Symptoms of a dying...
 

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[Closed] Symptoms of a dying battery - car

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Parked car up 2 weeks ago- came back to it last night after havin timing belt and water pumpchanged.

Battery struggled to turn the engine (1.9 dw8 peugeot) and the clock was showig 0:00

Noticed it was revving higher and was noisier ( rattly engine noises "tappety") than normal- put that down to the flat battery and it revertin to stock tune over ecu learned tune and trying to charge the battery.

Stuck it on charge last night at my parents.

This morning - no where near as bad but still not what i class a clean start( fairly used to this engine its my 2nd over 5 years)

Prior to it going in i was thinking it needed glow plug as it was takin longer to start - i guess that was my battery dying.

Anyway- my engines thrown a check light up so ive parked up and gone to get my code reader/multimeter and a new battery.

Is it normal flr a spackered battery to throw a code an make engine run like crap , normally i wouldnt enworried but its just had the timing done and was worried timing was out - if so its going back to my mate to be sorted.

Cheers


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 11:33 am
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Symptoms of a dying battery

Car won't start. That's it basically. All other things you have mentioned are nothing to do with it.


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 1:30 pm
 Drac
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Dimmed lights and things like sluggish wipers but yes problems starting it are the main sign.


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 1:35 pm
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Prior to it going in i was thinking it needed glow plug as it was takin longer to start - i guess that was my battery dying.

It's October. Don't need glow plugs.


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 1:39 pm
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My DW8 Bling-go does the clock reset thing for no good reason, i also had one that went chattery when it was over due a service.
If mine did what yours is doing just after new belts id be wondering if it was timed up right.


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 1:41 pm
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All the following can be signs of a dying battery

-alarm going off randomly
-clock not keeping time/resetting to 0000
-sluggish starting - by this I mean slow turning over of the engine means poorly charged battery. If its turning over fine, but taking longer than usual to fire then thats probably not a battery problem.

If the battery is between 5 and 7 years old then its probably about time for a new one.


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 1:44 pm
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All the following can be signs of a dying battery

-alarm going off randomly
-clock not keeping time/resetting to 0000
-sluggish starting

If the battery is between 5 and 7 years old then its probably about time for a new one.

My stereo display flickers and cuts out if you turn it up too high. Do you think that's down to a knackered battery?


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 1:47 pm
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my old pug 306 went into meltdown once, started doing loads of mad stuff, central locking working one day, not the next, random lights on dash going mad, stereo turning on/off by itself... turned out it was the battery.

mind you i guess 90's pug and electrics should be said in the same sentence!


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 1:48 pm
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My stereo display flickers and cuts out if you turn it up too high. Do you think that's down to a knackered battery?

Probably not, would have thought youd see other symptoms as well, like poor starting, if it was battery fault.

Probably just a broken or cheap stereo.


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 1:51 pm
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Is it normal flr a spackered battery to throw a code an make engine run like crap , normally i wouldnt enworried but its just had the timing done and was worried timing was out - if so its going back to my mate to be sorted.

It's not normal but in can happen when the car only just manages to start.


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 2:00 pm
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Do glow plugs he a built in calander like ?

They are used all year round in these engine or they run like a bag of spanners falling down the stairs that is a fact.

Ive not got back to the car yet but it does sound like a new battery is te root cause. Didnt want to drive it with a warning light and a clatter when its timing belt had just been done on thursday.


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 2:05 pm
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I have a couple of batteries fail / come to the end of their life. Not much warning to be honest. First driving along motorway, all the electric displays went mad shortly before engine died. AA swapped battery, on with journey.

Second one. Car had been sitting for a couple of days. Sluggish with starter motor. Next day won't start. Trip to motor factors for new one. Was a bit relieved that was all that was up. The battery wasn't dead just not strong enough for diesel startup. Check the records it was 3 1/2 years old.


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 2:57 pm
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On my fabia tdi it used to need some engine revs to get the power steering to kick in on start up.


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 3:33 pm
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On my way back to car with fully charged battery reading 14.5v , my multi meter and my code reader. Lets see what she says.


