In article ,
Bert Coules wrote:
Dave Plowman wrote:

You can do something similar by starting it. If it turns over as you'd
expect on the starter, it's likely OK for a while.

As I said in my previous post, "The readings today...were 11.6V, rising to
13.8V *with the engine running*"...

But that tells you nothing about the condition of the battery. It tells
you a bit about its state - fairly discharged, and that the charging
system is working.

Perfectly possible to have a battery reading well over 12v that can't
deliver enough current to turn over the engine.

--
*How come you never hear about gruntled employees? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Sat, 18 Apr 2020 22:46:44 +0100, "Bert Coules"
wrote:

Dave Plowman wrote:

You can do something similar by starting it. If it turns over as you'd
expect on the starter, it's likely OK for a while.

As I said in my previous post, "The readings today...were 11.6V, rising to
13.8V *with the engine running*"...

I don't believe the issue wasn't *that* it started, but to get a feel
of the battery charge state from *how well* it started.

Like, when I've had weak / low charge batteries in the past, what
would be a near instant start was a much more laboured one, sometimes
catching on the first go, sometimes the second or third, if at all.

Now some cars (I've had) always seem to be slow spinners but easy
starters whereas other have spun over very freely but still seem to
take a good few turns to catch.

The 2GL Sierra Estate was an example of one that often needed a few
turns before it would pick up whereas the 1.8 diesel in my old Rover
218SD would generally start at the merest touch of the starter and if
it didn't, you knew it was probably a low battery.

When things are really bad, some cars will still start, even if the
engine only seems to be turning over once per second (and maybe after
several goes at that, well after when you would assume the battery was
going to die).

I've even gone back to cars that I have abandoned as having a flat
battery, only to have them start a while after with no charging etc
(sometimes because the sun as come out and they have warmed up a bit,
increasing their capacity).

Cheers, T i m

"T i m" wrote:

I don't believe the issue wasn't *that* it started, but to get a feel
of the battery charge state from *how well* it started.

Ah, I see. Well, although I wasn't exactly listening analytically, it
seemed to me that the car started in exactly the same way that it always
does (unless it doesn't) - that's to say pretty well immediately.

Dave Plowman wrote:

Perfectly possible to have a battery reading well over 12v that can't
deliver enough current to turn over the engine.

I didn't realise that. As must be obvious from the rest of my contributions
to this thread, my car-related ignorance is pretty profound.

On Sun, 19 Apr 2020 11:00:25 +0100, "Bert Coules"
wrote:

"T i m" wrote:

I don't believe the issue wasn't *that* it started, but to get a feel
of the battery charge state from *how well* it started.

Ah, I see. Well, although I wasn't exactly listening analytically,

No, most people don't because 'these days' with fuel injection they
generally start pretty quickly, given half a chance.

it
seemed to me that the car started in exactly the same way that it always
does (unless it doesn't) - that's to say pretty well immediately.

Understood.

With the Meriva, if I've not been on a run for a while and given the
battery some hard work the day before (short hops, rear screen heater
/ headlights etc), I can sometimes notice the slightest hesitation as
I first hit the starter the next morning (the battery is quite old
now).

Cheers, T i m

In article ,
Bert Coules wrote:
Dave Plowman wrote:

Perfectly possible to have a battery reading well over 12v that can't
deliver enough current to turn over the engine.

I didn't realise that. As must be obvious from the rest of my
contributions to this thread, my car-related ignorance is pretty
profound.

No problem. My guess is your battery probably hasn't suffered much. Maybe
shortened its life slightly.

--
*People want trepanners like they want a hole in the head*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.