On Tue, 13 Jan 2004 10:55:35 -0000, "Christian McArdle"
wrote:

I suppose I need a new battery but the problem seems strange. The car
usually starts fine - but if left standing for a couple of days it
will sometimes behave as though the battery is almost flat.

If the battery is older than five years, bin it anyway before investigating
further. If it isn't dead, it soon will be, so you won't be wasting your
cash. I don't think I have ever owned a car where I haven't had to change
the battery.

????

You may buy a new battery and find it makes no difference! Also good
quality batteries last well over five years, a cheap replacement might
not even last as long as the old one would have.

While the fault is present, measure the battery voltage while turning
the engine over, that should tell you something....

cheers,
Pete.