Dead battery?

[Danr]

the past few times i have been starting my car the light for the battery has stayed on for a few seconds 5-10 once the car has started, but today the car wont start at all?  

is it just the battery or something else, ive had my alternator tested befor and it was fine,

the car is a mk1 with a 1.9 8v tsr engine.

[richandhazel]

Never be too keen to rush out and buy a new battery, so many times it turns out to be something else.
Once you do get the car started, what sort of voltage are you getting at the battery?

[Dinky]

Theres a little gadget from Halfords called StartEasy,b/fs just bought one so as to check his battery/alternator, if thats any help   It only cost ?12.

Dinky  

[Danr]

well its on charge at the moment and will see how it goes over next few days  

[Colin]

If the light stays on then it means your alternator isn't charging, but as it goes out after 10 secs then this general means your fan belt is slipping, although the belt is moving enough to put the light out, if it's not keeping up with the engine then it won't be charging enough and if used in stop start situations it will slowly run the battery down until flat. And no it doesn,t have to screech to be slipping !

[Danr]

I think it may be slippimg been hearing an annoyinf noise for past day or so from the engine bay, which i thought was fan belt, till i read this, how easy is it to change?

[Blue MK2]

tried topping up your battery fluid?

[Blue MK2]

ohh and make sure you charge it up with the battery screws all un-done. the last battery blew up on me.

[Gambit]

if the battery has been drained flat at any point then get a new battery, a battery that has been flat will never has the same performace as a new battery no matter how many times its charged

[Danr]

my alternator lead was loose