Did I do something wrong?

oldfart · 22nd April 2018, 15:30

Rover 75, 04 plate diesel saloon BMW 2.0L engine.

Day 1. Mobile Air Con guy turns up, gasses up aircon. Air con works, then cuts out. Guy tells me its because its overheated, because the Rad Fan isnt turning. He tells me 90% of the time its either the fan or the 100W gold resistor burnt out.

Day 3. Have obtained working fan and new gold resistor, takes 1 hour to figure out how to remove enough of the front to get to it all. In the process, i disconnect the passenger fog light/indicator cluster and the passenger headlight cluster

Day 5. Determine the fan is ok, but the resistor is open circuit, replace it, reassemble. Works when ignition turned on and demist buttion pressed, as it should.

Reassemble front of car. Go to start engine to allow it to idle to ensure correct fan and air con function....nothing. Click click click. Turn lights on, turn windscreen wipers on, try and start car, everything dims and slows slightly. Inconclusive. CAN/OBD reader reports nothing wrong. Mate has super duper battery diagnostic device, made by those of Nipponese ethnicity, marvellous device, it determines Battery has suddenly kicked the bucket, it is no more, it is an ex battery.

Replace battery, starts ok, charging ok. Still ok today, a week later. Solved.

Now was this coincidence the battery died, or did I cause the battery to flatten somehow? Nothing was left on, no lights, or anything in the car. Just seems a bit weird it died suddenly, and after fiddling with the car, and leaving lighting plugs unplugged for two days. In the old days you could see the fail coming - it would get harder to start, it wouldnt turn over as fast when starting, couple of times it'd go flat after driving round in the cold with everything turned on...

Am I being paranoid Or do modern batteries fall off a cliff edge like that??

SideValve · 22nd April 2018, 16:18

They can, I helped a colleague jump their car a while back. Had been absolutely fine, stalled pulling out off the parking space, battery dead as dodo. No warning and had just started the car first touch as normal.

kelvo · 22nd April 2018, 16:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldfart

Reassemble front of car. Go to start engine to allow it to idle to ensure correct fan and air con function....nothing. Click click click. Turn lights on, turn windscreen wipers on, try and start car, everything dims and slows slightly. Inconclusive. CAN/OBD reader reports nothing wrong. Mate has super duper battery diagnostic device, made by those of Nipponese ethnicity, marvellous device, it determines Battery has suddenly kicked the bucket, it is no more, it is an ex battery.

Replace battery, starts ok, charging ok. Still ok today, a week later. Solved.

Now was this coincidence the battery died, or did I cause the battery to flatten somehow? Nothing was left on, no lights, or anything in the car. Just seems a bit weird it died suddenly, and after fiddling with the car, and leaving lighting plugs unplugged for two days. In the old days you could see the fail coming - it would get harder to start, it wouldnt turn over as fast when starting, couple of times it'd go flat after driving round in the cold with everything turned on...

Am I being paranoid Or do modern batteries fall off a cliff edge like that??

nope, I've had two batteries fail with no warning. Out one evening parked up, went out a couple of hours later and all sorts of weird things happened when I turned the key. Same a year or two back, got car out of garage and went to work, came back to the station car park after work and again dead.

It does seem the way they fail now, previously you would notice things getting slower to turn over, but I had no warning and both at inconvenient times.

bl52krz · 22nd April 2018, 22:46

Nothing new. I had a Ford 100e van 50 odd years ago. Went into my mothers with wife for about five minutes, and she asked if I could go down the shops for her. Went out to my motor, and battery was as flat as a dodo. Had to walk down to garage half a mile away for a new battery, and carry it back. ( That’s why I can remember it.)

22nd April 2018, 15:30	#1
oldfart Newbie Rover 75 Saloon Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Lincoln Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Did I do something wrong? Rover 75, 04 plate diesel saloon BMW 2.0L engine. Day 1. Mobile Air Con guy turns up, gasses up aircon. Air con works, then cuts out. Guy tells me its because its overheated, because the Rad Fan isnt turning. He tells me 90% of the time its either the fan or the 100W gold resistor burnt out. Day 3. Have obtained working fan and new gold resistor, takes 1 hour to figure out how to remove enough of the front to get to it all. In the process, i disconnect the passenger fog light/indicator cluster and the passenger headlight cluster Day 5. Determine the fan is ok, but the resistor is open circuit, replace it, reassemble. Works when ignition turned on and demist buttion pressed, as it should. Reassemble front of car. Go to start engine to allow it to idle to ensure correct fan and air con function....nothing. Click click click. Turn lights on, turn windscreen wipers on, try and start car, everything dims and slows slightly. Inconclusive. CAN/OBD reader reports nothing wrong. Mate has super duper battery diagnostic device, made by those of Nipponese ethnicity, marvellous device, it determines Battery has suddenly kicked the bucket, it is no more, it is an ex battery. Replace battery, starts ok, charging ok. Still ok today, a week later. Solved. Now was this coincidence the battery died, or did I cause the battery to flatten somehow? Nothing was left on, no lights, or anything in the car. Just seems a bit weird it died suddenly, and after fiddling with the car, and leaving lighting plugs unplugged for two days. In the old days you could see the fail coming - it would get harder to start, it wouldnt turn over as fast when starting, couple of times it'd go flat after driving round in the cold with everything turned on... Am I being paranoid Or do modern batteries fall off a cliff edge like that??

22nd April 2018, 16:18	#2
SideValve Gets stuck in Rover 75 Saloon Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Oxford Posts: 767 Thanks: 141 Thanked 204 Times in 141 Posts	They can, I helped a colleague jump their car a while back. Had been absolutely fine, stalled pulling out off the parking space, battery dead as dodo. No warning and had just started the car first touch as normal. __________________ The Story So Far: Austin A35, Morris Oxford, Triumph Herald, Mini 850, Mini 1000, Austin Allegro, MG Midget, MGB GT, Rover SD1 2600, Austin Maxi, Rover 200, Rover 825, Rover 800, Bedford TK, Range Rover 3.9 efi, Rover 400, Rover 100, MGF, Rover 25, Rover 75 1.8, Rover 75 Connoisseur SE 2.0 V6, MGF 1.8i, Rover 75 Connoisseur 2.0 V6 Auto, Morris Eight Series E, Morris Minor 1275. Last edited by SideValve; 22nd April 2018 at 18:00..

22nd April 2018, 22:46	#4
bl52krz This is my second home Rover 75 cdt club + Rover 2.5 KV6 Conni SE Join Date: May 2008 Location: Birmingham Posts: 11,396 Thanks: 6,587 Thanked 2,262 Times in 1,729 Posts	Nothing new. I had a Ford 100e van 50 odd years ago. Went into my mothers with wife for about five minutes, and she asked if I could go down the shops for her. Went out to my motor, and battery was as flat as a dodo. Had to walk down to garage half a mile away for a new battery, and carry it back. ( That’s why I can remember it.) __________________ Great Barr, Birmingham.