Car battery dead - options

ionapaul

Hi all,

Fresh from my post two weeks ago when my car broke down mid-trip with a busted clutch (slave cylinder) I've another problem. I got my car towed (€100) and the clutch fixed by the garage that towed me (€90) - now this morning my hunk of metal won't even start! All I heard to begin with was ticking, then after trying for a while you could hear it turn over very, very slowly. I tried my wipers and electrics and they were in slow-mo, when I turned on the internal light and tried to start the light went out, so it is the battery I guess.

Just tried to get a jump start there but after waiting for a few minutes with the working car's engine on, there was no improvement when I tried the ignition. So I'm guessing I need a new battery - what are my options?

Is it difficult to fit a new battery? Is it definitely the battery at all? Do I need to take it to a garage (or rather, get it towed to a garage!)? I work close to a Halfords and can buy a battery and bring it back home tomorrow evening (on the bus? how bulky is a battery anyway?), but what else do I need to fit it?

Any help greatfully recieved!

P.S. I am 90% sure I didn't leave on any lights or electronics last night - so the battery died / drained for no reason it seems!!!

ARGINITE

How old is the battery?
Do you have access to a battery charger, if the battery is not old (3+ years) then try giving ti a charge.

Batteries are fairly heavy and the acid can leak out if you're not careful. So I would avoid the bus option. But fitting a battery is easy, all you need is a spanner and the new battery.

colm_mcm

could just have been left with the radio on or something in the garage, maybe it just needs a good drive.

ionapaul

I've no idea how old the battery is but I'd guess it is the same one that was in the car when I bought it second-hand in 2005 - I'm fairly sure it wasn't replaced in any service since.

Obviously this means the battery could be well over 5 years old, the car itself is 11 years old and I've no service records!

ionapaul

colm_mcm wrote: »

could just have been left with the radio on or something in the garage, maybe it just needs a good drive.

It was fine when I picked it up from the garage, and for the week since - it is just today that the problem has emerged. I honestly don't think I left anything on overnight (it couldn't have been the radio, it needs the key in the ignition to work).

I'm trying to figure out if I should go to the expense of having it towed and a full service done (in addition to probably a new battery) or just risk buying a battery (€120 in Halfords) and try to change it myself (which will be...interesting!)

colm_mcm

the battery will be easy enough to swap once they give you the right one.

BrianD3

A battery charger is a good thing to have. In your case I would probably buy a mains battery charger for about 50-60 quid and attempt to charge the battery. If the car is within a few metres of a mains socket you wouldn't even have to remove it, just disconnect it.

You may still end up having to buy a new battery but you'll have your charger for future battery drainings.

What car is it and what size engine? 120 quid is expensive for a battery, even from Halfords.

Yawns

local motor factors you will be able to get a new battery for about 60 - 70 euro

Yawns

I see in you OP you said the car broke down 2 weeks ago and only picked it up this morning. Sounds like a good charge might fix it tbh. Leave another car hooked up correctly with it's engine running for about 10 mins.

Don't try your lights or radio or anything. After 10 mins try to start the engine. You said it was trying to start earlier but then you tried the lights etc. Just a 10 min hook up and then the ignition should do it. If that works give it a good drive for about 30 - 60 mins to get some life back into it.

Try the above before buying a new battery.

colm_mcm

OP has it back a week.

ionapaul

It's a 1.6l Hyundai Coupe.

My parking space is not particularly near my house so I'm guessing I'd need to disconnect it using a spanner and carry it inside the house if I'm using a mains battery charger.

ARGINITE

Yes.

ionapaul

colm_mcm wrote: »

OP has it back a week.

Yep, back a full week without problems - then just wouldn't start this morning and I'm almost certain that I didn't leave anything on last night. Would this indicate that the battery is shagged rather than needing a good charge?

ARGINITE

It could also indicate that you have a short.
But if the battery is 5+ years old then a new one would be a good place to start.
Is it normally hard to start?

Juwwi

op ur best bet is get a new battery and get a taxi back home with it.

dont get it towed to a garage u would be wasting ur money.

its simple to change the battery but u will need 2 different size spaners
because there is usually a clamp holding the battery in place.

colm_mcm

you'll probably need a socket and long extension, AFAIK the Coupe battery is beld in with 2 clips on the bottom of the battery as opposed to the more widely used bracket on the top.
Fitting in Halfords would be cheaper than a taxi.

ionapaul

Nope, it normally starts very easily. Have had very few starting issues over the years.

Juwwi

is there a garge very close 2 u ?

u could get them to supply and fit 1 for it if they are not far away

kazul

ionapaul wrote: »

Hi all,

- now this morning my hunk of metal won't even start! All I heard to begin with was ticking, then after trying for a while you could hear it turn over very, very slowly. I tried my wipers and electrics and they were in slow-mo, when I turned on the internal light and tried to start the light went out, so it is the battery I guess.

Just tried to get a jump start there but after waiting for a few minutes with the working car's engine on, there was no improvement when I tried the ignition. So I'm guessing I need a new battery - what are my options?

!

Stop, stop, stop. If the battery just discharged for whatever reason, then a jump start should have sorted it. I've been thru the same scenario a lot of times recently and I refuse to let physics make me shell out. Chances are you had a bad connnection on jump start attempt. If you had a strong charge from the other car and your alternator is ok then you should have been ok. Maybe you didn't make good contact with the jump leads, my cheapo ones have sh*t insulation that prevents proper contact to battery poles.

BrianD3

I recently "saved" a 7 year old battery by charging it after thinking I'd need to replace it. Now it's probably not 100% and might let me down if if left sitting idle for 2 weeks - but i won't be doing that so should get a few more years out of it.

If your battery is a few years old and if you have driven a lot of short journeys recently, this mornings start attempt could have been the last straw for it. Charging may well help.

You should also try disconnecting and reconnecting the battery connections after cleaning any corrosion off. However I would have said that a dodgy connection would have resulted in nothing at all rather than a feeble start attempt.

If you have a friend who's an AA member, I wonder could they call the AA out and get you started.

re: jump starts, it once took me over an hour to jump start a small diesel van using a Landcruiser and good jump leads.

ionapaul

The car is actually long over due a service so I'm going to get one of those mobile service places to come out to both service it and see what is the story with the battery - easiest thing to do I suspect!

Yawns

Also important to use a good set of jump leads. Cheap weak ones will not supply enough power to start properly and I have seen a case of a car just getting enough power to try to start then die. We ended up changing to a decent set of leads which my brother brought down and hey presto 5 mins later it was started