BXProject

[Way2go]

I've had an odd fault with starting for some time which has been rather intermittent. I thought it was the starter solenoid as it didn't seem to give the starter the oompf it needed at times but I did wonder about the battery as the starter might be slower if the car hadn't been used for a day or so on occasions.
The only time it played up after a run was on a visit to Doc's so should have been well charged by then, Doc thought it may have been a bad earth but all seemed good afterwards, in fact once started it hasn't played up since until today.

Today **** it didn't want to turn over and the solenoid started chattering. Is it stuck? Whacked it! No change.
Checked battery volts , about 10, not good, put it on an 8amp charger. 6 hours later measured 13.5 and tried to start and same situation.
Maintenance free battery but under the label were the screw tops so checked electrolyte - all levels OK. Got out my hydrometer that I hadn't used for years and checked cells - all half charge except for cell next to +terminal that was deep red!!!

Put it back on a trickle charge but suspect new battery needed. Bloody GSF prices £62.50+vat, Euro @ £48.12, or off net at £31.99 delivered.

Anyone got any recommendations as to where to buy or other helpful hints?

[Father Ted]

Scrappers? I got some ex tractor thing for a tenner and it was huge.

[Vanny]

Costco, Bosch silverline, life time guarantee, no quibble return policy. More expensive than the options you've listed, but when you can change it every three years or so, its well worth the initial outlay!

[mickey taker]

seconded , take a couple of lengths of wire if you get a good spark then its worth taking a chance

[Vanny]

there normally fully charged in Costco


Frankly, i would'nt go near a scrap battery as you simply know nothing about them, age, abuse, how they've been charged, how they've been discharged etc might be okay for a second car or tractor/caravan but for a daily run around, it's got a good chance of causing more hassle than good.

[Way2go]

Costco, Bosch silverline, life time guarantee, no quibble return policy. More expensive than the options you've listed, but when you can change it every three years or so, its well worth the initial outlay!

Got to say that the battery I bought from Camberley Auto Factors in March '03 had a 4 year warranty. Cost me £34.99 then which works out at £4.82 per year over its 7.25 year path to extinction so no complaints there then. I'll ask them tomorrow what their latest prices are.

As you suggest I wouldn't go for one off a scrapper as the car is an auto so reliability is important when a bump start isn't an option; for the same reason I think these "re-manufactured" batteries at £22 with an 18month warranty also could be a false economy.

I wonder why this one cell has plummeted like that though?

[Philhod]

That's how they go as it...err goes. 1 cell deteriorates first and it's all downhill from there.

I always get one with a higher amp/hour rating than is recommended and unscrew all connections once a year, clean and grease the terminals and reconnect up. I've been driving for 50 years now and I can count the batteries I have had to buy on one hand

[mickey taker]

too true Phil a good dollop of vaseline between bits always makes it last longer

[docchevron132]

depends if you stick sand in the vaseline first....

I get my batteries from Bristol Batteries, car, bus, tractor, whatever, they all come from there.
Took the battery back off the XM after 5 years, didn't even have the reciept, but they still changed it FOC!
Great blokes they are, no help to you though really W2G...

You're actually quite lucky since modern batteries have a habit of working fine one minute, then just dying without notice..
This hapened to the TD once, before it was a TD as it goes.. Parked car. returned 5 minutes later and nothing, no dash lights, fuck all..
Happily I had parked in Lucas' to get a master cylinder rebuild kit, so it was not much effort to walk back in and buy a new battery!

[Way2go]

You're actually quite lucky since modern batteries have a habit of working fine one minute, then just dying without notice..

Had that happen once on a 6 month old Cortina I took on holiday to France. Parked a couple of hours for an evening meal in Chamonix and on returning to the car the battery had carked. Became quite a saga to sort it in France so drove to Turin and a nice helpful Italian sorted it at the Ford main agents on the spot. (He tested it with a bar and the dodgy cell boiled, )

[Philhod]

too true Phil a good dollop of vaseline between bits always makes it last longer

That's important that is ....,(at my age)

He tested it with a bar and the dodgy cell boiled, )

Bloody hell, I've never seen that done for years.....and years.

[Way2go]

He tested it with a bar and the dodgy cell boiled, )

Bloody hell, I've never seen that done for years.....and years.

Umm.....I didn't mean that that fixed it....he was just confirming his expert diagnosis of the reason that the battery was fucked before replacing the battery under warranty.

The French Ford main dealer at Chamonix had fucked me about for 2 days previously charging the battery and saying that there was nothing wrong with it despite the fact it couldn't turn the starter motor over! They refused to change the battery under warranty as "Ford France different to Ford England" and when I asked to buy a battery they didn't have one to sell either.

2 to 3 days of being fucked over by the French and getting nowhere, being charged for incompetent battery charging and then the Italian has me sorted with a new battery under warranty in less than an hour!!!! What a contrast!

With regard to the current problem (natural pun ) best deal seems the one from carbatteriesdirect @£31.99 delivered. 44Ah with 400 cold cranking amps and a 4 year warranty. (OK spec for us with petrol but more beef needed for those of you with diesel). The last battery was 360 CCA and that spun the starter well and never needed any mains charging until yesterday

Some companies are only offering 2 or 3 year warranty and I'm hoping that as they're offering a 4 year warranty for this then it does mean it's a premium battery that will last well.

[jayw]

as they're offering a 4 year warranty for this then it does mean it's a premium battery that will last well.

I'd say that was a sales gimmick. When you consider it's your responsibility to cover return postage to claim on warranty are you really gonna bother in 3 years? Most people don't even own the car still by then.

For thirty quid i'd say it was a bargain all day long

[Way2go]

Well its been delivered by UPS quite efficiently an hour ago & looked good upon unpacking. Measured exactly 12v so thought best to put on charge for a couple of hours before fitting.