Private Car Sale Transaction, Car Unroadworthy.

honestgaz

Tucosalamanca said:

So what did the recovery services say? Was the battery condition checked at the roadside?

Even if the alternator was not working, the car would continue to function until the battery died.
At the time, I would have expected the battery to read around 11v or lower.

Since you've removed the battery from the vehicle, can we assume that it's since been charged?
What voltage is it holding, after charging and resting for a few hours, I would expect the battery to be above 12.3v (or higher if in very good order).

If the battery appears to be ok and is holding a good charge, you could always start it up, run with lights, fans etc turned on and see how long it takes for the red battery light on dash to appear. This would give a good indication if the alternator is faulty or not.

If you're uncomfortable driving it to the nearest garage (which is what I would do) then simply book a mobile mechanic.

A battery or alternator defect is not hard to diagnose or repair. Good luck with it.

It was a recovery service.....not roadside assistance

Ditzy_Mitzy

Could this be caused by a problem with the voltage regulator?  If so, that should be a fairly cheap fix...  

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

One question that doesn't appear to have been asked OP, what did the description of the car on FB marketplace say exactly?

honestgaz

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

One question that doesn't appear to have been asked OP, what did the description of the car on FB marketplace say exactly?

Full working order, MOT until May 2025, and description of car.

caprikid1

"Full working order, MOT until May 2025, and description of car."

At the point you drove away sounds like a fair description. Proving that an electrical item was already faulty is near impossible. The only possibility is if warning lights were covered over , that would be more likely to be an issue.

Not sure if anyone has commented whether he has a history of trading cars IE is a motor trader masquerading as a private seller.

A £1400 car is a car at the end of it's life, dealers won't touch them. There is very low expectations and a charging issue is not unroadworthy in the  legal sense.

"The battery light came on after 15 minutes of driving it away, before finally the car totally died."

I would normally expect a faulty alternator to mean the battery light comes on at the point the car is started as I believe it measures charging not the battery condition.

caprikid1

Unfortunately if you want consumer level protection buy from a dealer, if you don't want to sell to the OP Sell to WBAC. 

GDB2222

honestgaz said:

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

One question that doesn't appear to have been asked OP, what did the description of the car on FB marketplace say exactly?

Full working order, MOT until May 2025, and description of car.

Full working order means more than drivable for 15 minutes. It’s not a guarantee that things will not break, but it does mean that there are no major problems that the vendor knows about. Even if the vendor is a private seller, you would have a reasonable chance of success if you sue him for breach of contract.

Of course winning the case in court is not the same as collecting the money. 

honestgaz

caprikid1 said:

"Full working order, MOT until May 2025, and description of car."

At the point you drove away sounds like a fair description. Proving that an electrical item was already faulty is near impossible. The only possibility is if warning lights were covered over , that would be more likely to be an issue.

Not sure if anyone has commented whether he has a history of trading cars IE is a motor trader masquerading as a private seller.

A £1400 car is a car at the end of it's life, dealers won't touch them. There is very low expectations and a charging issue is not unroadworthy in the  legal sense.

"The battery light came on after 15 minutes of driving it away, before finally the car totally died."

I would normally expect a faulty alternator to mean the battery light comes on at the point the car is started as I believe it measures charging not the battery condition.

Thankyou....Maybe it isn't the alternator after all. Will do some tests, could be a Motor Ground Strap etc.
Will do some diagnostics

caprikid1

"Full working order means more than drivable for 15 minutes. "

Can you provide citation for this legal definition ? Or is this just merely your opinion ?

I think an "Expert" would consider that an alternator like a bulb can fail and instantly. So the fact that no warning lights were on at time of departure could be "Fully Working" whether that is 10 mins or 10 weeks.

Feel free to quote the case law you are basing this on with a comparable situation so the OP has a clearer idea of his chances of successful litigation.

honestgaz

I have taken onboard everything that has been said.
I am trying to delete this thread altogether but cannot, and not happy of some of the hostility towards others.
Thank you for all your contributions, I understand now that it is what a good idea to post on here. Will seek advise legally, but again thank you.
From what the majority of you are saying, it is all my own fault and I have no legal basis to challenge the seller.
Lesson learnt