery. Can you hear it trying to start or does it not get that far.

Click to expand...

It doesn't get that far.
Car doors won't lock with fob either.

Call out guy seemed like he wanted to get home but he told me to just call a mechanic with a diagnostic out.

He said it wasn't the battery cos he was still getting a reading from it?!?

Do your lights work? He'll still get a reading but if it's less than 12volts then it's drained. Should be 12volts idle and about 14volts when running. If it's drained it might be about 9v.

BexLu21 said:

Car doors won't lock with fob either.

Click to expand...

This is a sure sign, on top of everything else, that you've got a parasitic drain... -- oh, AND YOUR BATTERY IS FLAT...!

Just do what everyone else has said; and get your battery charged. Then sort out the cause of the drain (i.e. the HU).

could be a bad earth if the battery is charged and still nothing.

You need a mobile auto-electrician

Is this not something I can investigate myself?

Am planning on using a jump back on the battery, and if nothing else works I will have to concede in taking it somewhere.

How much is a battery replacement or these earth replacements?

Correct diagnosis is a process of logical steps to find the fault not just wild guesses (that's for dealerships) and as we cannot physically see the car then we can only imagine what is happening. Now as with any electrical fault of this nature you have to start at the beginning at be 100% sure the battery is good and well charged.....only then can we or anyone else move to the next step.

Ok so update.
Had this jump pack put on the battery and turned the ignition. Heard this horrible grinding noise?!?!? Neighbour said it was the starter motor.

Now I turn the key once and the lights come on but that lock and key warning code are coming on as well. The grinding noise is no longer made? Nothing happens.

What should I do?

Put the battery on charge.

:yeahthat:

Cannot stress enough that a jump pack isn't going to be adequate. You MUST charge the battery!! This needs to be done ASAP also, the longer you leave it flat the low the chance of it making a full recovery and not being USed for good!

Most Easterly Pandas said:

:yeahthat:

Cannot stress enough that a jump pack isn't going to be adequate. You MUST charge the battery!! This needs to be done ASAP also, the longer you leave it flat the low the chance of it making a full recovery and not being USed for good!

Click to expand...

What's the grinding noise I first heard when the jump pack came on though?

Why is the lock symbol coming on and staying.

BexLu21 said:

What's the grinding noise I first heard when the jump pack came on though?

Click to expand...

Because the battery is flat and isn't engaging the starter properly.

Battery being flat can also cause the immobilizer to not deactivate hence the padlock symbol.

Most Easterly Pandas said:

Because the battery is flat and isn't engaging the starter properly.

Battery being flat can also cause the immobilizer to not deactivate hence the padlock symbol.

Click to expand...

I haven't got a charger. Can I swap over a battery from a 2010 1.4 petrol corsa? Just to see if it gets going?

BexLu21 said:

I haven't got a charger. Can I swap over a battery from a 2010 1.4 petrol corsa? Just to see if it gets going?

Click to expand...

If the battery spec meets or exceeds the one currently fitted in your car then yes