Mondeo problem *update*

millymoomoo_2

Hello there, I was wondering if anyone had any idea what could be wrong with my car.

It was driving normally yesterday but all of a sudden completely cut out. It now won't start, not even turn over and on the dash the lcd screens show little dashes instead of numbers.

Got towed home and the recovery man said he thinks the battery is too small and possibly a relay gone.


Any ideas? Thankyou in advance.:beer:

scheming_gypsy

if the recovery man thinks the battery is too small, try hooking up another battery (jump leads to another car rather than just buying another battery), and see what happens.

vax2002

Diesel or petrol ?
Year?
Engine size

poppasmurf_bewdley

It could be a dead battery, plain and simple. Mine on my Mondeo went in March and my dashboard went like that. Mine turned out to be a knacked alternator not charging the battery at the full rate, resulting in a weaker and weaker battery.

millymoomoo_2

Sorry Vax, it's a petrol 1.8, 2002.

Good idea about trying one on another car, hadn't even thought of that SG.

Poppasmurf, thanks for that. I'm just wondering whether my alternator is the problem too.

shown73

If it's an alternator problem the warning light would have been on, wouldn't it? Might be worth checking the drive belt also, of course. Does sound like a battery failure, but worth having the other points checked at the same time. Similar thing happened to me, in the middle of a journey. Alternator light had been coming on and off intermittently, and I took a chance on making it home. Didn't...battery went flat, car stopped, at night in the middle of nowhere...

poppasmurf_bewdley

shown73 wrote: »

If it's an alternator problem the warning light would have been on, wouldn't it? Might be worth checking the drive belt also, of course. Does sound like a battery failure, but worth having the other points checked at the same time. Similar thing happened to me, in the middle of a journey. Alternator light had been coming on and off intermittently, and I took a chance on making it home. Didn't...battery went flat, car stopped, at night in the middle of nowhere...

My alternator light didn't come on as it was giving out some charge but not enough to keep the battery full, and the battery eventually had no charge left. A common reason for the alternator failing is because it's right under the fuel filter and can get soaked in fuel when the filter has been changed carelessly.

You can check by connecting a volt meter across the battery terminals when the engine is running, and the reading should be about 14 to 15 volts. Anything less means an insufficient charge.

forgotmyname

Warning light can sometimes fail to light up even when there are faults.

Charge the battery with a mains charger, Then as mentioned use jump leads from another car or a
booster pack. Dodgy voltages can cause all sorts of problems.

The battery in the petrol cars are fairly small, Had no issues with the one on my old 2L petrol car.

12.8 is a fully charged battery, Put the lights on interior lights and radio, for about 20 minute, The voltage
should still be 12.5 or more. If its less you need a better battery and as mentioned when running
the voltage should be 14v+. Try the same test with the heated rear screen and the headlights on, It
should still be above 14v. Anything less and the alternator is not working properly.

millymoomoo_2

Right after a couple of days of my OH messing about with the car we had to take it into the garage. He checked the battery and anything else he could think of all looked good.

He did miss one fuse (not sure which at the moment) and the garage sorted it and rang him to say all done. However the garage rang back within 5 minutes and said not sorted! They had the car running but as they tried to get it off the ramp exactly the same thing happened again - the same fuse blew!

So just waiting for them to find which part is the problem - any ideas anyone?

Thanks again for all of the help so far.

bigjl.

millymoomoo wrote: »

Right after a couple of days of my OH messing about with the car we had to take it into the garage. He checked the battery and anything else he could think of all looked good.

He did miss one fuse (not sure which at the moment) and the garage sorted it and rang him to say all done. However the garage rang back within 5 minutes and said not sorted! They had the car running but as they tried to get it off the ramp exactly the same thing happened again - the same fuse blew!

So just waiting for them to find which part is the problem - any ideas anyone?

Thanks again for all of the help so far.

What fuse has blown?

Do you know what number and ampage?

millymoomoo_2

Forgot to add, does anyone know where I can get a fairly cheap alloy and tyre for it from? It a 15", 5 stud ( I think!)
Have tried the local scrapyards and nothing so far.

A couple of weeks ago OH was driving down the motorway and the tyre blew and took out a hole in the alloy at the same time - unbelievable!