FLat battery...*its new*

[Alpinehead]

ok  heres the rant....   friday just gone i put my car in the garage for some welding as mot was due, i took it down there for 9am they said it would be ready for 4pm. this was sweet as i had to goto work that night at 5 and woulnt be back till 11:30ish that night. i arrange for me old man to come and pic my missis n kid up as we was going down to margate for mothers day, and didnt want to keep my boy up till late. i goes down the garage for 4 o clock and they tell me it wont be ready for another 45 mins. ok..  these things happen right??? so i ask my dad to pic my car up from the garage for me as i need to goto work.  i get a call at 5 o clock from me missis saying they just came back from the garage and the car wont be ready for another hour!!!  (im now gettin quite p1ssed off as i just want me car back and me poor dad just wants to go back home) not to mention that im now reallt late for my job as the M25 is solid.
So 6 o clock comes and the old man says the car is back at mine and there on there way to margate.....  sweet  problem over.

i get back from work at 11 ish jump in me car and notice it started very weak...  i just ignored this as some times it does it, drove to the petrol station and filled up.  Car is dead...   wont start,  so these 2 nice chaps help me push it out my local bp and bump it. i thought this was strange as the battery is 3-4 weeks old, so i thought my alternator was playing up.  i drive to margate (80 mile trip) i still have lights and loads of power in battery so it aint the alternator. i arrive at me mums turn car off and back on again!!  all is good.  the day after i was fitting new dash clocks as my speedo was fulty and noticed my mfa display had crashed..  all the numbers were weird...  took it out refitted new 1 all was well and good.  (car still started at this point as it was day time and i have used now lights etc)  sunday morn arrives and cars dead again, coz i drove it sat night..  we bump it again...  for the last time....  now it wont start if i have used any battery power.

HAVE THE GARAGE FRYED MY BATTERY FROM WELDING???  im sure you are ment to discon them...  this would explane alot and the fact my mfa was shot to fook too!! to top it off i cant find the recipt to my battery so i will have to fork out for another 1!!   2 batterys in 4 weeks!!   cheers fellas!! 


ok rant over...... comments please...  what should i do with garage..    whats your thooughts on the prob with car??? 


(sorry for the book thread)

[Diamond Hell]

Check your main earth cable and get your alternator tested before fitting another battery.

Sounds like something's been toasted while wiring - more likely the alternator or voltage regulator than the battery.

[Alpinehead]

cool i hear ya....  i will do that.  im convinced its the battery tho as i drove 80 miles in the dark and my head lights were as bright as normal...  if my alternator was mullerd would my lights gradually got dimmer and dimmer? 

[Diluxe]

check the Aternator excitation wire, i forgot to re-connect mine once when i changed batteries, if its not connected between  battery & alternator, the battery doesnt get charged.

[Alpinehead]

yep its all connected correctly...  was working fine for the few weeks i had it b4 i took the car to the garage!!!

[Agreeable Slick]

have a look at the regulator inside the alternator, it's the bit the cables attatch too, and it will come out by undo-ing two screws. These bushes normally wear and remain in contact with the coil, discharging the battery in a short space of time, as it will be constantly drawing charge, although this will not be noticable by doing voltage tests, or when driving as it will be doing it's job as per normal when running.

[Alpinehead]

is this what you mean...

the 2 top prongs look a bit worn  and the 2 bottom ones (larger square things) are different sizes

i dont know what there ment to look like so...  help!!!

[Agreeable Slick]

that's the one, and it does look a bit f**ked.

Nip to an autofactors, and just ask for a direct replacement, should be no more than £5 ish. Will sort the problem.

[Alpinehead]

5er!!   i just payed £11 plus the vat!!     robbin tw@ts!!   all replaced..  jump started it via van run it for a bit and it started...  i will see tomorrow if it starts!!    also i found this flappin about...  its commin off the coil...  is it just a straight forward earth to anywere earthable??


cheers

[VeeDubGTI16v]

that earth bolts to the botom coil bracket bolt i think