Flat Battery ??? (Mondeo)

Velocitee

Hi,

With the last 2 months I have been doing a 5-10 minute drive morning and evening to catch the train to work.

Probably in the region of 5km each way.

Anyway the car wouldn't start this evening when I came off the train (surprise surprise) so my thanks to the guy from Blanchardstown who was a good samaritan with his jump leads!

it came to life pretty much straight away - there seemed to be enough charge to keep radio stations etc but trip data was cleared alright. (my theory is there was still a little charge left in it.)

Anyway the car is a 2005 1.8 petrol mondeo, the battery has a manufacture date of 2004 so I'm guessing it's been in the car since new.

My next theory is that since I've only been doing the short drives during the week, the battery doesn't have a chance to charge (usually do a 3 hr drive once/twice a month but haven't done that in a good while).

Since I used to do a lot of driving I probably never had a chance to notice it doesn't charge quickly, is the battery on the way out?

I'll probably get a new one anyway for the winter just in case, does anyone know how much I can expect to pay? (would like to get a branded proper one if possible)

Before it's mentioned, it's a 30 min walk and the winter is coming up so I'd like to avoid it with freezing/ splashing/ 6am starts etc!

Velocitee

oh yeah and tomorrow's purchase is a set of jump leads!

Cars everywhere but like me - nobody carries them!

I don't think it's the alternator as it did charge once it got going. Was able to start it after I finished driving - I took it for a 20km drive just to charge it and probably take it out again a little later...

if I change the battery myself, can I expect immobiliser problems, keys not working etc? guessing I should have the radio code handy!

Esel

Are you sure you didn't leave anything on that would have drained the battery - courtesy light, parking light(s) etc? Maybe it was a one-off.

However, a new battery might be the order of the day. Any Motor Factors will know the type/size/capacity. Not worth going for a brand name, imo. Ring around for best price. Jump leads - get a set with 16mm2 cables at least - cheap/nasty jump leads are heartbreaking.... Big Tescos have a decent set for €20 (factor should be able to at least match that price?)

No info on issues related to swapping battery, I'm afraid. Do you have the owner's manual? - that should tell you what's what. Otherwise, google.

Let us know how you get on.

Muckie

I'd recommend that you also buy a basic multi-meter, the motor factors

should have one. Always handy to have to check voltage of electrical

faults and problems in cars too. Hope you get it sorted.

Velocitee

Tried to pick up a multimeter and jump leads at lunch but argos were out of stock on both! have a motor factors 10 mins away so try there after work (multimeter was €35 in argos, expensive enough...)

Velocitee

esel wrote: »

Are you sure you didn't leave anything on that would have drained the battery - courtesy light, parking light(s) etc? Maybe it was a one-off.

However, a new battery might be the order of the day. Any Motor Factors will know the type/size/capacity. Not worth going for a brand name, imo. Ring around for best price. Jump leads - get a set with 16mm2 cables at least - cheap/nasty jump leads are heartbreaking.... Big Tescos have a decent set for €20 (factor should be able to at least match that price?)

No info on issues related to swapping battery, I'm afraid. Do you have the owner's manual? - that should tell you what's what. Otherwise, google.

Let us know how you get on.

Thanks - everything was off in the car (I'm a bit OCD about it, have to check handbrake up, windows up, doors locked and lights off - before I can leave it! :P)

I'm going to check the voltage - if it's 12.2 or less I'll replace it (could just be not driving enough too!)

Muckie

Thats pricey for a mutlimeter, have a standard one that cost me €20
a few years back. Always handy little tool to have.

Wheelnut

The battery is six years old so it's probably on the way out. Generally when they pass five years old you're on bonus time.

Avns1s

With the battery at 6 years old, I'd start by replacing it rather than wasting money on multimeters, jump leads and other stuff. I would have said that anything over 4 years is a bonus with most batteries.

Yawns

In my experience the batteries can last longer than 4 - 5 years. I would suugest it would be the short driving. Take her out for a good spin on the weekend to charge it up. 10 mins of start-stop driving will do no good over time for charging.

The only time I ever had to replace a battery in any car was an 11 year old clio and that wasn't driven for about 5 months. Battery was dead as a door nail. There's a 00 puegeot still going strong with the OH's mother's car with original battery. She drives to Bingo almost every night and it's a good 20 min drive without a lot of lights

Meeoow

Battery for your Mondeo should cost about 100 Euro. Your friendly Ford dealer should change it out for you. All you should need is the stereo code. Six years is about the life of a battery.

If the battery was fine the short spins wouldn't bother it, they are also 5K spins not a few hundred metres. If nothing was left on to drain the battery you need a new one. A load test in a factors will confirm.

Yawns

But if a car is only doing short trips and nothing else, over time the battery will not hold it's charge. The father has the sisters car for a few months now as she went away. He used it for going around to shops for last 2 weeks and the other day it struggled he told me. He drove 150k/m down to me to drop things off and now it's flying. All it needed was a good drive

To alot of people a good spin is a drive down to the far shops and back. Sure just get out and drive for a good long while where you won't be stuck in traffic and it might just work out. Be far cheaper than a new battery anyway. Unless you crash

Velocitee

Thanks for all the replies - I clocked up 200km over the weekend without it even being planned. Car's running perfectly now after that stint and I left it most of the day today and it started on one beat without drama.

I'm going to play it by ear with the battery - maybe swap it out with my winter service (low temps won't help its cause).

I've got jump leads as well so I'll be ready if it decides to misbehave before then

Yawns

Good job

I'm sure it'll be fine. Just give it a nice run around every now and then to keep the charge topped up. A few mins driving in start-stop traffic does no good whatsoever. Sure the sister's car is running perfectly now that it had a good run down the motorway the other day

Would you not get the battery load tested ? It's free and will give you piece if mind.