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 4:35 pm
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IME a battery will chose to pack up on the first cold day of autumn. The extra effort of turning a cold engine while it's shivering anyway is too much for the poor thing. YMMV.


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 4:39 pm
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i have a 10 year old honda hrv, (crosses fingers) everything seems fine. but the battery is the original.

should i change it?


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 4:59 pm
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Go to a battery and tyre garage and get them to load test the battery (its usually free)


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 5:01 pm
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ah cheers!


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 5:02 pm
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Aye first cold day was thursday here - coupled with sitting for 2 weeks idle with immobiliser just too much.

Got the car home wil pop into ecp on way to work immorn


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 6:29 pm
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Its just had a timing belt, get the timing checked...the hard starting/rough running could be because the timing is out/slipped. Had this on a van at work although it had been caused by the driver bump starting it as the hydraulic tensioner on the cam chain isn't effective during bump starting. He drove it for ages with an engine that felt like it was half seized during starting 🙂

Alternatively, it could be the battery/alternator, on some vehicles the ECU will increase the idle revs if it doesn't see a good output from the alternator.


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 6:38 pm
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My car battery died on Friday morning. First time I turned the key it made a bit of a groan, then nowt. Had been fine the day before. It was 14 years old though!


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 7:09 pm
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jonnouk - Member

It's October. Don't need glow plugs.

Was this not a STW thread of yore? Anyway, in mine the glow plugs make a noticable difference to starting from cold pretty much regardless of temperature (and it smoked like a chimney for the first 20 seconds or so every day). It doesn't need them but I know when one's dead.

See when you went to start it- did it sound right, but just take longer to start? Or did it sound weak and laboured?


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 7:15 pm
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Spooky was my first thought but it runs dandy with a freshy charged battery no clatter. . Wasnt a great battery i used but better than what i had.


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 7:31 pm
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Northwind- it started like a few volts short on the battery. It didnt turn over for ages. It just struggled to turn the starter - started then was clattery and battery wouldnt hold charge.


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 7:52 pm
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Interesting that. I have no clue though 😆 I'd have assumed that regardless of battery charge, once it's running the car will power itself adequately...

But then something like a misreporting sensor can definitely cause clatteryness (in my case, a bad MAF sensor causing it to misfuel but maybe one could take offence at bad voltz.)


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 7:57 pm
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Got lexia on it

P0170 fuel trim malfunction.

Battery had 13v when i dumped it in

Started car and it was 14.4v

Drove home- tried again 12.2v

Load tested alternator. With everything on 14.4v

Going with battery causing misreporting issues from injector 1 lift sensor and causing clatteryness. Default is overfuel

New battery on order at ecp.


 
Posted : 05/10/2014 9:42 pm
 hora
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Timings out. Cambelt- this happens. Clock read 0.00 due to disconnecting during change.


 
Posted : 06/10/2014 6:19 am
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hora - i might not be a mechanic but i know enough about cars and can work a multimeter enough to know thats not the case - although prior to my diagnostics it was my fear hence i asked on here.

New battery was fitted retrieved and fitted this morning 08:00 in ECP car park.

soon as i started the car she sounded like a different beast , turned over rapidly and fired first turn instead of slowely turning the starter.

Reset the codes and they have not reappeared yet - where as before they returned after 5 minutes driving. if they return ill be straight back to the garage - im picking up my van tomorrow from him anyway


 
Posted : 06/10/2014 7:46 am
 hora
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Ah perfik.

Funnily last week I did 200miles on Sunday. Parked up, Monday pm came to hop in and it was dead. Nothing, no lights nothing. Doors deadlocked too. The battery had just died - no warning nothing.


 
Posted : 06/10/2014 7:58 am
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Is it normal for a spackered battery to throw a code an make engine run like crap , normally i wouldnt enworried but its just had the timing done and was worried timing was out - if so its going back to my mate to be sorted.

@trail rat on our old Rav4 a faulty battery lead to the fault light coming on for a the catalytic converter, so I would say yes strange side effects are possible. The fact your new battery seems to have cured things makes sense to me.


