Can anyone help me my wifes little fiat would not start a week ago so we got a new battery and everything was fine until today when she stopped at traffic light and the radio went off and power steering light came on and she lost power steering so she pulled over and switched engine off and tried to restart car but it would not start so i had to get my car a get jump lead on it and it was fine until we got home so i suspect the car is not charging the battery. my wife did say the car had been making a screeching noise which i suspect is the belt slipping could that be why the alternator is not charging the battery ???


Please help as my wife is having to use my pride and joy in the mean time and im dreading a phone call saying she's smashed it up or scraped it

does sound like the alternator is seized.. see if the pulley on the alternator spins freely

Does the ignition light come on at pos 1?

Cheers

D

The alternators can seize, the brushes can lift off, or the belt may be well loose, or very hard and slioppery, the duty cycle your wife makes may be all discharge, e.g. start, hetaer blower, heated rear screen and lights, or any combination.

As above check the alternator will turn easily. If the belt is not resonably tight adjust, rub a rag soacked in petrol injector cleaner over belt working surfaces, to softenthe belt and make it 'sticky'. Tell wife to not use the heated rear screen.

Test the battery voltage is 13.5V on tick over, no load.

Noel

check the battery terminals are done up tight first

would expect more like 14v maybe but meh ok..

I'd say 13.5-14.2, ideally around 13.8v

Yes 13.5v is bottom of the tolerance, but if it is less then there is a problem, 13.6 I'd be concerned about but the multi meters are not that accurate.

If a new battery is only lasting a week there is something wrong.

David's point about the light not appearing will trap the brushes lifting off, most girls will spot the little red light, but not necessarily its absence

Noel.

Or as happened to my wifes car, the lead to the back of the alternator had come loose

Tightened and charged battery and all ok