Poor Starting (is200)

[daveb1]

Hi

My 2000/W reg is200 has suddenly developed a problem when starting. Sometimes it's fine, other times it's like the Battery is dead and it won't even turn over.

Last week I drove 160 miles of motorway, stopped at the local petrol station on the way home, filled up and when I tried to start the car it wouldn't. I bumped it and drove 1 mile home, left it overnight and tried starting it in the morning and it worked fine.

I've also tried charging the Battery overnight and it turns over and starts really quickly, drive a couple of miles (no electrical stuff on, not even the radio), park and stop the engine, try again 5 mins later and it's dead.

Is it likely to be just the Battery, or is there something else wrong?

Cheers

Dave

[Tango]

Hi

My 2000/W reg is200 has suddenly developed a problem when starting. Sometimes it's fine, other times it's like the battery is dead and it won't even turn over.

Last week I drove 160 miles of motorway, stopped at the local petrol station on the way home, filled up and when I tried to start the car it wouldn't. I bumped it and drove 1 mile home, left it overnight and tried starting it in the morning and it worked fine.

I've also tried charging the battery overnight and it turns over and starts really quickly, drive a couple of miles (no electrical stuff on, not even the radio), park and stop the engine, try again 5 mins later and it's dead.

Is it likely to be just the battery, or is there something else wrong?

Cheers

Dave

Haven't bought any Tesco or Morrisons petrol lately, have you?

[daveb1]

Haven't bought any Tesco or Morrisons petrol lately, have you?

I use tesco all the time, the car seems to run better on it than BP Esso et al. and I alwways get 400+ miles to a tank... why do you ask?

Dave

[Tango]

Haven't bought any Tesco or Morrisons petrol lately, have you?

I use tesco all the time, the car seems to run better on it than BP Esso et al. and I alwways get 400+ miles to a tank... why do you ask?

Dave

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/01032007/325/cont...vestigated.html

[daveb1]

Haven't bought any Tesco or Morrisons petrol lately, have you?

I use tesco all the time, the car seems to run better on it than BP Esso et al. and I alwways get 400+ miles to a tank... why do you ask?

Dave

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/01032007/325/cont...vestigated.html

Ah thanks, just looked it up... no, I don't think this is the problem, it's not a problem once the car is running, it's getting it started in the first place. Electrical rather than fuel problem.

I'm wondering if after 80k miles, there's anything in the electrical system that starts to routinely wear out... alternator, Battery etc, or whether this is a specific electrical fault on my car.

Dave

[Tango]

Haven't bought any Tesco or Morrisons petrol lately, have you?

I use tesco all the time, the car seems to run better on it than BP Esso et al. and I alwways get 400+ miles to a tank... why do you ask?

Dave

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/01032007/325/cont...vestigated.html

Ah thanks, just looked it up... no, I don't think this is the problem, it's not a problem once the car is running, it's getting it started in the first place. Electrical rather than fuel problem.

I'm wondering if after 80k miles, there's anything in the electrical system that starts to routinely wear out... alternator, Battery etc, or whether this is a specific electrical fault on my car.

Dave

Sounds like the Battery to me, as I had a similar problem a few weeks ago on my IS200. The original Battery was taking a heavy charge all the time the alternator was running and wasn't holding a charge for long either. I jump started it with a spare Battery a couple of times, thinking it had lost charge due to the cold weather and the car only doing short journeys, but the original Battery was just worn out (also around 80K). New Battery fitted and everything is now OK.

[MacRS200]

What voltage have you got on the voltmeter when the engine is running, should be around 13.5 -14 volts. If it is then the alternator is fine, by the sounds of it I would say it is anyway.

Most likely the Battery I would say.

[daveb1]

Sounds exactly the same as Tango's problem. Voltmeter shows around 13.5 and if I put all the electrics on I can find, then rev the engine, i see the voltmeter going up.

New Battery it is then! Anyone know what sort of cost they are?

[Kazi]

Sounds exactly the same as Tango's problem. Voltmeter shows around 13.5 and if I put all the electrics on I can find, then rev the engine, i see the voltmeter going up.

New battery it is then! Anyone know what sort of cost they are?

where do you live as I know someone in Leicestershire. he supplies Halfords and he charges about £45 for a Battery

[daveb1]

Thanks for the thought, but I live near Brighton on the south coast.

Found this link http://www.tayna.co.uk/item/1832/0/prod.htm 60 AH Battery for £67.24 delivered... can't be too bad.

Dave

[Tango]

Thanks for the thought, but I live near Brighton on the south coast.

Found this link http://www.tayna.co.uk/item/1832/0/prod.htm 60 AH battery for £67.24 delivered... can't be too bad.

Dave

Looks OK from the piccie, Just beware that the height, width and length need to be identical to the OEM 'cos its a tight fit. The retailer I went to had two different equivalent charts for which batteries would fit the IS200 and they were both incorrect. Finally took a tape measure to all the heavy duty batteries he had in stock and none of them would have fit. Tried the same trick with another retailer and found one that was spot on for width and length but a little shorter, so that was fine...just had to cut 1/4 " off the bottom of the plastic Battery cover.

[daveb1]

thanks for the warning. Who knew that standard sizes would be so different...