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• Chrysler Sebring - Weekly Battery Drain!! Alarm issue?? 4 Aug 2017 (Forum)
  AA called, confirmed the alternator was brand new, checked the battery, which the previous owner had only just replaced and paid £180 for the right version, Spiral cell or something like that. all receipts, guarantees etc.. Battery was completely drained, he fired it up no problem and I spoke with the previous owner and he advised me to disconnect the big green fuse which I believe controls all the memory and saves battery power, which I dis and for the rest of the week, no problem at all.
• 1994 Fiesta - sudden dead battery 7 Dec 2006 (Forum)
  This is all very familiar to when my old fiesta's alternator gave up years ago, but not entirely... I'm pretty sure that it got to the point where it completely tried to run off the battery and couldn't be driven, whereas my wife's appears to be fine until the engine stops and the battery doesn't appear to be holding its charge, even when it has been fully charged... Anyone got any ideas on the problem based on this description please?
• Giving the battery an easier life 18 Mar 2006 (Forum)
  Finally, if the car isn't going to start, give your neighbour or rescue service the chance to help you out, don't keep trying the starter until the battery is completely dead. Despite the inclement weather, the car is still running, and on the original battery. Hawkeye ----------------------------- Stranger in a strange land
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  Wouldn't it make sense for EVs to have longer range rather than more power? 15 Jan 2025 (Ask HJ)
  As range anxiety remains a concern, why do manufacturers make EVs so powerful? Surely less powerful motors would extend range for the same battery size?...
• Any - Real Fuel Saving at Low Cost 4 Sep 2020 (Forum)
  Given that each bhp is roughly equivalent to 750 watts then the energy stored seems trivial compared with the 100 bhp (75Kw) engine but then when you look into it you will see that it may take as little as 16 bhp (12 Kw) to cruise at 60 mph and thus if the alternator has to provide little or no charge to the battery during the journey then maybe 1.8 Kwh less battery charging energy is demanded from the engine. 1.8/12 = 0.15 = 15% energy saving! Even these numbers do not quite stack up, unless the 'engine to alternator to charging' is very inefficient, however a very real saving is recorded every time the battery is pre-charged!
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  How is the fuel economy calculated for the Vauxhall Ampera hybrid? 30 Jul 2011 (Ask HJ)
  I registered last year as an e-Pioneer with Vauxhall and paid my £150. A month or two ago I got to drive an Ampera at the Motor Expo in Canary Wharf and...
• Vauxhall Corsa C - Intermittent battery charging issue 14 Jun 2011 (Forum)
  I have not yet seen the light come on or go off while in transit so if you start the car and it's not on, you know the battery is being charged and your fine for the journey (just don't stop unless you are leaving it for an hour). If you start and the light comes on you know the battery isn't being charged and you had better either be close to home or fine somewhere to pull over.
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  Which car should we buy to leave in storage in the UK? 28 Jun 2010 (Ask HJ)
  My wife and I live in Portugal but are in UK from time to time, when we usually rent a car. Now we're thinking of buying small runaround which we can leave...
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  Can I get a small EV with a 350 mile range? 18 Jan 2022 (Ask HJ)
  I live in a townhouse with no off-street parking. I have a garage in a block but it is unpowered. As I would like to buy an EV, I monitored my driving...
• Citroen C4 - Citroen C4 - Anti Theft / Engine won't crank 16 Feb 2022 (Forum)
  No problems for the first two months, then when my partner was away for the weekend she was under the impression that the battery was flat as it wouldn't start. She tried jump leads, but that didn't work, but a friendly person with some break experience got it started. Checked the battery and alternator and believed they were fine, but didn't mention or spot an issue with the immobiliser.
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  My Vauxhall Vectra 1.9 TDCI won't start. Does it have an electrical fault? 30 Jul 2010 (Ask HJ)
  My 2004 Vauxhall Vectra 1.9 TDCI won't start in the mornings. I've changed the battery twice, changed the alternator and both have been checked, no lights...
• Peugeot 306 (1993 - 2001) - 98 1.9 Running fine, now won't start! 5 Feb 2010 (Forum)
  I have subsequently removed the battery and put it on charge to rule out power supply problems. I also tried turning the car over with jump leads from the negative terminal of the battery to the engine and chassis as well as having the jump leads connected to another car battery (as if jump starting) There were no warning lights displayed on the dash at anytime.
• Volkswagen Golf III (1992 - 1997) - 97 1.6 car does not start in the wet... 2 Dec 2009 (Forum)
  I duly replaced the coil-pack, HT leads, plugs, dizzy cap and rotor (there was evidence of arcking on the rotor and 2 of the HT leads) I still endured the non start on cold/wet days ( in the dry no problems...) I had the battery checked by a well-known motor accessory store it showed that the battery was at 13.5 volts but only 47% starting capacity. I had found that the car would start by using a "boost pack" so using that finding I replaced the battery today (24/11/09) after charging the "new" battery for an hour (one never knows how long the batteries are laying "dormant" in the stores for) the car momentarily showed signs of its old tricks i.e not starting then lo n behold she fired up.
• Qashqai 2nd gen auto - Is self charging Hybrid better for me? 19 Mar 2024 (Forum)
  Thought of Lexus hybrid as well but also worried about the flat battery issue as well.
• Battery Charger - Not So Well Made In Taiwan 13 Sep 2023 (Forum)
  Battery charger seems to be failing. Hit and miss output, and its charging level lights don’'t very often show. Up till now its seemed OK. No choice anyway, since it was the only one I could find when I bought it… The metal case isn’t earthed, but that is only disturbing to foreigners.
• Peugeot 308 SW petrol 130 bhp 1199 cc - Radio going into economy mode after a few minutes 16 Feb 2021 (Forum)
  Could you please advise if the radio is supposed to switch off after a few minutes with the engine off to conserve the battery charge.
• Renault Laguna Estate 1.9dci 2008 - Car won't start 21 Oct 2020 (Forum)
  Since the incident the engine warning light is illuminated when the card is inserted and after about 10 seconds a warning light comes on saying "battery low start engine", since then I charged the battery using a battery charger until the charger said fully charged and then tried to start the engine again, still nothing and then same error message.
• Vauxhall Astra H 1.6 20 - Fuel Gauge reading empty 11 Feb 2020 (Forum)
  Hello everyone, The fuel gauge of my Vauxhall Astra H 1.6 is reading empty even though it is half full. Yesterday I had to take my battery out and charge it (Bad connections on stereo I suspect, I usually take my stereo out when I turn the car off, but the past few days i've left it in and now the battery is dead, not the first time it's happened).
• VW Golf 1.6 Bluemotion - Jumpstarted friends car - lost 10MPG 10 Jan 2020 (Forum)
  Hi Guys, So I jump started my friends ford Fiesta Zetec as his battery completely died, and before doing so my VW Golf was giving me around 75 - 80 MPG on the motorway, even in cold. Straight away after using my car to jumpstart his, I think it has had an adverse affect on my cars battery/alternator/fuel injectors?
• Peugeot Partner Combi 2004 diesel. - Not starting sometimes 16 Jan 2015 (Forum)
  The next try it would start. When trying to start it tries to turn engine but does one try as if there was a flat battery. Sunday it would not start, got green flag out and he said flat battery. I was not 100% convinced but put a new battery on. Tuesday stared first time drove for a mile and stopped the. Would not start again.