Battery Problem (I hope)

[Tom]

Hello all,
I'm hoping someone on here can help.

This afternoon i got in my HGT to find it completely dead, the clock on the radio was gone and there was no signs of life when turning the ignition.

I got a friend to come down with jump leads and using them it fired up fine.

So I drove around for about an hour hoping to get some charge in it. Then having left it for about 2hours I came back and it was dead again. So I hooked it up to the battery on my housemates Micra which gave it enough power to turn on the dash lights but not enough to turn the engine over. So I tried a fiesta which had a bit more oomph, but only enough for the engine to cough, not start.

Now this is the concerning bit, I got hold of a battery charger which says it also test the battery. I took it out and the charger says the battery is 100%. I left it on fast charge for about and hour (i know this isn't enough) but it made no difference.

So anyway, I'm going to take the battery to the nearest battery place in the morning but I'm just concerned by the fact that the charger said it was fine and when I tried to jump start it from the fiesta (which is a 1.6) it didn't like it. It jumped fine the first time but that was a 2 litre golf.

Could it be anything other than the battery?
Cheers.

 

[Tom]

Do you have access to a volt meter? (multimeter)

 

[Tom]

Er, nope, I don't think so.
Might be able to get hold of one though. What would I do with it if I could?

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the battery for sure..

Get a new heavy duty one.

 

[Tom]

Cheers Anon, thats my first port of call, it just worried me that the charger said it was fully charged and it wouldn't start a second time with the jump leads.

 

[Ozric-Al]

How old is the car? Mileage?

"What's the word on the street Huggy Bear? "

http://www.billhicks.com/ New Ozrics Site now up: - http://www.ozrics.com/

Abarth Valve Caps ; Clear Repeaters; Supersprint cat-back;
Bonnet Lifters; Personalised High Level Brake Light; Starsky Cardigan

 

[Tom]

If you've got access to a meter you can measure the charging voltage from the alternator, should be 13.8 to 14v. Just to make sure its actually being charged when the car is running.

 

[Anonymous]

Its a '97 147 HGT, done about 47k, most of which has been below 40mph.

It does a lot of stop/start short journeys because it lives on Guernsey and there isn't very far to go over here!

 

[Tom]

The battery will be toast.

 

[Tom]

Ok, thanks Tom (good name by the way). If the battery doesn't sort it out I'll see if I can get a multimeter, and then I'll no doubt be back asking where to test it!

 

[Tom]

If the batt is the original then its very likely it is toast. When you have it changed ask them to check its being charged properly, its a 30 second check.

 

[Ozric-Al]

...and expect the alternator to go very soon too as invariably one goes shortly after the other. Plan some time in too as the HGT alternator is often a "send yours off for reconditioning" job.

"What's the word on the street Huggy Bear? "

http://www.billhicks.com/ New Ozrics Site now up: - http://www.ozrics.com/

Abarth Valve Caps ; Clear Repeaters; Supersprint cat-back;
Bonnet Lifters; Personalised High Level Brake Light; Starsky Cardigan

 

[Andy]

gurnsey is a great place to wind down. where do u live there?

what colour is ur hgt, saw a couple of bravos when i was out there a year or 2 ago

Andy

the proud owner of patch, the multishaded Heraldic blue Bravo

 

[Tom]

Just call me stoopid but how will I know when the alternator's gone?
Sounds painful, especially as no-one over here will probably know what to do with it.
The local Fiat place couldn't even programme a spare key for me. I gave them the red key and everything but they couldn't get it to work.

 

[Tom]

It is a great place, just a bit small at times. I live near Cobo on the west coast, great beaches.

Mines an Ink Black HGT, there's a few bravo's here, but not many. Only one other HGT.

 

[Ozric-Al]

The battery light will remain on even when the car is running. t will sound rattley when it's on it's way out too.

However, only definite way to check is as Tom says, with a meter.

"What's the word on the street Huggy Bear? "

http://www.billhicks.com/ New Ozrics Site now up: - http://www.ozrics.com/

Abarth Valve Caps ; Clear Repeaters; Supersprint cat-back;
Bonnet Lifters; Personalised High Level Brake Light; Starsky Cardigan

 

[Trev]

Re:Re: Battery Problem (I hope)

Also check the main power cable on the rear of the alternator
ON my HGT 147 the wire had snapped but the plastic cover was ok
Trev

 

[Tom (confused yet?)]

Re: Re:Re: Battery Problem (I hope)

If the alt is fooked then the voltage won't be ~14v when the engine is running.

 

[Tom]

Re: Re:Re: Battery Problem (I hope)

Ok, thanks all for your input. Hopefully a new battery will make it spring back into life tomorrow morning and I'll keep the alternator advice in mind.

 

[Tom]

Re: Re:Re: Battery Problem (I hope)

Just to let you know a new battery and all is fine once more.
Thanks for your help, though I'll be constantly worried the alternator is going now!
Cheers,
Tom