My five year old (2000) Fabia Comfort has been a superb car until I didn't set off for work this evening. When I insert the ignition key all the panel lights die and there is a loud and rapid "tick-tick-tick" that appears to be coming from under the dashboard - and the car won't start. Has it died at 65,000 miles? help!

Silly question but does your radio work? If not it could just be the battery has worn out.

What's caused it is open for debate but a faulty alternator could discharge it.

One of the techs will be along shortly with a better idea.

Sounds like a flat battery to me.

Yup - flat battery! Mine did something very similar on Monday, turn, click! no radio too - A power pack jump and its fine now after a good run. Sounds like yours may have stopped holding charge though - Mine ran out for other reasons, i.e not being used at all.

Five years sounds about right for that battery dying thing as well - especially if the car is driven short journeys mostly

My money is on the battery aswell! SWSBO metro does that at the moment because the battery is flat. Again lots of short journeys kills the battery quicker.

Five years sounds about right for that battery dying thing as well - especially if the car is driven short journeys mostly

Even if it's driven long journeys, 5 years is pretty good going. Mine packed up at 4 years, but that may be down to it being a diesel and requiring more juice to start?

Chris

deffo the battery, they don't fade like they used to anymore, they just stop one day

deffo the battery, they don't fade like they used to anymore, they just stop one day

I had the same problem with a Golf Diesel a few years ago. One day it was OK, with what seemed like a good battery, the next day it would not start. I called the RAC and the bloke explained that the small deposits on the sides of the lead plates (inside the battery) become detached and settle on the floor of the battery. Over time these build up, and eventually the base of one of the lead plates will become in contact with the deposits on the floor. When this happens, that particular cell becomes flat and won't hold a charge. It's impossible to check for this, but if you remove the filling caps, or cap, from the top of the battery, and then peer into them whilst someone attempts to start the engine, you may well see the water in one of the cells appearing to bubble up, this identifies the dead cell. Being a Diesel, much battery power is required to start the engine, so if one cell out of the 6 is dead this may be enough to prevent starting. Buy a new battery, best do it now before Winter comes