battery failure.mondeo zetec.2.0L (Y)

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

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

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

HTH

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

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).

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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?

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

Chris

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.

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

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.

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

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.