What was the reason for vehicle not being recovered to home address?

7 minutes ago, Warrior193 said:

What was the reason for vehicle not being recovered to home address?

I didn’t have the cover I thought I had. I should have read the small print. For some reason I thought I had home/onward destination cover not 10 miles only.

That does sound like pretty standard "running out of electricity" symptoms. The way it started for the recovery man makes me thing the battery is OK at least.

 

Good news is, there's quite a bit you can check yourself with a torch and a screwdriver. 

 

Have a good look over all the big cables between the battery, starter and alternator, looking for cables fraying at the plugs, loose connections, corrosion.

Check the maxi fuses on top of the battery. They can develop cracks which look ok until you give them a prod.

Check the small wire that runs to the alternator. I'm fairly sure it's a similar setup on a roomster to a mk1 fabia, where it runs along the bar under the radiator into a multiplug, where it can often break down. 

13 minutes ago, Warrior193 said:

The 'prongs' in the expansion bottle refer to the coolant level sensor - low coolant warning on instrument panel would be correct if level is lower than minimum mark.

When was the last time you checked the coolant level?

Believe or not it wasn’t that long ago. I remember putting some in a couple of months ago. I’m no expert but we do try to do the what’s needed to keep the old thing going. I do think it’s time might be up though as we are now at the point where the more I spend on this car the less I’ll have for the replacement. I’m definitely upgrading recovery though!

3 minutes ago, StevesTruck said:

That does sound like pretty standard "running out of electricity" symptoms. The way it started for the recovery man makes me thing the battery is OK at least.

 

Good news is, there's quite a bit you can check yourself with a torch and a screwdriver. 

 

Have a good look over all the big cables between the battery, starter and alternator, looking for cables fraying at the plugs, loose connections, corrosion.

Check the maxi fuses on top of the battery. They can develop cracks which look ok until you give them a prod.

Check the small wire that runs to the alternator. I'm fairly sure it's a similar setup on a roomster to a mk1 fabia, where it runs along the bar under the radiator into a multiplug, where it can often break down. 

Thanks steve, those checks I can do and will do tomorrow.

4 hours ago, JonLongstaff said:

It’s back and it wasn’t an alternator belt. The recovery guy said it started and the coolant light was on.

 

Don't take anything as gospel in case it sends you down a false path, the guy should know a coolant warning light when he sees one but may have been mistaken, coming on at start up can only be low coolant level, level sender failure or the plug disconnected.

 

You should start by establishing if the battery is charging (after checking and topping up coolant if required) then get the engine up to temperature checking for leaks and overheating.

Latest update. First up I think the coolant warning was a red herring. I think the low temperature light comes on until the engine is warm and then it goes off. Meanwhile having sat running for half an hour yesterday, went back to the car this morning - started first time so the battery had held some charge. Seemed to run ok then the battery light came on and then went off again. Checked the obvious stuff under the bonnet, paused for a bit then going back to the car noticed a puddle under the exhaust pipe - slightly black puddle. The boy started the car revved it a bit and liquid came out of the exhaust pipe.We think it's a mixture of oil and petrol. What does the Briskoda hive mind think? 

Condensation, probably normal.

 

I think you should stop chasing phantoms and concentrate on the job in hand, the charging system then worry about things like the temperature warning light which should not be doing what it is but is unrelated.

 

Alternator likely to be worn brushes (new regulator required, easy cheap job) or a bad connection possibly a fracture in the wiring.

 

At 13 years old and 155K miles my money is on worn/sticking brushes, you might be able to gain a little time and miles by freeing them off.

Edited 22 February, 20251 yr by J.R.

4 hours ago, JonLongstaff said:

I think the low temperature light comes on until the engine is warm and then it goes off.

I'd expect a low temp light to be blue or maybe green.

23 minutes ago, Paws4Thot said:

I'd expect a low temp light to be blue or maybe green.

Yup it’s blue.

Is there such a thing as a "low temperature light" then?

 

What is its purpose? - A serious question.

11 minutes ago, J.R. said:

Is there such a thing as a "low temperature light" then?

 

What is its purpose? - A serious question.

WoW!!  JayOrr admits to not knowing something. Honda have used low temperature (warning) lights for at least 10 years.

Re the temperature lights there are two in the roomster, one red one blue, the manual says they are coolant temperature coolant quantity lights. As far as I can remember the blue one has always come one when the engine has been cold and gone off once it has warmed up, I think the red one is for low coolant and overheating. Meanwhile when JR said you might be able to gain a little time and miles by freeing them off I'm starting to think that other than spending a decent chunk of money with inherent risk all we are doing is trying to eke a few more miles out of a car that is on the way out and the smart thing to do might be to weigh it in.

 

6 hours ago, JonLongstaff said:

I think the red one is for low coolant and overheating.

