Saxo Prob

[Twiss]

Hello yes its me again with more questions[:D]
My Girlfriend has a little 1.1i Saxo, now she only drives it a couple of times a week twice to may house (about 20 miles round trip) and few extra miles to other places (Not often) but every few weeks espacially now winter has kicked in and most of her drinving is at night i keep having to charge her battery (just loses power completly dead) so i am goingto cheack to see if the altanator is charging the batt proberly or see if the batt is knacked <-- Technical term[:D]
So for ref what should the alternator be giving out?
and how much should the Batt give out ?
This week I will mostly be testing it with a Multimeter <-- if u dont get this joke then u havent seen the Fast Show[:)]

[RichardW]

It should be at least 12.5V after a run, and should not significantly decay over a week or so. When the engine's running it should be about 14V, and this shouldn't change significantly with load as the alternator should compensate - if it is much lower or higher than this, the alternator is goosed. Try measuring the voltage while the engine is cranked - if it goes down to less than 10V the battery is toast.

[Twiss]

Thanks for the info Richard I will check the car out to night.

[Kowalski]

A car that does infrequent short journeys will get a flat battery as a matter of course. Starting the engine at the start of a journey discharges the battery and the short journeys don't give enough time for it to be fully charged again. When the car stands around its battery very slowly discharges. In the winter, the electrical load is bigger (think electrical heated screens + mirrors and headlights) so the battery charges more slowly.
If you get 14.4v at the battery with the engine running (you may not get this voltage at idle) the alternator is OK.
Lead acid batteries don't like being completely discharged, it kills them pretty quickly.

[Twiss]

Yes i know that Kowalski but try telling my girlfriend that !!!
after testing the car last night i found that she has killed the battery which i think is a good thing cos its not the alternator.
i got her car started again this morning and i took it to work about 12miles (took the long way) i ahd nothing on but the enigne meaning no heater, stereo and lights <--- didnt need them.
so run around it today to get some live back into the batt, the batt does hold charge but only for a few weeks. I am so glad i own a zx Every morning i get up go to work go to start thw car and away i go no probs!!!!:)
Thanks for the info u two.

[leonard1]

I have the same problem with my wife doing lots of short journeys (6 journeys a day of a mile). I do wonder if this is why the radio has been erratic sometimes coming on, sometimes not. And explaining the low mpg she has been doing if the alternator is grabbing as much power as it can.
What is the way to keep a live battery for people who do these short journeys without disconnecting the battery all the time?

[Twiss]

Leonard1 I have been useing the car over the last few days and have found that mpg is better while i use it compard to my Girlfriend. this might be done to the batt getting charged (even though it not holding a charge for long Mainly Over night). But then again it could be the way i drive the car compared to The girlfriend!!!!

[leonard1]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Twiss</i>

Leonard1 I have been useing the car over the last few days and have found that mpg is better while i use it compard to my Girlfriend. this might be done to the batt getting charged (even though it not holding a charge for long Mainly Over night). But then again it could be the way i drive the car compared to The girlfriend!!!!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Yes that is too true. I tend to use the 4th and 5th gears!