Battery options for winter?

Dades

I'm starting a new job next week which is going to require me driving to work in the 924. While reliability issues are rare, very occasionally the battery decides to park me up.

The current battery is maybe 5 years old, and has seen some good action on the charger as I've always tried to keep it topped up during the winter. Is this nearing its shelf life?

Also, I'm thinking of investing in a portable power pack to jump start me in emergencies. Any recommendations for these? Lithium ion (or whatever what keeps its charge more)? What kind of minimum ampage?

Engine is a 2 litre petrol and current battery is a bog-standard Halfords one with 500amps starting power.

Thoughts welcome.

Skatedude

Avoid halford power packs for bigger engines, Had the highest spec one they had and It would barely turn over the engine on my old 93 bmw 740.

Finally got a decent banner booster pack from battery world and It's been used to jump start over a dozen cars over the last few years and hasn't even needed a charge yet.

Dades

Skatedude wrote: »

Finally got a decent banner booster pack from battery world and It's been used to jump start over a dozen cars over the last few years and hasn't even needed a charge yet.

You have a link by any chance?

This lithium one seems decent value:
https://www.iedepot.ie/silverline-power-bank-and-booster?gclid=Cj0KCQjwx8fOBRD7ARIsAPVq-NkmveOgV7uQGv-No4WAh-T3gSWB14XQBEUXNKPdTYCabVcOxHxH_9YaAktPEALw_wcB

EDIT: This Amazon one is looking good, too:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audew-Portable-Jumpstarter-Emergency-Flashlight/dp/B06XBGPGKS

w124man

Don't forget to clean all your terminals and earth straps etc !!!

unkel

Dades wrote: »

The current battery is maybe 5 years old, and has seen some good action on the charger as I've always tried to keep it topped up during the winter. Is this nearing its shelf life?

Yes it is. Batteries last about 3-4 years. Anything above that is a bonus. Buy a new battery asap, buy a good one. Bosch or the like. And I wouldn't bother buying a booster when you are going to use the car on a daily basis. No need unless you have specific electrical issues like overnight drains.

My Boxster had a wrong spec cheap battery in it and it was starting to give trouble. I had a nearly new Bosch that I took out of my main car before I traded it in as scrappage (:D) and it's the right spec and size for the Boxster, so it went straight in. Now the Boxster starts up first go even if I haven't driven it in a month.

Dades

unkel wrote: »

Yes it is. Batteries last about 3-4 years. Anything above that is a bonus. Buy a new battery asap, buy a good one. Bosch or the like. And I wouldn't bother buying a booster when you are going to use the car on a daily basis. No need unless you have specific electrical issues like overnight drains.

Too late! I made the leap on small booster pack. While I don't suffer from noticeable battery drain, a few times a year I will encounter a flat battery that was suspiciously fine the night before. Also, winter driving often means constant headlights and wiper, morning and night which I suspect the alternator struggles to keep up with.

A new battery may circumvent that alone, but I need peace of mind as now if I have no car, I have no means of getting to work.

But thanks a lot. Now I need a new battery too. :cool:

unkel

Charger might come in handy, particularly if you don't have jumper cables and another car or battery to jump from

Now go buy that new battery. That will cure your problem, fighting the symptoms won't

Zoo4m8

unkel wrote: »

Yes it is. Batteries last about 3-4 years. Anything above that is a bonus. Buy a new battery asap, buy a good one. Bosch or the like. And I wouldn't bother buying a booster when you are going to use the car on a daily basis. No need unless you have specific electrical issues like overnight drains.

My Boxster had a wrong spec cheap battery in it and it was starting to give trouble. I had a nearly new Bosch that I took out of my main car before I traded it in as scrappage (:D) and it's the right spec and size for the Boxster, so it went straight in. Now the Boxster starts up first go even if I haven't driven it in a month.

Three to four years? One of my cars still has the same battery when I bought it eight years ago, I’ve just put it away for the winter, turned off the isolation switch and come spring I know it will start straight away. A couple of bikes here with batteries even older,
The last tractor was twelve years old still with the original battery, the present one is seven..and so on..
I do agree though that if you are buying a battery its important to buy a good one if you want longevity..

antodeco

Had a battery for over 10 years in one of mine. Eventually died so replaced it with a halfords battery. Lifetime warranty on the battery the fools!

Dades

unkel wrote: »

Now go buy that new battery. That will cure your problem, fighting the symptoms won't

Might have to wait for the first paycheck now. I've bigger issues to worry about with my NCT booked for the 14th! Those bastards always find something. :pac:

unkel

Had a battery in my E38 for 10 years myself. But really, first sign of any potential issue with a 5 year old battery is to feck it out. It's not expensive, the most I ever paid was around this time last year for the biggest most powerful type there is (for my S-type). It was a Bosch and I paid €139 incl delivery from an Irish site

You're not doing yourself any favours by not replacing it. I've learned this the hard way at the start of the recession when money was so tight, I couldn't replace it. Ended up having to jump off other cars many times, use my jump pack and also having to call the AA (I had membership paid up front)

Dades

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Also removing the battery in the 924 is so easy. I got pretty good at it when mine used to die all the time :pac:

It is handy not having to remove the engine to get at it! I'm an old hand at whipping it in and out.

macplaxton

Last Christmas I left my lights on for a day and a half. As it was the 2nd of January and Glasgow, I had the option of Maplins or Machine Mart. So I grabbed a cab up to Machine Mart and back.

