LOW VOLTS! 11.9V with engine running, 11.1V with headlights and heaters

[wkdkris]

following the thread of starter clicking...... i bought a new starter and solenoid and the car will still not start!!! today i have found though when left idling fora few minutes i checked the voltage and it was down to 11.1V with heater and headlights on. surely this should be about 13.8 volts. when EVERYTHING is off, key out, it barely reads 12volts

any ideas?????

[rickya130]

Check all the wires on the alternator mate and check the earths if all them are ok I would say the alternator is f****d

[Dav1d]

Alternator and/or battery (that time of year)

[Dom]

Does your battery light come on with the ignition and go out when the car is started ?

[Dom]

Oh and is your engine to chassis / battery ground good without any corrosion ? Could explain both problems if its missing / snapped / not making a good connection.

[Vinci]

ALternator to block braid is also a possibility... But as Dom says check it the battery light comes on!!

[MSG]

Have you connected your alternator cable to the starter terminal from where it then connects to the battery? since you canged your starter motor, you may have reconnected the cable from battery to starter but may have left from alternator to starter, the wiring is daisy chainedb from batt to starter and from starter to altinator. I am talking about the big thick wires.

[Frisco]

Have you done what was suggested in the other thread?

[wkdkris]

Thanks for all the replys guys first chance to get online.... The battery light comes on with ignition. and goes out once the engine is running but today all I had was 10.4volts at one point(engine running). I'm going to jack it up tomorrow and trace all wiring from battery to starter and alt. So cheers for daisy chain info. I've noticed now sometimes the steering goes really heavy but no eps light either.(does work on ignition check). It's puzzling me.

Today at one point too. Air bag light poped on. Then handbrake, oil, then everything. Radio heater and headlights died. Had to stall the engine I was worried it was going to fry something expensive. It took a right hissy fit. Bump started it and drove home fine :s

[rickya130]

The light are coming on because there not getting enough power that's why the power steering stops working

[wkdkris]

new starter, solenoid, battery, and soon new alt, but surely new battery would power the starter motor regardless of the state of the alt? i checked the wiring it all seems fine, so short of replacing it all but im just throwing money at it and nothings solving it.

I tested the new battery it was at 13.2 volts out the shop, fully charged! starter still refuses to turn over, bump started it got out, tested again and had 14.4-14.5 volts at the battery, so it was charging again! i cant see the new alt fixing my problems its an 09 engine how the hell could it of failed that quick!

me and that car just arent supposed to be! one thing after another......

[rickya130]

well its not the alternator mate if its up to 14.4 volts after a run around so i wouldnt change that, i think the old battery was no good (was taking a charge) so you needed a new one anyway. So whats the starter motor doing when you try and start the engine? clicking? Was it a new starter motor?

[bunnymofo]

its an 09 engine how the hell could it of failed that quick!

my new alt died within a year of having it.

[wkdkris]

well its not the alternator mate if its up to 14.4 volts after a run around so i wouldnt change that, i think the old battery was no good (was taking a charge) so you needed a new one anyway. So whats the starter motor doing when you try and start the engine? clicking? Was it a new starter motor?

not new but from a trusted seller, going to post a video of what it does so you's can have a listen, its doing my head in. if i strip the motor off cover everything in dw40 fiddle on, pull the wires about, curse and swear at it, i get 1 or two weak starts, then it fails again. im poss thinking a shot to bits wire, but how could that happen?ive tried jump leads from the battery to the starter makes no difference. the battery was about 6 months old what was on it from halfords, so its still under garentee. Does seem strange how volts are now about right, 12.6 off, 14.4 running, with heaters n lights it goes to 13.8 about right on a different battery, so il leave the good one on for now....... headache!

[lee303]

tried an earth strap yet?

[wkdkris]

yes....well a jump lead with its end cut off, and a lug, bolted to the engine/starters bolt. and clamped to the battery

[wkdkris]

[anderson54]

try a live wire for batt to the starter motor and see what happens

[rickya130]

Also try and get a multimeter on the live wire on the starter motor see if its getting the right power, and then put it on the red/black wire (i think that's the right colour) and get someone to try turn it over and see if its getting the right power there, but to me i would say that sound is the starter motor not engaging...

[wkdkris]

Also try and get a multimeter on the live wire on the starter motor see if its getting the right power, and then put it on the red/black wire (i think that's the right colour) and get someone to try turn it over and see if its getting the right power there, but to me i would say that sound is the starter motor not engaging...

agreed defo not engaging..... going to modify old jump leads in to a new feed to starter from the battery, and battery directly to alt..... is this okay????

[MSG]

Is this a new starter motor? (re-coned or Exchanged unit) or is it the one you took apart and reassembeled?

[wkdkris]

new one, other which i reassembeled is in my spare parts box

[wkdkris]

Okay, locked up for the night its to dam cold!

At work im going to get some THICKER cable then whats there, crimp new lugs on either end, and run it directly from the battery positive to the starter positive.
Get another peice and run it directly from the battery negative, to the bolt that goes through the engine/gearbox and bolts into the starters housing

I will then report back with my findings.......

[MSG]

So how can you be so sure that the recond starter motor is Ok and hasn't got a problem itself? so just make sure you follow what others have suggested to check for good solid earth, and also it can be likely that when your other starter motor went, it may have developed a short circuit, such that it may have melted some conductors inside the thick battery to alternator wire, hence why it would tick or click and not start, so may be you will need a new length of thick stsrter wire from motor factors and run a new length betwen your battery and starter, this may also explain why your alternator is not charging battery and feeding the output voltage to the rest of the circuits.

[wkdkris]

Msg is on to something, it would make sense that the thick battery cable has brokedown, seen as the alt it technicaly linked to the starter, and then start to battery it would explain how ive suddenly lost both.

Where can i buy starter cable locally? the motor places round here are crap all they sell is tax disc holders and roof racks