sierrafery
Well-Known Member
Better measure the quiescent current draw before you fit a new one cos if it's excessive it can be caused by the alternator then you'll ruin the new battery
MJI
Well-Known Member
yes
MJI
Well-Known Member
alternator is newish and charging at a good rate
MJI
Well-Known Member
Mine went very low the other week, i.e. wouldn't start, after a cold spell and not being used much. I've owned the car 10 years and only ever put one batt on it, fairly early on, a Yuasa.
Charged it up off the car and had no problems ever since including in the cold weather and again not being used much.
(TBH I wouldn't call 20 miles a long run.)
I know it is a pain disconnecting everything but using an ammeter will tell you what the parasitic drain is, if indeed there is anything to worry about. And some crafty work with a jump lead will allow you to do this without actually breaking the circuit.
Unless you have fitted something new that drains current, provided you have no new shorts to earth, why would this suddenly be a problem?
Or you can bite the bullet and take it to a shop where decent people work, i.e. not those who'll tell you it is shot wqhen it isn't purely to sell you a new one, and get them to do a proper test on it.
I know how you feel and can be worrying about it. I drove us up to the Dales, around them and then back home with jump leads in the car due to this little problem. But even in snow it started with no need for glow plugs. Pretty sure no one needs them unless it really is flipping cold!
Charged it up off the car and had no problems ever since including in the cold weather and again not being used much.
(TBH I wouldn't call 20 miles a long run.)
I know it is a pain disconnecting everything but using an ammeter will tell you what the parasitic drain is, if indeed there is anything to worry about. And some crafty work with a jump lead will allow you to do this without actually breaking the circuit.
Unless you have fitted something new that drains current, provided you have no new shorts to earth, why would this suddenly be a problem?
Or you can bite the bullet and take it to a shop where decent people work, i.e. not those who'll tell you it is shot wqhen it isn't purely to sell you a new one, and get them to do a proper test on it.
I know how you feel and can be worrying about it. I drove us up to the Dales, around them and then back home with jump leads in the car due to this little problem. But even in snow it started with no need for glow plugs. Pretty sure no one needs them unless it really is flipping cold!
MJI
Well-Known Member
I don't think it has been over zero for a week, started after one hour on a small charger.
Last year the battery went flat due to failing alternator, but was ok after 4 days on the little charger.
I think the glow plugs are not great as it had to churn for a couple of seconds and smoked a lot after the light went out.
Last year the battery went flat due to failing alternator, but was ok after 4 days on the little charger.
I think the glow plugs are not great as it had to churn for a couple of seconds and smoked a lot after the light went out.
It helps if you have a batt charger that can tell you the condition of the batt, which mine does.
One hour on a charger isn't long at all, so it doesn't sound really as if it is the batt.
I saw a thing the other day that said that "if you don't run a car once every two days it doesn't stop the batt deteriorating"!
So it's a miracle any of ours still work, so prolly BS. (Being retired we can go a week or two without moving the Disco, and a few days without moving the other.)
sierrafery
Well-Known Member
The only 100% certain way to rule out an alternator is with oscilloscope, it can charge well with a shot diode in the rectifier while it drains the battery over night but even if it's not that it can be a drain from other source and as long as you are not sure there's no parasitic drain a new battery can have shorter life
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MJI
Well-Known Member
Got the letter from PCS so going to try for a blue badgeOMG do you have that? Think I forgot. sorry.
Middle dottir has it and has never worked since, now on PIP etc.
So massive sympathies.
