What's wrong with my car?

[lylabellablueyes]

Firstly let me apologise for asking the question in this part, but I need a quick answer :-)

I have just bought a Punto 1999, so relatively old. The lady had to jump start it for me to drive home, as she said it had been sat for a few months. I tried it again the next day and it's not turning on. It just makes a clicking noise. The windows go up and down and the lights come on. As the electricals are working, does this mean the battery is ok. Surely if the battery was dead, the lights wouldn't work. We tried to charge it, but don't think the charger was very good.

Shall I just buy a new battery, but would hate for it to be Something else and waste my money. Thanks again x

[MarkRae]

The clicking noise is symptomatic of an uncharged battery. The windows and the lights will work until the battery is virtually dead, but a battery needs to be pretty much fully charged to start the engine. Batteries don't last forever, and a new one won't cost a huge amount...

[Mick-Talbot]

What's Wrong With My Car?


Well the first thing that comes to mind is ....it's a fiat punto.

[Prudie]

How far did you actually drive it from hers to home - far enough to charge the battery up? if so it it may be a knackered battery or an alternator type problem. Why not get a garage to check the battery cells for you so you have a starting point.

[ummmm]

F I A T

Fix It Again Tomorrow

:-)

[MarkRae]

It could be an alternator problem, but the clicking is VERY symptomatic of a dodgy battery...

[ChuckFickens]

Agree with Mark... if it starts on a jump but just clicks otherwise then the battery is low on voltage, you probably need a new battery.

(what on earth made you buy a car that needed jumping to drive it home unless you know enough about cars to know what the likely problems are)

[sunny-dave]

The 'ticking' is probably the starter motor - just not getting enough juice from the battery to engage properly and turn the engine over.

A simple battery charger will only cost a few quid - much cheaper than a new battery - but as prudie says you could get the battery checked first.

[MarkRae]

> what on earth made you buy a car that needed jumping to drive it home

It really does beggar belief...

[jomifl]

Switch the headlights on, if they go dim when you try to start the engine it means not enough current(amps) is availablefrom thee battery. This could be due to several things:
most likely... a dying battery
second most likely...corroded battery connections, if this is the case they will be warm after you have tried to start the engine.
third most likely...rusted earth connection from battery to body. This also will be warm after trying to start the engine.
hope this helps.

[lylabellablueyes]

Well seen as I'm no dunce, I knew that there were a few problems with the car and got it at a really good price. I do have someone to look at it, but they dont come till the weekend.

Are Fiat Puntos really that bad :(

Thanks tho people, I'll just wait for my friend to check the battery.

[jomifl]

The clicking noise when you try to start is most likely the starter solenoid. What happens is when you try to start, the solenoid uses power from the battery to operate the switch that turns on the starter motor. If the battery is too low the current drawn by the starter motor drops the voltage below that which can operate the solenoid so it ceases to operate the switch. The voltage then goes up and the solenoid operates again and so the cycle repeats like a slow buzzer.

[MarkRae]

> Are Fiat Puntos really that bad?

Not usually, but this one clearly is...

[Mick-Talbot]

Will it push start again?

If so, limp it to a garage to test the battery.

[MASS1961]

It won't matter how much you charge the battery. If the battery is old it will probably charge enough after a few hours to start it, but when left, say overnight, it probably won't start in the morning. New battery should solve it but get it checked first just in case it's something else.

[lylabellablueyes]

Oh markrae, has anyone ever told you that you're a comedien. I'm in stitches here. ;/)

[EDDIE51]

if it is has sat for a few months and needed a jump start it will virtually certainly need a new battery no matter what else is wrong , so getting a new one is well worth it anyway. It won't be expensive for Punto.

[denis567]

We had a 1996 Punto and it gave us many years of trouble-free motoring before it finally died of old age.

[ChuckFickens]

The punto isn't an inherently bad car at all, but like any second hand car there are good ones and bad ones. what worries me is, you say you have someone to look at it, but you don't seem to have got them to look at it before you bought it.

[Mick-Talbot]

if it is has sat for a few months and needed a jump start it will virtually certainly need a new battery no matter what else is wrong , so getting a new one is well worth it anyway. It won't be expensive for Punto.

http://www.google.co....qDJBw&ved=0CGkQ8gIwAQ



http://www.google.co....qDJBw&ved=0CGkQ8gIwAQ

[ChuckFickens]

May need to upgrade the brakes if you fit one of those batteries ;)