Opel zafira won't start

facade

Mercdriver wrote: »

May I suggest a shorter link in future?

Delete everything after the item number, it still works. All that gibberish is evil tracking information about you and your computer.


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-Car-Battery-Alternator-Charging-Voltage-Level-Tester-Easy-LED-Indicators/292708366354

Goudy

It's a great suggestion to check the battery and alternator output but if you don't know what you're looking at it can make things a bit difficult and confusing.

First off with the voltmeter, test the battery volts with the engine off.
Depending on it's condition it could read anything, but as it's a 12 volt battery you are looking for somewhere around that.
It should read a steady voltage without any load on it or output from the alternator.

Next test again with the engine running and all electrical items off.
With a good alternator you should be seeing a voltage of around 14.4 volts, but the reading will flick up and down a little around this mark.

Turning on the headlights, full beam should see the voltage dip slightly then start to return to around 14.4 volts again, this shows the alternator is responding to any load on the electrical system.
(At this point you should hear the tone of the engine change as the alternator requires a bit more effort from the engine to spin up and produce the extra charge.)

If you get that sort of response, it suggests the alternator has a reasonably healthy output and it working ok.

If the all three readings are the same or decreasing when the engine is running and there is load on the electrical system it points to the alternator under performing or faulty.

I write under performing or faulty because it's possible that the alternator is in fact healthy but the belt is slipping badly or broken altogether (hence listening for the engine note changing under load) or the alternator or battery has broken or corroded connections.

The above should all give a good idea of battery and alternators voltage output, but it won't test the battery for amps, it's quite possible for a battery with dead cells to read 12 volts yet have too little amps to be of any use starting the engine.

You won't be able to test the amps of a battery on a simple handheld multimeter, you'll ruin it.
You really need a specialist tool to test the amps, most garages will have one, though it's worth remembering some also sell batteries, so it's worth watching yourself what it reads, the amps you are looking for should be written on the battery somewhere.

GrumpyDil

I don't use Halfords for anything else but if you can take it to them and ask them to run a battery/alternator check. They'll identify any problems and try to sell you generally overpriced parts so don't buy any parts from them as it is very likely you will be able to get them cheaper elsewhere.

Jonathan_Kelvin

Townieboy01 wrote: »

Tried a different battery started fine for a few days then it was dead

I’m out. You are wasting people’s time by drop-feeding information, people who were happy to try to help you.

Scrapit

Jonathan_Kelvin wrote: »

I’m out. You are wasting people’s time by drop-feeding information, people who were happy to try to help you.

Congratulations.:beer: will you be attending pride?

thorganby

twhitehousescat wrote: »

in which case you either have a short or a failing alternator . may i suggest

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-Car-Battery-Alternator-Charging-Voltage-Level-Tester-Easy-LED-Indicators/292708366354?

Forget the length of the link and forget that pathetic LED toy when you can get a multimeter delivered for less money!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LCD-Digital-Multimeter-Voltmeter-Ammeter-AC-DC-OHM-Current-Circuit-Tester-Buzzer/163922746368?