*Urgent help needed please*Could this just be a flat battery?

shaun_from_Africa

WantToBeSE wrote: »

Is there anything else i can do to increase the chance of it starting tomorrow morning?

It certainly wouldn't do any harm in disconnecting it overnight (just one terminal is enough) as even a very small discharge (such as an alarm) might be just enough to flatten it enough to cause you problems in the morning.

If it's going to be cold tonight, taking the battery out and leaving it in your house would also help as a cold battery loses a fair bit of capacity.

WantToBeSE

Thanks everyone.

Is it still worth taking earlier advice to go outside and start it up for half an hour?
I would take it for a longer drive but am almost out of petrol..can't risk stopping at a filling station.

goonarmy

WantToBeSE wrote: »

Thanks everyone.

Is it still worth taking earlier advice to go outside and start it up for half an hour?
I would take it for a longer drive but am almost out of petrol..can't risk stopping at a filling station.

Running it will keep the engine bay warm(assuming thats where the battery is) but running it will use petrol and you'll have to stop it at some point. If you could takee it for a twenty minute drive to a petrol station you've got the best chance but like you say it might not start at the petrol station although you'll only be stopped for a short while so should(no gareentee here) be ok.

mttylad

If you have it, stop and start will also not be working properly because of this.

The Punto is renowned for having a poor battery system and a new battery fixes things. I had to have mine replaced last year for a similar reason.

I only do 6 miles to work so I can forsee me needing a new battery in a year or so. A battery charger is on my ebay watch list now.

custardy

mttylad wrote: »

If you have it, stop and start will also not be working properly because of this.

The Punto is renowned for having a poor battery system and a new battery fixes things. I had to have mine replaced last year for a similar reason.

I only do 6 miles to work so I can forsee me needing a new battery in a year or so. A battery charger is on my ebay watch list now.

its a 2001,way before start stop.

WantToBeSE

I am not sure what to do.

The nearest filling station is a short drive away, certainly not enough to charge before stopping again. I can't go to a filling station further away as I won't be abke to get home if car won't start.

I have enough petrol to run (not drive) it for 30 mins, but if there is no point then I shouldn't bother I guess.

M0ney

WantToBeSE wrote: »

Hi all.

I went to start my car this afternoon and it wont start. I need some advice, but i'll let you all know the basics 1st:

- It's a 2001 Fiat Punto
-It hasn't been stood for a long time (i drive it almost everyday, apart from 1 day this week)
-It hasn't been in/near flood water
-I have waiting for my breakdown service to come out, but would like your advice/opinion in the meantime.

-When i try and start it- it turns over but doesn't have enough 'power' to start the engine. The digital display (clock) fades away. I had a similar problem with it last night, but it started after i turned it over a few times. however when i managed to start it last night, the clock reset itself to 0.00 (dont know if this is important to mention, but thought i may as well, just in case).

So, my 1st thought is that it could be the battery. But surely the battery couldn't drain after not using it for 1 day could it?

If it is the battery, how would i charge it? If i need a new one, how much could that cost?

Thanks everyone, in advance.

I'm not a mechanic but to me it sounds a little like a loose battery terminal maybe try tightening it up.

mttylad

The car will very likely start within a few minutes of stopping if you go to a filling station as it will still be warm etc.

Joe_Horner

It always amazes me how many people jump immediately to "you need a new battery / it'll explode / die on a motorway / kill polar bears if you don't get one yesterday" in situations like this!

Yes, you may need one but Marlot summed up reality in Post 3 on this thread. The only thing I'd add to his comments is that "alternator failing to charge" can be either a fault with the alternator or simply that the car doesn't get run long enough in normal use. If it's mostly used for that daily 10 minute drive to work there's a better than even chance that the problem is lack of time to charge.

There's no way the breakdown guy could have diagnosed a faulty battery accurately "on the spot" simply because you can't diagnose a battery with no charge in it. It's a physical impossibility because a dead battery will read exactly the same in all measurements whether it's "dead" dead or "flat" dead, with a few unlikely exceptions such as shorted cells.

Unfortunately, because of your situation of needing the car for work, you're probably going to have to buy a new battery anyway in order to stay mobile.

But do yourself a favour and also buy a cheap battery charger. It doesn't need to be anything flashy - the cheapest you can find is fine. Then use it to recharge your existing battery as a spare. If it takes a charge ok then top it up with a couple of hours charge every couple of months or so.

That way, if it turns out that the fault was in the charging system (or lack of use), when you find yourself in the same situation in a few months, you'll have a charged battery ready to go on.

If it doesn't take a charge, then next time you're stuck, you can recharge it to at least get to work and back.

Joe_Horner

WantToBeSE wrote: »

I am not sure what to do.

The nearest filling station is a short drive away, certainly not enough to charge before stopping again. I can't go to a filling station further away as I won't be abke to get home if car won't start.

I have enough petrol to run (not drive) it for 30 mins, but if there is no point then I shouldn't bother I guess.

If it'll start again now in order to get to the petrol station then it'll start fine after a couple of minutes filling up. If it won't start now then the question's academic