Electric fault

Hi, I've had my 260 for a month, today the alarm started going off and the front and back windscreen wipers are going made, now I can't lock the car, it just beeps when you push the lock button on the Alarm, when you put the key in and turn it, the wipers stop, also it sometimes says the left side indicator bulbs are out, but they aren't, they work fine with the hazard lights etc. Someone suggested on another site it could be the bcu, where can I find this? Is it in the same place on the standard rovers 75s have the ecu?

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Originally Posted by Scottie Tiger

Hi, I've had my 260 for a month, today the alarm started going off and the front and back windscreen wipers are going made, now I can't lock the car, it just beeps when you push the lock button on the Alarm, when you put the key in and turn it, the wipers stop, also it sometimes says the left side indicator bulbs are out, but they aren't, they work fine with the hazard lights etc. Someone suggested on another site it could be the bcu, where can I find this? Is it in the same place on the standard rovers 75s have the ecu?

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Sounds suspiciously like you have a failing battery. Lots of info on here once you get your questionnaire back to Tim and become a full member.

Nich.

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Originally Posted by Nich

Sounds suspiciously like you have a failing battery. Lots of info on here once you get your questionnaire back to Tim and become a full member.

Nich.

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Yes Nich, I would say 100% certain. If you recall my 'Olive' did EXACTLY the same. Your advice then was invaluable (and accurate).
All cured simply by fitting a new Varta in place of an 18 month(!) old Bosch.

David

A lot of modern cars are prone to this, my neighbour with his Merc had been having troubles for weeks with odd warnings, phantom alarms and the gearbox would even change gear at odd times. The battery showed a decent voltage but he replaced it on my advice and it all the problems have disappeared.

Just because a battery is only a few months or a couple of years old does not mean it is OK, I have seen numerous even good quality batteries fail in scandalous short times. Buy the best with the longest warranty and keep the receipt is the best advice I can give.

Steve

Agree with what Steve has said about batteries but it is worth noting that warranties issued usually only cover what they consider to be the remaining life of the battery. I had a battery fail some time ago which was still under the 5 year waranty period, when I claimed I was told that I would only get back the remaining two years i.e. 40% of the original cost of the battery. It is worth investing in a good quality unit though, less likely to need the warranty.

Nich.

It does depend on where you purchase the battery from, Halfords will replace like for like but the new batteries warranty stops at the same time as the date of the first one purchased. I usually purchase my batteries from a local motor factor and he will give me a new receipt if I ever have a failure, so as long as my batteries fail within the warranty period I never need to buy another, saying that I have only ever had one fail within the warranty period.

If you plan to keep a car a battery that comes with a 4 year warranty is a good idea, I have a customer who purchased a non branded battery from Euro cap parts, 2 year warranty and when it failed after 6 months they replaced it with another that lasted another 6 months or so. He returned that and was told it must be his car and gave him a partial refund. If a manufacturer does not brand there product what does that say?

Steve

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Originally Posted by Nich

... It is worth investing in a good quality unit though, less likely to need the warranty.

Nich.

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Perhaps you would have thought that a Bosch battery would be just that. Maybe I was just unlucky; maybe not!
Bosch would have done me 50% discount on the 'official' retail price on the same Bosch battery. I had to take it a regional centre for that to be ratified too.

David

The problem apparently is the amount of fake stuff that is about. My motor factor has told me numerous tales of product that looks legitimate but is total junk. He was duped into buying some NGK spark plugs that were from a legitimate supplier and it was not until he had loads coming back and he enquired with NGK did he realise he had been scammed. That cost him £thousands to sort out.

Steve

In the case of my Bosch, it was not the case (receipt from a Bosch dealer), but in the general sense you are right.

Spark plugs and Xenon bulbs are favourite fake items still to be found on the 'Bay, being fairly high price consumables.
It should be obvious of course, that if you see boxed PTR6F13 or ITR6F13 NGK sparkers at 4 for £8 that they can't be genuine. That's about what you would pay for one, but for some reason greed takes over from reason, and people can't resist a "bargain".

David

Oddly a top tip to see if your Bosch battery is genuine is the sticker on the top. If it peels of fairly easily it probably genuine. The fake ones stick like the proverbial to a blanket.

Steve

Thank for the help, I disconnected the battery for a few days while waiting for the new battery to arrive, I had to reconnect the battery that was in the car so I could move the car to put the bins out. And it's all good! Havent don't anything, haven't charged the battery etc. Very strange