Electrics/Battery problem

[Ewellrover]

Hello all and thanks for having us along, hoping to pick some brains
as to the best course of action on my father's 75 diesel estate, which
has stood in our front garden for the last three years following a local
garage treatment which left it inoperable.
After our local garage, Epsom Rover closed up, we went to another
local one in Ewell, which was fine doing MOT's and basic servicing for a
couple of years. However, they took it upon themselves to have a look
at a minor electrical problem and now the battery doesn't seem to hold
any charge, despite being an expensive one recommended for the model
and our alternator having been checked as working. We had two batteries
in two years, managed about 12 miles on the first and even less on the
second at £150 a pop. The previous battery lasted over 10 and had no
trouble charging, so we're somewhat at a loss as to what has gone wrong.
Immediately that the car came back, we noticed that the central locking,
which had been working fine, wasn't any longer and although we can
manually lock the doors individually, we can't the boot.
So, if anyone's had anything similar and solved it, or there is a Rover
electrical expert on the forum, could they please get in touch. We need
to get the car back on the road, as we may be moving, so full service
and MOT needed by someone in the Surrey area that has a flatbed to
pick it up as well.
Many thanks for reading

Andy

[suzublu]

Water ingress is these cars worst enemy. Does it have a sunroof? Check the capets for dampness. There will be a proper expert along soon I'm sure.

Sent from my SM-A145R using Tapatalk

[YHT]

bought a car where the battery discharged over 2 days or so. Managed to get it 30 miles or so and then set too with the +ve disconnected and a meter acrose between the +ve battery terminal and the +ve wire that had been disconnected.
Pull out one fuse at a time until the current drops off and there should (might??) be the problem. Mine was the radio/satnav which I still havent had the time or courage to try and fix but its worked a dream since with the fuse left out. Battery holds charge OK.

[torque2me]

Originally Posted by Ewellrover

Hello all and thanks for having us along, hoping to pick some brains
as to the best course of action on my father's 75 diesel estate, which
has stood in our front garden for the last three years following a local
garage treatment which left it inoperable.
After our local garage, Epsom Rover closed up, we went to another
local one in Ewell, which was fine doing MOT's and basic servicing for a
couple of years. However, they took it upon themselves to have a look
at a minor electrical problem and now the battery doesn't seem to hold
any charge, despite being an expensive one recommended for the model
and our alternator having been checked as working. We had two batteries
in two years, managed about 12 miles on the first and even less on the
second at £150 a pop. The previous battery lasted over 10 and had no
trouble charging, so we're somewhat at a loss as to what has gone wrong.
Immediately that the car came back, we noticed that the central locking,
which had been working fine, wasn't any longer and although we can
manually lock the doors individually, we can't the boot.
So, if anyone's had anything similar and solved it, or there is a Rover
electrical expert on the forum, could they please get in touch. We need
to get the car back on the road, as we may be moving, so full service
and MOT needed by someone in the Surrey area that has a flatbed to
pick it up as well.
Many thanks for reading

Andy

YHT has some good pointers to follow. Me, I would take the battery out and fully charge it. A new one (about £82 for an Exide, maybe a EC700).

Clean all the earths while awaiting for a fully charged battery. Ensure heater, windscreen heaters are all off. Any ICE and so on. In goes the battery and, hopefully it will fire up. Check how long it stays charged at 2,200 to 2,500 revs. Will that be enough time to get you to the premises of an auto electrician (some are mobile)?

I had this problem over Christmas. Sometime it would fire-up but you could feel it want to cut out, perhaps go into limp mode. Right said Fred, new (Exide) battery but no luck on that. Re-clean all earths and +/- clamps for battery. Still no joy. Dead man! Took both batteries to Brown & Gammons. Old one, slight charge. New one, dead. B&G fully charged both batteries on a Ctek pulse charger.

Back home, new battery in but no improvement. Recovery to B&G who took a full day to find the fault and another 1/2 day to fix. Issue? Probable a wire to the ECU was earthing or broken. New wire to ECU has seemingly cured it. Result? Another person on these Islands becomes a pauper.

Kev

[SD1too]

Originally Posted by Ewellrover

... they took it upon themselves to have a look
at a minor electrical problem ... we noticed that the central locking,
which had been working fine, wasn't any longer ...

Hi Andy and to the forum.

What was the "minor electrical problem"?
Is there anything else which isn't working apart from the central locking?

Simon

[Ewellrover]

Thanks to the three responders, apologies for going "missing", dad is
struggling with his health at present and I'm his sole carer, so occasionally
find it difficult to log in. Anyway will do my best to answer those questions
posed. We are also without a car at present, as my Astra's engine has
blown, so we're housebound until I can get to a garage or get the Rover
repaired. Being half a mile outside the ULEZ zone, we can't vote for London
mayor, so the fact that most of our everyday trips for medical and shopping
etc are inside doesn't bother Citizen Khan, again difficult if you can't leave
dad alone to walk it. Anyway, enough moaning, back to the Rover !!
To suzublu: Yes, we have had trouble, mainly because a foreign lorry tried
to come through our rear left on the M6 by changing lanes when he couldn't
see us. The back window doesn't fit tightly as a result of the minor damage
sustained and there has been a leakage issue on our boot cover, not severe
and now fixed. Sunroof is fitted but doesn't leak and carpets dry.
To YHT & torque2me: That sounds like a plan, once I get it moved out of
the jungle in the front garden the has enveloped it in two years !!
To SD1too: No, as far as we're aware, the central locking is the only
thing that no longer functions, when there is juice in the battery, certainly
rear indicators etc were all working when it last had an MOT and apart
from not being able to lock the boot, the doors being done manually from
the inside and then drivers door key of course, we were fine. It's just that
even a new battery seems to lose all power and not charge up whilst in use,
despite the alternator being given the all clear, in a couple of weeks and it's
never been a problem before.
Once again, my thanks to those that responded, I'm not, as you may
have gathered blessed with either mechanical skill/knowledge or indeed a
lot of time to get anything done, the move is a necessity, as we can no
longer afford to live here and dad needs some peace and quiet, so your
help is MUCH appreciated.
All the best

Andy

[Arctic]

Hi Andy.
If the car has been standing for two years, without being moved ? then most likely the brakes/calipers will be seized up, the tyres no good has they may well have a flat spot discs and pads will most likely be no good.

The plenums will most likely be full of water, which will have maybe damaged the ECU the brain of the car, does the car start at all if you put a fully charged or new battery on it, or jump it from you own car.

You may well be better off purchasing another Rover 75 tourer, the work carried out to bring the one you have back into commission could be costly.

What you need to establish is if the car starts, and get someone to look over the car while it's on your garden, if you get it picked took to a garage they could well pull the wool over your eyes and have your pants down.

[SD1too]

Originally Posted by Ewellrover

Thanks to the three responders, apologies for going "missing", dad is struggling with his health at present and I'm his sole carer, so occasionally
find it difficult to log in ... once I get it moved out of
the jungle in the front garden the has enveloped it in two years !!

Hello Andy,

Let me know if I can be of any assistance with the battery problem or jungle clearance. I'm not far from Ewell.

Simon