Break down on Sunday - no garages open

braun_2 · 28 July 2013 at 12:30PM

closed wrote: »

should be enough to start it, but engine not turning over, and lack of central locking are both pointers to battery or wider electrical fault.

Yep, so i'm thinking alternator or bad wiring or possibly starter motor, either way I want to take it to a local independent garage and not kwik fit.

closed · 28 July 2013 at 12:32PM

do the lights work, is there a (green dot) battery condition indicator built into the battery

Strider590 · 28 July 2013 at 12:35PM

braun wrote: »

I think it is the starter motor or alternator. I've checked battery and it has a full charge.

Unless you did a drop test, then battery voltage doesn't mean sh*t.

If it can't supply the amps it won't start the car.

Here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsJUuLu1cw0

Doesn't always work though depending on the cars ECU, the proper way is to remove the battery and test it on a rig.

colino · 28 July 2013 at 1:15PM

12.5v isn't a healthy battery, even without a discharge tester the battery is too low. What is it doing when you try to start it?

braun_2 · 28 July 2013 at 1:21PM

Just been and checked again, battery does have a green LED, which does not light up when ignition is on.

When I put the ignition on all the dash lights light up, then most of them go except usual hand brake and battery and seatbelt. (assume battery light is on because its telling me the ignition is on and draining battery).

When I try to start it there is a click noise (once) which comes from the far left hand side (towards battery/fuse box).

closed · 28 July 2013 at 1:27PM

I mean't the headlights really, it does sound like a flat battery, how old is it, has the car been used regularly enough to keep it charged

braun_2 · 28 July 2013 at 1:35PM

closed wrote: »

I mean't the headlights really, it does sound like a flat battery, how old is it, has the car been used regularly enough to keep it charged

Used it for over an hour, popped home for 30 minutes then went back out and wouldn't start.

closed · 28 July 2013 at 1:42PM

is this the car you've just bought, history unknown?

dead central locking, and clicking starter usually points to battery, but 12.5V is usually in the healthy range (mine is 12.3 and starts, but won't at around 11.8V)

only thing you can do is call out breakdown if you're covered (at home?), jump it, jump boost/charge it (halfords are open sundays), borrow a battery to do a swap test.

colino · 28 July 2013 at 1:51PM

Disconnect the battery, clean up all the connections, check the main cable down to the starter and make sure those connections are clean and bright too. Borrow a friend with a car and jump leads, restart car and discover a) you've left a current hungry device on or b) your battery has just died. Modern batteries are so much better than even just a decade ago. They have harder work to do and last for ages. However when they do go, they tend just to suddenly go, no petering out.

Ultrasonic · 28 July 2013 at 1:54PM

If you can't get the car started following colino's suggestions, I would go with your initial suggestion of waiting till tomorrow morning to phone Autoaid.