battery / alternator

[mickbilly]

Hi all,
C250 turbo deisel, battery looks almost new,lage Varta, had car 1 year myself. recently the car has just caught when starting from cold and the open/ shut lights on the rear view mirror have flashed on and off for a few seconds afterwards.

was having a new tyre fitted so asked the guy to check the battery for me.
he did all the tests with all electrics on @ 3K revs and said the alternator was not charging enough most of time and overcharging some of the time.
he recomended new alt' and battery as the overcharge would have damaged battery.

quoted 350 quid.

does this seem a right diagnosis to anyone. bit reluctant to pay out if it may be something else.

Merry Christmas,
wish someone would buy me a keyboard with a pound sign on it.

 

[television]

The average tyre guy hardly knows anything about tyres yet alone batteries and alternators.

The only thing they do know is what brand of tyres is giving them the most profit.

Anyone with a battery tester as such more than 12 months old is wasting their time and yours, and false info is expensive.

For a start the appearance of the battery means nothing with the high quality plastic casings produced today. I think that the battery needs replacing going by your poor starting or just starting, now is the time of the year to get one.

Re the alternator its impossible to check accurately on the car, it would need top go onto a test bed, as without knowing the state of the battery you are trying to charge is pointless.
I would suspect that any varying rate of charge was down to one faulty cell on the battery, do not forget that alternators are not made to charge flat batteries, and yours is flat,as the above.

If your alternator was faulty you only every replace the reg pack at a cost of £18 you never change the whole thing.

Get yourself the new battery and you will be a happy bunny. Do not buy a house brand, they are a waste of time,get a Varta,Exide ,Lucas or the like.

Malcolm

 

[bigasotonuk]

Malcolm
what do you mean by house brand?

 

[television]

Malcolm
what do you mean by house brand?

Hi Andy, a house brand is where people like Halfords buy in cheap batteries and have their own label stuck on, many spares shops do the same, they are all rebuilt batteries, or I should say built from recycled lead. Good names are Varta Bosch Exide Banner lucas and a few more.

malcolm

 

[230K]

Hi

Go to a MB Commercial Site and buy a battery for a sprinter or the like. My last one cost me £68.27 inc vat which for a genuine MB battery 100Ah i thought was good.
Part no. "MA005 541 21 01/28 106805 BATTERY 100AMP" is what it says on my docket.

Good luck


230K

 

[bigasotonuk]

Malcolm,
Thanks for the onfo

 

[mickbilly]

thanks Malcom, 230K.