Car battery - grrrrrrrrrr.

dreamdaisy

Daisy's battery went flat last Sunday, so we dug out the receipt (26 January 2011) and took it back to the shop. The man checked it, said it needed recharging and he would do it for us but that led to logistical troubles so we bought a charger, Mr DD did the necessary and re-fitted the battery on Monday morning before he went to work.

This morning the battery is flat. We bought this battery last year to replace the original Nissan battery (which had managed to chug out about 64,000 miles' worth of value) this one has done about 3,000 miles. I know I am not using the car enough (arthritis and spiralling fuel costs account for that) but surely the battery should last longer than this. This has led me to ponder whether she has a more deep-seated fault with the electrics. :shock: I would welcome any thoughts from those who know about this kinda stuff. My day's plans have vanished before me (a run to Southwold was on the agenda to give her a boost, plus it's sunny and cold) and now I can't. Je suis sulking. :x DD

traluvie

Sorry DD i can't help..
I am blonde,clumsy and not very safe and the world is a safer place without me behind the wheel ..

Does seem like a short life span, maybe someone with more knowledge can be of better assistance..

Hope your ok as ok can be..xx

tjt6768

oh dear, that's not good at all hun..
I'm far from an expert so all I can advise is to maybe go to Kwikfat (you know where I mean) and ask them if they will do a free battery health check.. Our phone them first to ask.
I dunno what else to suggest hun.. I'll wish you good luck though..
I'm on mi way down to give you a lift to the shops.. Lol

valval

as some one with no car and unable to drive can offer no help but it should have held charge longer than that you should go back to where you purchaced it and get them to test it again it did not hold charge at all well ps put on to charge this morning and go for drive this afternoon good luck val

stickywicket

Mr SW is firmly with Del. If fully charged on Monday and then given a decent run it shouldn't have lost it by now. When I had my mini he occasionally took it for a long run as I never did. When golf trolleys aren't allowed due to a wet course, he keeps his on a trickle charge.

dreamdaisy

Thank you everyone, Little Miss Grumpy is making way for a slightly more cheerful girl. Today's date has just struck my eyes. :shock: I am unable to remove the battery from the car (mainly 'cos I don't know how :roll: ) to bring it in to charge: she is on the drive at the bottom of the garden and there is no electrical supply there.

We will sort it out on Sunday. Tonight will be too late, tomorrow is him seeing his ma then going to footy - then beer and curry! - so Sunday will be the day for swearing (him) and feeling very guilty (me). DD

tjt6768

yeah.. Friday the 13th.. I'm glad I'm not superstitious.. Lol
My car has gone.. Collected for the fuel cap repair and it's first service..
I'm never lucky with cars, lol.. Less than a yr before something went wrong with this one.. About average for me.. :shock:
Hopefully they'll return it later today. Im lost without the car but at least it's while I'm not so good anyway..

Good luck hun, you know if I was nearer I'd pop along to help as much as I could.

Airwave!

A trickle charger is the answer, I use a small solar one for my caravan battery, you need a small mains charger for the car, it tops up the battery and stops it becoming 'lazy', batteries need to work. Car makers put smaller batteries in these days (they weigh !) and car alternators are more efficient now, most are equipped with a battery cut-off to leave you enough to start the car, yours may not be getting enough use to get to and stay at full charge.

Most car shops should get you one or try fleabay if you're confident enough? Plenty on-line. Most classic car and motorbike owners use them through the winter, . Some more expensive chargers will stop charging then provide a 'maintenance charge' otherwise lead acid batteries will slowly lose their charge.

Cars are fun, aren't they!

prefabkid47

Hi DD
Sorry I'm working today,otherwise come and pick you up.Southwold,a couple of pints of Adnams wouldn't go amiss..........
Ron

mellman01

There's an old saying, buy cheap buy twice, you only gets what you pay for with batteries, I always fit a higher amp battery than the one sugested you get more crank time and if it's cold you still have more than you need to start your car, recently I've gone for Halfords Calcium ones they aern't cheap but they do seem to work well, they also have a 5 year guarantee with them, the big one I fitted to the RAV 4 cost just under £100 2 years ago and still does the job.
Always think big when it comes to the number of amp's painted on the battery, if it say's 35 go for a 45 amp one, and only stick to good makes, the worst one I ever had was an Oldham never ever have another one of those as long a live totally usless, a big pile of poo. Oh noe other thing you could do DD is got to your local Nissan dealer and see if they have any there, Nissan fit good battereis, so go with what you know, an extra few bob spent on a good one is money very well spent.
Now milage, you need to go around 5,7 miles to put the start up power you've used back in it, but that said a good battery will charge back up faster than a cheap crappy one, bottom line is you shouldn't be needing to hook it up to a trickle charger each and ever fliipin night I suggest the battery you have is a light weight cheapy one better to bin it and go up market, one last thing, you can get a booster unit that slots into youf cars **** lighter before you hit the starter switch they just add a few more amps into the mix, they work well and are onlt small you can keep it in your glove box but putting a decent good quality battery on your car is the best way to go in my book.

