Technical marea hlx ignition problem

[pfisker]

i have a pretty strange problem. i just tried to start my marea today. It turned all eletric indicators on fine upon key turn.
When i tried to start, the car just died..
I thought ok, may be a fuse, but nope all fine..
The radio worked but the cd did not.. and no lights in the dashboard (very dim) it seemed realy strange.
I got it jump started by wire from a battery and thought that it was just low power. But no, when i keep the lights off, the engine keeps running, but as soon as i turn on the lights the car just dies. And i have to get wires on it again.. I did measure the thing that charges the car, and when engine running it is like 14.5V. When the engine is off and no power is on, my volt meter shows 12.1 on the battery it self.
When i turn the key, the clock dims .. and the lights in the dashboard is very, very dim..

When i drive i can turn on the lights when driving fast, but it gives huge cough.. and i turn them of and evrything is fine again... btw. all the electric things will make the dashboard dim a bit when turned on during driving.
??? all and any advice will be very welcome?? (i just spend to much money fixing alot of other stuff on the car including timing belt... :bang: )

 

[T14086]

Sounds like battery has failed,I take little notice of voltage readings of a battery as surface charge can give you false readings.A drop (load) test is only way to test a battery correctly.Can you get a lend of another battery just to prove it 100% is the battery......strangely enough same thing happened to my mates marea other week....must be that time of year

 

[pfisker]

Sounds like battery has failed,I take little notice of voltage readings of a battery as surface charge can give you false readings.A drop (load) test is only way to test a battery correctly.Can you get a lend of another battery just to prove it 100% is the battery......strangely enough same thing happened to my mates marea other week....must be that time of year

yes, it is masive rain so could be the wheater.
the car starts imediately when powered by other battery.. but the steap drop in power when turning on the light seems a bit odd though?
otherwise i would also guess drop of cells within the battery or something similar.
many thanks for the advice

 

[Deckchair5]

I'd be thinking about a poor earth or battery connection. Power is getting through when the load is low but fails when the load is heavier. A poor earth or battery connection can do this too. Certainly battery related

 

[T14086]

the steap drop in power when turning on the light seems a bit odd though?

Fuel pump,12 &5 volts to sensors/modules,heater/radio (if on) soon adds up!

Gotta start (no pun intended) with the basics,battery?
Even a small drop in temperature can show up poor batteries that are fine in the summer.

 

[pfisker]

thanks for the help to all of you. Changed the battery and now it all runs smothly.