Battery question...

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SHAKEELE30
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Posts: 3281
Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: CROYDON

Post Thu Jan 31, 2013 12:44 pm

can someone explain this randomness...

well just before it started snowing my car battery started going weak, when it started snowing, i didnt drive the car for 2 days, when i went to start it, it was dead...

so i just kept jump starting it with a booster pack...

last week checked the water it was low, so filled it up(battery water) :D , put it on charge, next day went to start it and nothing....

so used a booster pack for a couple of more days, till i got fed up, and went and bought another battery, come next day the battery started working normal, without any booster pack/charging... and the new battery still unused sitting in the boot....

personally was thinking it was a bad earth somewhere as the battery was spot on before the snow started, and has never let me down at all, started up first time always...but it seems fine all of a sudden...anyone any explanations for this
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Captain_Birdseye
E30 Zone Regular
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Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 11:00 pm
Location: Bristol (and Cheltenham)

Post Thu Jan 31, 2013 1:47 pm

Initial failure may be down to semi-pooped battery due to sub-par alternator.

Sounds like your battery is pooped now but will be ok so long as it doesn't get too vold or you don't leave it too long.

Are you driving it every day?

Check alternator is working properly. If it's ok fit the new battery (or keep it in the car).
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SHAKEELE30
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Posts: 3281
Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: CROYDON

Post Fri Feb 01, 2013 12:06 am

will need to get the alt checked out, but yes i drive it pretty much everyday to and from work, and sometimes on days off, if not it get 2 days rest a week...
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Captain_Birdseye
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Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 11:00 pm
Location: Bristol (and Cheltenham)

Post Fri Feb 01, 2013 8:07 am

Cool, just checking. The daily drive should be enough to charge the battery.

If it is the alternator (you can look up in the wiki how to test) then you can probs get a second hand, working alternator for £20 on here. That's what I did when mine was fooked instead of doing all the checks to establish which bit of it isn't working and then replacing that. It's up to you.
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mcbonio
E30 Zone Squatter
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Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 11:00 pm

Post Fri Feb 01, 2013 10:06 am

In my experience when a battery goes it's something that just happens overnight, not a slow process over weeks/months. You get up one day and the battery is dead.!

I'd be replacing it. Eurocarparts have got 15% off batteries now and free postage.!
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Captain_Birdseye
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 874
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 11:00 pm
Location: Bristol (and Cheltenham)

Post Fri Feb 01, 2013 12:35 pm

he's already got a new one so he's sorted there. My experience tells me that 2 days is plenty of time for seemingly fine battery to go poop.
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