Hi all, the last couple of days my car sounds like it has got hardly any battery power when starting up for the first time. Yesterday it wouldn't start at all. Battery sounded almost dead just some clicks really. I put jump leads between son's car and mine and it started first time then for the rest of the day it started as normal. Today it's dead again. Wasn't sure if it would be the Battery or the Alternator that was the problem. I changed the Starter motor about 10 months ago so don't think it will be that. Anyone got any ideas. Cheers. Shed.

 

if the battery is old then it's probably starting to fail, the nights are getting colder and this causes problems starting in the morning, old battery will take the charge but not hold it very well. That said it's wise to check the charging system for any issues but I'd say your looking at a new battery.

 

i'd say it sounds like the battery too, i've had to change batteries on 4 different customers motors in the last 2 weeks due to having the same issues as you. i'd check the output from the alternator with the engine running and make sure you're getting about 14v, if you are then your battery is dead and will need replacing.

 

As the car ran ok after it had been jump started it sounds like the alternator is ok, so i would say its the battery mate.

 

If you have a volt meter, disconnect the battery and test it, if its fairly new then put it on charge, if it is either low (below 12v or not charging properly) then its your battery, if it charges ok but then drains on the car then the chances are its the alternator or a dodgy earth.
Its nice if you tell us what model and year though, guestimations are not my forte

Tony

 

Hi, thanks for the answers everyone. My car is a Mondeo 2.0 1995. I know it's wrong site really but I have noticed that you give some decent answers on here compared to some sites I have been on. It's quite low milage for the year, only 40,000 and in good nick so don't want to change it just yet. Shed.

 

We dont mind owned a 1994 M reg 1.8 petrol a few years back, 40k miles of virtually no issues (just the front wheel bearings and discs/pads, maybe some bushes) but the rest was all regular maintenance sold her with 108k on the clock and she was running great
Just see how old the battery is, there is a code on it that "should" tell you the manufacture date, if its old then it could be that its just worn out and winter isnt the time you want a battery to go dead on you

Tony

 

Hi, got it into the garage in the end and they checked it out and said it was the battery. They checked the alternator and said that was fine. They couldn't find the date on the battery so don't know where that got to. Thanks again for the replies, much appreciated. Shed.

 

Of the two, the alternator has by far the longer service life