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. The starter will
hardly turn the engine. If I try every couple of minutes, after a few
attempts it will often recover and start up.

Also if I put the battery onto my feeble charger for 5 mins it will also
make an amazing recovery.

Any ideas?

--


Regards

John




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Sounds like a dodgey battery connection. Try taking the terminals off
the posts and cleaning them.

Peter

On Tue, 13 Jan 2004 07:21:02 -0000, "John"
john.plant90@NO-SPAMntlworldDOTcom 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. The starter will
hardly turn the engine. If I try every couple of minutes, after a few
attempts it will often recover and start up.

Also if I put the battery onto my feeble charger for 5 mins it will also
make an amazing recovery.

Any ideas?

"John" john.plant90@NO-SPAMntlworldDOTcom wrote in message
...
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. The starter will
hardly turn the engine. If I try every couple of minutes, after a few
attempts it will often recover and start up.

Also if I put the battery onto my feeble charger for 5 mins it will also
make an amazing recovery.

Any ideas?
It sounds like you have a dead cell. You could check with a hydrometer or if
it's one of thoses sealed ones, make sure it's fully charged then go to a
garage and ask them to do a discharge test on it.

Trevor Smith

"John" john.plant90@NO-SPAMntlworldDOTcom wrote in message
...
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. The starter will
hardly turn the engine. If I try every couple of minutes, after a few
attempts it will often recover and start up.

Also if I put the battery onto my feeble charger for 5 mins it will also
make an amazing recovery.

Any ideas?
I'd start by checking the earth lead carefully and feeling to see if any of
the connections get warm - it could just be a bad connection. But budget
for the new battery.

John 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. The starter will
hardly turn the engine. If I try every couple of minutes, after a few
attempts it will often recover and start up.


Cold. As you drag current through it it warms up and gets better.

It may also be suffering from low electrolyte, and be 'on the way out'.



Also if I put the battery onto my feeble charger for 5 mins it will also
make an amazing recovery.

Any ideas?

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.

Christian.

P.S. Your symptoms seem like standard knackered battery syndrome.

I had one battery that lasted 9 years, very strong performance all that time and
then one day it was totally dead. Japanese brand, forget which.


"Christian McArdle" wrote in message
et...
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.

Christian.

P.S. Your symptoms seem like standard knackered battery syndrome.

"Steve B" sbrads@nildramDOTcoDOTuk wrote in message
...
I had one battery that lasted 9 years, very strong performance all that
time and
then one day it was totally dead. Japanese brand, forget which.

I think modern cars seem to make the batteries last longer. When I had a
Marina it seemed to go through a battery every couple of years but since
then (1985) I don't think I've ever had one fail.

--
Malc

Does indeed sound like an 'old' battery problem
However check everything including the electrical strap/flexible 'ground
cable' between the engine/chassis of the vehicle and the battery. While the
engine may be grounded in any case through the metallic transmission and
side axles/drive shafts etc. it's not a good situation if that 'strap' is
broken.
Terry.

John,
If your battery is draining over a period of time then it sounds as if you
may have a current drain that has the ability to lower the voltage/amps
considerably over a given period of time. with the battery charged,Put an
ammeter in series with the battery and let the reading settle, you should
have approx 30 to 50mA drain.
Something simple like a light in the glovebox or boot or even a faulty diode
in the alternator may cause higher drains than this.

Another tip,
If you have a high drain reading on the meter then remove each fuse one by
one and see which one lets the reading drop then see what it supplies...
this worked well on older cars but the newer models with smart charging
e.t.c makes it more difficult.

Give it another 5 years and when ALL cars are 36volt systems with a 42 volt
charge then we will really have headaches... you should see what the next 5
years has in store... frightening.

JK


"John" john.plant90@NO-SPAMntlworldDOTcom wrote in message
...
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. The starter will
hardly turn the engine. If I try every couple of minutes, after a few
attempts it will often recover and start up.

Also if I put the battery onto my feeble charger for 5 mins it will also
make an amazing recovery.

Any ideas?

--


Regards

John




---
All of my outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.560 / Virus Database: 352 - Release Date: 08/01/2004

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.

In article ,
Malcolm White wrote:
I think modern cars seem to make the batteries last longer. When I had a
Marina it seemed to go through a battery every couple of years but since
then (1985) I don't think I've ever had one fail.

I've yet to have one last more than about 3 years in recent times. Once,
I'd have expected 5.

--
*Marriage changes passion - suddenly you're in bed with a relative*

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn

In article ,
Pete C wrote:
You may buy a new battery and find it makes no difference! Also good
quality batteries last well over five years,

Hmm. The longest guarantee I've seen is 4 years on Halfords ones.

And at one place the same battery was sold at different prices according
to the length of the guarantee. So it seems most makers don't have the
same confidence in their products that you do.

--
*Life is hard; then you nap

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn

"Dave Plowman" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Pete C wrote:
You may buy a new battery and find it makes no difference! Also good
quality batteries last well over five years,

Hmm. The longest guarantee I've seen is 4 years on Halfords ones.

And at one place the same battery was sold at different prices according
to the length of the guarantee. So it seems most makers don't have the
same confidence in their products that you do.


About two years ago, I bought a Varta, with lifetime warranty, for my Rover
115 diesel, cost £52.

Regards
tox

In article ,
The Font of all Knowledge Brain of wrote:
About two years ago, I bought a Varta, with lifetime warranty, for my
Rover 115 diesel, cost £52.

Perhaps they know something about the lifetime of a Rover you don't? ;-)

--
*If they arrest the Energizer Bunny, would they charge it with battery? *

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn

"Dave Plowman" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Pete C wrote:
You may buy a new battery and find it makes no difference! Also good
quality batteries last well over five years,

Hmm. The longest guarantee I've seen is 4 years on Halfords ones.

And at one place the same battery was sold at different prices according
to the length of the guarantee. So it seems most makers don't have the
same confidence in their products that you do.

That is normal. My local motor spares shop used to, and probably still does,
sell the same battery with a different sticker stating it's length of
guarantee. These were batteries from a major manufacturer and all were
identical, they just came with a box of stickers you stick on to the battery
for the guarantee.

I am waiting for someone in Currys to offer me an extended warranty on a
pair of AA batteries. They offer it for everything else
--
Adam

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.

And just in case that is not the problem you might as well bin the starter,
alternator, and charging control unit and buy new ones before investigating
further. Oh yes, it might be the cables, so bin them too. NOT!

Much more sensible suggestions further up the thread.

Phil

--
Phil Addison
The uk.d-i-y FAQ is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/
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