yes its going to an Auto elect tomorrow morning but Im trying to keep costs down as they have to tow car to garage, but if its only a battery I need, i've wasted extra dollors for nothing, seems I need to track down a good battery first, hard when its a holiday today

Sounds like I'd be inspecting your alternator with a multimeter, I think the regulator inside is cactus

Not so hard.

Firstly - Charge your battery. If the alternator is stuffed, you can probably still drive to the auto leccy if its not very far. Make sure you :

DONT - Use the A/C (turn it off), Use your Lights (Turn them off), Turn off the Climate Control (Fan uses a lot of power), dont play lots with your windows (same)

DO - Drive sensibly, continuously straight to leccy. Everything in these uses power (Engine, Gearbox etc). Dont drive Big revs = more current required to run it)

If you can start the car after charging your battery your probably on your way. Leccy's can usually test the alternator in about - oh, 5 mins. Not expensive. Same for battery. Not a lot. So you'll end up paying for something but saving yourself the tow.

I ask again though - do you not have roadside assistance?- its like 70 bucks a year (is it 100 now), but you get a free tow up to 10km, you get roadside assistance etc etc etc. Anyone is crazy not to have it. And they can do the same basic checks the auto electrician will at your house.

Nigel

if that was the case wouldn't the alternator light in dash come on?

if that was the case wouldn't the alternator light in dash come on?

Interesting point here. Does the alternator light on the dash come on when the key is at on, but the engine isnt running?

If not, either a fuse, or the alternator warning lamp is blown. Is the regulator excited by the warning lamp?

Nigel

yes alternator light comes on at on, but turns off once engine is running, so to me seems alternator is fine?

Do you know this for sure now that the car has a flat battery and doesnt start?

yeah flat battery only hear ticking from starter motor and dash light turn off, but all light up just before cranking

yeah flat battery only hear ticking from starter motor and dash light turn off, but all light up just before cranking

Thats not telling you anything - the alternator doesnt go fast enough cranking to do anything.

I really do think we might just leave this to the auto electrician hey.

Nigel

yes you are right, guess thats it, just have to spend the extra, really did'nt want to if I could, thanks for your help tho nigel

only seen 1 guy say check the earth strap that's no1 thing you should do, and if the car dim's out and die's i find it's the Alternator, the car should run on just the ALT but not very well even with a bad battery.

i was thinking the car should run on the alt but doesn't the electricals need the batt to run

I thought when the car dims out thats because of a bad battery and not the alt the car needs a good battery to run all the electricals i would of thought?