Battery

[Copperman05]

It certainly wont be making the situation any better, the lower spec battery will run out of juice that bit quicker and wont be able to sustain the starter motor for as long, etc. If your using the car for fairly short journeys the battery never gets properly re-charged, add to the fact you are probably using the heater, de-mister, headlights, etc. Its no wonder the battery get drained.

If the battery is fairly old I suspect a new one will see most of your woes gone, car batteries are just like mobile phone batteries after a while they just dont perform as they did when new....


Edd

 

[ukmastiff]

As Ed rightly says its probably a knackered battery , test the voltage when 'fully charged'
test the voltage accross the battery when the engine is running and you'll soon have a good idea if either the battery or the alternator are defective

It's rarely anything more sinister. I have had two batteries go on me in the last month out of 5 cars ( one an 18 month old Bosch Silver ffs) and it seems lots of folk have had their own taste in the last month.

I seems to be battery fail time of year !

Mas

 

[chrisjcoe]

The usual journey is the 30 minute drive to work, then obviously back again. It's not going to get a massive charge in this time. You are right though, the last time involved the heater and lights! It's fully charged now so will see how it goes, a new battery is on the long list of jobs though

 

[ShaunHenstridge]

Hi, as a matter of interest, i have literally just changed my battery today. I'd noticed that the current Bosch S4 was no longer up to the job. Mind you, it was 11 years old. I mentioned the larger capacity option to my local battery specialist and they initially recommended a Varta with a 4 year warranty which was 77Ah. Unfortunately, when they fitted it it stood slightly proud, so changed it for an alternative Varta battery which was not quite as high, but came in a 74Ah. Total cost was £107.00 all in, so I was quite happy. It certainly cranks over much better now. Hope that helps.

 

[blade7]

£20 cheaper on ebay.

 

[graham.webb]

In the end I fitted a 75Ah Yuasa. We'll see if that cranks a bit better. Interested to see they manufacture in Ebbw Vale, so that's good news...a new industry after the closure of British Steel Tinplate I expect.

 

[AndrewCS]

Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) | How to Choose Your Battery | Autobatteries.com | Clarios

 

[graham.webb]

Thanks for that. No cold cranking this week, haha!!

 

[Waylander]

For starting the CCA is the most important number,

the AH number just denotes the amount of time it takes your battery to go flat, when you leave the lights on

 

[graham.webb]

CCA? Ah...thanks. More homework, but anyway we have new battery.
I'm aware that it's a challenge... battery at the other end of the car and cranking an oversquare high compression engine?
Disappointed to have missed Goodwood... realise that if we don't attend these things people don't organise them. Perhaps I gave up too easily, was offered the prospect of a jump start down there from a 968 friend, but couldn't risk it dying at the BP down the road!!

 

[graham.webb]

OK. The Bosch S3 I took off was rated 640, the Yuasa is 710.

 

[Waylander]

the charging harness can be an issue too
this is off my car today
Pictures, this is my cable off my car........................................

the black bits are pieces of the old hardened and degraded insulation, just shake the cable and it all starts falling out