What would cause this?

Gilly

Gilly

Gilly

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Yesterday our lass goes to start her car, it turns over twice and dies. She tried a couple more times with the same or similar results.

She comes in the house to me, I go try, half a turn and nothing. Windows still work, lights on, radio works, blowers work.

After a few goes the windows no longer work, can tell a difference with the blowers, etc.

Car won't jump start. No sparks from the leads or anything, not even an electric crackle like I've had in the past. There's no clicking from the relay, nuttin.

I had the battery replaced in September.
 
Sounds like the battery has a major drain, Have you checked things like whether the boot/hatch light/Glove box light goes out when it's closed ?
Think I'd put a meter on it & see if there is a draw.

What car ? Alarm system etc ?
 
It's a 54 plate vw polo. All standard.

Still very odd that it won't jump though?

I've got a charger I've managed to borrow so I'm gonna whip the battery off and see what happens.
 
New motors won't jump if the battery is completely dead, weird concept for us oldys as you used to be able to take a mates battery off jump your car then give it him back & you'd drive home with nowt.

Take the battery off your car, Hook it up & see if it starts, You prob won't be able to fit the battery in the well but you'll get the leads on for some fault finding/Diag.
 
4T5 said:
New motors won't jump if the battery is completely dead, weird concept for us oldys as you used to be able to take a mates battery off jump your car then give it him back & you'd drive home with nowt.

Take the battery off your car, Hook it up & see if it starts, You prob won't be able to fit the battery in the well but you'll get the leads on for some fault finding/Diag.
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correct me if I'm wrong but won't that do serious damage to the electrical systems and ecu's? I was under the impression the battery was there so you could start the car but also regulate and smooth out the the current from the alternator?
 
No, no immobiliser. Not that I know of anyway, I never drive it!

It's on the charger at the moment. I'm not taking the one out of the passat, but if I tried jumping it now is it more likely to work? Is it even possible without a battery in the busted car?
 
Do all the dash lights dim significantly when you try to start it? If not its more likely you have a bad connection on the battery cable to the starter or the starter itself is dead.
 
could be that the battery was low power, the fact that she tried to start it over and over could have blown the starter motor.
 
Both mine and the GFs car suffered from completely flat batteries recently (hers was faulty, mine just didn't move for months) and they too had working radios and things but wouldn't turn over or jump start. Whop the battery on a trickle charger for a couple of days.
 
If it were the immobiliser, a key and car symbol would flash. If it were the crank position sensor, It wouldn't explain the electrical symptoms you have, although I wouldn't rule it out.
 
Charging the battery worked. Just been out on a run.

Am I looking at something running it down? Can't see any lights on anywhere. Wonder if it's worth disconnecting the radio?

Or maybe faulty alternator?
 
Gilly said:
Charging the battery worked. Just been out on a run.

Am I looking at something running it down? Can't see any lights on anywhere. Wonder if it's worth disconnecting the radio?

Or maybe faulty alternator?
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Only way you will really know is by putting a multimeter on the battery and seeing how much draw there is with the engine off. Best way to do it would be leaving the car with the bonnet open for an hour, because some systems are still active after the engine is off.
 
Check the voltage across the battery when its running for the alternator, car off for a drain - if thats low then you'll need to check the voltage at the alternator too.

Its most likely something daft like a boot light staying on
 
I had this problem last winter where the electrics didn't appear underpowered at all but the engine would not start, basically the battery was only just under the minimum required voltage and ECU says no and will not start the engine. It would start with jump leads, had to replace it.
 
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