Do I need a new battery?

Garth

Last Oct, I took my car off the road to save a few pennies. I know I should have been running the car every so often, but one day I decided to do it, and the battery died.

Circumstances have changed and now I need the car.

Will I need a new battery or will I be able to get it going again using jump leads and a volunteer?

How much will a battery cost? (It's a 98 Micra)

If the battery was sound it should be ok, I took a car off the road last April, battery was 6 months old, was so dead last night there was no life at all in it, no interiior light, wouldn't even turn on the radio. Jump started it (albeit not straight away) and let her idle for a while, she started this morning, which surprised me as I thought it would need a good run to charge up)

Garth

Thanks, I'll try and find a willing car and give it a try.

Muckie

A basic battery charger is always handy to have in the house,
Argos sell them, that and a basic multi-meter for checkin the voltage
and amps.

Garth

I've never heard of those. I mean, I remember cars that used to plug in, but does this mean I can charge the battery from the mains power in my garage?

biko

You in Galway city, if so I could swing past an jump it for you.
If there's someone else there and a slope you could trying push starting it.

If it's totally dead a push start won't do the trick, general rule of thumb is if you have dashlights the pushstart will work. Totally dead battery and it won't I reckon. No power at all for the spark.

Garth

I'm a couple hours away, but I've a friend dropping by in the morning. We'll get it going hopefully!

djimi

There is the possibility that it will be completely dead. I have a car at home which has been parked up since the end of last summer; after 8-9 months the battery was so dead that no amount of idling after a jump start would get her charged.