Technical Serious chugging and now battery dead

[JacquieC]

Please help me - my boyfriend is supposed to be sorting this out but as he doesn't drive the car, nothing is getting done!

I have a 1987 manual choke Fire and for a while, it started chugging & cutting out when cold but when warmed up, it would run fine. Recently, it started chugging when warm too then one day, the battery was just dead (battery is about 18 months old) and that is the situation as it still stands.

Various people have said it could be the plugs (don't know anything about cars so have no idea if this could be the case). Unfortunately, I work about 2 minutes drive from work and other than that, only use the car on a Saturday to go to the supermarket which is also only about 5 minutes drive away. I know lack of use is a problem.

Can someone give me some ideas as I am going to have to get it to a garage but don't want to be ripped off by being told there are loads of things which need fixing when there aren't (especially as a woman as mechanics see us as easy prey sometimes). I'm hoping this is just a battery problem but would that explain the chugging?

There are no electrical problems that I can see ie. dimming lights etc.

Thanks for your help.

 

[dave]

was the battery light flickering or staying on when the car was running?
when was car last serviced?

may not be related but could be boyfriend up grade problem
http://www.maa.mhn.de/P/boyfriend_upgr.html

 

[JacquieC]

Thanks for your quick response. Funnily enough boyfriend just called to say a mechanic friend is collecting the car this afternoon so he's not all bad

Battery light stays on and the car was last looked at during it's MOT January 2008. However I live in Malta and MOTs here are not what they are elsewhere!

 

[dave]

if the battery light was staying on when the engine was running then that points to alternator problem, either the belt slipping or snapped, a conection problem or the alternator its self being dead.
sounds like its well over due for a service though so if they do get it running best get a service too so other problems dont pop up

 

[JacquieC]

Thanks a lot. The friend who is looking at it later is pretty good so hopefully he will sort it out. I will get it serviced as well though.

Thanks for your help.

 

[JacquieC]

By the way Dave, regarding not using the car much, how long do I need to run the car for to keep the battery charged and how often per week would I need to do it?

Also, when I was searching the forum before I posted, I read about some gadget to attach to the battery to keep it charged - would something like that be useful?
Thanks.

 

[dave]

its better to give it a good run now and again rather than use a trickle charger, 20 miles or more

 

[JacquieC]

Malta is only 19 miles by 11 so I'll have to do some going round in circles
Thanks for all your help.

 

[JacquieC]

Ok, I've got an update.

Our friend has just looked at the car and now it won't even jump start, just a clicking noise whereas last week it growled a bit as if making tiny attempt to start and we got it going by jumping it.

He says he thinks its the starter motor but could that have gone in the last week when the car never started or moved? It can't have been the starter motor previously to that when it wouldn't start or it wouldn't have jump started, would it?

I've now got to try to bump start it to get it to an electrician apparently. Luckily we are parked facing downwards on a hill but there's a busy junction at the bottom and I'm worried

Any ideas anyone? I'm grateful for any help.

 

[dave]

starter might have just got stuck when voltage was low, try bashing it with hammer or put car in gear an rock back n forth to free it

 

[JacquieC]

Our friend asked me if I had a hammer yesterday when he came so he obvioulsy thinks the same as you. He's going to come again in the week and get it up to his place to fix it.
Thanks for all your help Dave.