The Epic Austrian owned R16 from Germany doing French things in a Parallel Universe near England Saga

[cms206]

^^^^ Not '60s/'70s enough.

 

Davenset High Discharge 12V Battery Tester 01 by E Honda, on Flickr

I used to have dealings with a Hungarian pensioner called Zoltan who tested batteries using a rather more agricultural device that looked vaguely similar which he always referred to as "tha fuck'an halcovader". Never had a clue what he meant.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

This one's quite nice, and less than a tenner including post:

 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Amp-Meter-Crypton-heavy-discharge-battery-Tester/253289454848

[richardmorris]

I think Tesla died using something similar!

[richardmorris]

That being said, I’ve bid on it.

[richardmorris]

And now I own it. Rentals available next week!

[SiC]

Not a bad price. Add a modern voltmeter onto it and it'd be a very useful tool. Could get a clamp meter (e.g. Uni-T UT210e) to test that ammeters accuracy.

[Junkman]

I have none of this witches' kitchens utensils.

 

The voltage is in excess of 13 even when the car hasn't been running for an hour or so. All the small amp stuff works, i.e. lights, wipers, heater fan, etc.

But there isn't enough juice for the starter.

Hence I assume battery. If there were anything wrong with the charging system, there wouldn't be any Volts after a while.

[SiC]

Put the voltmeter on the battery and take a minimum voltage reading while cranking. Poor man's load tester.

[Junkman]

It's not cranking. I am cranky.

[vulgalour]

Is the cigar lighter of the metal bodied type? If so, I bet the halves are loose and it's sucking all your electricity out. The Princess did this and a replacement modern lighter from Halfords solved the problem.

[Junkman]

Hurga?

[vulgalour]

The cigar lighter.  If it's a generic metal bodied one it has a screw thread between the two halves and when they unscrew even a little bit it seems to short out and flatten the battery.  Makes more sense when you actually see it dismantled.  Took bloody ages to find the problem in the Princess.

[Junkman]

I still have no idea what you're on about, but I'll do a Jake with the cigarette lighter tomorrow and see what happens.

[vulgalour]

 

If you've got one of these types of cigar lighters, then it's probably the issue.  There's an inner and outer casing with a moulded-in screw thread so as you tighten it up it both earths and clamps itself to the trim panel. When they come unscrewed, they don't earth reliably and then start causing weird issues.  Mine started with occasional loss of power at the lighter and developed into disco party lights when trying to indicate or brake and eventually loss of electricity when the car was left to its own devices.

 

I don't know how better to describe it.

[SiC]

It's not cranking. I am cranky.

Is it attempting to crank? I.e. solenoid or motor clunking? Still try reading the voltage when doing that. If it's dropping to <10v then you've got battery problems. If it's not dropping then it's unlikely battery problems.

[D Spares & Tyres]

A faulty starter would cause these issues

[alf892]

Its all well and good having volts from the alternator but don't really mean much...........its currents you need.....have you checked if the alt is actually putting out some amps?

[Squirrel2]

Check again for a good connection between battery negative lead and engine block - the lead may go to a bolt on the gearbox. For a quick check use a jump lead between battery negative and engine block. My 16TX gave similar symptoms and the clue was a hot spot where the lead bolted to the (oily) gearbox; there were sparks emanating when the key was turned, too, if I recall.

 

Squirrel2

[Junkman]

Is it attempting to crank? I.e. solenoid or motor clunking?

 

Yes.

 

 

A faulty starter would cause these issues

 

No.

 

 

Its all well and good having volts from the alternator but don't really mean much...........its currents you need.....

I know.

 

have you checked if the alt is actually putting out some amps?

With what?

 

 

 

Check again for a good connection between battery negative lead and engine block - the lead may go to a bolt on the gearbox. For a quick check use a jump lead between battery negative and engine block. My 16TX gave similar symptoms and the clue was a hot spot where the lead bolted to the (oily) gearbox; there were sparks emanating when the key was turned, too, if I recall.

 

Squirrel2

Yes.

[Squirrel2]

Borked battery? Swap out for a known good one...?

[SiC]

With what?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/UNI-T-UT210E-Current-Meters-Capacitance/dp/B00O1Q2HOQ

 

[dean36014]

20170309-03.jpg

 

If you've got one of these types of cigar lighters, then it's probably the issue.  There's an inner and outer casing with a moulded-in screw thread so as you tighten it up it both earths and clamps itself to the trim panel. When they come unscrewed, they don't earth reliably and then start causing weird issues.  Mine started with occasional loss of power at the lighter and developed into disco party lights when trying to indicate or brake and eventually loss of electricity when the car was left to its own devices.

 

I don't know how better to describe it.

Wonder if this is the case of the mystery drain on my daily BX. It seems to have a lighter like this which is temperamental to use. I might rip it out and replace it and see if this cures it. i=It needs a new one anyway.

[Junkman]

51YqRKFAQdL._SX856_1.jpg

https://www.amazon.co.uk/UNI-T-UT210E-Current-Meters-Capacitance/dp/B00O1Q2HOQ

 

Wow, that looks black magic alright.

Can you bring it over real quick, please?

[Junkman]

20170309-03.jpg

 

If you've got one of these types of cigar lighters, then it's probably the issue.  There's an inner and outer casing with a moulded-in screw thread so as you tighten it up it both earths and clamps itself to the trim panel. When they come unscrewed, they don't earth reliably and then start causing weird issues.  Mine started with occasional loss of power at the lighter and developed into disco party lights when trying to indicate or brake and eventually loss of electricity when the car was left to its own devices.

 

I don't know how better to describe it.

That'll be the last thing I check, though, since it's a dashboard out job including disconnecting the Phamous Phlap cable.

[vulgalour]

Same.  But I'm pretty good at removing and refitting Princess dashboards now.  I reckon I could compete at an Olympic level in fact.

[Junkman]

I replaced the battery. It's not a Parisian one.

[Junkman]

See.

 

[Junkman]

Turns out it was the battery and nowt else. Five days in and there haven't been any more issues.

To the contrary, the volt meter is now occasionally in the green, something that has never happened before

and the fuel gauge suddenly works.

[Squire_Dawson]

That is most vexing. All those symptoms suggesting something else. Perhaps the knackered battery confused the charging system? Anyway, glad it turned out to be a simple cause.

[Pillock]

Volts don't start a car, raisins do. Or currents.

 

You can have a battery showing 13v, 14.4v, whatever, but if the capacity has all fallen out it won't crank. Try starting a car off 8 AA batteries and see where you get, cos that's also 12V.