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Original poster

What is wrong with my car?!

23 replies

ChocolateBanjo · 18/12/2020 15:07

Please calm me down and stop me from thinking the worst! I bought a new car in March and it has been through 3 batteries since then. The first battery went completely dead and we were told the alternator was faulty and needed replacing, along with the battery. The battery and alternator were replaced and a couple of months later (yesterday) it died completely again. This time we took it to the garage and we told that there's nothing wrong with the car, but they replaced the battery anyway. Now, less than 24 hours later, that battery seems to have almost completely discharged so it's back at the garage (a different one).

Surely 'there's nothing wrong with it' is a load of rubbish? I'm worried that the new garage won't be able to find anything wrong with it and the car is going to have to be scrapped. It's only 5 years old and we're still paying it off. Any ideas?!

OP posts:

BreadSaucery · 18/12/2020 15:08

Is it a Renault?

Original poster

ChocolateBanjo · 18/12/2020 15:12

@BreadSaucery No, it's a Mazda. Why, is this common with Renaults?

OP posts:

BreadSaucery · 18/12/2020 15:16

Electrical faults/failure is an ongoing problem with Renault, yes.
Mazda are usually pretty good, though. Hope the different garage can find the problem for you.

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Original poster

ChocolateBanjo · 18/12/2020 15:23

@BreadSaucery Thanks - me too!

OP posts:

nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut · 18/12/2020 15:23

I know nothing about cars but when ours kept going flat we were told it might be the catalytic converter?

P1ainJanine · 18/12/2020 15:26

See if there's a light switch, so you can switch off the boot light, and any other internal lights. These are often a problem, and can drain the battery overnight.

Honeyroar · 18/12/2020 15:26

Have you spoken to the first garage? 24 hours and flat is unacceptable.

Iamaweirdone · 18/12/2020 15:29

Definitely sounds like a problem with the alternator to me

Original poster

ChocolateBanjo · 18/12/2020 15:45

Thanks for all the suggestions! I have no idea what a catalytic converter is but it's good that you had a similar problem and managed to get it solved @nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut

@P1ainJanine I've wondered if it could be something electrical that is draining the battery but no idea how to work out what it is.

@Honeyroar Agreed, but they've now given the car back to us twice without the problem solved so I can't really be bothered to deal with them anymore as it seems pointless. Off to the a Mazda mechanic who can hopefully figure it out.

@Iamaweirdone That's what we were told the first time, but after the alternator was replaced the problem persisted. Could something be repeatedly knackering the alternator which is in turn draining the battery?

OP posts:

winechateauxjoy · 18/12/2020 15:48

Light switch in the boot staying on caused my battery to drain.

randomsabreuse · 18/12/2020 15:48

I'd look at lights, immobiliser, alarm system. You have a power drain somewhere, question is where.

I assume nothing is plugged into any cigarette lighter sockets/USBs.

winechateauxjoy · 18/12/2020 15:50

Can you put your phone in there with the video running to see if the light is switching off when the boot is shut?

Original poster

ChocolateBanjo · 18/12/2020 15:57

@winechateauxjoy That's a very good idea! The car is out of my hands now so hopefully the mechanic will figure something out.

@randomsabreuse It could be any of those things, but nothing plugged into the USB so not that.

OP posts:

randomsabreuse · 18/12/2020 16:07

From experience I'd be most suspicious of alarm/immobiliser system. Interior lights haven't generally killed my battery in 24h - more like 36-48h on a slightly dubious battery. Main lights are generally pretty quick though. We have the joy that 1 car stops you killing the battery with the driving lights (auto off with engine) but leaves interior lights alone while the other car leaves interior lights on for no more than 10 minutes but if you're not on auto lights will leave the driving lights on... hence why I'm more suspicious of alarm or possibly radio...

Original poster

ChocolateBanjo · 18/12/2020 16:22

@randomsabreuse If it is the alarm/immobiliser system I will report back to confirm your suspicions. It's definitely not the main lights or any visible interior lights but in terms of things that aren't noticeable to the human eye, I suppose it could be anything.

OP posts:

Damia · 18/12/2020 16:55

I had my alternator replaced in my car a couple of years ago, then broke down again, turned out the alternator wasn't working correctly, I was informed the place the garage bought it from had made an error and it was replaced again for free.

FindMeInTheSunshine · 18/12/2020 17:04

This reminds me, a dozen years ago I had to shut the AA man in the boot so he could check if the light went off . It must have looked very odd to passers by. Much easier now with mobile phones with cameras! In my case it was the alarm draining the battery in the end.

Original poster

ChocolateBanjo · 18/12/2020 17:28

@Damia If that's the case here then hopefully they replace mine for free too!

@FindMeInTheSunshine You're lucky someone didn't report you for kidnapping! Our alarm has never gone off but can it drain the battery without actually going off?

OP posts:

devildeepbluesea · 18/12/2020 17:31

If you can't see inside the boot, could you set your phone to video and shut it to find out if the light is staying on?

Original poster

ChocolateBanjo · 18/12/2020 17:40

@devildeepbluesea If I still had the car here I'd try it out, but thankfully it's now with people who (hopefully) know what they're doing. Fingers crossed!

OP posts:

IliveonCoffee · 18/12/2020 18:35

No idea....but in terms of investing lights in the boot....can you put your seats down to check? Only I'd shut my keys in with my phone....

CommanderBurnham · 18/12/2020 18:43

Things like this really annoy me. You should be able to return the car and ask for a new one if you get a faulty one.

Original poster

ChocolateBanjo · 18/12/2020 19:04

@IliveonCoffee I'm actually not sure if we can do that - I've never tried. I'll have a look when it comes back, though!

@CommanderBurnham I agree. We've always had shitty, cheap, old cars and unsurprisingly they weren't reliable, so we decided to splash out and buy this one from the dealership, assuming it'd be in better shape as it was from a reputable seller and wasn't too old. Obviously not, because it's been problem after problem and we're still paying the bloody thing off.

OP posts:

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