 
Posted : 06/10/2014 8:22 am
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googling a bit more - it might yet be the timing i only drove across town but it seems much much better than it did in all respects , up on power , down on noise - it was sounding like a bag of spanners falling down the stairs on the original battery which is in the skip now - but was showing little over 10 volts when i pulled it out yesterday.

will find out when i head home tonight if its cured it - but a p0170 fault from a timing error usually results in turning over for a while to start it - the issue i had was the starter was turning slow, once it got it turned it would fire - and now it starts on the button.


 
Posted : 06/10/2014 8:27 am
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I'm going to hazard a guess here that the flat battery is a symptom rather than the root cause. Time will tell but might pay to get your alternator and voltage regulator checked out.


 
Posted : 06/10/2014 8:42 am
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already checked the alternator - static and load test.

have had a regulator die on me before in a previous car - that alternator can put out 16v's before it fries the windings 😀 - blew that regulator using it to start my land rover from dead - oops

im getting consistant 14.4v with the engine running and heavy loads applied.

im convinced the battery issue is sorted - its just deciding wether the code is a symptom of the battery dying or its a timing being a tooth or 2 out.

itll reveal its self quick enough.


 
Posted : 06/10/2014 8:49 am
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Either way get the timing issue sorted.


 
Posted : 06/10/2014 8:51 am
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if its a timing issue - im still not convinced. a flat battery and a timing issue would mean it would never have started 😉 - and george - based on your last car , your the last person im taking advice from ......im hoping for chris diesel to pop up :d


 
Posted : 06/10/2014 9:01 am
 hora
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Bit of a coincidence -cambelt and poor running.


 
Posted : 06/10/2014 9:11 am
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but then its not running poor anymore with its new battery and it was getting more work to start it in the weeks running up to the timing being done- then last thursday was the first frost in the locale.

its the coincidence and my lack of tools at hand to do any diagnosis that had me worried initially.


 
Posted : 06/10/2014 9:29 am
 kcal
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We had a battery replaced a few months ago - just before the whole car died / got condemned (Bah!!)

It went from feeling ever so slightly sluggish to nothing in a few days, wasn't even first start of the day, it just didn't turn over. Not uncommon these days said local garage folk.


 
Posted : 06/10/2014 9:33 am
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Terry - Surely given what I had to do to my last car, I should be the first person you're taking advice from. Not my fault the dumb wench kept on running it when it shat it's engine contents everywhere.


 
Posted : 06/10/2014 9:51 am
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Did you check all the sub systems for fault codes?

Normal to find a few fault codes logged in the air bag system with a low battery voltage.

As for the timing,it might be slightly out if the garage took the easy option on the belt change. Some of these (or maybe all) had an adjustable camshaft sprocket that should be slackened off to allow for the slight variation in belt dimensions. Quick fix is to not slacken off the sprocket and just slap a new belt on. Consequently the timing can be slightly off.

Hth
Marko


 
Posted : 06/10/2014 9:54 am
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"Terry - Surely given what I had to do to my last car, I should be the first person you're taking advice from"

what did you do apart from replacing all the consumables? - scrap it ?

Marko - yeah it threw up 2 fault codes both were fueling.

Its not my garages first BBQ with these engines - hes done 4 belts on dw8s for me in the past without hitch - but mistakes do happen. How ever currently im satisfied that the battery was causing my issues.

it just so happens that p0170 can appear after a cambelt change OR a flat battery - i did both at the same time 😀 going out for a spin at lunch will see how that goes.


 
Posted : 06/10/2014 10:07 am
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@trail_rat, seems a battery classic that, failing to start after first cold weather.


 
Posted : 06/10/2014 11:07 am
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just been out for 30 minutes.

car is better in every respect than even before it went for timing belt change.

its quicker (its still slow but its as fast as my van now) its quieter , its smoother , it starts before it even has a chance to turn over fully even from cold, it runs cooler (was sitting at 95 on the way to work this morning with the fan constantly on - a classic sign of overfueling - now sits at 85) - no engine light coming back on and the idles back down to 950 instead of 12-1500


 
Posted : 06/10/2014 11:50 am

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