Battery power loss

[Katie4799]

Hi,

I have an 09 Aygo which recently started squealing when cold starting. It’s my learner car so hadnt been started for a few weeks because Christmas and work just made me completely forget. 

We tried to start it and it wouldn’t start or jump start. We presumed it was the fan belt slipping with the squealing so we’ve adjusted and tightened it. Car then started first time sounded like a dream however the Battery light was on.

After taking it out on a drive (around 50 mins) presuming it was just something to do with not disconnecting the Battery when working on it. The ABS light came on, the power steering cut out and the headlights and interior lights dimmed. The speedometer stopped working then the airbag light came on and pretty much every other light on the dash. We managed to get it closer to home before it completely lost power and will not start. 

What could be the issue? Would a new fan belt and Battery fix that? Because of the dash lights is it something that will have to be reset?

any help, suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

[haelewyn]

Likely cause : Fan belt if the tension was insufficient or if the fastening didn't go well enough (so it came loose again shortly after),

alternator could be malfunctioning...

The Battery light came on when you drove off. That actually means the Battery is not being charged. So again : fan belt or alternator..

State of the Battery : never bad to test it out but that is the less likely thing .... if it went too low, it can also need a replacement. In a 09 car the battery could always be the first or the second one and need replacement. Hard to say without testing it.

Simple voltage meter could test things once you make the tension good enough of the fan belt. See if it makes the pulleys turn well enough. Check if the fan belt looks like new or worn. If worn : replace it.

- So in clear steps :   make sure a working and tight fan belt is on. The old one or a new one .. .both ok. As long as it does the job, at least for a while.

Start or jump start the car. Rev up to 2000 rpm.
Then measure the voltage of the battery while the car is on. That should be well over 13 V now.
Put the lights, radio and fan on full power.. rev up to 2000 rpm,  measure again , voltage should still be 13 V or higher.

If this test shows that your alternator is not working properly, replace it by a new one .

If this test is ok (or alternator was replaced), try again to load the battery while driving.
There is a special electronic tool to test if a battery is still ok. That will tell you immediately.
But if you fail to start the car a few times the next few weeks (after it was charged / driven well), you can be rather sure you need a new battery (if no current is leaking).

Of course there is a more simple way to do it : bring it to a dealer.

- Lights on the dashboard : caused by your battery running out of power and the entire system getting not enough electricity. Low voltage does strange things in any car. Just work (and solve) on the cause and it won't need a reset of things in the Aygo.

[Guest]

I agree, fan belt not tensioned correctly or faulty alternator is the probable root cause which MAY have led to a Battery problem.

[steveo3002]

you can use a cheap multimeter to confirm if theres a charge when running 

you want close to 14v or above when running with lights on 

a loose fan belt would not prevent the car starting in the first instance....my bet is no/poor charge 

 

[haelewyn]

See his / her story... 'fixed' fan belt, went for a long drive.... Battery always got more empty while driving..

Probably with a rather low start.

[flash22]

The Battery is done for, but these very cold nights will kill a weak Battery

Its worth getting the alternator checked as well

If the alternator is worn or bearing are on the way out, an over tightened belt may cause the alternator to fail/not charge

Edit. Re-read the post the alternator has died, and you run out of electricity