dreamdaisy

Mel, you are a sweetie. Bless you, it's good advice, I think the battery we bought last January was only £45 and I do not go far enough nowadays to keep it well topped-up. I will get Mr DD nicely mellow on ale tomorrow evening then run a few ideas past him! Oh to have a garage with mains - or even just to have a garage. :roll: The house was built when no-one had cars as they hadn't been properly invented. :roll: DD

dachshund

Hi DD
i hope you get your battery working soon.
i have'nt got a car i've only got my scoota.
take care.
joan xx

frogmorton

Me too DD :sad:

My micra has a new battery...a couple of years ago due to it just 'not starting' from time to time. l bought my car from a fiat garage and it is serviced there annually it is likely to be 'the real thing'.

I am sure though that all will be well with this one if you can just get it charged and keep it there as l know you had planned. Southwold would have been a lovely drive out :sad:

Go and have a glass of wine and one for me

love

Toni xx

tjt6768

Got my car back earlier.. Haven't fixed the motor on the fuel cap though, won't have one in stock until next tuesday even though I told them monday morning it needed one today.. So for now, anyone wanting free diesel feel free to help yourself as they've removed my locking front and it's open to anyone who wants some, lol
Had it's service though and at least they've valeted it.. Boy did it need it, after the trips we've had to keilder etc out was filthy and I just hadn't gotten around to it.. Lol

So they'll be picking it up again tuesday. Fine by me, hospital day that day with transport arranged so I won't need the car..

alanthemanc

D.D.... good advice from most on the forum, I just wondered if you also have a red light coming on to the dash. If so, it may be your Alternater that is iffy. Other than that, it looks like a duff battery. Alanthemanc

mellman01

Oh was just thinking DD your alternator is OK I guess?, the way you can tell it's OK is when the engines running you don't get or shouldn't have the charge light glowing on the dashboard, it should be out as soon as you start your car, so an indication it could be the alternator is if there's might be a slight glow from the dashboard charge light sometimes it can go out if you rev the engine, you can get the alternator checked out from a good garage or auto electrician but make sure they are trustworthy as they could scam you into having a new one when you don't need it Can't help you with the garage with mains power supply though so sorry!.

dreamdaisy

Ah, my knights in shining armour are gathering! Bless your hearts and thank you for your thoughts, I think it isn't the alternator as no light has been coming on (well, it does when I first switch on then it goes out) so I am hoping it's a combo of lack of mileage/cold weather/rubbish battery.

Right, I am now preparing to set out for the curry house in a little while: once more Ipswich have snatched a draw instead of a victory, so there will be a glum man waiting for me at the Masha. Deep, deep joy. DD

dreamdaisy

The saga continues. Mr D returned said battery to the Motorumania chap (same bloke as last week) who promptly refused to replace the battery (as he said he would if it happened again) and instead charged it at the shop. Obviously he has better electricity as the car has worked today. I have driven her just over 16kms to replace the charge lost by opening her with the central locking, I did not use the heater or open the windows but had to use the washer etc to clear the windscreen. I popped into Sainsbriz but didn't lock her, came home, parked, locked and that will be it until tomorrow. No alternator light is shining, I think it may well be to do with the cold weather: she does get very heavily frosted overnight on our drive which as at the back of the house, whereas cars parked on the road at the front rarely do, so do I park her at the front and risk keying or having the wing mirrors kicked off, or leave her on the drive and risk a flat battery every few days? Decisions, decisions, decisions. :roll: DD

stickywicket

Maybe she'd appreciate a blanket? (No shenanigans under there though with Mr DD's vehicle.)

dreamdaisy

Well so far so good. I am not using the remote locking doo-dah, neither am I opening the window too often or using the front and rear de-mist too much. The weather has been a deal milder over the past couple of days so maybe that too has been a factor. I did think about a blanket but being generally a dozy wazzock I would probably drive off with the fleecy thing still under the bonnet. :roll: Mr DD's brand-spanking-new-look-at-me-aren't-I-just-the-most-gorgeous-thing-you've-ever-seen car is smugly parked within Daisy's sight. Grrrr. DD

Colin1

Take it back tell them you not happy, any problems with that ask them to contaact the manufacturer. If you dont use the car as much as you should the battery should be charged at least once a month. ask the shop why its not holding the charge after they charged it.
Colin

mellman01

Frost can really mess them up DD, normally the first frost or cold snap of winter is the killer, but I had one go mid winter for no reason, the Rav 4 takes a big b****r and it's a right s**t to fit, you have to take a cover off and undo the retaining bracket and the lugs blind, then tilt the battery and slide and lift it out from under the bulkhead, not to bad if you have indentations in the casing to get hold of, the new one did the old one didn't and it's heavy big 80amp type as the car is a diesel, when it went it was very cold and blowing a gale and it was dark when I managed to get hold of one as it's a reverse lug jobber, my hands were so painful from the cold I nearly cried after fighting with the fecker.