Johnny sti

Hi all
Its a long one but please please read.

Just been for a nice gentle drive and had to go into town to collect the missus.
When i stopped, i noticed the car idleing at 1000 RPM and thought that it would settle. My music was on and as i called her to say i was outside the pub i paused the music. Nothing weird upto now.
After the call, i went to play the cd again and it was off, the anti lock light was on and in a panic, i turned the car off.
When she came out the pub to thwe car, i tried to start it but i didnt want to turn over. Very sluggish.
Eventually it started and we drove off for about 500 metres with the car searching and the rpm counter not working.
So decided to stop and look under the bonnet, all seemed ok. Turned it over eventually and decided to drive home off boost, about 2 miles or so.
Gathering that it was an electrical problem, i didnt turn the lights on or stereo etc. While driving, the rev counter was flashing up and down really quick, stopping altogether at on point. The anti lock light came on when i wasnt breaking, then went off. Everytime i used the indicator, the car searched each time it 'blinked'.
So when i got onto my estate, i tried to turn the lights on and the car almost came to a sudden stop, untill i flicked it back to the off position. The dash didnt light up but the indicator arrows did but were very dim. Went to put the window up and and went up very slowly and i checked the wipers and they only just moved, all while the engine was running. Turned the car off and the central locking only just went over.
Im sorry for the massive post but was really worried. Ive had the big ends go on me twice and drive the car so carefully so am always on edge. Please can anyone advise on what it could be.

Thanks all for you patience in reading

Johnny

Turbo_Steve

Most likely your alternator has failed: the battery started getting low, and there wasn't enough power for it to work properly.

I've had something EXTREMELY similar myself, and it's very scary, but actually not all that serious...most likely just need a new alternator.

VAL113R

i believe if you try to 'jump start' the car off someone elses, ie use their alternator you can check if it is your thats duff, as the car would run ok.

I dont know much about subarus, but I assume that it has an electric fuel pump ?

I had a 2.0L 16v nova and I had to take it down to the garage to get painted while the engine was going in. the alternator belt was not connected so only had what power was in the battery.

the car spluttered and popped the whole way down the road obviously as the battery was nearly flat

Johnny sti

Thanks Steve.
A bit of reassurance.

if that turns out to be the problem, how much would it be to get a replacement? Mines a wrx classic import so will a uk one fit? What about a sport or GL one because i know as soon as you say turbo, the price tripples even though the parts are the same!!??

Thanks again for the very quick response

Johnny

Jasoon

Try a motor factors for an alternator ,if thats what it is which is what it sounds like...

Johnny sti

Will do. Is a GL, Sport and WRX interchangable with a UK and import? Any cost ideas? £100?

Thanks again everyone for the help and advice

Johnny

Jasoon

you might find a plate on the alternator with is rating on it ,providing you get one for a Scooby with the same or higher rating you should be ok.

Not sure how much one will cost....

markrs2000

Hi m8 , if you can do without the car for a couple of days then i would remove the alternator and take it to an auto electrician they will rebuild it for you normally for no more than £50 this will include new internals in your alternator body, hope this helps.

Johnny sti

Is the alterator a part that just dies instantly or would it have deteriated over a lenth of time?

Johnny

Jasoon

Both i would say Johnny....

If it was over a length of time you might have got a battery warning light on.

Might be worth charing the battery and seeing if it holds its charge

Johnny sti

Just called all the local suppliers and have been quoted between £160-£500 plus VAT!! Does anyone know if there is a cheaper on that may fit the car from a different manufactuer? Does the non turbo imprerza one fit? Do i have to say mines an import?

Johnny

Jasoon

would have thought that 150-500 was a bit excessive.
At that price range I would expect the old one to be tested and confirmed faulty and the new one fitted.

I take it your not a member of the RAC or AA

Have you tried somewhere like halfords?

Just tell them its from a imprerza turbo.

Johnny sti

Update

Just had the alternator checked and is ok. Back to square one! But the cells in the battery are dry. I thought that when you took the lids of the battery, the liquid should be near the top or am i wrong.

Johnny

Jasoon

Did you have the battery tested as well?

If you have a dead cell then you wont get 12v out of it

Johnny sti

No i didnt. But i was under the impression that all the cells, about six i think, should had de ionised water in it or whatever the stuff is?

Jasoon

Yep they all should have de ionised water in.

Have you tried jump starting the car?

Turbo_Steve

Bloody hell! If you're battery is dry I wouldn't mess about: I'd get a new one

Took battery condition for granted mate: My apologies for leading you up the garden path with the alternator. Be aware, though, this could still be a problem...however if you even SUSPECT your battery, then it's worth changing.

Fizz

iTrader: (1)

just to add.... On scoobs the ECU switches the alternator out at times and you'd onl be running on battery power... The symptoms you describe could be the battery... Easy way to check.. get a volt meter accross it!!!!

easyrider

As said above-put a volt meter on it- with ign on, engine NOT running,but have the headlights on so the battery has a load on it.It should read over 12v for a good while.If it drops below 12v fairly quickly,its had it.

easy

Johnny sti

I took it to a bloke that bench run the alternator and said it was fine. When the father-in-law came over, we got a volt meter on the battery and it seemed ok ( the battery needed topping up with 1ltre of water so not as dry as first thought). When we put the volt meter from the alternator to battery, there was next to no charge coming from the alternator, about 7 volts i think. With all power on (lights, radio, tt, indicators etc) the power could be seen to drain very quickly with the alternator giving the battery no help till the engine cut out.
So we jumped it off his van and it went fine with all electrics on running off the power the vans alternator was generating untill we removed the leads and it slowly died??!!
So non the wiser!!

