Starting issue after long drive

[Fordoholic Nick]

Hi all.

Had a brilliant day down at Deal Car Show. Met Peter and his wife and Steve (stish) too Report to follow but a question please.

Drive up was perfect. Parked up all day. Drive home perfect. Switched off to unpack the car then did not start...nothing....just like flat battery. Attached portable jump starter and fired up first go ?

Any advice please....battery ? Alternator ?

Thank you in advance

Nick

[Jasonmarie]

Have you got anything to check the batteries life should be about 12.5v ?
as it sounds like the battery.

[johnd444wph]

Starter not getting too hot ? Heat from manifold

[Andrew 2.8i]

Hi Nick,
Sorry to hear that you are having an issue.
As said, the battery voltage should be around 12.5V, but it should increase to around 13.5V when the engine is running and it's charging OK.

Andrew.

[nigecapri]

Nip down to Maplins or wherever and get a multimeter.
Use it on DC setting across the battery posts. A good battery could be 13 volts or more from new, anything below 12 volts is duff. Get it started and test again, if the volts don't rise to between 13 & 14 when running then alternator is probably duff (battery might come back but will probably give up after the first frost.)

[Fordoholic Nick]

Have you got anything to check the batteries life should be about 12.5v ?
as it sounds like the battery.

Starter not getting too hot ? Heat from manifold

Sorry to hear that you are having an issue.
As said, the battery voltage should be around 12.5V, but it should increase to around 13.5V when the engine is running and it's charging OK.

Nip down to Maplins or wherever and get a multimeter.
Use it on DC setting across the battery posts. A good battery could be 13 volts or more from new, anything below 12 volts is duff. Get it started and test again, if the volts don't rise to between 13 & 14 when running then alternator is probably duff (battery might come back but will probably give up after the first frost.)

Hi chaps,

Thank you for your very quick replies. Much appreciated as always. I just has some dinner and have just been back down to check the battery with my multimeter and you would not believe it but my multimeter has completely packed up !!! Don't know whether to or ! I will buy a new one from Maplins tomorrow after work and test the battery as you all said.

John forgive my lack of knowledge on this fella but would you get these symptoms if the starter motor was too hot ? I just tried to start it after leaving it about an hour to cool. Was still warm to touch and same thing...nothing would not start ? Good job we did not stop off for a service stop on way home...phew ! Being at home when this happened was not so bad !

Thank you all once again. Don't feel so worried now after your great advice. I will let you know how I get on.

Still really enjoyed today and the drive there and back

All the best

Nick

[andyd]

Alternator I think, as after a long drive the battery should be well charged if working properly.....

When my coil went it just kept turning over, so I doubt that is the issue.

[Fordoholic Nick]

Alternator I think, as after a long drive the battery should be well charged if working properly.....

When my coil went it just kept turning over, so I doubt that is the issue.

Cheers Andy. This was my first thought too tbh. Surely there would be plenty of juice in battery to start it after a two hour drive ? Bought a multimeter just now so will check battery when I get home both sitting and when started as per previous advice. If this is showing good then yep possibly the altetnator Andy. Belt does not seem loose. John is now back from his bike trip and the true gent he is he has already been onto me offering advice and hands on help if needed

What a fine bunch of folk on this forum

[Andrew 2.8i]

Surely there would be plenty of juice in battery to start it after a two hour drive ?

Hi Nick,
Not necessarily. If the battery is faulty it may not be able to hold enough charge to start the car.

Andrew.

[Fordoholic Nick]

If the battery is faulty it may not be able to hold enough charge to start the car.

Very true Andrew. Just bought myself a new multimeter today. Will take some readings and let you guys know.

Cheers mate

Nick

[A17 LTF]

I would be interested to know how you get on with this issue as well.

[Fordoholic Nick]

I would be interested to know how you get on with this issue as well.

Me too Altaf

[Peter-S]

No strange smells Nick?
Many years ago I had an alternator that overcharged and boiled the battery dry but it did smell of sulphur.
Anyway, have you checked that the battery cells still have acid in them or do you have a sealed battery?

[Arnoldhar]

A good few years ago i had exactly the same problem, very hot day stoped at a service station on the M1 to fill up, went to start the car and zero. In the end it was the solenoid on the starter motor, it just didn't like the very hot temperatures. Car was an auto so I couldn't bump start it. Luckily enough I had an old door handle in the boot so I shorted it across the solenoid and she started straight way. The problem never happen again, just one of those things on a very hot day

[Fordoholic Nick]

No strange smells Nick?
Many years ago I had an alternator that overcharged and boiled the battery dry but it did smell of sulphur.
Anyway, have you checked that the battery cells still have acid in them or do you have a sealed battery?

