Confusing - which is the right car battery?

Galadriel

Got a new car battery for my 99 Peugeot 306, 1.4L at the end of August. Battery dies about once a month, I thought this was because I don't use the car a whole lot. I had the AA out to get it going last night, he said it's the battery and that the alternator is fine. He looked up what battery should be in the car and said I currently have the wrong one - HB 063 and that I should have a HB 012.

I rang the motor factors that I bought it in (big place with great reputation) and they said HB 063 is definitely the right one but to bring it in and they will test it.

I checked online and with a few other motor factors and half of them say one thing and half say another.

Is it possible both are right and it doesn't matter and it's just a faulty battery?

Cheers

squod

HB 012 is 52amp hours. HB 063 is 44amp hours. If your running either of these down in a month with 1.4 car, there's probably something wrong. Have you asked an auto-elec about it?

sundodger5

i would have said 063 was correct. either way a new battery should not run down like that. i think you have drain somewhere.

Galadriel

squod wrote: »

HB 012 is 52amp hours. HB 063 is 44amp hours. If your running either of these down in a month with 1.4 car, there's probably something wrong. Have you asked an auto-elec about it?

No not yet, will have to do that next, the AA guy said nothing was draining the battery but I would need to check that further, hopefully it's simply a bad battery, getting it tested later.

CiniO

Does it happen suddenly? Like your car works fine on Monday and won't start on Tuesday, or is it maybe more like you use your car on Monday, leave it for 6 days, and next time you try to start it on Sunday it won't start.
?

Ghost Estate

maybe put an ammeter between one of the terminals when everything is switched off to see if the battery is being emptied by something?

stevenmu

Assuming your manual doesn't specify the type, Halfords can be handy for this kind of thing, go to http://www.halfords.ie go to Car Maintenance -> Car Batteries and fill out your details

(for the OPs car it's giving HB 012)

Galadriel

CiniO wrote: »

Does it happen suddenly? Like your car works fine on Monday and won't start on Tuesday, or is it maybe more like you use your car on Monday, leave it for 6 days, and next time you try to start it on Sunday it won't start.
?

More like I'll drive it on Monday leave it for 6 days and then it won't start.

Called to motor factor I got battery in, they did tests on battery, alternator and starter and they where all fine, he gave me the print out.

So I guess it's to an auto-electrician to see what the problem is, something must be draining it. Hopefully I'll make it to my NCT tomorrow!

Thanks guys.

Welease

Galadriel wrote: »

More like I'll drive it on Monday leave it for 6 days and then it won't start.

Called to motor factor I got battery in, they did tests on battery, alternator and starter and they where all fine, he gave me the print out.

So I guess it's to an auto-electrician to see what the problem is, something must be draining it. Hopefully I'll make it to my NCT tomorrow!

Thanks guys.

Is the car alarmed.. Does it happen if you disable the alarm?

Galadriel

Welease wrote: »

Is the car alarmed.. Does it happen if you disable the alarm?

No, it doesn't have an alarm on it.

Welease

Galadriel wrote: »

No, it doesn't have an alarm on it.

ahh nm then happened to 2 cars belonging to my brother.. it might have been an easy check instead of paying for a diagnosis..

Galadriel

Welease wrote: »

ahh nm then happened to 2 cars belonging to my brother.. it might have been an easy check instead of paying for a diagnosis..

Yeah, thanks anyway, hopefully it won't be too difficult for an auto-elec to figure it out.