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Author Subject: Dead battery problems FAQ?
kilauea

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Registered: 12 Apr 2004

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Post #1
Anyone want to correct or add anything to this for an FAQ?


FAQ for drained battery problems.

For diagnosing these problems accurately you are going to need a multimeter. I paid about £10 for one on ebay.

1. DONT TOUCH ANYTHING!
Before anything else carefully check controls in the car to see if you have left a light or other equipment turned on. This could save you a lot of time diagnosing problems later if you don't just start fiddling with stuff.

2. Check charge in the battery.
Set multimeter to 20volts. Plug your black probe in COM and red into Volts.
Place black probe on negative terminal and red on positive.
Read multimeter - A battery should be knocking out about 12v. Even 1v less could mean a flat battery and the 6 engine needs every last drop to start it seems.
If the reading is less than 6v, skip it - The battery is dead.
If 7v or more then you can re-charge the battery using a charger (£38 from halfrauds).

3. Check for parasitic drain.
Remove the negative terminal from the battery.
Set your multimeter to 10 Amps.
Plug the black probe into COM and red into Amps.
Place the black probe onto the terminal on the lead to the car, and the red onto the negative post on the battery.
The MM should read a mili-amp figure.
Around 20-25ma or less should be fine - this will be clock, hifi battery, ecu etc. (Mine was around 16ma).
25ma and greater and you may have a drain somewhere.

4. Identify drain.
Using step 2 to check drain after each step, remove fuses from the fusebox one at a time - noting what they affect - until the MM reads 25ma or less. When it does - check the wiring carefully of the components that fuse supplies.
See Fusebox FAQ's for full list of fuses and their function.

5. Check earth points.
Check all these earth points round the car are securely fastened and clean.

one by the abs pump
one by the drivers side headlight
one on the gearbox
one in the drivers footwell
one under rear bench seat (i think)
one behind the cover in the boot (the side with the boot light)

6. Check battery terminals.
Make sure the posts and the terminals on the leads are clean so they make a good connection.

DO BELOW ONCE A CHARGED BATTERY IS IN PLACE.

7. Check lights.
When battery is charged, check all interior lights go out. Fold the rear seat down to check the one in the boot while it is shut.

8. Check alternator
Start the engine and turn on lights and fan and hold at 2k revs (easier if someone else does this than trying to use throttle and MM at the same time!).
Set MM as before when checking battery charge.
Test the voltage across the battery terminals with the engine at 2k and you should see a figure of around 14volts.
If it is still only 12v then your alternator is not charging the battery. Check the alternator belt is tight. You may require a new alternator. It may also be a faulty regulator.

(I found I didn't even need to rev the engine, it read 14+ volts when running regardless of engine speed. Your results may vary).

If you have any inbuilt charging e.g. phone charger cradles set fuse for lighter to ignition only, see fuse faq.
Posted 17th Oct 2008 at 04:52
marc l

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Location: London [SE]

Registered: 12 Dec 2006

Posts: 398

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Post #2
Good FAQ there and could be very useful to someone.

Would it be worth mentioning that you can test the alternator output with an ammeter?

________________________________________

2001 BLACK Phase 3 XS - Sold April 2010
1999 WHITE Phase 3 GTi6 Big grin
1991 Peugeot 205 1.6 GTi - Track Car


Posted 16th Oct 2008 at 23:46
thugpuggin

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Location: Bristol

Registered: 10 Apr 2004

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Post #3
TBH if having any problems and still running the original battery it will be f*cked as I've just had to replace mine about a month ago. Easier than going to all the above trouble. Yet still a good guide for any problems with earths etc that may have developed. Thumbs up

________________________________________

Black X Reg PIII.VGTi 6 A4212 pt 1 A4212 pt 2 Searching the streets of Bristol for 1.36p/day.

Joint Kent Leader

Posted 17th Oct 2008 at 00:17
petegti6

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Location: Solihull & Market Harborough

Registered: 09 May 2006

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Post #4
Before FAQ'ing, add that you should turn lights, fans and other electrical loads on while monitoring the battery voltage, if the voltage drops below 14 and stays there, it could be a faulty regulator or worn alternator Yes

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Posted 17th Oct 2008 at 04:36
kilauea

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Registered: 12 Apr 2004

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Post #5
petegti6 wrote:
Before FAQ'ing, add that you should turn lights, fans and other electrical loads on while monitoring the battery voltage, if the voltage drops below 14 and stays there, it could be a faulty regulator or worn alternator Yes


Ta Pete. Added.
Posted 17th Oct 2008 at 04:53
kilauea

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Location: p

Registered: 12 Apr 2004

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Post #6
marc l wrote:
Good FAQ there and could be very useful to someone.

Would it be worth mentioning that you can test the alternator output with an ammeter?


Ta'.

I've done it as if using a cheap multimeter (MM), thinking that's what most who use this rather noob guide would use.
Posted 17th Oct 2008 at 04:56
petegti6

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Location: Solihull & Market Harborough

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Post #7
Where do you even buy an ammeter these days? Razz

Some crusty old people also refer to them as DVM's LOL

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Cress87 wrote:
This place is getting beyond a joke. There's been an enormous influx of bellends signing up recently


Team 205 1.9 GTi

Team: Hmm™
Posted 17th Oct 2008 at 05:41
smegal

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Location: Leeds

Registered: 26 Dec 2005

Posts: 5,940

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Post #8
Good thread Can an admin faq this?

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Ex SC-6

Now in a Megane R26
Posted 26th Nov 2008 at 05:02
stan_306gti6 Forum Admin

Location: Kent

Registered: 18 Jan 2004

Posts: 21,768

Status: Offline

Post #9
Thanks to tvrfan007 I have now fixed the FAQ. Smile

Thugpuggin - Your added piece of extra info has been added too. Cool

Thanks guys. Thumbs up

________________________________________

"Supercharged - 454.1bhp/317.5lb/ft"
Peugeot 306 GTi-6
2000 (X), Moonstone Love
Posted 20th Apr 2012 at 19:33

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