2001 Mk1 1.8Tddi Battery Light

[Simonfb100]

Hello there,

Can someone help me please? I've bought a early 2001 Mk1 1.8 TDDI estate this week and need some advise on the battery light that comes on! I took it on a run of 50 miles last night and when I put the battery / charging circiut under load the battery light came on and we lost a bit of power! (Wipers, Heater, Radio plus heated front & rear screens all on). The battery looks good with a green dot in the sight glass!!

When I got home I put a DVM on the battery and with the engine off and it was showing 12.5V. With the engine running it was charging and showing 13.5-14.5Volts and with it laoded as above it dropped down to 11.5Volts (this was at idle) I will do the same again with the engine ticking over at 1500RPM in the morning and repost!

In the mean time does anyone have any thoughts if they thing it could be the altenator, battery or anything else causing the battery light to come on!?

If I need an altenator can any one give me the part number / type i need please? As I said its a early 2001 1.8 TDDI Ghia Estate.

Any info or advise would be great please,

Thankyou very much in advance!!

Simon.

[artscot79]

If you had the front screen on and the rear and the heater lights etc simply put you had too much on you only use the front heated screen on its own and only for a very short time as it uses masses of power unless the screens icy you shouldnt use it at all if you had all that on the alternator cant charge the battery youre using more juice than it can replace stop using the screen and it will charge to use the screen ford tell you use it on its own at idle before moving off and switch off the second the screens clear i never use it unless the outside of the screens icy so thats youre problem the readings are as they should be

[Stoney871]

Heated front screens draw a ferocious amount of power.

Also how old is the battery, is it a silver calcium type, and is it the correct rating for the car?