Welcome to the UK Window Cleaning Forums

Starting or own a window cleaning business? We're a network of window cleaners sharing advice, tips & experience. Rounds for sale & more. Join us today!

dispatch issues battery related

johnny bravo

Well-known member
Messages
2,754
Location
teesside
anyone had issues  with starting up  with this cold weather.    had trouble past few days non starter.    Had mobile auto round today,   Started up straight away   .    says battery not holding its full charge.    New battery i told him.      first time this has happened   in 8 years with this van.     battery changed over 1 month ago.     Give it a run out now to see if its got enough charge to start up in morning  

Told him what i do ,  short journeys , stop start ,  stop start     Thats the problem he says. .  as i said 8 years .  1st time for this,.   

anyone had similar issues like this.   how did you rectify.     i have it booked in for glow plugs replacement monday,   £250    .        Thought that was the main reason .   Has not been fully serviced for a few years though, guilty of that.     always put it off. 

Would a heavy duty battery be an idea or make not much difference.    the battery i have now is the same as last years   

 
Sorry but you do need at minimum to get the oil and filter changed each year. Oil does a few jobs especially in a diesel. One of the jobs it to hold the combustion by products that get past the rings in suspension. The oil filter should hold these bits of carbon but when it becomes full it goes into bypass mode and pumps the carbon round the engine!!!! 

Even if all you do is pop into quick fit for an oil change once a year it will prolong the life of your engine.

As for the battery only doing a few miles stop start will kill the battery especially in the cold weather. I assume the person who came out tested the alternator?

If there is a glow plug down it shouldn't make much of a difference but if there's more than 2 then starting could be difficult.

If alternator is tested good then give the battery a 'bench' charge and if it happens again it could be that you have a faulty battery.

Just to check you are not running your wfp pump and or reel of the van battery are you? 

 
anyone had issues  with starting up  with this cold weather.    had trouble past few days non starter.    Had mobile auto round today,   Started up straight away   .    says battery not holding its full charge.    New battery i told him.      first time this has happened   in 8 years with this van.     battery changed over 1 month ago.     Give it a run out now to see if its got enough charge to start up in morning  

Told him what i do ,  short journeys , stop start ,  stop start     Thats the problem he says. .  as i said 8 years .  1st time for this,.   

anyone had similar issues like this.   how did you rectify.     i have it booked in for glow plugs replacement monday,   £250    .        Thought that was the main reason .   Has not been fully serviced for a few years though, guilty of that.     always put it off. 

Would a heavy duty battery be an idea or make not much difference.    the battery i have now is the same as last years   
Get them to test the glowplugs before they change them. If you don't that could be pouring money after bad if glowplugs are not the problem.

£250 to replace glowplugs does seems a lot of money unless they are expecting drama getting them out.

Can't comment about the starter battery.

 
£250 to replace glowplugs does seems a lot of money unless they are expecting drama getting them out.
We had glow plugs changed at Honda main dealer (Civic car) and that was about £250 inc parts and vat! 

Some of them can be a right pain especially if they break off in the head. Then if they broke the garage would likely charge more!!!

 
We had glow plugs changed at Honda main dealer (Civic car) and that was about £250 inc parts and vat! 

Some of them can be a right pain especially if they break off in the head. Then if they broke the garage would likely charge more!!!
I doubt he is going to the main Citroen Agents. If he is then he has balls.

Citomatic on the old Thornaby airfield have a good reputation and they don't charge the same hourly rate as the main dealerships do.

 
Van had been idle from 24th dec,        holidays,      been out a couple of days from 7th jan  but only very local  so no run out  as norm.      Alternator  ok,     Glow Plugs.      A lot of garages will not touch them . Reason if they snap when replacing them its a pain for them to fix.

My dispatch is the 1.9 litre.     The awkward one to access the glow plugs.   Hence the price.   So to test them it takes as long to get to them .    so for an extra £50    you might as well get them replaced.

Citromatic as you have sugested Spruce  will charge £250  .     i have found a Garage same area   who can do this at the same price  but who have the tools and know how to get them out if they snap.

This apears to be a problem they dont want.  Ive gave the  van a run out and left idling to charge battery . Hopefully it will start up in the morning.

My next  job is to get a full filter service on the van .    Look after it   and save a few £s    for this type  emergancy. in the future

 
My glow plugs on my 12 year old Vivaro need changing but they're that rusty 2 mechanics wouldn't touch them ?
My lad wanted me to change the glowplugs on his van. I said no because of the issue involved. The lad I helped with his round years back had a M/B Vito. A glowplug broke off. They had to remove the head and send it in for heat treatment (oven job) to remove the broken piece. His van was off the road over a month.

Why they fit a steel glowplug into an alloy threaded head is beyond me.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
My lad wanted me to change the glowplugs on his van. I said no because of the issue involved. The lad I helped with his round years back had a M/B Vito. A glowplug broke off. They had to remove the head and send it in for heat treatment (oven job) to remove the broken piece. His van was off the road over a month.

Why they fit a steel glowplug into an alloy threaded head is beyond me.
I had mine replaced in my Vito they heated them up before trying to remove them 3 came out ok one snapped off they managed to drill into it and get it out with an ezy out , cannot remember how much it cost but know it wasn’t cheap ???

 
They say a new battery is fully charged I doubt they are and short runs will drain your battery in no time this time of year, I know nowt about motors, but I would put your battery on charge and get a full service done on your van before stumping up for glowplugs and see how you get on, 

If you are getting a newer van then I would do the bare minimum if you are putting it in for part -x as they will get shot off it asap anyway

 

 
yes my thoughts , ill see what its like in morning after its run out tonight,     if it starts up ok  i know its not glow plugs.     if it takes a few starts ill fully charge battery up then go from there .      Book a full service in in the morning . hopefully rectify itself.

Seems all garages are very busy,     mobile auto says he cant fit any main work in till Feb 11th 

 

Latest Posts

Back
Top