Problems after jump starting… so confused

[Kezzatt]

Hi I’m new to the forum and hoping you can help me with a VE wagon I just purchased. It has been running fine till just the other day it wouldn’t turn over just made a clicking sound but put a jump pack on and it started straight away so I drove home but same thing again next time I tried to start it. I put the battery on charge and tightened the terminals as they were a little loose. After that car started fine but a whole list of other problems- no digital display on dash or radio
-central locking not working
-can’t open boot or petrol filler flap
- however all the gauges eg speedo temp tachometer stay on even after car is off
Please help I’m so confused

 

[J_D 2.0]

Battery could just be on the way out. Low battery charge can mess up everything electrical. How old is the battery?

 

[Kezzatt]

Battery could just be on the way out. Low battery charge can mess up everything electrical. How old is the battery?

I have no idea as I have only had the car 2 months

 

[J_D 2.0]

I have no idea as I have only had the car 2 months

Battery would be the first port of call then. You normally don’t get a lot of warning that the battery is FUBAR with VEs as they are lead ceramic which just go shite with no warning.

 

[Fu Manchu]

Hi I’m new to the forum and hoping you can help me with a VE wagon I just purchased. It has been running fine till just the other day it wouldn’t turn over just made a clicking sound but put a jump pack on and it started straight away so I drove home but same thing again next time I tried to start it. I put the battery on charge and tightened the terminals as they were a little loose. After that car started fine but a whole list of other problems- no digital display on dash or radio
-central locking not working
-can’t open boot or petrol filler flap
- however all the gauges eg speedo temp tachometer stay on even after car is off
Please help I’m so confused

Also going to let you know the battery is fubar. You might get voltage but it won’t be good under load.
The ECM will be cutting out circuits that consume power so it can keep simpler more critical systems working.

 

[keith reed]

I have no idea as I have only had the car 2 months

The battery should have a date on it. If you can't find it take it to a battery place.

 

[gossie]

Your battery is dead so you need a new one, and the date is on it.
Look and you will see. Report back.

 

[Skylarking]

Covid lockdowns have played havoc with batteries and unless their charge levels were maintained while not being driven, the battery would have had a rough time and sulfation would have started. Maybe the battery can be charges but leave it for a week and it will go flat agaion.

The easiest way to determine if the battery is your issue is to load test the battery (repco/supercheap does them) but i think getting a christmas tree of warniong lights on your dash is indicative of a battery with low state of charge (cause its old and sulfated)

As its almost certainly the battery, what you can do depends on where you bought the vehicle.

If it was a private buy and the load test shown your battery is dying, just go and get yourself another battery.

If you got the car from a car dealer, the following provides the statutory warranty provisions:

Age of Car	Kilometres travelled at time of sale	Warranty Entitlement
Not more than 10 years	Not more than 150,000	3 months or 5,000 km (whichever happens first)
Between 10 - 12 years	Between 150,000 and 180,000	1 month or 1,500 km (whichever happens first)
More than 12 years	More than 180,000	No warranty

So if it was a used car and you have warrenty, then go back to the dealer and request a warranty repair. If they fobb you off then hand them a letter outlining the faults you've had (many warning lights on dash and battery test shows defective battery) and request that they are addresses the cause as part of their statutory warranty obligations.

After all, its not unreasonable to expect them to test the batetry before sale/delivery and replace it if it fails the test. Simply charging a faulty battery and pushing the car (and the buyer) out the door is unacceptable in my opinion.

If the car dealer notified you in writing (via a defects notice) that the battery was defective, before the sale, then thats on you.

Batteries are not covered by statutory used car warranty but I'll leave the above as a reminder that you are covered for other issues..

So just go and get yourself another battery may be the simplest thng unless the dealer can show some good will

PS: you may still be covered under the ACL statutory warranty that applies to all products sold by a business in Australia, including second hand cars. Your call which way you want to go

 

[degeneration]

If you are having those kind of probs after starting, the battery is a lot more than on its way out, it's a health hazard. Turn everything off, use another car to go buy yourself another battery pronto...