My Alfa will not start in the morning

[Geebz]

Could anyone please assist me. I have an Alfa 156 and the last couple of weeks it has been giving me grief. In the morning when I go to start it, it is just not starting or if I leave it for more than 12 hours. The battery is fine and the alternator is also fine what could be the problem? After I jump start it, it runs fine for the rest of the day. Thanks

[colcol]

First thing to check would be the battery, have it checked under load by an Auto electrician, the battery appears ok, but then under load they die, also check the battery connectors and the earth wires, some auto electricians who work on Alfa's add an extra earth wire, see how you go, Colin.

[Stuart Thomson]

Could anyone please assist me. I have an Alfa 156 and the last couple of weeks it has been giving me grief. In the morning when I go to start it, it is just not starting or if I leave it for more than 12 hours. The battery is fine and the alternator is also fine what could be the problem? After I jump start it, it runs fine for the rest of the day. Thanks

If jumpstarting it works, then the battery is NOT fine, it's stuffed.  By the sounds of it you have a cell which is shorting out, hence after a period of inactivity the battery is flat.  It may charge up OK, then read the correct voltage, but it needs to be replaced.

Cheers
Stuart

[Davidm1600]

Quite correct.   In talking to our our Dealer just prior to Christmas, he too said exactly what Col and Stuart did.  My battery over time had been slowly discharging and it became worse due to not using my car much.  The old battery would charge up nicely and so long as I used the car seemed to hold charge.  The fix a new battery and decent one at that.

[Geebz]

Thank you all for your input. I had the battery checked by the auto electrician and everything was ok with the battery. I actually replacedthe alternator as I thought that it was faulty but I am back to square one now with it not starting. I will take the battery to another auto electrician and see how I go. I hope it's the battery as its till under warranty. Thanks

[colcol]

An Alternator replacement in a 156 is not a 5 minute job, it lives at the back of the engine and has to be removed from under the car, so its important to replace the components that are actually faulty, have the battery put under a load test, not just checking for volts, when you say it won't start, what are the symptoms?, will it kick over and not start or is it just not kicking over, make sure the battery has enough Cold Cranking Amps, [CCA} on the battery, Colin.

[Geebz]

Hi Colin thanks for that. I know changing the alternator is not a 5 minute job it cost me a fair bit to get it done. If I don't start it for about 15 hours it doesn't kick over at all but if it's less than that it will struggle kicking over and depending it might start or it won't start and that is when I jump start it. I will definately ask the auto electrician to check for the CCA and do the load test as well. Thank you once again

[Stuart Thomson]

Hi Geebz,

The battery is stuffed, get it replaced, particularly as it's under warranty.  I hope that when you took it to the auto electricians he didn't tell you to replace what may have been a good alternator instead of replacing a faulty battery under warranty.  Did you buy the battery from the same auto electrician?  Did they do the alternator change?

Cheers
Stuart

[colcol]

Alfa Romeo's are fitted with a Supercharge Battery when they are delivered to Australia, the type for a 156 JTS manual is model no MF-55, CCA 545, [Cold Cranking Amps], or any good brand of battery with the correct amps, Colin.

[gtv19]

Gents just a left field suggestion, when I owned my 156 Ti the radio would come on by itself at night and flatten the battery. There was an easy fix, leave a cd in he radio and it ceased turning on by itself and fixed my "battrey " problem.

Happy New Year, haappy Alfaing.

Laurie

[colcol]

Hey gtv19, how did you know the radio was switching on at night?, was it switching on after you took the keys out of the ignition or was it randomly at night?, and another bizarre thing that effects 156's is that the part of the tacho that senses and tells you you have a blown globe can short out and drain the battery as well, Colin.

[gtv19]

Thanks colcol, if I got to the car early enough I could hear the radio, and was able to turn it off. Battrey was low but the car always started (somewhat reluctantly).

I had heard of that happening to other 156`s.

Crazy cars, with character!

Ciao,

Laurie

[Geebz]

Hi Stuart when I took it in he asked me to replace the alternator as he had tested the battery and it seemed to be fine. I did not get the battery from him I got it from RAA and since it's under warranty I will ask them to replace it with the correct one.
Thanks colcol for the tip about the battery I will look for that particular one yiu mentioned

Cheers,
Geebz

[colcol]

Autobahn are one of the agents for Supercharge batteries, Colin.

[Geebz]

Thanks for that Colin