HELP! I've got car trouble - any ideas? Please?

[LoveMyGirls]

I was driving along yesterday and suddenly the stereo went off then i noticed the lights had gone off when i got the car home i turned it all off then it wouldnt start just made a clicking sound.

Earlier in the day the alarm went off a few times, does this make a difference?

Its a Rover 400 btw.

battery sounds flat

which when I have reread your post sounds like your alternator isn't working. I think that is what its called. Its the thing that when you drive its charging the battery for you. sounds like it's not working and that you hasve run down the battery.

agree it sounds like the alternator (sp?)

Thanks for replying. Hes just put the battery back in and it seems fine, does this mean it was just the battery or is it worth getting the alternator checked?

You sometimes get this trouble with batteries. The fact that mothing worked and it just made a clicking noise means that there was no power from the battery. Most of the time all it needs is for the connections to be 'reset' for it to work again. (ie - disconnecting it and reconnecting it)

Check that all your connections are sound. A build up of oxidised acid can sometimes cause the connection to fail, so make sure that you have scraped all the greenish white crap away from the leads and connections from the battery. Just make sure that you don't leave any of this stuff lying about or on your hands cos when it gets wet again it can burn or damage your car or bodywork.

Get a battery that has indicator lights on it so you can tell at a glance the life of the battery.

I had a loose connection that came loose everytime I breaked hard, meant I only got a click when starting it up, had to shove the connection back together.

about a month ago i was driving then stereo went off, then lights then i stopped at junction and engine just died and would not restart, typically i alone at night on country road. anyway aa came out and the wire fom alternator to battery had eroded away so no charge to battery so he just replaced the wire, i was so happy as have no money and was worried that that was another car to scrap heap. so check the wires to battery apparently really easy to replace