Advice needed [Bora start up]

heartofwhite

My Bora would not start on Monday and I got it jumped thinking that maybe I had left a light on. Tuesday was grand, no problems. However yesterday it would not start again so I brought it to a local garage and they said it is most likely the battery. They put a new one in at a cost of €95 and the car started fine.

However, this morning on the way to work I got the message 'alternator workshop' on the dash and this came and went intermittently. I have just got to work and I parked the car up and then tried to start it again and it wont start at all.

What should I do? I live in Westmeath and work in Dublin (where I am now) and I need to do something about this today. Should I get it jumped and bring it to a local garage in the hope that they can do something today? Or should I take the day off work and bring it back to Westmeath to the guys yesterday?

Also, they charged me €95 for a new battery when it does not seem to be the problem at all. Do I have any comeback?

So annoyed now.

Michael D Not Higgins

How old was the battery? If it was 5-10 years old you probably needed a new one anyway. Nonetheless I'd bring it back to the people who looked at it first.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

Sounds like a new alternator would be needed.

porsche boy

sounds like your altinator isn't charging the battery so obviously the mechanic didnt check the charge rate after fitting the new battery, some places do and some dont. If the battery was in anyway old just leave it.
Dont bother trying to take the car back to WestMeath, just source a garage close to you that can supply and fit a replacement alternator today. Where are you in Dublin??

whomitconcerns

from martin1810 on another forum

This can be a hint that the alternator pulley clutch is about to fail or the belt tensioner is getting faulty

So looks like battery not your issue, as said above, itmay need to have nbeen changed anyway though.

ShaunieVW

If you get the car back to Westmeath there is a guy called Curly Wallace in Mullingar. He refurbs alternators for about 70 euro.

YbFocus

The clutch goes in the boras pulley quite a bit.
It's either that or it could be as simple as a bad belt??

heartofwhite

So I brought it back to the Garage and they said it is definitely the alternator. I left it with them and they are going to take it out and send it to a crowd in Tullamore who might be able to fix it or source a refurbed one. I asked them about a reduction in price because I paid for the battery yesterday and they said that they will do their best.

Thanks for all the advice! Hopefully the cost should not be too much.

YbFocus

If they had done their job and checked the charge coming from the alternator the first time it wouldn't have happened.

Spook_ie

If the fault was/is intermitant it's feasable that it may have read as charging when tested

YbFocus

Spook_ie wrote: »

If the fault was/is intermitant it's feasable that it may have read as charging when tested

True too in fairness!

huggs2

My sons Bora had same problem last week with 180,000 miles clocked up.I unplugged the lead from the alternator and checked the output pins of the alternator with a multimeter and only got 6.5 volts dc.Took it to my local mechanic who said i should be getting 14.6 volts. He gave the alternator to a local guy for reconditioning and everything is fine now.Glad you got yours sorted too.:)

Spook_ie

huggs2 wrote: »

My sons Bora had same problem last week with 180,000 miles clocked up.I unplugged the lead from the alternator and checked the output pins of the alternator with a multimeter and only got 6.5 volts dc.Took it to my local mechanic who said i should be getting 14.6 volts. He gave the alternator to a local guy for reconditioning and everything is fine now.Glad you got yours sorted too.:)

I'm not an autoelectrician so I might be wrong but don't you need a load on the alternator to test it?

I've always tested mine by checking the voltage across the battery, somewhere about 13.5-14.5v when engine running and able to maintain that when things like lights, HRS and blowers are operating

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