Seeking Advice on Troubleshooting a Non-Starting 2013 Dacia Dokker: Possible Parking Heater Issue

Hey! I've had a similar issue with my 2011 Dacia Sandero, practically the same model just a bit older. Now, I'm not a pro, but I've got some experience under my belt handling car issues. In my case, the problem wasn't the parking heater but the glow plug was defective. A trip to my trusty workshop and €560 later, the problem was sorted. Mechanic replaced the glow plug and my car was good as new. Sounds like your case might be a bit different though. Could you give more info on your vehicle's symptoms? It'll help me give a more detailed answer for your case. Cheers!

Yeah thanks for the input. Here's a bit more info: When I try to turn it on, it kinda sputters and dies. Also, a few times, the heater was running for a longer time after the car was switched off, perhaps draining the battery? I keep up with the maintenance, and the last general service was at 139020 KM. Maybe I'll look into your glow plug advice. It's not exactly the same, but worth a shot, I suppose. Thanks for your help!

Hey there, thanks for the additional info! It definitely sounds like something's up with your battery now that you mention the heater has been running after you've switched off the car. In my case, the glow plug was the culprit, but given your issue, it might not be the same in your Dokker. The 'sputtering and die' you described sounds like a symptom of a weak battery or a problematic alternator, not supplying enough charge to the battery, but that's just my guess based on experience. Seems like you maintain your car pretty nicely, kudos for that! So I'd definitely recommend getting your battery and alternator checked out at a garage. But before you lug your car to a workshop, try this little trick. If you have a multimeter at home, you can use it to measure the voltage of your battery. It should read around 12.5V to 12.6V with the engine off. Now start the car and measure again, the reading should be anywhere between 13.7V to 14.7V. If not, you might have an issue with your alternator. I hope this helps a bit as you continue to investigate this issue. Fingers crossed you'll solve it soon! Keep us posted!

Cheers! I really appreciate your detailed response. Your DIY trick with the multimeter is a great shout! I do have a multimeter at home so I'll be doing that for sure over the weekend, let's see what I find. If the readings are off, then it's off to the garage next week. Thanks again for the valuable advice and taking the time to help! I'll definitely keep you posted on how it goes. Have a great day!

How can I test it for my car?

Sure, you can test your car's battery and alternator using a multimeter by following these steps: 1. Set your multimeter to 20 DC volts. 2. Connect the multimeter to your battery - the red lead to your battery's positive terminal and the black lead to the negative terminal. 3. With the engine off, your battery should read around 12.5 to 12.6 volts. 4. Now start your car and let it run for a few minutes, then read the voltage on the multimeter again. It should now be between 13.7 and 14.7 volts. If the readings are within these ranges, your battery and alternator are likely in good condition. If not, you may have a problem with either the battery or the alternator, and it would be best to have a professional mechanic check it out. Remember to be careful while doing this to avoid any electrical shocks. Let us know how it goes! Do you have any other questions?