Good evening chaps,
Just had to recover the car home. I was about to join a dual carriageway and engaged 4th when it suddenly popped out of gear which sent the revs to about 4k. The engine then cut out. I tried to restart while coasting but no joy. It behaved like a flat battery with the tell-tale clicking, alarm going off when I turn the key, etc. I got the car home and the battery was 11.8v, I expected less but I guess that would be low enough to stop it from turning over.
The kicker is that I had no warning light on at all prior to cut out. I had driven 2 hours back from work to home. I had stopped for 20 minutes before heading out again. No sign of a battery about to die, engine started normally yet 10 minutes later it cut out. I also thought that diesels carried on even when the battery was flat unless the fuel pump stops. Can batteries go off a cliff-edge like that?