Same as this:

(Lucky it was a VAT-free sales day. Unlucky as I didn't have my code or postcard and had to pay full price. Lucky as the Customer Services when provided with a scan of the receipt, they sent a voucher card for the difference.)

I know you can get cheaper (much cheaper), but given the day/need/location it wasn't so painful.

I must stick it on the charger again. I've had it back and forth. Just remember if you take it on the plane, you have to keep it on your person.

Dades

Both my battery, and brand new jump starter let me down today. Flat battery this morning, dug out the new jumper, the damn thing did nothing.

A bit later today tried again, same result. One of my neighbours popped out with his 50 quid halfords jumper and started me up no bother. Back to Amazon with the piece of crap and off to Halfords with me tomorrow.

Also, failed NCT today on a load of stuff including corrosion (eek). Not a good day. Classic car ownership doesn't always run smooth.

unkel

Sorry for your troubles. I've been there, made the same mistake as yourself, I should have just bought a new battery, instead of p1ssing around the pot trying all sorts to charge the battery. Solar trickle chargers, jump packs, jump leads. I should have told you about this and given you my advice. Oh wait

What kinda corrosion did your Porsche fail on?

My Porsche failed too during the week. Corrosion on the brake pipes. Got it fixed the next day and NCT re-test next week. Should pass now with NCT valid until early 2019

Dades

unkel wrote: »

Sorry for your troubles. I've been there, made the same mistake as yourself, I should have just bought a new battery, instead of p1ssing around the pot trying all sorts to charge the battery. Solar trickle chargers, jump packs, jump leads. I should have told you about this and given you my advice. Oh wait

Yeah, I bought a new battery yesterday! Just bad luck though the booster lump I bought was faulty.

unkel wrote: »

What kinda corrosion did your Porsche fail on?

Underneath stuff - both sides. And the other of the jacking points to the one I had sorted last year.

unkel wrote: »

My Porsche failed too during the week. Corrosion on the brake pipes. Got it fixed the next day and NCT re-test next week. Should pass now with NCT valid until early 2019

I had that a couple of years ago. Did you bring yours in early?

LIGHTNING wrote: »

My jump pack arrived last week and it helped get my other classic started twice. So far its worked a treat so I will be keeping it handy.

I should have bought your one!

unkel

Yeah I usually go 3 months early if I can.

Mercedes failed today also on a jacking point (and brake lines). Thankfully not expensive work. Goes to show that our NCT is a lot stricter than the MOT (car only passed a few weeks ago and the brake lines were just advisories and the jack point / sills weren't even mentioned!)

Dades

unkel wrote: »

Goes to show that our NCT is a lot stricter than the MOT (car only passed a few weeks ago and the brake lines were just advisories and the jack point / sills weren't even mentioned!)

They really picked up EVERYTHING on me, and went at the car full tilt with a screwdriver underneath.

Here's hoping a load of welding underneath isn't too expensive.

Some might wonder about spending a load to keep a car that's only worth a few grand on the road... but what's the alternative? How much would it cost to buy, insure and tax a second-hand, basic, reliable, soulless runabout?

*shudder*

unkel

This is it. €56 tax for the year and it added just €80 to my fully comp insurance until renewal (8 months) and then you're driving something different. With a bit of character and heritage.

And it's more satisfying to pay a few hundred here and there for repairs than to pay it in taxes or to your insurance company

Dades

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Interesting, all 924's are fully galvanised (even the early ones were half done) so I am surprised yours is having issues. Is yours bad?

I'll know later! It's pretty flaky if you poke around the sills. Getting it assessed today.

Dades

Just a quick addition to the new battery thread....

That new battery has been the best €100 I've spent in a long time. Have had no starting issues whatsoever and have done a lot of hard driving in the cold, wet and dark.

And what's more - two long term issues fixed themselves magically with the new battery. The rear defogger and my old nemesis the window washers.

I had a list of stuff I was going to try to do to fix the latter today, and when I went to try them first, they shot water over the roof. I hadn't tried them since the new battery went in. It's obvious now both items needed a good current and clearly my old battery wasn't giving it. Happy days.

I owe you one, unkel.

w124man

LIGHTNING wrote: »

I went out to drive my other classic that I lent to a friend for a day and found out he had left the side lights on. So that battery was well dead. Pulled the trigger and bought this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MT1AACJ/ref=pe_3187911_185740111_TE_item

I bought one of those. Binned it!


Ever try getting the battery out of a Passat B5.5? FFS no skin left!

unkel

Been there myself, when the money was really tight and I couldn't afford a battery. Never again, it opened up a world of pain (when the car in question, my 928, already had a reputation of intermittent electrical problems with age). Any of my cars now, any sign of trouble and a new battery will go in