Heeeelp! - Electrical Issues...

[Japster]

Arrgh! - don'cha just hate electrics?...

Car was running great until a couple of days back - then suddenly starting idling wildly between 800 and 1500rpm and was really unresponsive/hesitant to drive...

By the time I got home and parked up a mile or so later, it was missing and all over the place, and when I went to put the electric windows up it stalled!

So, I checked the battery - 9.5volts!?!?! - Checked the earth to the alternator, and was a solid signal.

I've taken the battery off, but will also check the live from the alternator to the battery...

Before I took the battery off, I boost-started the car with a battery booster, left it on, and still only measured 9.5volts across the battery (it used to be 13.x volts)...

I'm going to charge the battery up, and see if it shows full voltage, but even then - It may be something else, and the juice is not getting back into it?

So, my question is - what are the likely causes for this problem? (I've checked on Silviagod's site, and he's mentioned about corrosion (I have no plastic arch guards, so is worth checking into)), and I was wondering how (before buying another!) I could check the allternator's working fine?

I'm a bit of a newcomer when it comes to getting down and dirty under the bonnet, so all helps/suggestions are appreciated...

I'm also tempted to re-wire the (possibly) corroded wires if need be, and replace any relays, fuses, etc. that may not be working, so envisaging a lot of pinning out/tracing/testing...

Basically, I'm sick and tired of electrical problems with the car, and from being ripped off by so-called "specialist" vehicle electrics garages who have between them managed to perform umpteen bodges to fix the car (to be honest, I don't even trust the average Nissan spanner monkey to do it right , even though they should have the information to hand), and at present my lights don't work on full beam, stay up when raised, my stereo cuts out whenever it feels like it (and comes back on - strange - could be a short, but it should fuse if this is the case? - Checked the wiring at the back of the stereo, and seems fine?), and my clock and lights flicker like mad whenever this happens... Aaaaaarrgh!!!...

Alternatively, if anyone knows (personally) of a GREAT vehicle electrics specialist in the West Midlands, I'd really appreciate getting this lot sorted once and for all!

Cheers all...


Den.