Starting Issue

[eyezcar]

Hi has anyone ever had an intermittent starting problem, most of the time I have no problem but every now and then the dials go everywhere the error lights come on and it will not fire, I’ve been told lots of different thing, sounds like the battery, the dealer put a new battery in when brought the car, fuel starvation I now never let it get below quarter of a tank, something’s draining the battery could it be the alternator the starter motor. The car has spent most of its life garaged has only done 39K was serviced at 37K in October 2009 it only comes out for couple of week a year since brought the car in may I’ve done more miles in the last 4 weeks than its done in the last 2 years. Any ideas

[TitanTim]

It could well be low battery voltage as used to get this in the MINI Cooper S if I left driving it for a few weeks, when I came to start it the dial needles would buzz. Have you checked the boot light, as known to drain the battery at times, just a thought.

Tim.

[eyezcar]

Thanks for that I will check it out but yesterday it started OK I drove to the local sainsbows spent 1o min's in there came out took about 10 min's to get it started. Last week drove home from work had tea went go out totally would not start miss firing gauges all over the place when it did start it just faded out gave up come back to the car a couple of hours later started first time.

[eyezcar]

Checked the boot light it does go out so that’s not draining the battery.

[Mike Fishwick]

IF you think that something is draining the battery, it's no use stabbing at things people suggest - all that people on a forum can do is guess - the real work is down to you.

Buy beg or steal a decent multimeter, set in on mA and use it to replace the battery earth cable. Remember that you will lose the radio code when the battery is even temporarily disconnected.

With everything turned off, check the discharge current - it should be about 30 mA. Check it everyhalf hour for a few hours. If it is a steady 30 mA or so, the battery is not being drained. Record the discharge rate, as memory is seldom to be trusted.

Replace the earth lead, then measure and record the battery voltage. Start the engine, and record the voltage again - while the battery is on charge, then after five minutes of running. Now turn on all the lights, and measure again. In all cases the vlotage should be in the 13 to 14 volts range. If not, you have a problem which is most likely the alternator.

If the battery voltage is OK, and the normal discharge current is OK, then you have to suspect the battery - new or not. Have you ever checked the cell levels? If not, top them up to the level indicator with de-mineralised water - as used in steam irons. If one cell is higher or lower than the rest - that is usually a sign of a failing cell. Take it to a battery speciakist and ask for it to be tested.

[eyezcar]

Cheers Mike just the sort of info I was looking for

[eyezcar]

Hi just to say thanks for your help we're still non the wiser evrything checked out OK Battery,starter, and alternator, and a diagnostic scan came back OK so I now have to wait till it happens again and call the garage out again many thanks.