Flat battery, would this do it?

af_thefragile

I didn't start my car for about a month and the battery has gone absolutely completely flat. No sign of life at all. I'm looking to buy a started/charger for my car and found this thing:
http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/7403253.htm

You guys think this will do the job and get the car started? Or would you guys recommend me to get something else?

Alanstrainor

Jump it. No point buying a charger imo.

Avns1s

I'd be more inclined just to get a jumpstart and see how you go from there. If the battery has been fully discharged for that length, chances are you will need a new battery, in which case you shouldn't need that charger for a long long time so perhaps it will be just a waste of money, unless you have some other use for it.

johnos1984

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Jump it. No point buying a charger imo.

+1

Jump it get it started and take it for a drive for half an hour or so out on the open road, make sure to give it lots of revs to charge the battery

cabrwab

Jump it or get a new battery would be my opinion.

If the battery is completely knackered may not jump start.
How old is the battery maybe time for a change anyway!

af_thefragile

Hmm... I'll try jumping it and see how it goes.


Funny thing is the battery is new. The battery that came with the car (when I bought it) wasn't of the right specification for the car and hence wasn't clamped down which caused it to rattle and break down. I then replaced it with a new battery. Since then the car would start first time everytime!

But since the snow, I didn't start my car, which was about a month ago, and the battery's gone dead.

I think it's the alternator that isn't charging the battery properly as when I got the new battery last time, the mechanic said the alternator wasn't charging the battery to its full capacity which probably led to the old battery die in only about a week of standing around.

Anyway, I'm not gonna bother getting a new alternator or a battery either I suppose. I'll get jump leads and see how it goes.

Cheers for the advice...


Also, jumping the car won't do any damage the other good car right??...

BrianD3

Monday in LIDL
http://www.lidl.ie/ie/home.nsf/pages/c.o.20110110.p.6_12V_Battery_Charger

What sort of car is it? If it has a very large battery the above may not be suitable.

IMO some sort of battery charger is a useful thing to have. And I think they are safer than jump leads. i have this one and have used it on engines from 1.2 petrol to 1.9 litre diesel.
http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/7402168/Trail/searchtext%3EBATTERY+CHARGER.htm

af_thefragile

^That is pricey. But if I can get away with jump leads, that would be a cheaper option and its good to have them in your boot if you ever need them in case your car breaks down or something...

BrianD3 wrote: »

Monday in LIDL
http://www.lidl.ie/ie/home.nsf/pages/c.o.20110110.p.6_12V_Battery_Charger

What sort of car is it? If it has a very large battery the above may not be suitable.

IMO a battery charger is a useful thing to have. And I think they are safer than jump leads.

Its a 1.4l Ford Puma.
The thing is once the car is running and I'm using it atleast once a week (which I normally do), then the battery is fine and I don't think I'll need to use the charger again...

I'm just slightly worried of the jump leads doing any damage to the good car... My sis has a decent car (she bought it new) and so it anything happens to that, she won't be very happy!!

Plug

af_thefragile wrote: »

^That is pricey. But if I can get away with jump leads, that would be a cheaper option and its good to have them in your boot if you ever need them in case your car breaks down or something...



Its a 1.4l Ford Puma.
The thing is once the car is running and I'm using it atleast once a week (which I normally do), then the battery is fine and I don't think I'll need to use the charger again...

I'm just slightly worried of the jump leads doing any damage to the good car... My sis has a decent car (she bought it new) and so it anything happens to that, she won't be very happy!!

Can ya push start the car? Give it a spin for 15minutes and it will be grand.

mad m

Have same trouble also, have a 07 Honda Accord. If I leave lights on for a min without car running, I need to jump it...Everything in car lights up, can get it started with jump or if needed a push will do..

Does this mean I need a new battery or an electrical fault somewhere.

bungler

Plug wrote: »

Can ya push start the car? Give it a spin for 15minutes and it will be grand.

Yea i agree, try get a push and start it in 2nd year, i always do it this way rather than jump start and then go for a good spin in it.

