First thanks to everyone who contributed to my running on problen I seem to have it sorted out, I bet i have spoken too soon now but at least if it returns i know how to deal with it.
What is more of concern/annoyance is my charging problem. I'm terrible with electrics, the alternator when the engine is running gives 14v but the voltage at the battery/starter solenoid is only what is left in the battery 12.5v when I have charged it but only 9.7v after i drove from Newcastle to Leeds. I have tried different starter motors and the cable between battery, in the boot, and starter appears to be ok. Now I have had the alternator fixed the battery lasts longer as its only drain is starting/lights, but it still goes pancake in the end. If anyone has any ideas I would love to hear them
thanks
diesel
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As I recall my mini had a light in the boot. I suppose its not staying on after you close the lid ?
As another idea, I assume that your fan belt is not loose ?
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Assuming your mini has one - has the voltage regulator been checked?
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Dave, check your earths, try running a earth cable from alternator earth to battery earth.Check to see if your earth between engine and body is good.
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You are clearly not charging the battery properly for some reason. Charge the battery for 24 hrs put it back in the car and start the engine, run for a few minutes, slip a feeler gauge in the tick over end stop If you have one, so you hold it at 2/2.5 thousand rpm. Now measure the battery at the terminals it should be 14.2 to 14.7 volts depending on the quality of the battery and definitely above 13.75v. Now turn on all the lights heater and rear window demister you should get around 13.75 volts at the battery, if it is below 13.25 you are not charging the battery properly. Locate the starter solenoid and measure the voltage at the main connection from the alternator if that is the same as it was in the boot then ok, if it is more that a 0.25 of a volt check and clean all the main connections and earth straps. Come back with the results/oucome. Regards Peter
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Good advice re checking earths and engine straps, particularly the one at the bottom of the clutch cover. Mind you, if that is bad you usually find the throttle acting as an earth for the starter and melting
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On mine, it was the choke cable that you could make toast on.
Ian
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Hi Peter D thanks for your reply and everyone elses
I have renewed the earths etc and the voltage regulator i in the alt and works fine.
with battery fully charged and the car started i'm getting 12.3v at the battery terminals, should be atleast 13v somthing to charge i think. turn all the lights heater demister wipers on and bat drops to 12.1-12.0v and over 1/2 hour drops to 11.7v therfore no charge. at solenoid i get 12.3v where alternator attaches to slo and battery main cable so i disconnect alt cable and measure its voltage to earth and ge 14v problem was worse so i had alt tested and a new rectifier and control unit put in. so i'm losing 1.7v somewhere. no my theory says that if the batt cable or solenoid was worn and was earthing then the battery would run down just by standing. last week i charged the battery started the car went for a spin then left it for a week and on feturn it started again, the engine had to turn over quite a lot as it was cold so the only thing flattening the battery is starting and using lights etc...
i'm totally stumped i tried another starter & sloenoid but that's made no differance
any ideas?
thanks
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Dave
it does sound like a charging problem, consider for testing purposes removing the battery from the boot, and using decent jump leads connect to the engine earth and the starter sol were i guess your battery terminates to, if after starting you get 14v+ across the battery then you have made some progress, by then reposition the jump leads you should find you bad joint.
Finally if this test fails consider a alternate battery.
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Thanks I'll give it a try and get back to you.
Battery is brand new halfords heavy duty one and holds charge from my mains charger fine.
thanks
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Now a faulty rectifier often causes in increase in the leakage current thus flattening your battery. But you say that is fixed and you now get only 12.7 when engine running NO GOOD. Have you got an alternator with remote sensing, an extra cable ( low current ) which runs right back to the battery ??
Now you need to do this test and tell me the result. undo the Pos bat Terminal and measure the current being taken with everything switch off and all the courtesty lights out. you should have less than a milliamp beware of ant electrical clocks and alarms you have fitted measure the current with them could be 30/40 milliamps, then pull their fuses and measure again. and come back with the results.
If you can crank the car over OK then the main battery feed is good try measuring the voltage at the starter whilst cranking ( two man job and pull the King Lead off ) if the voltage is 10.5/11 volts when you are pulling 100 amps plus then you could not be loosing 1.7 volts when the alternator is trying to put 5 or 6 amps into the battery. Come Back Regards Peter
What year is the car ??
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Come on DeiselDave have you fixed the problem or sold the car Regards Peter
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Come deiselDave have you fixed the charging problem yet we would all like to know what the fault was. Peter
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Come on DeiselDave have you fixed the problem or sold the car Regards. Peter
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Peter D, it would appear that DeiselDave isn't listening. Please refrain from further asking. I will drop him an email and I will then post his answer here - should he get back to me of course.
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thanks for all the help
i am ashamed to say 9considering i'm doing an engineering degree0m that the charging problem was due to the fan belt being too lose . after someone suggested it i remembered tha as i was at uni i had only had two pairs of pliers to tighten it . belt tightened problem solved!
still runs on though however not with any consistancy but when it does it really goes for it!
thanks dave
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And exactly *what* did I suggest in the first reply to your question ?
Dunno why I bother. [sigh]
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