Hi Peter, thanks for your reply. No smells mate and yep its a sealed battery.

A good few years ago i had exactly the same problem, very hot day stoped at a service station on the M1 to fill up, went to start the car and zero. In the end it was the solenoid on the starter motor, it just didn't like the very hot temperatures.

Thanks for your reply too mate. Does sound very similar to what happened to you. When I tried to start it up again after leaving it for an hour last night the starter was still pretty warm and would not have it without the jump starter.

[Fordoholic Nick]

Hi all,

I bought myself a multimeter today and just been down to take some readings. Readings were a bit all over the place tbh but here goes...

11.68 - first reading across battery before doing anything.
13.47 - jump started engine and on faster than normal idle
12.39 - switched on lights engine still not on normal idle
12.25 - lights and heater on still not quite on normal idle
12.85-13.10 - when finally on normal idle and everything switched off !

Then I switched engine off and tried to restart without the jump starter and it fired up, then got different readings again !

11.88 engine running no lights on
11.46 engine running with lights on

I gave up as its getting too dark and very tired after a long day at work but as said the reading on the meter at times was fluctuating and did not really want to settle down on a consistent reading if this makes sense ?? One thing that I remember doing before the trip to Brooklands last weekend was to smear some more Vaseline on the battery terminals but last week the car performed great. My first few attempts to get a reading tonight I got nothing on the meter but cleaned off some Vaseline and finally was able to get readings but even then was a bit hit and miss.

Does any of this make sense to you guys please ?

All the best

Nick

[Jasonmarie]

So gut feeling here as I have never used Vaseline ( waiting for jokes now ) but I wonder if that's the cause . Sounds mad really but I think Vaseline is a petroleum grease and not very good around electric .
I remember reading or hearing something about Vaseline around not using it on a battery in a boat , as it can melt at high heat and cause a short .
I would clean all the leads up and perhaps use a degrease agent to clean . And see how you go .

I Have google it and some say yes and some say no ...

Worth ago but funny as it was warm that day and I wonder if you had your bonnet up ...

My edit at 2am
So big storm overhead and it's warm so I have check google if Iam wrong but many do say not to use a little you tube video here about it.

https://youtu.be/bdsGOXl50XY

I

[SmokeEm]

Sounds like the battery is Duff but I would also take the time to disconnect the starter motor, clean up the connections and refit.

[Fordoholic Nick]

So gut feeling here as I have never used Vaseline ( waiting for jokes now ) but I wonder if that's the cause

Thanks for your reply Jason. Funny thing is originally a similar thought did cross my mind in that I was thinking the battery might have been exposed to the sun for too long as I did indeed have my bonnet open for long periods and the sun was shining on engine for a while. Did not think of vaseline though ! And I did slop some more on only last week too. Always used it before though with no issues but will check to see if any has seeped down between terminals onto the battery posts in the very high temp after drive home too.

Sounds like the battery is Duff but I would also take the time to disconnect the starter motor, clean up the connections and refit.

Cheers Dave. I am wondering now if being exposed to the sun has caused damage to the battery ?? Its only a few years old 3/4 ? Anyway I will be removing battery and cleaning all terminals and will indeed check the starter motor too.

My hunch in how its behaving is a battery problem and hearing from John my readings are pretty low. I replaced the starter motor about 2 yrs back so hoping its not that and looking at connections from above yest after work they seemed ok but a closer inspection will follow.

Thanks for your advice guys. Much appreciated

All the best

Nick

[Paul G]

As Nigecapri said, with the engine running there should be a voltage of between 13 and 14.5 volts at the terminals.

One basic question no one has asked yet - do you have an ignition light when you turn the key to position 2? With alternator failure usually you lose the ignition light altogether if the rectifier has failed and the light stays on all the time when the regulator fails. People don't tend to notice that there is no ignition light until the battery is run completely flat and everything has broken down.

Before spending anything I'd go through cleaning all terminals and give the battery a charge to see if it takes it then re run the voltage tests first. 3-4 years is young for a battery to go - I've got a 13 year old Bosch one on my kit car which still holds a charge quite well - but not unheard of and they can suddenly fail internally which in all honesty is what has probably happened here.

You can still get the 097 batteries on the internet with the correct Ford terminals.