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        General >> Problems >> New battery + alternator -still problems 
        
(Message started by: harry.m1byt on Jul 11th, 2009, 10:30am)
Title: New battery + alternator -still problems
Post by harry.m1byt on Jul 11th, 2009, 10:30am
You may remember this all started with my battery going flat with no obvious cause. It would stand unused for weeks and be fine, then go completely flat over just 24 hours stood.

The car (2.9 12v) spends most of its time unused in the garage.

Three weeks ago after checking the alternator was charging and that there was no undue discharge whilst stood, I fitted a new Bosch battery.

The alternator was charging at 14.00v and the discharge when parked about 20mA, yet very occaisionally the battery would be completely flat after being stood for just 24 hours. The removed battery seems to be absolutely fine.

Well despite the brand new high capacity battery I still seem to have a problem....

We set off two weeks ago towing the caravan for two weeks down in Cornwall, a 400 mile trip after making sure the new battery was fully charged before setting off. All seemed to be going well, until the first stop to fill up, when I got the dash reset dancing needles after just 30 miles - no lights had been used, but the fridge was powered. I shut the fridge off and kept an eye on the voltage indicated by the dash diagnostics.

No lights on it was varying between 13.5 and 14.0v, so suspecting the alternator failing - I carefully limped the remainder of the 400 miles.

Once the caravan was set up, I went in search of a garage to fit a new alternator. Once fitted that showed 13.8 to 14.6v - but I'm still regularly seeing the dash reset. I'm now back home, it has done 2000miles, it hasn't actually ever been flat or even slightly reluctant to start - but yet I'm still seeing the needles dance even after just a brief stop.



 


Title: Re: New battery + alternator -still problems
Post by NiceMan on Jul 11th, 2009, 11:28am
My make same, dash reset itself sometime, my battery is new too and Batt show when motor running 13.8V
I think at problem is in dash or connect becasue my airbag light come sometime and go off sometime too itselff...
Cruise controll light not work sometime too but cruise works...
Title: Re: New battery + alternator -still problems
Post by Chieftain on Jul 11th, 2009, 12:47pm
Have been following all the battery threads as I have similar problem.  Run car and charge shows as 14v leave for more than 2 days and it is at 9 volts, batt is Bosch and fairly new.  tried all the solutions on here but same problem.

Have removed bat while doing front springs and placed on bat charger connected to an Avo meter, showed low charge to start with then moved to 15v, switched charger off and it has reamined steady at 12.59 for 24 hours, albeit with no load.  Next step will be to fit and see what happens from there
Title: Re: New battery + alternator -still problems
Post by Highlander on Jul 11th, 2009, 1:08pm
Maybe unrelated guys but i had one that discharged the battery albeit while running and it turned out to be a faulty CC panel.

As soon as the blower cut in the voltage dropped to around 11-12

No idea why it did this but a new panel sorted it
Title: Re: New battery + alternator -still problems
Post by Nunnspoet on Jul 11th, 2009, 2:11pm
Glove compartment light staying on.?  Very difficult to notice even on a dark night

Mike
Title: Re: New battery + alternator -still problems
Post by Chieftain on Jul 11th, 2009, 4:54pm

on 07/11/09 at 14:11:05, Nunnspoet wrote:
Glove compartment light staying on.?  Very difficult to notice even on a dark night

Mike


Not connected as part of elimination process ;D
Title: Re: New battery + alternator -still problems
Post by harry.m1byt on Jul 11th, 2009, 10:01pm

on 07/11/09 at 14:11:05, Nunnspoet wrote:
Glove compartment light staying on.?  Very difficult to notice even on a dark night

Mike


All the interior lights should be isolated by the battery saver relay, around 20 to 40 minutes after the car is left undisturbed. Most easily checked by leaving a door open for that period to confirm it works properly.

My intention tomorrow is to put together a little gadget which is supposedly sensitive enough to monitor the discharge from the battery when connected between the battery negative terminal/chassis (in parallel with) and turn an LED on when it detects more than a set level of voltage dropped across the ground lead.

If anyone thinks they might have a discharge problem when the car is supposed to be all shut down, they are welcome to a copy of the circuit for the gadget.    
Title: Re: New battery + alternator -still problems
Post by wojtekor on Jul 11th, 2009, 10:32pm

Quote:
All the interior lights should be isolated by the battery saver relay, around 20 to 40 minutes after the car is left undisturbed. Most easily checked by leaving a door open for that period to confirm it works properly.  

not the glove compartment light...
Title: Re: New battery + alternator -still problems.. UPD
Post by harry.m1byt on Jul 21st, 2009, 11:04pm
This is really very weird....

