I have a 2001 1.2 8v Punto. I tried to start it recently but the battery was dead. Nothing had been left on and it was fine on the journey a couple of days before. I then tried to jump start it and the engine turned over once then nothing happened. The oil, EOBD (fixed light) and battery lights came on. I've checked the battery earth wires and fluid levels which are all fine.

I've read through all relevant posts I can find and I've checked every suggestion. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Eleanor

Hi and WELCOME TO THE FORUM :wave:

When you say it "turned over once" when you were trying to jump start it.... did you check that the jump leads to the other car were making a good connection on BOTH batteries?

Alan

Thank you!

There was no sign of life before connecting the batteries and after I had all electricals so I think they must have been okay.

Thank you!

There was no sign of life before connecting the batteries and after I had all electricals so I think they must have been okay.

When you jump-started, did you connect the negative cable from the negative terminal of the healthy battery to a metallic part of the engine far away from the battery?

I think so!

That eliminates the earth cable if you did (by connecting the other end of the cable to the car, not the battery terminal, you remove the earth cable from the loop, thus eliminating it as the cause). In that case, check the red wire between the battery and the starter motor for any looseness.

I followed the AA jump starting instructions (I've never done it before but I had a friends Dad helping who tried to connect -ve to -ve but I stopped him in time!).

I'm not with my car right now but I'll check the starter motor cable when I'm back with her tonight.

Sorry it's taken me a few days - I had a slight detour via Dublin!

The wire to the starter motor is secure. I had a look at all of the other wires I could reach too. They all look okay.

My battery did these things it had an internal short circuit so was scrap. I could drive for a few days starting fine then one day very flat. It would bump start (I lived on a hill). One day it was so dead it would not even bump start.

New battery - problem solved. If its a Mk2 Punto get a good heavy duty one so the voltage stays up under winter stress. Low battery voltage affects the power steering making it drop out when you most need it.

Would that explain the warning lights etc?

The battery is so flat it raised all the faults, bet the clock reset to zero.

Get it stress tested but 10-1 it's the battery. The testers they use in halfords unfortunately wont adequately stress the battery. When mine was tested it showed 50% charge yet 10 minutes before, I had jump started it from dead flat. It then conked completely. I'd got 50% of F-all.

Quick fit will normally do a battery drop test and alternator check for free, however first you should check your battery earth connection, in particular where it connects to the bodywork. A quick check would be to charge up the battery then make a temporary earth by taking a jump lead from battery earth to a good point on the engin and see it it will start, if it does start trace the earthing problem.

Its never happened to me before and really was weird turned out to be an internal short. Perfect for a few days then suddenly flat. As it turned out even less reliable when parked on a hill.

I think most of the battery material had fallen into the bottom of the casing. Its amazing it could start the car at all but it kept on going - some of the time.

As I often say if you need a new one get a good heavy duty. If it will fit the battery box, no need to worry about going bigger than the book says. But do avoid the cheapest options they wont last.

It was the battery! Not sure what but all connections were fine so I think you may have been spot on with the internal short circuit. Thanks for all of your help everyone!

Eleanor

No worries. One thing running an older car you get to see some puzzling faults.