I have a 1.9 diesel felicia estate naturally aspirated i have done 53k in the last 2 years total milage 77k overall a good car but!!!

In the past year it has been through 4 batteries all of which failed after 2-3 months, output from the alternator is 14.2 volts at tick over.

The vehicle has also had 2 starter motors could this be connected.

Symptoms of the problem are that when the engine is hot it fails to start and sounds as if the battery is flat, the engine has oil and coolant also it runs perfectly well when started.The vehicle will normally start from this condition with a jump start and run fine or if the vehicle is cold it will normally start fine.

Surely I cannot have been unlucky enough to buy so many new dud components, the garage solution seems to be to change all components until it works again not my prefered option can any one help?

Thanks Mal

I had 3 coolant temp sensors in my Felicia , due to poor warm start

May be worth a try on that

Sarah

These diesel engines often suffer from warm start problems... as sarah has said its usually cured by a new coolant temperature sensor... see if you can get one from a scrappers and give it a try!

Hope you get it sorted...

P.s. does the voltage get any higher if the enghine is revved... is so then this could be a dodgy voltage regulator and could explain the amount of batteries you've gone through!

Phil

Mmmm true with the voltage reg , but I had thought that they overcharged , not under

But worth a try

Sarah

Well... hes getting a good voltage from his alternator... and it would make sense that if the battery was being overcharged it would knacker it and therefore wouldn't hold a decent charge any longer... worth a shot i suppose!

But suppose if there's no other probs... i.e. ecu catching fire, or warning lights on dashboard then it probably isn't the voltage reg!! lol

Phil

I'd start with the temperature sensor as Sarah (the woman who could have been a mechanic bar a mis-timed interesting condition) says. I'm a touch suspicious about the voltage regulator too, given the way the car seems to be eating batteries and starter motors.

Mmm

I have seen it where the radio goes strange , air bag light comes on , then a funny smell

I have only seen 1 batter explode and go in to the ECU

Turned out to be an expensive repair that one

But could be that it is over charging and killing off battery early

Mmmmm , there has been 2 alternators on , so if they did not replace the regulator at the same time , this could be where the problem is

Mmmmmm

Ken , dont you go telling everyone my secrets

Interesting condition , really :lol:

Sarah

Ken , dont you go telling everyone my secrets

Interesting condition , really :lol:

Sarah

If you don't want people knowing about, best not to post on a public forum really.

As it is, it only increased my respect for you. :hug:

:grouphug:

Cheers haaaah , I feel at home now

Sarah

i'm putting my money on the voltage regulator as this didn't show a drop in voltage on my old rover when multimeter went across battery. The current was somehow going to earth and once swapped was fine.