My car has started having trouble starting – it started just over a week ago and has gradually got worse. I’m thinking it’s the battery, but just after confirmation it can’t be anything else.

It’s usually quite laboured turning over, though sometimes turns over fine. Sometimes the solenoid clicks and nothing happens, but when I try again it does kick in and turn over (usually quite slowly). I presume as the starter motor is turning it’s not that?

Battery voltage is all over the place – 12.9V straight after turning off the engine, but then dropping down to 12.2V after a few hours. It was down to 12.15V earlier after trying the headlights with the engine off (~11.9V with headlights on). I disconnected the battery it was 12.4V at terminals, then 12.15V as soon as I connected it again.

It seems like a knackered battery, or do I have something else wrong with my electrics? (I’m just slightly suspicious because all suggestions are that my battery voltage should be lower if it’s dead, and the variability with how well the engine turns over – just now it started as if nothing was wrong, turned it off tried again and just got a solenoid click).

Clean up the earth connections on chassis and engine before doing anything else.

If your voltage is below about 12.4 v I would start to get suspicious. Ideally you would get a load test done. Tests the voltage with a known load. Many garages would do this. Maybe halfords too.

Cleaned and regreased when I had battery disconnected, didn’t make any difference.

How old is the car / battery?

It does sound like a poorly battery (earths can be an issue too!)

If you have another vehicle can you switch batteries and does that help?

I got one from Tayna batteries after someone on here suggested it and it was a lot cheaper than euro carparts etc!

Such a low (and dropping) voltage surely has to mean a knackered battery but there could be another problem that will kill a new one too. I had a faulty alternator that killed a couple of batteries before I worked out what was going on. But of course a new battery is a very easy and cheap diy step to take.

9 years old.

Thanks for the Tayna tip, but it’s more expensive than I can get at Eurocarparts etc. (using a discount code – base price is a lot more!)

I think the alternator/diode pack is OK, I have 14.5V with engine running, which seems about right.

Just replace with a new battery after all battery is not expensive.

Mine was about 6 year old when I replaced it. I just simply bought one from Halfords … can’t be arsed to search around, saving is not here nor there.

I used to jump start my car every few days due to old battery until I got fed up with that. Replaced the battery and everything is fine since.

🙂

edit:

aracer – Member

9 years old.

Time for new battery me think.

It’s about £70 more at Halfords – worth the bother of going to Eurocarparts!

aracer – Member

chewkw » I just simply bought one from Halfords … can’t be arsed to search around, saving is not here nor there.

It’s about £70 more at Halfords – worth the bother of going to Eurocarparts! [/quote]

Crikey … my bad. 😯

Sorry please search around.

Mine is just ordinary battery for 1.6 litre Toyota.

9 years – new battery needed!

Hello eurocarparts!

(Don’t forget Quidco!) 🙂

If the earths are Ok the next check is the feed to the starter motor/ solenoid. Years gone by you could bypass the solenoid to check that was OK by briefly touching the live feed on the starter motor terminal direct. I don’t know if you can do that on modern starter motors.

Edit: put it in neutral !

Hmm, well it now seems to be starting first time every time and the battery voltage is holding up. Maybe something I did helped…

for future note, carparts4less is the same people as eurocarparts but is cheaper.

But they don’t have a branch network, and it’s only a fiver less (after applying discount)

I had similar problems on my Galaxy, occasionally wouldn’t start but jumped ok. New battery problem went away for a few days. Then it happened again, turn key and nothing. Got it to the garage and they replaced the started motor and now it starts fine.

Nothing to add to the answers already given, but I just wanted to say that when I viewed the forum on my phone the heading was truncated to:

Car diagnostics help – dead bat

😆