Battery / Electricity Issues - MK3 GS300

[OJWM]

Hi all,

My MK3 GS300 has been having some issues recently, off the back of some cold weather and installation of a telematics box...

• Initially, it failed to start following a couple of weeks of not being used in cold weather - before that, I'd probably taken it on a few quite short trips with heated seats, windows etc..
• Following that, I used a Battery pack jump-starter to get it running and took it on a 1hr+ circuit to get some proper charge back into the Battery
• On a subsequent drive, a whining sound developed, along with burning smell and a hazy smoke came through the A/C vents
• Took it to a garage, who told me the alternator was shot and replaced it (at great expense)
• All seemed fine following that - two non eventful 2hr+ drives, until I tried to start it yesterday, after leaving for a week - same ticking and failure to start that I had at the very beginning of this process...

...which is just a little upsetting. Does anyone have any tips on resolving / probable cause. If there's a problem that is, for instance, draining my Battery and causing alternator damage, I'm not all that keen to repeat the above steps...! Battery is only a year old, btw - so shouldn't really be draining after a week...

Many thanks in advance..!

[sorcerer]

3 hours ago, OJWM said:

and installation of a telematics box...

Was it installed correctly? Is it faulty?

Looking at it logically, if everything was alright before this was installed and things have only gone to hell in a handbasket since installation, then there's a strong chance it has something to do with that. You really need a multimeter at the very least to do some measurement and testing but I'm guessing that you haven't got one or you'd have given us the results of your tests. In the absence of that, I'd be inclined to go to a proper auto-electrician rather than a general garage or mechanic - auto electrics are a very strange beast to deal with.

[OJWM]

3 hours ago, sorcerer said:

Was it installed correctly? Is it faulty?

Looking at it logically, if everything was alright before this was installed and things have only gone to hell in a handbasket since installation, then there's a strong chance it has something to do with that. You really need a multimeter at the very least to do some measurement and testing but I'm guessing that you haven't got one or you'd have given us the results of your tests. In the absence of that, I'd be inclined to go to a proper auto-electrician rather than a general garage or mechanic - auto electrics are a very strange beast to deal with.

Thanks very much - hadn't thought of that route, but it seems a very sensible one! Shall brace myself for yet more expense... :)

[ColinBarber]

I could be a failed Battery, worth getting it checked out.

[Jaybrammer]

Could be a faulty alternator i bought  2 alternators all be it refurbished ones  and turned out it both were faulty got my old alternator refurbished at a good auto electricians and it works fine and was a fraction of the price as well get your alternator and Battery double checked  

 

And good luck keep us updated 

[OJWM]

Thanks all. Had it checked out and looks like Battery has gone bad - holding at 8.3 volts apparently. Given how many times it's drained recently, I can probably accept it's taken some damage...

[sorcerer]

1 hour ago, OJWM said:

Thanks all. Had it checked out and looks like battery has gone bad - holding at 8.3 volts apparently. Given how many times it's drained recently, I can probably accept it's taken some damage...

Glad you've got to the bottom of the problem