With wintertime coming, vehicles tend to suffer, the most basic case is to have troubles starting your Opel Vivaro early in the day with very low temperatures. Generally speaking this is related to problems recharging the battery of your Opel Vivaro . There are several factors that can show you why your battery does not recharge correctly anymore, and in this article we will try to help you to resolve this problem that can prevent you from using your motor vehicle. To do this, first we will show you how recharging your car battery works, then the different problems of recharging a Opel Vivaro, and at last how to recharge an empty car battery.

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How does recharging the battery of a Opel Vivaro work?

Before we detail the different problems of recharging the battery on a Opel Vivaro , we will show you to you how its recharging system functions so that you can figure out the problems you are struggling with. A motor vehicle battery works like a phone battery, it will store energy to start your Opel Vivaro , turn on your headlights, play music, lower your power windows… However all these actions will consume energy and it might deplete the energy reserve that your battery can store. To overcome this problem, the engineers have produced a component called the alternator , this component will use the energy developed by the engine unit of your Opel Vivaro to generate energy thanks to a copper coil and a magnet. This energy will recharge the battery of your motor vehicle . However, take into account that this process can only work when your motor vehicle is running, using electrical components of your motor vehicle when it is stopped will drain the energy reserve of your motor vehicle. It is considered that a battery of a xxx has a life span of 3 to 5 years.

Problems recharging a Opel Vivaro’s battery

We will now describe the different battery charging problems on a Opel Vivaro you might be victim of. If your battery is not recharging because there is actually a problem in your electrical set up, we will now see the different situations.

Battery charging problem on Opel Vivaro: My battery is discharging regardless if I am recharging it with a particular charger

In this first circumstance, it is quite possible that your alternator is dead , obviously, if you manage to recharge your battery with a charger and your Opel Vivaro to start, the problem obviously originates from your alternator which should not be able to generate any more current.

Battery charging problem on Opel Vivaro: My motor vehicle shuts off and does not start regardless if I have charged the battery

If you have recharged your battery and you have been able to start your Opel Vivaro but it switches off while you are driving and then does not start, the trouble with recharging the battery of your Opel Vivaro is that your battery no longer holds the charge .

Battery charging problem on Opel Vivaro: My battery is discharged although it is new

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If you’ve just bought a battery and it discharges while you’re driving, the problem most likely originates from your alternator. It cannot originate from your battery, which is new and consequently holds the charge. The second possibility is that you have a ground somewhere in your electrical system.

How to resolve the problem of battery charging on Opel Vivaro?

We will now give you the solutions according to the problem you are struggling with. Here are the different problems and their solutions:

  • Faulty alternator: You can try with basic mechanics to verify it with a pressure gauge to see if it’s producing power. If it doesn’t, changing it is the best remedy, depending on your motor you will pay a few hundred euros. This fix is feasible in case your alternator is accessible.
  • Battery that no longer holds the charge: In such a case, the purchase of a new battery is the only realistic remedy. In fact, if you have already recharged it but it is still empty because it is good to be replaced, count between 60 and 100 euros depending on your engine.
  • Ground in the electrical circuit: If you cannot start your Opel Vivaro but your alternator and battery are in good condition, it is possible that you have a ground on your wiring harness and that you lose energy, a verify by a motor vehicle electrician is in such a case necessary.

How to recharge an empty battery of a Opel Vivaro

At last, to recharge the empty battery of a Opel Vivaro there are only few solutions, using a battery charger is the most efficient remedy, you can discover some for 50 to 100 euros at vendors like Oscaro. In any other case you can use cables that will only provide the energy needed to start.

If you wish more tutorials on the Opel Vivaro, go to our Opel Vivaro category.