Car Battery Question
Discussion
I bought a new car 3 years ago but only drove it for the first 18 months and then declared it SORN. I haven't driven it for about 18 months. The 1st MOT is due now and it's only a short drive to the testing station but I think (after I get the RAC to jump start it) I will need to take it for a spin to put some charge back in the battery. My question is...how long (how many miles) will I need to drive it for before the MOT to put a decent charge back in the battery? I don't want to risk going too far in case I get pulled over for no MOT.
LivLL said:
Have you regularly started it, if you have the battery may be ok. If you haven t and it s sat untouched for 18 months it ll be dead beyond recovery.
What car is it OP?
It's a Citroen C3. Not started it for 18 months but it was brand new when I bought it 3 years ago with 50 miles on the clock. I've only done 1000 miles in it.What car is it OP?
Edited by 1Steve68 on Saturday 25th October 09:57
Edited by 1Steve68 on Saturday 25th October 10:04
Cylon2007 said:
The rules say you should drive directly to the MOT station not go for a joy ride first, however most importantly if the car has been stood 18 months with the battery flat for most of this time the battery is probably knackered, just budgetr for a new one.
Problem is though the testing station is less than a mile away from where I live so if I get the RAC out to jump start it and then only drive it a short distance it will probably still have a flat battery when I park it at the testing station. I probably should've planned this a bit better instead of leaving the car parked for so long. You've had plenty time to plan for this. Should maybe have put the battery on a charger/conditioner (you can get them from Amazon with next day delivery for less than £20) or had a spare battery ready.
I think you were hoping for an alternative answer that isn't going to come. If you want to take a chance on a battery-charging joyride before the MOT then on your head be it. You might get away with it but no-one here is going to advocate it and come to your defence if you get caught and fined.
If you haven't booked the MOT yet then book it for a day/time that gives you enough leeway to get a reliable battery in the car.
I think you were hoping for an alternative answer that isn't going to come. If you want to take a chance on a battery-charging joyride before the MOT then on your head be it. You might get away with it but no-one here is going to advocate it and come to your defence if you get caught and fined.
If you haven't booked the MOT yet then book it for a day/time that gives you enough leeway to get a reliable battery in the car.
Evercross said:
If you haven't booked the MOT yet then book it for a day/time that gives you enough leeway to get a reliable battery in the car.
I've really screwed myself with this. Even if I bought a new battery I wouldn't know how to swap it over myself. My car is "modern" and under the bonnet looks quite complicated.1Steve68 said:
Evercross said:
If you haven't booked the MOT yet then book it for a day/time that gives you enough leeway to get a reliable battery in the car.
I've really screwed myself with this. Even if I bought a new battery I wouldn't know how to swap it over myself. My car is "modern" and under the bonnet looks quite complicated.It'd say you'd need about 20 miles, so if your worry is driving to an mot, just book one that's 20 miles away.
However, I'd say after 18 months of not starting, the battery will be flat beyond recovery. Halfords would happily fit a new battery for you, perhaps do it on the way to the mot station.
However, I'd say after 18 months of not starting, the battery will be flat beyond recovery. Halfords would happily fit a new battery for you, perhaps do it on the way to the mot station.
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