battery failure.mondeo zetec.2.0L (Y)

I purchaced my car privately in Feb 06,(mondeo Zetec.2.0L. 2001 (Y)) and replaced the battery 5 months later after it failed to start, asnd as i didn't knwo how old the battery was.. replaced it, only to find that on charging the original that it was not a fault with the original battery. Since then i have had intermittent problems with keeping the charge int he new battery. I could go for 3/4 months with no problems and then all of a sudden it would fail to start... only getting clicking noises on turnover. I then have to take out the battery and recharge it. The last time this happened was 3 weeks ago (when it snowed) and this time the life of the fully charged battery has lasted only 3 weeks. I have checked with a meater reading device such things as apmage when the windows are not fully closed, boot light left on, front lights left on, car left unlocked etc, all the things that i woudl think would cause a battery drain. The car wouldn't start again this morning (frosty) and was wondering if the cold weather would be the cause of a battery drain. I have not come accross this problem before and cant really afford to take it to a dealer for them to find the fault. Please could anyone diagnose the possible problem i have as i am about to sell the car if i cannot find the problem (i have a young child and cannot afford to have an unreliable car) PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!! ever hopeful regards Becky

Reply to
ieatchildren999
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I had this problem myself a couple of months ago (same car), turned out the alternator was the problem, apparently there are two different types, of course mine turned out to be the most expensive. Cost me just over £200 for replace and fit, I've had no problems since. HTH Rob

Reply to
Robbie Mayhem

AHHHHHHHHH thanks for that... ill look in my haynes...... just hope mine isnt the expensive one...ha ha.... thanks again for the info.. you may just have saved a cars life from the wrath of a pigged of woman... not a pretty sight.... luckely my father showed me how to do repaires and maintenence on my cars so i should be able to fix this problem myself without having to go to a dealer. Fingers crossed eh? Becky

Reply to
ieatchildren999

Clue: Mondeo alternators aren't the easiest things in the world to change.

HTH

Reply to
Pete M

Wish you hadn't told me that!!!!!!!! ha ha

Reply to
ieatchildren999

Are you 100% sure it's the battery, and not the starter itself? When it fails to start, try putting the head lights on, and heaters to full, then crank. If the lights dim and the fan slows excessively, then you're spot on. If not, you have a gubbed starter. Which, you'll be pleased to know, is just as much a PITA to change as the alternator (especially if you have air con).

Reply to
Sandy Nuts

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HI everything still works in the car, radio, windows c.locking etc. but on putting the battery on charge it showed the ampage at just under 4. yesterday on starting the car the dials on the dashboard all spun round to maximum then settled to the original spot!!!!!!!!!! could that be an indication of another problem?

Reply to
ieatchildren999

Hmm! Looks like some sort of electrical fault then! Such a fault can only be guessed at by us on here, unless someone else has experienced it. I think you might need to take a trip to an auto electrician.

Reply to
Sandy Nuts

is that expensive?????????????????????? please say no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! just spent out =A3100 on a new rad and =A390 on replacing the seatbelt....... this car is costing me ha ha

Reply to
ieatchildren999

That's fairly normal behaviour for a simple flat battery. At least, my car did it when I left the lights on overnight and tried to start it.

I'd recommend checking the voltage from the alternator when it's running.

Reply to
David Taylor
[...]

No, it's an indication of a partially discharged or faulty battery.

If you can use the car for 3 to 4 months OK, then it gives problems with apparent low battery charge, are you sometimes driving lots of very short distances? Do you sometimes have to park with the lights on?

You mentioned that you had a "meater" (I'll avoid the obvious jokes!). If you have a reasonably accurate digital multimeter, try testing the battery voltage first with the engine off, then with it running, then again with it running and headlights, blower ect. switched on.

Post the results and we will have more idea what is going on.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Thanks ill give that a go before forking out loads of money. Becky

Reply to
ieatchildren999

Have just put spare battery in and it starts now..... takes a little time to start but gets there eventually........ will have to keep spare on charge all the time until i get time to check the alternator, battery output and starter motor............. tis never ending.... who would be a car owner...ha ha... thanks to all that have offered advice and if anyone else can think of any other reasons to my cars illness, please let me know. Thanks Becky

Reply to
ieatchildren999

snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote on 06/02/2007 :

It could be many things, but most likely something which should be obvious like a boot or glove box light which is not switching off reliably. Try pressing the switch buttons in and making sure the lights go off cleanly, make sure the lid/door is making full contact with the button - perhaps add something to make sure it pushes it in fully.

Cold weather will tend to make the starter need more current, though. Are you sure the battery is genuinely flat? Poor connections at the starter and battery can produce a similar effect, when lots of current is needed during a cold start.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

Read the part of the post you have snipped. The OP mentions that current drain has been checked and eliminated.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

I did catch that point, but he said that sometimes the battery went flat, sometimes not - which might indicate something staying on only sometimes. Hence a current drain may not show up all the time.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

OK. I thought it more important to establish the battery and charging voltages and vehicle usage first however. An intermittent current drain fault that only occurs once every 3-4 months is going to take some finding :-)

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

If he's actually got a very good battery, it could be that it lasts quite some time just from the mains recharge although to last 3 -4 months it might need some help from the alternator. When I was a poor student the alternator went on my car and I only needed to charge it once a week to keep it going. I'd suggest there's some problem with the alternator.

Reply to
adder1969

Unless usage was *very* minimal, there's no way a battery would keep starting and running a car for a week!

What was more likely in your case was that a single diode had failed in the alternator, leading to reduced output.

As the OP has a multimeter, the quickest way to locate the fault is by taking the three voltage readings I've suggested. Until then, it's all supposition.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Well it did. No output from from the alternator. The "week" here was probably monday to friday and it was a 40 mile a day commute.

Reply to
adder1969

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