Well, in anything I've driven the red one is supposed to be for overheating (and possibly low coolant). The most likely cause of it illuminating on a cold engine is a false positive caused by muck on the level sensor prongs, often visible if you unscrew the cap on the expansion bottle and look inside. This is usually fixed by scraping a broad flat blade screwdriver down the visible side of the prongs 2 or 3 times. If you can't see them, a new expansion bottle is under £30.

15 hours ago, Paws4Thot said:

WoW!!  JayOrr admits to not knowing something. Honda have used low temperature (warning) lights for at least 10 years.

 

Thankyou for that, now you have had your free kick how about answering my question and explaining what the purpose of the blue low temperature light is please?

 

I understand it has one, I understand the conditions when it is illuminated but am still at a loss as to the intended purpose.

 

You call it a warning light, a warning of what?

35 minutes ago, J.R. said:

 

Thankyou for that, now you have had your free kick how about answering my question and explaining what the purpose of the blue low temperature light is please?

 

I understand it has one, I understand the conditions when it is illuminated but am still at a loss as to the intended purpose.

 

You call it a warning light, a warning of what?

Well, I don't know about Honda's, but I suspect that it could very well be an early form of the ice warning system that we all seem to have in today's cars?

Edited 23 February, 20251 yr by Graham Butcher

On 21/02/2025 at 15:11, StevesTruck said:

That does sound like pretty standard "running out of electricity" symptoms. The way it started for the recovery man makes me thing the battery is OK at least.

 

Good news is, there's quite a bit you can check yourself with a torch and a screwdriver. 

 

Have a good look over all the big cables between the battery, starter and alternator, looking for cables fraying at the plugs, loose connections, corrosion.

Check the maxi fuses on top of the battery. They can develop cracks which look ok until you give them a prod.

Check the small wire that runs to the alternator. I'm fairly sure it's a similar setup on a roomster to a mk1 fabia, where it runs along the bar under the radiator into a multiplug, where it can often break down. 

Thanks steve, those checks I can do and will do tomorrow.

Thought I posted that yesterday. Don’t want to cause an argument. My understanding of the blue light from the manual is that it warns you that the engine isn’t up to temperature yet.  There’s a snowflake that appears in the little computer when the temp gets below 4 for the ice warning.

 Meanwhile does anyone think it’s time to let the car go? I’m starting till think so. Bear in mind that the idea of looking for a replacement fills me with dread..

1 hour ago, J.R. said:

 

I understand it has one, I understand the conditions when it is illuminated but am still at a loss as to the intended purpose.

 

 

It's simply a very crude temperature guauge...   Cold or below normal operating temperature range /. In range / too high or low coolant level.

36 minutes ago, JonLongstaff said:

Meanwhile does anyone think it’s time to let the car go?

As you may have gathered, I think that, at worst, making the temperature lights work normally will be about £30 (parts) and maybe 15 minutes labour at a local garage.

On 21/02/2025 at 15:11, StevesTruck said:

 

Check the small wire that runs to the alternator. I'm fairly sure it's a similar setup on a roomster to a mk1 fabia, where it runs along the bar under the radiator into a multiplug, where it can often break down. 

 

 

I reckon this could be bang on and is pretty typical of the sort of electrical failure you described.  It's a known design fault and a relatively easy fix as I seem to recall a repair kit being available for the Fabia that had longer wires to overcome the problem of vibration pulling them apart at the connector.

 

To me it sounds like the temperature lights are doing what they should and the back liquid dripping from the exhaust is simply condensation mixed with exhaust residue within the exhaust itself.

Edited 23 February, 20251 yr by skomaz

8 minutes ago, Paws4Thot said:

As you may have gathered, I think that, at worst, making the temperature lights work normally will be about £30 (parts) and maybe 15 minutes labour at a local garage.

Fair point, the temperature gauge is not really what is bothering me, but maybe it should be. Alternators, other electricals, Oily liquid out of the exhaust is bothering me more.

10 minutes ago, JonLongstaff said:

Fair point, the temperature gauge is not really what is bothering me, but maybe it should be. Alternators, other electricals, Oily liquid out of the exhaust is bothering me more.

As @skomaz, I think the alternator is most likely another well documented 15 mins at the local garage fix.

1 hour ago, JonLongstaff said:

 Meanwhile does anyone think it’s time to let the car go? I’m starting till think so.

 

Absolutely not especially as there is nothing that can replace a Roomster. You need some very simple cheap repairs, anything more modern is going to need complicated and expensive attention

 

I get the impression that you are looking for validation to get rid of it, you picked the wrong place, we are fond of Roomsters here even those of us who have never owned one!

Yeah, I'm toying with the idea of coming over to see if I can help with this.

Probably lots of life left in it.