Despite new battery and a new alternator (installed whilst away on holiday), after just the briefest of stops I would still see the needles dance on turning the ignition on as often as not. It would even do it during the 400 mile drive home, after a refuelling stop.

We got home a little over 10 days ago, since when the Scorp has been parked in the garage, unused and not on charge. Each evening since then, I have been out to the garage and turned the ignition on to check for the dancing needles - nothing, I even left the lights on for a while to help pull the battery down a bit.  
Title: Re: New battery + alternator -still problems
Post by Tompion on Jul 22nd, 2009, 12:17am
You may have a problem with a dry joint in the instrument cluster or a poor connection/feed to it.
Blown fuse 17 apparently will cause it to dance every time, but you would have other problems (no clock for one), so a bad connection in that feed could cause the problem.
Title: Re: New battery + alternator -still problems
Post by Tompion on Jul 22nd, 2009, 12:29am

on 07/11/09 at 10:30:11, harry.m1byt wrote:
We set off two weeks ago towing the caravan for two weeks down in Cornwall, a 400 mile trip after making sure the new battery was fully charged before setting off. All seemed to be going well, until the first stop to fill up, when I got the dash reset dancing needles after just 30 miles - no lights had been used, but the fridge was powered. I shut the fridge off and kept an eye on the voltage indicated by the dash diagnostics.


Don't forget if you’ve used the diagnostics to check the battery, the needles will reset next time you turn on the ignition - so easy to get caught out by that.
Title: Re: New battery + alternator -still problems
Post by NormanHall on Jul 22nd, 2009, 6:07am
I had a problem with a 2.5TD which was only six months old at the time, I went to go to work and the remote wouldnt open the doors, after opening with the key and turning on the ignition totally dead. I put the charger on and the stop lights came on, so I thought the stop light switch had stuck on, it hadn't, it was the ABS module which was at fault.
Title: Re: New battery + alternator -still problems
Post by Snoopy on Jul 22nd, 2009, 7:57am
I suspect that either the "new " alternator is faulty .. i.e. discharging whilst stood on occasions or the battery is suspect. I have know on the rare occasion for a brand new battery to be faulty on testing. After parking up try checking a few relays see if they are getting hot... or pulling one of the main power fuses.. From memory the alternator lead is quite easy to get at on the 12v try just disconnecting that for a day or two and see the result .
Title: Re: New battery + alternator -still problems
Post by Gazza_UK on Jul 22nd, 2009, 1:52pm

on 07/11/09 at 14:11:05, Nunnspoet wrote:
Glove compartment light staying on.?  Very difficult to notice even on a dark night

Mike



Well we all have these new mobole phones . . .
So put in video mode shut the glove box  then leave for 30 seconds open glove box play back  ;D
Title: Re: New battery + alternator -still problems
Post by pedropedro on Jul 22nd, 2009, 3:24pm
easy check as to whether bulb stays on, which is a common fault, is to open glove compartment and touch the bulb....if you get a burnt finger then lamp has been on !
Title: Re: New battery + alternator -still problems
Post by Gazza_UK on Jul 22nd, 2009, 5:25pm

on 07/22/09 at 15:24:26, pedropedro wrote:
....if you get a burnt finger


}{ }{

I would rather use the phone video than a burnt finger  ;D
Title: Re: New battery + alternator -still problems
Post by harry.m1byt on Jul 22nd, 2009, 6:36pm

on 07/22/09 at 00:29:00, Tompion wrote:
Don't forget if you’ve used the diagnostics to check the battery, the needles will reset next time you turn on the ignition - so easy to get caught out by that.


(Start Scottish accent)

I just don't believe it!

(End Scottish accent)

YES, YES!

Thanks Tompion, that fits the circumstances under which they were dancing perfectly and I had no idea at all it would do that.

When I was driving it all those miles, I was worried about the charge and running the diagnostics regularly to check the voltage as I drove along. Once parked in the garage I could just check the voltage with my trusty meter - no need for the diagnostics, so as a result it wasn't doing the dance every evening when I turned the ignition on to check for the dance.

Thanks to everyone for all of the suggestions, but I'm now certain THIS was the cause.
 
Title: Re: New battery + alternator -still problems
Post by Tompion on Jul 22nd, 2009, 10:03pm
:) been there done that ;D


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