Technical Battery or Alternator?

[sugar]

Hi all, another problem with the 899 Cinq so here I am after help!

The car keeps refusing to start when left for long periods - over 24 hours approx. When the car is left whilst I'm at work or overnight it starts ok.

Is this simply the battery starting to go and not holding charge? Or could it be another issue such as the alternator not operating correctly? Or something else perhaps?

Any help/suggestions very much appreciated.

Mark

 

[bandido41]

Sounds like your battery has had it as it seems to be holding charge for short periods but just to be sure, is your battery light staying illuminated in the car when you drive and if it is, is brighter at idle and dims out the more the higher the revs go?

 

[pingu]

try your local garage. they will have a batery tester.
have you cheked that you havnt left the light on?
does your batery light come on when the car is atarted.?

 

[sugar]

No battery light has been observed. I guess if the battery light was illuminated than that would point towards an alternator issue?

This has been going on for a little while now - it isn't that often the car is not started for more than 24 hours so I've only had to jump start it about 4 times in the 3/4 weeks.
One observation I have made is that one time the car was left for about 4 days without starting (longer than it had been left on the other occassions), and the dash lights were completely 'off' with the ignition on. The other times they just appear dim.

 

[bandido41]

As previously suggested get the battery tested but it defo sounds like its had it, how old is the battery if the battery test comes back as ok then give the battery a goood charge and do a test to see if anything is drianing the current such as radio e.t.c

 

[sugar]

I have the receipt from when the previous owner replaced the battery. It is dated 31 Aug 05 and states it has a 4 year gaurantee - it is a calcium battery. This is the only factor that makes me think it could be something other than the battery. But as suggested, I think I'll take it to my local garage to be tested.

Out of curiousity, how would I test to see if any componants are draining the battery?

Many thanks,
Mark

 

[bandido41]

with a voltmeter if you do a search look for posts by jug in the bravo/a section there are quite a few threads where he gives great detail on how to test a battery

 

[sugar]

Thanks Bandido. I've been doing a little research and one point I've picked up on is that quite often a radio can be the cause of batteries going flat - normally when an aftermarket radio has been fitted and the red/yellow wires have been connected to substitute for the absence of an ignition feed (switched live).
Maybe this might be the problem? Although I fitted this radio in December so it would seem strange that it's only started to drain the battery now, or would it??

 

[RichardBradford]

Thanks Bandido. I've been doing a little research and one point I've picked up on is that quite often a radio can be the cause of batteries going flat - normally when an aftermarket radio has been fitted and the red/yellow wires have been connected to substitute for the absence of an ignition feed (switched live).
Maybe this might be the problem? Although I fitted this radio in December so it would seem strange that it's only started to drain the battery now, or would it??

Our Cinqa sometimes has the charging/alternator warning light on, dimly, regardless of revs. Does yours light up when the ignition is on and the engine not running? If it does then the indicator is probably OK, which means your alternator is probably OK, which points to your battery - or something sucking the juice out of it.
A simple test could be to park the car for a couple of days with only one or no leads attached to the battery. If it is dead when you put it back together and try to start it is the battery. If it is OK when you try then something is normally draining the battery.

Hope that helps. We still don't know why our charge warning light comes on - no rhyme or rythm to it - maybe sticking or worn brushes on the alternator...? Anyone know?

 

[custard]

get a cheap multimeter
switch everything off on the car
the battery should give a steady volts reading,if it flickers you most likely have a drain
then its a case of elimination ,disconnecting things to test
if no drain then fire up the engine
take a volts reading
now turn on lights,stero,blower etc and take another reading.volts should increase to show it charging.
dont oforget to check simple stuff like tight bttery connections

 

[RichardBradford]

get a cheap multimeter
switch everything off on the car
the battery should give a steady volts reading,if it flickers you most likely have a drain
then its a case of elimination ,disconnecting things to test
if no drain then fire up the engine
take a volts reading
now turn on lights,stero,blower etc and take another reading.volts should increase to show it charging.
dont oforget to check simple stuff like tight bttery connections

Sorry, but why would the voltage 'flicker'? If it is a constant drain, i.e. a lamp, there will be no flicker at all.

 

[custard]

you will see a flicker with a drain,when i say flicker i mean a variation in the voltage over a steady reading

 

[sugar]

Thanks guys, I'll get my multimeter from my parents when I get some free time and give it a go.
I checked the tightness of the terminals, they weren't too loose but I could get a few turns out of them.

Will report back when I get around to it - the bloody car's developed another fault!!!...

Mark

 

[sugar]

Looks like it's the radio - I disconnected it and left the car for 2 days and it started fine.

So I'm going to run the switched live wire off the cigarette lighter, rather than just joining the red and yellow wires from the radio together and connecting them to the permanent live feed (my cinquecento has no switched feed for the radio).

Big thanks to all who have taken the time to write replies.

Mark

 

[cc1]

I wouldn't expect a radio to have that much of a drain to discharge a battery of that size in 24hrs on standby. 2 weeks maybe. I would still have the battery checked as it may not have it's full capacity. A 4 year guarantee does not mean it can't fail in this period. If poss, Check the fluid levels in the cells.
Would be good if you could measure the current of the radio on standby to see how much it's actualy using?

 

[sugar]

Thanks cc1, but since dis-connecting the battery I've had no more problems. The battery is a sealed type so I couldn't check the cell fluid levels.