Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega Electrical and Audio Help => Topic started by: Terbs on 19 September 2016, 22:23:09
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Hi all....
Today I had a problem with the 2.5 estate, in as much as not having an issue, but today only had enough guts to start. Drove about ten miles, left it for about half an hour, and battery was flat. Had to start it with a starter pack., same thing happened at the next stop. So, on the way back to the caravan, I noticed a sign that said, 'Batteries, Tyres, etc. Pulled in, chap came straight out, polite asked if he could help. Asked if he could test a battery. ' Sure I'll do it now'.
Put a machine on it, and started giving me the readouts.
What he told me was....Alternator reg low........Charging 13.96. Then Battery 36%. What does that mean....'Battery no good', I was told.. Told him to fit a new one.
Then I took stock of my surroundings and to my horror, further along was a hoarding 'Kwik-Fit.'
What do those readings mean, was I given bullsh*t or genuine info. Seemed a really helpful guy (different to the noob that fitted the battery, who got a bollocking from my guy for not fitting it properly.!!!!!!!)
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How old was the battery?
I had this with my 2.5, the battery suddenly died but a chap in a KA let me jump it off his AAA battey
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If the alternator output was low, why did he change the battery? (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/26795734/Smilies/banghead.gif)
13.96 isn't that low, TBH although around 14.4 is ideal. Could easily be that the alternator was loaded by a flatish battery. Having said that, it should have recovered in 10 miles' driving.
But.. First thing to look at if you have an Omega with starting issues, is the security of the crimped connections at the battery terminals. Twist the larger cable on each battery clamp and see if it's loose in the crimp. Also, does either battery terminal get warm while the engine is running?
If you've got a multimeter, follow the guide: http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=90619.0 (http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=90619.0)
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13.96V is a tad low, not ideal but should be enough to charge a Battery, 38% Battery is telling someone the Battery is not fully charged or could be a Battery issue, difficult to tell unless you fully charge the Battery, give it a chance to recover and then test it again. Bit like saying 'oh, your tyres flat mate, going to need a new one', rather than putting air in the Tyre and so whats going on.
What he should have done after fitting a good fully charged Battery is test the charging voltage again, my money would be on if it was reading 13.96 with a flat battery, would probably read 14+v with a good battery.
Unfortunately, the deed has been done now, so unless they've giving you your old battery back, guessing not, as they get around 15 to 20 quid to scrap a battery, your never know, just need to check or keep an eye on your charging system.
I would put that down to, taking a flat battery in to be tested, only to be told its furbed, need a new one.
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Sadly Chris, you are probably right. The problem is, when 150 miles from home, panic sets in, and by replies here, it does seem it was a sales gimmick. He told me the battery was naff and needed a new one. The 13.96 charging figure was both before and after.
I would have used Kevin's guide to check it, as I have done before on the other cars. The number 14.4 or similar was going round in my head. This did push me towards telling him to replace. However, although I thought I bought a multi meter with me, I cannot find it. So going out to buy one this morning, then I will run the check and report back.
Did all the cable checks, Kevin, all ok :y
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Hmm, if it was still 13.9v after fitting a good battery, then its definitely worth rechecking, maybe he's meter was slightly of spec. or was measuring at low idle, or with the front Fans spinning, difficult to say without being there, always worth checking charge voltage with the engine running at around 1.5 to 2k revs anyway.
There strange things car batteries, yes they do fail but there probably one of the most miss diagnosed replaced items on any vehicle, they can fail over night or take months to die, there temperature conscious, Ive seen them go flat or fail for no reason at all and then spring back to life for years of service. Funny Chaps them Female Batteries.
Ive got use to carrying a spare battery in the boot now along with some tools and the usual breakdown stuff, its only a small 063 type (Corsa size) with a strong plastic handle that covers the terminals and weighs next to nothing, although designed for a small car, even one of them will happily crank a V6 on a frosty morning, got me out of trouble a few times over the years and I dare say saved me money especially when away.
Ive giving up with the Starter Packs, whilst good for a few goes the internal piddly battery doesn't seem to hold its charge, and a replacement is normally a lot more than a new Pack.
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When you say low idle....he just asked me to start the engine, did not say reve it. Had to turn on the lights, and that's when he showed me his meter kit and it said 13.96 :)
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If the garage you used, or any other helpful one has a clamp meter that can show you the actual charging current from the alternator to your battery, that would help diagnosis a lot. It has to be one that measures DC, of course; many of them only measure AC, which is no good to you.
Regardless of that voltage reading, if there is significant charging current the alternator is good: if no or little charging current, it is bad!
Ron.
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13.96V is a tad low, not ideal but should be enough to charge a Battery, 38% Battery is telling someone the Battery is not fully charged or could be a Battery issue, difficult to tell unless you fully charge the Battery, give it a chance to recover and then test it again. Bit like saying 'oh, your tyres flat mate, going to need a new one', rather than putting air in the Tyre and so whats going on.
What he should have done after fitting a good fully charged Battery is test the charging voltage again, my money would be on if it was reading 13.96 with a flat battery, would probably read 14+v with a good battery.
Unfortunately, the deed has been done now, so unless they've giving you your old battery back, guessing not, as they get around 15 to 20 quid to scrap a battery, your never know, just need to check or keep an eye on your charging system.
I would put that down to, taking a flat battery in to be tested, only to be told its furbed, need a new one.
More like £3-5 each, not worth the hassle of scrapping em these days
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I would put my money on a knackered battery. I would also just use it without worrying to much with an output like that, its still charging fine. Since changing the battery I assume no issues starting etc?
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My test for an alternator is to run the engine at idle with a voltmeter across the battery terminals. It should read about 14.4 volts with no load. Then I load it by turning on every high current item - all lights, flashers, heater fan, rear screen heater - and read the meter again. If it's still over 13 volts the alternator is working well. I have known failing alternators, probably with worn brushes, that would fall below 12 volts in this test.