Johnny

Also note that the battery has not been charged over night as yet. Will do tonight. Not sure if its going to make any difference though

Fizz

iTrader: (1)

I still say it's the alternator and 1 litre of water in a battery is not good... If you put the volt meter accross the battery when the car is running should be kicking over 12 and about 13.6 I think mine is. If not then the alternator is definatly gone..... If it is over that and then I would change the battery full stop... as I said 1 litre of water is not good and would signify that there is some degree of cell damage that would have occured with it soo low!

Danny Boy

iTrader: (2)

If you have had the alternator tested and was ok on the bench and is not working in the car, (you say that you can only meter 7v being given off by it). Then it sounds to me like you have a grounding fault in the altenator circuit. Was it loose or been off the car recently before the problems started? I had a simimlar problem on my astra, the altenator was mounted on a rubber shock mount so was only grounded to the engine via a small area of metal (not sure if it's the same on the scoob but worth checking) anyway a quick once over with a ******* file on the contacting surfaces soon bought it back to life again. Any bit's of corrosion or road crap on the conducting surfaces can act as an insulator and give a very bad connection, hence no charging!

Dan.

(Scoobynet big brother Auto swear censoring obviously does not know what a large file is called then!
that will be basta*d for those in the know!)

Turbo_Steve

Your best bet is to borrow a baattery and give it a try.
Also, what water did you put in the battery? If it's tap water then you've fcuked it and need to buy a new one anyway! Batterys MUST have distilled water, as the chlorine in tap water mucks up the process.

I would do the following.
Put the battery on charge overnight on a proper battery charger. Alternatively, fit it in something else (dads van?) and go for a long drive to make sure it's fully charged.
Fit it back in your scoob.
Start the car, and unplug the alternator.
Car will now be running on the battery. It should run for a good 5 mins of the battery with the headlights on. If it shows any signs of degrading (lights dimming, rough idle etc ) when you flash the main beams, you know your battery is shot and it's time for a new one.

Now plug the alternator back in.
Make sure the car is running at a fast idle.
Unplug the battery. Turn your headlights on. If the car dies, your alternator is either not working, or the belt is too loose.

Johnny sti

UPDATE!

Fully charged the battery over night.

To try and work out what the problem with the car is i tried a friends battery off her astra.
I put some jump leads off her battery to my battery terminals and run the car. All went well as far as i could tell but without a volt meter it was hard. I just put all the electrics on and ran it for ages!
So i did a test as shown on the previous post which was to disconnect the battery and see if the alternator would carry on, which it didnt. Went to try and start up the friends astra and all was dead!
So not being an auto electrician, i can now say that im completly stranded!!
Im thinking that while i was doing the run with the other battery, it was the only power supply and the alternator was giving out next to nothing hence the battery being dead after running for 10 minutes.
I know that it would be easier to have a volt meter but is the above description evident enough?
Ive also cleaned up all the earth points that i could find by filing all point down to the copper/brass.
So whats your thoughts on it now?
New alternator will be with me by thursday. Charging battery up again over night and getting an acid tester or something like that off the father-in-law tomorrow so will know more by then. But, if after a 24hr charge it couldnt turn my friends car over, i would guess its mullered!?

Johnny

dij

Best thing to do is buy a new battery (costs a little less than a full tank).
This way you will eliminate the possibility of a battery problem.

If you need the correct alternator,then pm me and I can send it to you.

andy-type r

iTrader: (1)

Johnny,

Although you have cleaned the earthing points, it could still be an earthing issue. The wires themselves could be in trouble. Try putting 1 jump lead from the block to the earth on the battery, and 1 from the block to the body. Then jump start with another set of leads, if the battery is not charged, and remove them straight away. If car stays running see what voltage you have across battery. If its steady remove 1 of the extra leads at a time and see what happens.

Hope this may help.

Turbo_Steve

Chances are that if your alternator is knackered you have been deep cycling your battery. Replace both and banish your problems for ever

Eprom

Sounds like the battery has an internal short, or a cell down.
If you put in 1 litre of water that must have been bone dry, and suspect the battery is now u/s.
You don't put the volt meter in line with the battery, you put it accross the terminals of the battery, it should read about 13 or 14 volts, when the engine is running.
I would take the battery to a motor factors they will test the battery under load.

Hope this helps

Johnny sti

Thank you all very much for your input everyone. It has been very helpful indeed.

All is now fine.
The alternator was mullered! Got one from a scrap yard and after two attempts they still didnt get me the right one!! ( one of which looked like they found it at the bottom of a lake)!
So i had to keep the better one of the two. My old alternator had a two pin socket and of the two they sent, one had a three pin square socket ( the one from the lake)! and the power points that you screw into the top were to small for the screw pin on the crappy alternator and the other, which i now have, had a three pin round socket!!??
So i had to modify the socket off the wiring loom to fit the round socket. Its now kicking out over 14v with asll the electrics on. Feels much better.

Thanks again all

Johnny