Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
I have the same problem so take the car for a run about once every 3-4 weeks to top the battery up.
Dead car battery - advice please
- Thread starter glasgowcyclist
- Start date
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- Tags
- advice
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Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Bear in mind that modern calcium batteries are quite long lasting, but less tolerant of being allowed to run too low.
Levo-Lon
Guru
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
Or perhaps a couple of six year olds could help with a bump start.Can't you afford the odd AAA then?
- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
OP
OP
glasgowcyclist
Charming but somewhat feckless
- Location
- Scotland
Can I have a TMN on this
Only half a TMN, because you spec'd the 3.8 version. :-)
Normally that's what I would have done but I've not been allowed to drive for a while.
Mr Celine
Discordian
- Location
- Waxing my moustache
The alternator needs a supply from the battery. Generally there needs to be enough charge to illuminate the ignition light for a bump start to have any chance of working.
RoadRider400
Some bloke that likes cycling alone
Buy a new battery and fit it yourself. Its really simple.
Long term take your car out for long drives more frequently. Battery should be the least of your problems because its relatively cheap to fix ie you just replace it or charge. Leaving a car sitting for 4 months however will damage more expensive parts than the battery. Im thinking specifically engine seals that will not be getting lubricated and dry out, and the fuel will start absorbing water. But they are not the only things.
If you want to make the car last, use it.
Long term take your car out for long drives more frequently. Battery should be the least of your problems because its relatively cheap to fix ie you just replace it or charge. Leaving a car sitting for 4 months however will damage more expensive parts than the battery. Im thinking specifically engine seals that will not be getting lubricated and dry out, and the fuel will start absorbing water. But they are not the only things.
If you want to make the car last, use it.
Last edited:
D
Deleted member 26715
Guest
Nope not true once the alternator spins it sees a potential difference in voltage between the battery & it's output & charges. A car will run without a battery connected but it's not recommended as battery acts a a smoothing shunt for the alternator output
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
Be wary of so-called 'smart' chargers.
They rely on reading a voltage to work.
If the battery is dead flat, the smart charger cannot detect enough volts and will not produce any charge.
A simple £5.99 car accessory shop trickle charger is what's required to get the battery up and running.
Putting a smart charger/conditioner on the battery after it is charged is a reasonable idea, although you could just give it a trickle top-up now and again.
They rely on reading a voltage to work.
If the battery is dead flat, the smart charger cannot detect enough volts and will not produce any charge.
A simple £5.99 car accessory shop trickle charger is what's required to get the battery up and running.
Putting a smart charger/conditioner on the battery after it is charged is a reasonable idea, although you could just give it a trickle top-up now and again.
Smokin Joe
Squire
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
^^This^^
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
My car wasn't used while I was rehabbing my replacement hip.
Plan was to hobble out to it and start it occasionally, but the battery still went flat.
I got it going when able to drive and went for a blast to top up the battery and put in some fuel.
With remarkable foresight, I took the spare key so I could leave the car running (a bit naughty) and lock it while paying for the fuel.
Bear in mind some insurance policies specifically exclude cover for a car taken with the keys in from a forecourt.
My plan was scuppered by the electronics which would not let me lock the car with the spare key while the main key was in the ignition and the engine running.
I reduced the admittedly minimal risk by driving the car as close as possible to the pay kiosk.
It was still a nervous minute or so as I paid for the fuel in the kiosk while my unlocked car was sitting ticking over on the forecourt.
Plan was to hobble out to it and start it occasionally, but the battery still went flat.
I got it going when able to drive and went for a blast to top up the battery and put in some fuel.
With remarkable foresight, I took the spare key so I could leave the car running (a bit naughty) and lock it while paying for the fuel.
Bear in mind some insurance policies specifically exclude cover for a car taken with the keys in from a forecourt.
My plan was scuppered by the electronics which would not let me lock the car with the spare key while the main key was in the ignition and the engine running.
I reduced the admittedly minimal risk by driving the car as close as possible to the pay kiosk.
It was still a nervous minute or so as I paid for the fuel in the kiosk while my unlocked car was sitting ticking over on the forecourt.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
I'd get a new battery. Had the same issues when my car wasn't used, even used a solar top up, but in the end, a new battery was the answer.
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