TheBlackDog

Thanks for the suggestions. Something to do Saturday. Something a colleague suggested today is to check for any AC voltage appearing accross the battery terminals as this could show a problem with the voltage regulator/rectifier.

Hi, Apologies if I'm hijacking the thread. I've come accross topic this whilst searching because I have a similar issue. Only had the car since start of September last year, 64 plate Mk2 Monte Carlo 1.2TSi, Fitted a new battery at the end of September because battery seemed to be struggling with starting but by the end of December signs of dying battery. With the engine running a voltmeter pluggged into the accessory socket measures anything between 13.5 and 14.2 and I get the same figures directly accross the battery terminals. It seems to be an intermittant fault because for example today I drove approximately 11 miles, no accessories drawing power, no lights except drls, no aircon, no radio, etc and for the entire journey 14.2 on the voltmeter in the car. Car parked for 10 miutes and then drove back home. Nothing changed in car nothing drawing power that wasn't on for the first journey but the voltmeter now showing 13.7 the entire way. This morning before leaving home I checked some earth points under the bonnet. All of these measurements are from the negative battery terminal, to engine top 0 Ohms, to alternator casing 0 Ohms, and to where the terminal is connected to the bodywork 0 Ohms, regardless of whether the engine was running or not all three of these measured 0 Ohms. Then when I got back home and the slightly lower voltage was showing I measured the resistances again. With the engine running, battery to bodywork 0 Ohms, battery to engine 107 Ohms and staying stable at 107 and from battery to alternator casing I measured a resistance fluctuating wildly between 0 and 200 Ohms. I then connected a cable between the battery negative terminal and the top of the engine the resistance dropped straight to 0 as I expected but the voltage measured only increased to 13.8V I then switched off the car and removed the extra earthing cable all three resistances immediately dropped to 0 Ohms. The car has been back where it was purchased from under warranty but their best advice was the battery is faulty and not charging properly. Halfords who I bought the battery from have checked the battery and say there is nothing wrong with it, I have seen the screen on the battery tester that states "Good Battery". Apparently the dealer can't do a thorough indepth check of the electronics as they are a Ford dealer and don't know the specifics of Skoda/VAG electronic diagnostics. I am already unhappy with them as they have failed to repair 2 other issues and the last time I collected the car from them a third issue (non-electrical) had appeared meaning that the car became more broken whilst in their care instead of coming back fixed. I suspect Ford/Skoda differences is just them trying to get out of doing the work but it could be that there are significant differences between Ford and VAG electronics, I don't know. Any help will be gratefully received. Known component issues, anything at all. Thanks.

Hi, I'm Zac. Recetly purchased a 64 plate Fabia Monte Carlo and have a few question about it and remembered being a member of Briskoda many years ago when I owned an R reg Felicia, before that I owned 2 Favorits in the 1990's.