It's Dead In The Drive

[RAJ]

It's done it a couple of times in the last week or so. It did it this morning started then stopped for a couple of times. Then o/k I went out it was parked up for a couple of hours, then again this afternoon. I thought it was my key fob. So I phoned my son to bring the other. It flicked itself on thro' the system check then I started it.
Got home and parked up tried to find the cause stopping and starting. It would start then stall, start then stall. Then for some reason it started and kept running.
Then I pressed the heater fan button it died. After a few minutes it started. I switched the A/C on, no problem pressed the fan button it died and now after three hours it's still dead, can't get it out of gear to move it.
It's in front of the garage where I need to get my other car out tomorrow.
I keep trying but nothing, other than a little dim light at the side of the gear shift?
Any Ideas, getting desperate now

Ray

[RAJ]

It re-started about 19:30. I was talking to my son with the window open. I flicked the headlights on and it's dead again. Yep with the window open. Lucky I've got a cover over it.

Maybe it'll start again in the morning

Ray

[RAJ]

O/K it fired up at 09:30. I moved it out and got my other car out of te garage.

Now it starts up like a real one but I darent switch tthe lights on or the heater fan.

This is strange. Ater a total power shut down and given a period of time it lights up again? The time intervals appear to get greater befor it activates again.

Ray

[mike020150]

Hi Raj,
From your story two initial lines of investigation spring to mind. One is the classical voltage drop issue. I.e. if the car's battery has a dead or dying cell the incorrect voltage fed to the engine ECU would produce erroneus fuelling for the engine resulting in poor or non starting and rough running if it does start. The second train of thought suggested by the stalling when components are switched in is that the car has a dragging component like a partially seized pulley wheel, compressor or alternator. Mike.