My car is dead! Help!

highguyuk

Hey,

Presume its battery based. Just got into my car. Turned the key. Nothing. Clock is off and now as I locked the car back up the central locking hasnt kicked in ... the key just turns.

What is the damage this time?

blue_haddock

Sounds like something in the electrical system has died - cheapest option would be the battery or it could be the alternator which generally won't be cheap.

What car is it by the way?

highguyuk

Its a Peugeot 306 ...

However, problem sorted. One jump start later and back into life it went. I had left my lights on, but on this car it does actually switch the lights off. So as soon as you leave your car, its not like you can look and see if uve left them on or not.

Just been for a spurt down the M53 ... hopefully charged it up enough!

Thanks anyway!

Fran

Check your battery leads are connected ok. It seems strange if it has suddenly gone (assuming it was working fine last time you used it?). It sounds as though a wire has come loose somewhere.


Edit... just seen that you have now sorted it! :T

tonys_3

Yes your battery is flat.But the reason why it is flat is the problem.
It could be that the battery is too old to retain its charge, or it is the unsealed type and it has not been topped up with ionised water.
If you haven't run the car for a week or two, the clock etc will run down the battery and if you do a lot of short journeys the battery will not have time
to get recharged.

I assume that you have not been running the car with the red battery warning light showimg. I am also assuming that you are not a member of a
breakdown service. If you do not know much about cars, then membership
of one of them mght help as you will avoid being ripped off by unscrupulous garages when you take your car iin to them.I

You need to get the battery charged, or find out at least that it will retain a charge. Have you a friend with a battery charger, or someone who has a
set of jump leads to get you started. Or a couple of sons who can push start the car? If not, you can buy a battery charger, or take it to the garage to be recharged or if you are friendly with the garage, ask if you can borrow one
of theirs overnight [they might want a deposit].

Once the car is up and running, you will need to investigate why the battery
ran flat, if some of the earlier suggestions I made don't fit the bill.

tonys_3

Sorry for my post-got interrupted midway through and did not realise that you had already resolved the problem.