Becky Edwards

Hi Guys,

New to this forum but hoping for some advice.

I have a 1.2 ford focus, 2014 model. 17k on the clock, no history of problems at all.

The other week I got up for work and my car just wouldn't start. Had no indication anything was wrong, no warning lights or anything. Had used it the day before without issue. The radio/internal electrics came on but the engine was just clicking. The oil and battery light came on, checked oil which is fine. First checked if I'd left lights or anything on but I hadn't

Had a mobile mechanic out, he said the battery was charging fine at 12.5v and he got it started within seconds but once he turned the engine off, the same problem occured - just clicking. He said the battery was dead and he'd go away and get me a quote for one. About three days later he calls, telling me he ran into an electrician he knew and he'd advised that the battery should be charging at 14v and that therefore I'd need both a new battery and now also a new alternator. This electrician has not seen or inspected the car. The mechanic, on this electrician's advice quoted me at £320 for the job and parts. Told me the battery would be £55 on it's own but that I would definitely need a new alternator and was looking at around £200 for one.

I might be being paranoid but I can't help be sceptical - the whole "I ran into an old friend" line had me suspicious straight away.

Does what this mechanic has diagnosed sound right or should I get a second opinion? What sounds likely to be the issue based on my description? From what I understand as well, aren't you supposed to take the car on a run for a good 20-30 minutes after jump starting it? If the battery is dead as he's claiming, but he got it started, shouldn't he have advised me to take it on a drive and THEN turn it off and attempt to start it again? I dunno, I'm not a mechanic so I could be showing my ignorance here but that's what I've heard from others so just wanting an opinion on that. It'll cost me another £45~ to get a second opinion as that's the average price in my area for a call out so I'm looking to minimise costs here as much as possible. Is it worth the second opinion or should I just get the battery and alternator replaced as advised?

Any advice greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance.

smiley

Take your car to quick fit and have a battery/alternator test most auto factors places will do this for free but me personally I'd buy a new battery first off it's this time of year dark mornings and evenings when your battery usually goes if it's on it's way out when more power is needed alternator isn't a big job either

fuzzy

id have thought if its running ok with a jump then the alternator is fine. id guess its either battery or starter motor related if its clicking but could be something as simple as a loose earth .

Becky Edwards

Thanks for the advice guys. Decided to take a risk and attempt changing the battery myself as I was sure that was the issue. Figured that at worst if I couldn't manage to change it myself then I'd have a new battery. Managed to fit it with the help of youtube and car's running fine again

smiley

Happy days

BillyEdmonds

Did you check the charging voltage after the battery change ?
it should be charging at 14v or.more depending on load.
You may also need a replacement alternator and if you do you're just going to kill your new battery eventually.

RichieST

iTrader: (2)

As above, if the alternator isn't charging the battery, it will only be a couple of days before it is knackered again. However I would have thought that with the age of the car and the low mileage, the alternator should be ok and is probably the battery at fault. Do you do a lot of short journeys?

St3V3_C

A flat battery with an alternator that is working correctly may well show a low voltage.

Charge/change the battery and then measure the charging voltage from the alternator.

studabear

If the mobile mechanic thinks a battery is charging correctly at 12.5v he needs to change his career asap.

stevieturbo

That part of this story is well and truly shocking....or not surprising I guess.

cossynut2

Glad your car is running again but for your peace of mind, take it to a decent Auto-Factors/ Quick Fit or similar and get a free alternator check to make sure it is charging correctly.
With such a low mileage car I would be suprised if the alternator is faulty.

Caddyshack

Becky Edwards

Hey guys. Figured I'd give you all an update. Many of you were concerned that the alternator was still a potential issue ...And you were right! Car lasted less than 2 days on new battery before dying completely to the point where it wouldn't even unlock with the key-fob. Just got alternator replaced today and so far so good. Turning on fine, running fine, no issues so far. Fingers crossed this solves the issue. Christ knows I can't afford another call out! Was hoping to save myself a couple hundred quid replacing the battery myself and thought I'd solve the issue when it started. But at my luck would have it, things are never that simple Hopefully the alternator's done the trick now.

Also, how long should an alternator typically last? My car's done less than 22k and is only 4 years old which is why I thought it was just a battery issue. I admit I know little about cars but I feel an alternator should last decidedly more than 22k before failing. Surely 22k/4 years is fairly young as far as alternators go? Google says the average alternator should last about 7 years or 100k miles. Any ideas what caused it to fail so early? I bought the car directly from a ford dealership at 3 years old on 10k miles. Feel like it's far too early for the alternator to fail.

stevieturbo

Anything can fail at any time....

But yes that is very early, however low mileage isnt always a good thing when it comes to cars. Isnt it still under warranty ?

Becky Edwards

It's not, unfortunately. Warranty ended May 2017.

cossynut2

The new battery and alternator should last a long time, the old one did pack up to soon but hopefully now everything should be spot on.

martysmartie

iTrader: (1)

I doubt the alternator is the issue, the smart charge system is usually at fault, you need someone with the knowledge to perform decent troubleshooting, the last thing you want is more wasted expense replacing something else which is perfectly ok.

Whilst on the subject your battery should be silver calcium, some incorrectly fit lead acid which will cause issues.

Martin