DMG_49

Had mine left sitting there over the cold weather. Went to start it and wouldn't

start, so I put the jump leads on and still no good. So I tried jump starting it

and got it going, has been going good all day (touch wood). As long as it gets a

good drive after its started, it should be fine.

af_thefragile

Plug wrote: »

Can ya push start the car? Give it a spin for 15minutes and it will be grand.

Not going to work. Tried it last time. Did nothing except tire the people pushing the car!

Plug

mad m wrote: »

Have same trouble also, have a 07 Honda Accord. If I leave lights on for a min without car running, I need to jump it...Everything in car lights up, can get it started with jump or if needed a push will do..

Does this mean I need a new battery or an electrical fault somewhere.

New battery time!

Plug

af_thefragile wrote: »

Not going to work. Tried it last time. Did nothing except tire the people pushing the car!

Ignition on, 2nd gear, bang out clutch?

BrianD3

af_thefragile wrote: »

^That is pricey. But if I can get away with jump leads, that would be a cheaper option and its good to have them in your boot if you ever need them in case your car breaks down or something...

Its a 1.4l Ford Puma.
The thing is once the car is running and I'm using it atleast once a week (which I normally do), then the battery is fine and I don't think I'll need to use the charger again...

The LIDL charger is only 20 quid and is more than good enough for a 1.4 litre Puma battery. If the car or battery is in the vicinity of a mains socket, I'd use a mains charger before I'd use jump leads. If car was broken down in the middle of nowhere then I'd use jump leads.

johnos1984

BTW make sure you get decent jump leads.


Cheap ones are rubbish IMO

bungler

af_thefragile wrote: »

Not going to work. Tried it last time. Did nothing except tire the people pushing the car!

I very suprised because this way it starts the car from the starting motor not the battery. Ive done this loads of times and never failed

Plug

bungler wrote: »

I very suprised because this way it starts the car from the starting motor not the battery. Ive done this loads of times and never failed

Maybe its completely flat this time, nothing, notta!

af_thefragile

Plug wrote: »

Ignition on, 2nd gear, bang out clutch?

Tried 1st gear, 2nd gear even reverse gear...

Gave it decent push for atleast 10-20 meters on a slight slope and still didn't work... I don't think anyone would fancy pushing the car again after what happened last time.


Though, I do have a bungee(?) rope in my boot. Could get my sis to give the car a little pull with that and see if it works. Though problem is I don't have them towing things. Just screw holes where you'ld attach the towing things to the car. Anyone know where you can get them??

bungler

Plug wrote: »

Maybe its completely flat this time, nothing, notta!

Good chance im wrong but i thought the whole point of starting it this way is that your by passing the battery and the starting motor is starting the car so even if the battery is totally gone it should still start?

johnos1984

af_thefragile wrote: »

Anyone know where you can get them??

The boot

bungler

af_thefragile wrote: »

Tried 1st gear, 2nd gear even reverse gear...

Gave it decent push for atleast 10-20 meters on a slight slope and still didn't work... I don't think anyone would fancy pushing the car again after what happened last time.


Though, I do have a bungee(?) rope in my boot. Could get my sis to give the car a little pull with that and see if it works. Though problem is I don't have them towing things. Just screw holes where you'ld attach the towing things to the car. Anyone know where you can get them??

If you are going to get her to pull your car and try start it in 2nd gear be very very careful that if it starts it doesnt shoot forward into her

af_thefragile

^My Aviva guys do offer breakdown assist.
Might see, if everything fails, might just call them to get the car started. Why didn't I think of this before?! I'm paying almost two grand for my insurance. Atleast make good use of it!!

Calling the breakdown assist don't affect your policy right?

bungler wrote: »

If you are going to get her to pull your car and try start it in 2nd gear be very very careful that if it starts it doesnt shoot forward into her

This would be something she'ld be worried about.
Gotta keep the foot on the clutch and break ready to stop the car shooting forward when it starts... Sounds fairly risky and I don't think the rope is very long. Dunno if she'll agree to it!!

johnos1984 wrote: »

The boot

Ooh.. Should look for them there...

