Battery not holding Charge.

[RJL Jag]

So today was meant to be my dream f type day and it’s been a nightmare.

I collected my f type from Oxford around 120 miles from where I live. I got all the way home beaming with pride and love with all the pops and crackles. As I got to my drive a battery charging fault light appeared. So I drove it around a little more and it eventually completely died.

I purchased a new battery to get me home and again the car was fantastic for another hour until it shit it’s pants again with the same error followed by e brake, abs, hand break the Christmas tree bingo flashed once again. Both batteries now completely drained.

I’m not clued in as some are with cars but I assume it’s an alternator issue. I’ve checked the earth and there is no water or corrosion all connections are secure and look in good condition .

If anyone has had any experience similar be greatly appreciated on the next steps I have until Thursday to say whether I was to keep the car.

The garage are going to cover any costs, but if anyone can shine some light on what they think it could be and if they think I should just wash my hands of the car please put your 2 pence in. Extremely disappointed as you can imagine. Thanks

 

[scm]

It could be that you have the drain issue after an incorrect disconnect from the OBD port. If you lock the car, check that the light in the hazard switch goes out after about 10 minutes (you can check by looking through the back window). If it stays on you need to do a battery reset - disconnect one of the battery leads for a minute or two, and then reconnect. That should fix any modules that haven't shut down properly. Then give the battery a good charge and only then can you start diagnosing any remaining issues.

Good luck, and welcome to the forum, sorry your first post had to be a problem!

 

[Anonymous]

As you've only just purchased the car, presumably from a dealer, make it their issue. I would obviously contact them and agree that they will cover the cost of a main dealer or specialist investigation and parts etc.

 

[MikeM]

If it has drained whilst you’ve been running the engine it sounds very much like the alternator has failed. Also should check if OBD port is shut down but as already said get the dealer to pick it up and sort it.

 

[cj10jeeper]

It’s most certainly a failing to charge issue, not a passive drain issue. That would only occur when parked up not whilst driving. It’s alternator or some element of the charging circuit that’s failed. The fact you flattened a new battery is simply that running the engine, lights, etc. used it.

I would contact the dealer put them on notice that you intend to return the car within the allotted time period, however if they take over from here and arrange rectification to your satisfaction at an appropriate dealer or auto electrician, then you’ll retain the car. Make it their job to fix with no inconvenience to you. Way better to have them under pressure to fix it than getting you to run around and worry. If you traded in stop them releasing that car..

 

[paddy1000111]

Definitely just sounds like an alternator issue. Make it their problem. At the end of the day though these things happen. You could go and get a new one off the forcourt and have exactly the same issue, not a reason to bin the car off.

 

[Ratboiler]

Sounds like you have your heart on this car Paddy but sound advice above.
I would walk away there are a lot of good deals around at the moment.
You really don't want to be driving a car waiting for a charging light to come on, or waiting for it to go out.
Let us know what you decide.

 

[paddy1000111]

Sounds like you have your heart on this car Paddy but sound advice above.
I would walk away there are a lot of good deals around at the moment.
You really don't want to be driving a car waiting for a charging light to come on, or waiting for it to go out.
Let us know what you decide.

Do you not think that this could just be a minor issue that the garage would fix though? I mean, I've got a very tiny leak from my coolant pump and the heated windscreen elements have failed in some places, none of which were noted when I bought it in June. I have a warranty so its all getting fixed, the rest of the car is pristine though so I'm not going to sell it and buy another. Its a second hand car and the dealerships don't drive them for 6 months to pick up on little issues (although the charging issue should have been noticed). All I mean is that they will fix it and the car will be perfect. He could get rid of it and then go to another forecourt and pick up another car that could then have a coolant leak and a windscreen issue or a get a v6s with a failing rear axle. There's a reason dealerships give you a warranty when you buy a car, S*** happens, fix it (at their cost) and move on. All they will do if you take it back is fix it then sell it to someone who will have a pristine f-type and be a happy buyer.

 

[scm]

There's a reason dealerships give you a warranty when you buy a car, S*** happens, fix it (at their cost) and move on.

The reason they give you a warranty is because the law says any faults found in the first 6 months are on their dollar, so they (try to) claim it through the warranty rather than pay for it themselves. I've had direct experience of this with my previous XKR - a wiring fault requiring the rear axle to be dropped (6 hour job at their labour rates!) not covred by warranty, but happened in the first six months. When I pointed this out to them, they managed to discover it was covered by the warranty after all. Car was fine after that, apart from needing to get a 4 wheel alignment done because they didn't put the rear axle back in exactly the same position.