Car battery died after 4 days still. Prognosis?
Discussion
The car is a 15 plate Vauxhall Insignia 2.0 CDTi 163, with 89k.
We stood the car from Monday unused, and last night it wouldn't start. We bought a charger from Amazon Prime and it's been on since mid afternoon, and the car has now sprung in to life.
Is this indicative of a battery on the way out, or could it be something to do with the cold temperatures we've had over recent days (or anything else?)
We stood the car from Monday unused, and last night it wouldn't start. We bought a charger from Amazon Prime and it's been on since mid afternoon, and the car has now sprung in to life.
Is this indicative of a battery on the way out, or could it be something to do with the cold temperatures we've had over recent days (or anything else?)
This time of year - when it starts getting colder - is often when weak batteries give up the ghost. Having said that, I've also had starting problems with one of our vehicles because it's only had short journeys due to Covid - normally it would have a couple of hundred-mile journeys a week.
If the battery doesn't hold charge after a few days, it's probably toast.
If the battery doesn't hold charge after a few days, it's probably toast.
sunbeam alpine said:
This time of year - when it starts getting colder - is often when weak batteries give up the ghost. Having said that, I've also had starting problems with one of our vehicles because it's only had short journeys due to Covid - normally it would have a couple of hundred-mile journeys a week.
If the battery doesn't hold charge after a few days, it's probably toast.
Many thanks, as I suspected! If the battery doesn't hold charge after a few days, it's probably toast.
We're going to Leeds tomorrow to pick up an ebay win, so 120 miles round. We'll give it a full charge during the day, and see if that and the miles kicks a bit of life in to it.
S is a quality lead, and she was probably doing 400 miles a week before lockdown. Now it might only do 40 miles on a typical week, now she's observing remotely!
It could be down to the relatively low use.
I remember someone (might have been my dad) telling me years ago that it took 20 minutes of driving to put back what you'd taken out when starting the car, but it's worth bearing in mind that
a) Dad wasn't at all mechanically-minded
b) Back then you often spent ages churning a recalcitrant engine over before it started, including fiddling with the choke, stamping on the throttle, and generally swearing
c) Charging systems may not have been as good as they are now - given that a modern car places a far greater electrical demand.
If you park it up for a few days after your trip to Leeds and it doesn't start again, you know you need to change the battery.
I remember someone (might have been my dad) telling me years ago that it took 20 minutes of driving to put back what you'd taken out when starting the car, but it's worth bearing in mind that
a) Dad wasn't at all mechanically-minded
b) Back then you often spent ages churning a recalcitrant engine over before it started, including fiddling with the choke, stamping on the throttle, and generally swearing
c) Charging systems may not have been as good as they are now - given that a modern car places a far greater electrical demand.
If you park it up for a few days after your trip to Leeds and it doesn't start again, you know you need to change the battery.
sunbeam alpine said:
If you park it up for a few days after your trip to Leeds and it doesn't start again, you know you need to change the battery.
Great minds think alike. This is what I had suggested to S! For all the bashing Vauxhall get on PH, in fairness, this is the first wobble the car has put our way in four years/70k.My battery dies over the last few months, if it helps. Started by “only” holding charge for a month or so of low use, so I bought a Ctek charger. This worked, but by November it was only holding charge for a week or so...
Garage told me I needed a new battery (which I’m sure they’d have said anyway!), and normal service seems to have resumed now. Battery was only 3 years old.
Garage told me I needed a new battery (which I’m sure they’d have said anyway!), and normal service seems to have resumed now. Battery was only 3 years old.
As soon as a battery dies I usually replace, anything AGM doesn’t last these days and there’s nothing worse than getting stuck somewhere unable to start up.
Even the best batteries seem to only offer warranties for 3-4 years, and for £100-150 it is simply just not worth the bother imo.
Tayna.co.uk or similar will next day you a replacement.
Even the best batteries seem to only offer warranties for 3-4 years, and for £100-150 it is simply just not worth the bother imo.
Tayna.co.uk or similar will next day you a replacement.
To conclude. We bought a charger for about £20, and 3 hours later it showed 80% battery full, and the car started on the first key turn. No problems since, god knows what drained it, but a useful £100 saved replacing it. Now we just need to spend £130 on a new Goodyear F1 which has a slow, after it picked up a screw on the edge of it. If it has tits or wheels it will bankrupt you......
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