At my wits end!

[Fantom.]

Just put new hubs on the clio after it being sat up for a week, I went to start it and it was completely dead, not even a flicker on the dash... jump started her.

Now I tried jumping it by connecting the -tive to the cars inlet, would this have caused problems? it didnt get the car to fully fire so I got a more powerful car to jump start me and connected the leads directly to my battery, it started...

Took it out for a quick drive, noticed the battery light flashing at high revs :S

brought home parked up and locked, woke up next day went to start - completely dead again.

Quite frustrated I swapped the battery for one I had spare and it started...

Unfortunately on idle it sits there fine but when I rev above 1krpm I hear a relay click and nothing works (elec windows, fans, locking) except the stereo when I switch it on

The most weird thing is this car was fine (so I thought) before I changed the hubs...

PLEASE help me

 

[Laura]

1st you need to take it for a decent drive to put some life in the battrey, a quick drive will just leave you in the same position next time you want to use it,

id check the fuses for the electrics, should really earth it to a chasis leg or a decent earthing point not to an engine part

 

[Fantom.]

Thanks Laura, I was going to take it for a decent drive but the indicators dont work when its revved above idle and also the windows or fans don't work so in todays weather Ill cook!

Have checked the fuses, they are fine. If i sit in the car with engine running on idle I can see the battery light everso slightly flickering... I put an indicator on and it works, then i rev the car and the indicator stops working and the battery light comes on solid, when the revs drop back down to idle I hear a relay click and the indicator starts working and the battery light goes back to a slight flicker...

Really strange!!

 

[Fantom.]

Im starting to wonder if it might be a bad earth, I haven't touched any cables bar ABS since the car was working fine.

 

[Fantom.]

Just a thought, before all this sometimes when I would put the fans on they would take a little while before they started blowing, this time would vary - is this normal? (I had assumed it waited until the coolant was at the correct temperature before turning on the fans)

Thanks
James

 

[Fantom.]

Right just put a multimeter on the battery while the car was running, im getting around 17volts, thats way to high am I right, I think for some reason im cooking the battery...

 

[Fantom.]

Right, dont bother reading the first part of this thread, read from now lol:

The little plug on the alternator with 1 thin cable, Im assuming this is the battery sense cable? I checked for continuity between this and the battery and found none... can anyone shed any light on this? does this cable often break and if so where abouts as it is hard to trace.

Thanks

 

[Fantom.]

nobody?

 

[JoedotwasT5phy]

Wow wow wow. Slow down tiger. 1st things 1st try a new battery - they can be the cause of many things. also try earthing the engine (negative battery terminal to the lift eye on the engine) and see what happens. those would be the 1st port of call.

 

[Fantom.]

I have tried a different battery and it does the same, there is continuity between the chassis and the -tive terminal, is it still worth earthing the engine?

Is there any way to test if a battery is good?

 

[scotty2hotty81]

17volt= fubared alternator

 

[Fantom.]

17volt= fubared alternator

fubared voltage regulator? there is a plug going from the alternator going somewhere I cannot see, can anyone shed some light on this little cable?

 

[scotty2hotty81]

Yes the regulator, but you will need an alternator, don't bother with refurb by new or second hand of here, if the wire is attached to the plug and not snapped off it will be fine, I don't know what it does but irrespective you will need a new alternator happened to me and made the electric go barmy.

 

[Fantom.]

was it the same symptoms? on idle electrics worked but when revved they cut out?

I think the little cable is the battery sensor or something, that makes the regulator work, I wanted to ensure that wherever this cable goes there is continuity

 

[scotty2hotty81]

Yes intermittently as mine spiked 16.4v when it pleased and headlamps would go off and on plus blackpool illuminations on my dash lol

 

[Fantom.]

right the voltage does not change if I unplug this little plug or plug it back in, would this suggest anything?

 

[scotty2hotty81]

Are you get 17v out the back of the alternator? If yes you know what to do.........

 

[Fantom.]

does anyone know if the regulator from a cup would fit on a non cup? or if a cup alternator would fit a non cup?

 

[Fantom.]

for anyone searching the cup regulator doesnt fit the non cup alternator...

 

[Alex_6n2]

For anyone searching, I had the same problem with my 182 yesterday. Voltage regulator is knackered and there was 17v across my battery! Made the electrics go completely mental! Some things working, others not, switches doing the wrong thing.. the lot.

Head lights would cut out when I started to drive the car so I had to disconnect the alternator and drive it home on just the stored battery power.

Bummer.

 

[Ianboom]

Small wire will be to the warning light on the dash??
17v is toooo much.

Let us know how you get on.
Ian.