Why is my battery going flat?

Hello there. I bought myself a few months ago a 2005 Opel Astra 1.3 diesel six-gear manual model. Three times it has happened that the battery is flat and needed a help to start the car. Any ideas what can be the possible problem for that and solutions?

Ragnar Arnason (Kaupanger)

Nov 2014 Filed under: electrics

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Expert answer

Hi Ragnar,

Several things can cause that, so you need to take the car to an auto-electrician to ascertain which. Possibilities:

1) The battery itself needs to be replaced, but don't do that until you're sure it's none of these other things.

2) The alternator isn't charging the battery properly. Check for loose leads and/or the alternator belt itself before paying an auto-electrician to check it.

3) Something may be staying on to drain the battery when you turn the car off. It could be a light in the boot or glovebox or the alarm or stereo or something else entirely. Will need a little investigation.

Best of luck with it - let us know how you get on.

Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Adviser
@Shane_O_D