DMG_49

johnos1984 wrote: »

BTW make sure you get decent jump leads.


Cheap ones are rubbish IMO

Cheap ones won'y work at all

doctorchopper

no calling roadside assistance will not effect your no claims bonus

Stheno

If the car is outside your house roadside assist may not come out to you :rolleyes:

doctorchopper

Stheno wrote: »

If the car is outside your house roadside assist may not come out to you :rolleyes:

Thats right, something to look into, some policies do and some don't, i think they call it homestart

bungler

Stheno wrote: »

If the car is outside your house roadside assist may not come out to you :rolleyes:

They will if you have a horse outside:D

af_thefragile

doctorchopper wrote: »

Thats right, something to look into, some policies do and some don't, i think they call it homestart

Hmm... last time I called AA when the battery went flat and we couldn't get the car started. It was the AA man who bought me the new battery. I had like an offer where I could use them once or twice I think.

I'll give the Aviva guys a call and see if they can come and get it started anyway. If they don't I'll try jump starting it or I'll buy that charger...

bungler

Stheno wrote: »

If the car is outside your house roadside assist may not come out to you :rolleyes:

What would happen if you pushed the car out of the drive way and down a few houses would they come out then or would it have to be on a mian road?

Stheno

bungler wrote: »

What would happen if you pushed the car out of the drive way and down a few houses would they come out then or would it have to be on a mian road?

I've often wondered that lol!

af_thefragile

Stheno wrote: »

I've often wondered that lol!

Don't live too far from a main road. If they want, I could push the car upto there!

bungler

af_thefragile wrote: »

Don't live too far from a main road. If they want, I could push the car upto there!

I woudnt bother going that far, push it out of your drive way,roll it down 3 houses and say you are visiting friends and your car wont start. If is says they wont come to your house then thats not your house, problem solved lol

doctorchopper

bungler wrote: »

I woudnt bother going that far, push it out of your drive way,roll it down 3 houses and say you are visiting friends and your car wont start. If is says they wont come to your house then thats not your house, problem solved lol

If you look at the fine print they usually state that they will not come to you if you are within the likes of 1km radius, unless you get the extra option of homestart

af_thefragile

doctorchopper wrote: »

If you look at the fine print they usually state that they will not come to you if you are within the likes of 1km radius, unless you get the extra option of homestart

I'll give them a call anyway and try to convince them to come down to my home. If not, I'll try jump starting it and it that doesn't work either, get that battery charger probably...

mad m

Plug wrote: »

New battery time!

Where is the best place to buy a new battery?

Thanks

bungler

mad m wrote: »

Where is the best place to buy a new battery?

Thanks

DOnt knwo where you are living but im in Sandyford and went to Halfords and they wanted €110 so i went down to Donnelly tyres in Blackrock ( Small tyre and battery place) They said €78 which you would have thought that Halfords would be much cheaper.

So shop around,ring Fastfit etc

Esel

af_thefragile wrote: »

Not going to work. Tried it last time. Did nothing except tire the people pushing the car!

Plug wrote: »

Ignition on, 2nd gear, bang out clutch?

af_thefragile wrote: »

Tried 1st gear, 2nd gear even reverse gear...

Never use first gear, unless (i) you don't care if the people pushing have a heart attack, and (ii) you really don't want the car to start.

I have to say, this is the first time I ever heard of anyone trying to push-start in reverse gear! OK, I can imagine a scenario or two, but I've never heard of it being tried...

Esel

doctorchopper wrote: »

If jumped started correctly (red positive black negative both batteries) there is no way that you will do any damage.

Total bollox, and totally wrong! :mad: On the dead car, always connect the negative to a suitable point on the engine or chassis. Never, ever to the terminal on the dead battery. Risk of explosion, etc.

Please think twice before posting such ill-informed and potentially dangerous advice again.

There are a number of other things to consider about jump-starting too. Google for more.