I tried to turn over my car today and nothing happened. I've had dead batteries before and ususally the clicking noise comes from under the bonnet. When I try to turn on the ignition the dials all flicker about and I have a USB charger in the cig lighter which flickers on and off. Theres a clicking noise but it sounds like its coming from underneath the car. Also the LED screen on the dash flickers on and off. Also the remote locking doesn't work.

Any ideas?

EDIT: I left a USB stick in the USB socket overnight, could that have cause the battery to drain? I didn't think it would take any power as it's just a stick. Shall I just buy a battery charger?

Dead battery. You'd previously had batteries low on charge by the sounds of it, enough to try, but not turn. This one is so flat it won't even power the low powered items.

Get it on a long slow trickle charge ASAP and you might be able to recover it

quick question (yes im a noob) is it safe to charge the battery with just the negative terminal removed? I'd rather not take out the whole battery?

Yes it is. With the negative removed the circuit is open but insure it can not move in any way to touch the battery or any metalic part of the car.

Once you get your car started I would advise you to check the alternator output with a meter. It should be about 14 volts. Any lower than 12.5volts and there's your flat battery problem. Also worth folding down a back seat to see if the boot light is on with the boot closed, common battery draining problem.

thank you. theoretically could have been possible a usb stick left in the blue and me caused this? Its just it's the only time I've done that and this has happened.

thanks for your help guys really appreciate it!

FreqFace said:

thank you. theoretically could have been possible a usb stick left in the blue and me caused this? Its just it's the only time I've done that and this has happened.

thanks for your help guys really appreciate it!

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Not really, as B&M shuts down completely after 10-15min of ignition being off I believe - but its a Fiat, so not impossible

am i right to assume thats the battery is fked and not the alternator? as yesterday the car was running fine, which would suggest the alternator is ok? why would it discharge overnight like that?

It could be the alternator that's USed. Either not charging properly, or the charging unit on it could be at fault causing the drain.

I charged the battery overnight for 16 hours, put it back in, same things happenens: nothing, dials go crazy.

Exactly the same thing happened to me last year. Parked up at work, left it all day then tried to go home and got crazy dials - no indication earlier on that there was any problems. Changed battery for a new one and theres not been a hiccup since - touch wood! Mines a 2008 '58 t-jet so the original battery only lasted 3 years.

FreqFace said:

I charged the battery overnight for 16 hours, put it back in, same things happenens: nothing, dials go crazy.

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Sounds like the battery has just died then, Not common, but not unheard of.

GavinAshford said:

Mines a 2008 '58 t-jet so the original battery only lasted 3 years.

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Par for the course i had issues when my car was just outside 3 years old

sorry guys just want to confirm if this battery is the right one. does it really make a difference to get a more powerful one or should I just get a cheapo one?

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/F...67f1c7188b4a36f7d349dc908afd3df48ac965&000020

That's the same spec/type as I fitted into mine, I went for an increased Ah rating due to running an amp. The increased cranking amps (compared the stock one) made a noticeable difference on colder mornings too.

I didnt go for Bosch though I chose this Varta one:
http://www.tayna.co.uk/Type-027-Varta-Car-Battery-P7737.html
(code "autoexp" gives 5% discount to bring it down to £60.10 delivered)

A quick ebay search and there is that same Bosch one for £60.95 delivered
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251096860100

With them being longer batteries than the stock one you do have to remove a plastic bumper/spacer thing on the floor of the battery tray that accommodates the original battery length, a flat headed screwdriver makes short work of it.

I did notice it took longer to turnover on cold morning, which obviously drains the battery! There's 15% off batteries at europartsworld so I paid 62

Hadn't noticed the spacer, will have a look! thanks.

Sorry, my bad, I completely failed to read your sig, the 1.9 i believe comes with the longer battery anyway. My original one was 175x175mm square rather than the 175x242mm that the one I have now.

I'm not sure of the cranking amps of the stock 1.9's battery but if your new one is higher then that'll help on colder mornings (though I believe it takes a short while for the glowplugs of a diesel to warm up anyway).

She's alive! So happy, new battery has worked a treat. Seems to be more responsive to turnover as well. Hopefully it will carry on working ie. not the alternator. Though the fact the old battery was from factory and wouldn't even charge suggests it was just the battery.

Thanks for your help guys, honestly appreciate it. It was a simple problem but I want to learn how to fix things myself instead of taking it in at every slight problem!