SMARTLY Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 People are buying them to stick on winter tyres, it's a bit late for this year though. Hence the mad prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted February 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 Yeah I think I will have to get some budgets for the 17's, should be ok now it's getting warmer. Then keep looking for a cheap set of steelies to swap over to, hopefully more will become available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted April 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 How much does everyone think my rims are worth? 2 have some slight chips from potholes but no curbing. The rear tyres are on the limit and the front have 3-4mm left, which are budgets. I will be including the McGard locking nuts (worth £15) and the normal nuts. I was thinking of £150 as going by ebay prices 17" alloys aren't really selling unless they're sought after ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMARTLY Posted April 5, 2011 Report Share Posted April 5, 2011 Put them in at £150 and see, if they don't sell you know you may be asking too much.  Get a silver ( I take it they are silver ) touch up pen from Halfords and very lightly touch up the stone chips before you take the photos. Makes quite a difference Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted April 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2011 Yep I will try £150...I think I paid £430 for them with Toyo tyres. I know I have the extra nuts and packaging for the lockers but I can't find them anywhere. Otherwise I would've sold the lockers on their own. Hoping to get these off the car by the weekend and on ebay/the forums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted May 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2011 On the way to Essex on Saturday the battery light came on for 1 maybe 2 seconds and then went off, hasn't been on since. I've not looked at anything yet but is there any reason why this might of happened...power spike or belt slipped? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted May 30, 2011 Report Share Posted May 30, 2011 Belt...... was it raining? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted May 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2011 No but it's knackered! Not sure how to change it though as you need to remove aircon belt first but to detension that you need to lower or raise the engine to get to the locknut. Think I put some photos in this thread from changing the alternator. Â Also what is the best thing to use to clean the plugs for the airbags? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted June 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 Battery light has started coming on and off again, getting more persistent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted June 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 Pretty sure it's the alternator, again!! Took the intercooler off and it's been leaking oil on top of it. I've cleaned it all up but the light is still coming on when you hit just over 2.5k rpm. The voltage on the battery is too high as well. Â I've spoken to Allparts and they said I can buy a new alternator, fit it and then return the other one so it can be sent off. If it's found to be faulty they will reimburse me, if not I get nothing! What are the chances of them saying it wasn't faulty but oil had got inside of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted June 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 Also can anyone tell me how to check it is the alternator that's faulty? I think it's the ground from the multimeter on the alternator test point and the positive on the battery? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 Yep, that's it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark H. Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 If its at too high a voltage, the voltage regulator might have been damaged by the oil, maybe the alt just needs a clean and a new voltage regulator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted June 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 I've been reading back through this thread and I forgot to test the battery with the terminals off, I'll do that soon. Testing the battery on idle it was hitting 17v, which I think is a dangerous level. I'll get the regulator off but that part was fairly clean on the outside. I think the oil had dripped inside the casing though so if it gets sent off I'm sure they'll say that's the cause. Â TBH I've had enough of the car now, think I might just break it Gonna try and get the missus a new car at the weekend, seen a couple of local ones and I'll keep running the escort for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted June 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 Right, I checked the voltage again on the battery while it was still connected and it got up to 17v, plus was still rising when I stopped taking readings.  I disconnected the battery and it started at 12.8v and rose to 16.8v over 5 minutes, again showed no sign of stopping. Left it an hour and tested it again, same result. I am leaving it disconnected over night and will test again tomorrow, I have a feeling it will be the same. So this is pointing to the battery now, maybe the alternator being covered in oil was a coincidence?  The battery was bought 2 and half years ago and only had a 2 year guarantee. I was desperate at the time so got this unknown brand, which is 590cca so not brilliant for a diesel engine. I still have the one it replaced, which kept dying fairly quickly, I've got this on charge now so I can try it tomorrow to see what voltage that gives and if the battery light comes on. This battery is 540cca so even worse than the one on there, I think the minimum I should've had is 640cca.  Anyway, does this sound like the battery now? Any other way to test it?  ECP are doing 30% off ATM (use code SERVICE30) and I can get either of the following, which are all Bosch, discount in brackets. Makes sense to get the 5 year guarantee one, even though I want to get rid of the car in a year.  70Ah / 640CCA - 3YR Guarantee - £71.94 (£50.36) 72Ah / 680CCA - 4YR Guarantee - £86.34 (£60.44) 74Ah / 750CCA - 5YR Guarantee - £99.54 (£69.68)  I will also be getting front and rear brakes, plus new drop links for the MOT. With the new tyres for the steelies that will be £300 in total, for hopefully another years trouble free motoring.  Here's the alternator as well, what a mess!  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMARTLY Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 Surely the most a battery can give out if it's not connected to anything is 12.6 volts ( i.e. 6 cells at 2.1 volts ). Are you sure your meter is OK? I realise if it's connected then the alternator / regulator will let it go higher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted June 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2011 I think so... Â I tested it on the Escort last night and it was reading a constant 13.6v, with the engine off. Checked the one in the car again (still disconnected) and that was doing the same, start off at 12.6v and just keeps rising. Checked the one indoors this morning and although it's not full charged yet it started at 12.6v, rose to 13.6v and then came back down and settled. Â Maybe I should pop over to WIM and get Tony to test it with his one. Is the car ok to drive with voltage that high though? Â Why is it things go wrong when you have a busy weekend already planned!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 24, 2011 Report Share Posted June 24, 2011 Our tester puts the battery under load, this highlights a damaged cell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted June 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2011 Do you need the car or just the battery? I'm abit worried about driving it over with the light coming on in case it dies halfway there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 24, 2011 Report Share Posted June 24, 2011 Just the battery will do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted June 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2011 Ok cool, so if that shows up as being ok it must be the alternator, wiring, dodgy ground etc. I was just wondering if the tester can tell if it's the alternator if the battery was connected to it? Â I'm going to put the other battery in tonight to see what happens with that though. Â Hopefully the ECP discount code will still work tomorrow if it is the battery! Â I'll pop over in the morning then...it's been ages since I was last there as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 24, 2011 Report Share Posted June 24, 2011 Ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted June 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2011 Won't be coming now, alternator just cooked itself!!! FFS  I put the spare battery on that I had, checked the reading and it was fine. Tested it under load and the voltage increased. Got in the car put everything on and it was still fine, so I thought great I'll go around the block and see what happens. Just about to pull off when the light came on and I smelt something in the cabin, then noticed smoked coming out from under the bonnet. Jumped out and disconnected the battery and the smoke cleared after a while.  So what the hell shall I do now, take it back and say it's died but if it's the oil that's done it or it's shortened out I doubt they will refund me. They need to send it off before I'll get that anyway. I can buy a new one while I'm there but if I don't get the refund that's another £100 wasted.  What are the chances of damaging the wiring loom as well?  Really had enough now and the missus is car less! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 24, 2011 Report Share Posted June 24, 2011 FFS have you run over a black cat or something!!........ Take it back and act ignorant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMARTLY Posted June 24, 2011 Report Share Posted June 24, 2011 Or take it off, do a simple strip and clean. Then take it back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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