I suppose I need a new battery but the problem seems strange. The car usually starts fine - but if left standing for a couple of days it will sometimes behave as though the battery is almost flat. The starter will hardly turn the engine. If I try every couple of minutes, after a few attempts it will often recover and start up.
Also if I put the battery onto my feeble charger for 5 mins it will also make an amazing recovery.
Any ideas?
Sounds like a dodgey battery connection. Try taking the terminals off the posts and cleaning them.
Peter
It sounds like you have a dead cell. You could check with a hydrometer or if it's one of thoses sealed ones, make sure it's fully charged then go to a garage and ask them to do a discharge test on it.
Trevor Smith
I'd start by checking the earth lead carefully and feeling to see if any of the connections get warm - it could just be a bad connection. But budget for the new battery.
Cold. As you drag current through it it warms up and gets better.
It may also be suffering from low electrolyte, and be 'on the way out'.
If the battery is older than five years, bin it anyway before investigating further. If it isn't dead, it soon will be, so you won't be wasting your cash. I don't think I have ever owned a car where I haven't had to change the battery.
Christian.
P.S. Your symptoms seem like standard knackered battery syndrome.
I had one battery that lasted 9 years, very strong performance all that time and then one day it was totally dead. Japanese brand, forget which.
I think modern cars seem to make the batteries last longer. When I had a Marina it seemed to go through a battery every couple of years but since then (1985) I don't think I've ever had one fail.
-- Malc
Does indeed sound like an 'old' battery problem However check everything including the electrical strap/flexible 'ground cable' between the engine/chassis of the vehicle and the battery. While the engine may be grounded in any case through the metallic transmission and side axles/drive shafts etc. it's not a good situation if that 'strap' is broken. Terry.
John, If your battery is draining over a period of time then it sounds as if you may have a current drain that has the ability to lower the voltage/amps considerably over a given period of time. with the battery charged,Put an ammeter in series with the battery and let the reading settle, you should have approx 30 to 50mA drain. Something simple like a light in the glovebox or boot or even a faulty diode in the alternator may cause higher drains than this.
Another tip, If you have a high drain reading on the meter then remove each fuse one by one and see which one lets the reading drop then see what it supplies... this worked well on older cars but the newer models with smart charging e.t.c makes it more difficult.
Give it another 5 years and when ALL cars are 36volt systems with a 42 volt charge then we will really have headaches... you should see what the next 5 years has in store... frightening.
JK
????
You may buy a new battery and find it makes no difference! Also good quality batteries last well over five years, a cheap replacement might not even last as long as the old one would have.
While the fault is present, measure the battery voltage while turning the engine over, that should tell you something....
cheers, Pete.
I've yet to have one last more than about 3 years in recent times. Once, I'd have expected 5.
Hmm. The longest guarantee I've seen is 4 years on Halfords ones.
And at one place the same battery was sold at different prices according to the length of the guarantee. So it seems most makers don't have the same confidence in their products that you do.
About two years ago, I bought a Varta, with lifetime warranty, for my Rover
115 diesel, cost £52.Regards tox
Perhaps they know something about the lifetime of a Rover you don't? ;-)
That is normal. My local motor spares shop used to, and probably still does, sell the same battery with a different sticker stating it's length of guarantee. These were batteries from a major manufacturer and all were identical, they just came with a box of stickers you stick on to the battery for the guarantee.
I am waiting for someone in Currys to offer me an extended warranty on a pair of AA batteries. They offer it for everything else
-- Adam
adamwadsworth@(REMOVETHIS)blueyonder.co.uk
And just in case that is not the problem you might as well bin the starter, alternator, and charging control unit and buy new ones before investigating further. Oh yes, it might be the cables, so bin them too. NOT!
Much more sensible suggestions further up the thread.
Phil
-- Phil Addison The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at
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