Battery draining / doesn't like starting
 

hey people,

Something seems to keep draining my battery. Sometimes its fine for a couple of days but then when cold comes and start it it flashes lights and wont start? i have checked the connections on the starter motor and seem fine. Also have a volt gauge which drops low when driving sometimes. any ideas?

how old is the actual battery and have u checked its getting a good charge from the alternator?! also have u got an alarm or sub/amp etc?!

i have disconnected the alarm at the moment and have no sub/amps. the battery is only 6 months old. i will check the charge from the alternator tomorrow.

battery charge and alternator charge is fine. noticed my headlamp on drivers side is dim so willl investigate that. i think it might have something to do with my gauges.

battery is fucked the cold is knocking it out that or u have an amp drain

The clue is in the volt dropping low even when driving, it's a duff alternator, if the diode pack(regulator/rectifier) is packing up it will cause all of this, I've seen one melt the solder points on the rectifier when it got too hot on the rollers, even more embarrasing it was a car I had a hand in!!
The regulator as you can imagine regulates the amount of current, the rectifier part converts the alternating current produced by the alternating current generator/alternator into direct current DC that the battery uses, as AC kills batteries, in doing so it uses a series of diodes, one way electrical valves, after time these leak and allow the battery to discharge through the alternator.
Annoyingly they will still always test perfect on a test for voltage or current, unless absolutely knackered, but rarely show up as bad.
Only way to see for def is leave alternator disconnected overnight.
tabetha

put a amp clamp on your battery earth and see if u have a drain if u dont fit a new battery job done lol

many thanks guys. i will try all of these things over the weekend.