Either the AA or Halfords are lying to me

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow

Can someone tell me who is in the wrong here please

my car was completely dead so my brother jump started it for me and I took it to Halfords shop and brought a new battery and had it installed for an additional £6.99 on top of the battery price.

Drove car home 5 minutes away. Left outside overnight.

2 o clock today time to go to work car completely dead so I ring the AA. The AA man did some tests and said you have been sold a dud battery take it back to Halfords. He said there is nothing wrong with the alternator.

I took the car back to halfords, they tested the battery and said it was perfectly fine and the alternator needed to be replaced. I left the car there are there is an autocentre next door and they will look at it for me tomorrow morning.

Now, my question is, the AA man said "it's the battery, there's nothing wrong with the alternator" and Halfords said (it's the alternator, there's nothing wrong with the battery)

So one of them is wrong - which one? Also, does anyone know how much it will cost me to get the alternator replaced?

Its a ford focus W reg.

TIA for your help - I would have asked my husband but I got divorced 6 months ago and although I have now learnt to catch my own spiders and programme the sky box, I am at a loss when it comes to my car

Weird_Nev

Very unusual for a battery to be dud. How far did you drive it before leaving it?

I'd take it to a proper garage to be honest, they be able to check the charging voltage your alternator is putting out, along with the floating voltage of the battery and diagnose it for sure. Or just charge the battery overnight and see how that goes once it's freshly charged.

GT60

Can you not go to a local garage and have it all tested again or a local car shop.
the alternator will cost about £100 + fitting.
Please try and go to a local garage or get your brother to change the alternator

Did halfords test the alternator before and after fitting the new battery and again when you went back to them?
If not why not?

vax2002

Do not pay for an alternator until you have had it tested, you can buy DIY testers for around £5 and they are virtually idiot proof if you can read.
This could be something as simple as a bad earth to the engine.

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow

isn't auto centre a proper garage?

How do I charge the battery, maybe I could do that if someone (like wierd nev) told me how

my brother has gone back to scotland now, he was just visiting before

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow

Halfords did not test the alternator, it was the shop I brought the battery and then if you paid an extra £6.99 they'll fit it for you, thats all

grizzly1911

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow wrote: »

isn't auto centre a proper garage?

How do I charge the battery, maybe I could do that if someone (like wierd nev) told me how

my brother has gone back to scotland now, he was just visiting before

You need a battery charger first or a chance to take the car for a decent run without any load on it, no lights, rear screen heater etc. 10-20 miles perhaps.

Have you got a friendly neighbour who may have a charger you could borrow and demonstrate how to use it? Just the once of course;)

GT60

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow wrote: »

Halfords did not test the alternator, it was the shop I brought the battery and then if you paid an extra £6.99 they'll fit it for you, thats all

So how do they know the OLD was usless and the NEW batteriy is okay and holding a charge?:eek::eek::eek:

Even k -fit would do a simple test

Please go to a local garage.
Do you have a battery charger?

If so conect the RED (positive) lead on the charger to the + side of the Car battery and the Black (negitive) lead to the - side of the battery and plug the charger in and leave over night.

You disconect the + lead of the battery first and conect the charger directly on to the battery terminal

Strider590

Halfrauds sold a discharged battery I reckon......

They can only be stored for around 6 months, after this they must be charged back to full before being stored again, if Halfrauds didn't sell many batteries and failed to recharge their existing stock, then this could explain the problem.

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow

shall i walk down to halfords now and buy a battery charger - halfords is 10 minutes walk away and I have a little money how much are they

GT60

NO!!!!!!
demand they test the battery

£30