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        General >> Give/Need advice to/from others >> battery
        
(Message started by: gost on Jun 22^nd, 2010, 5:35pm)

Title: battery
Post by gost on Jun 22^nd, 2010, 5:35pm

Hi gents, wife rang yesterday morning to say car would not start, when i got home last night tried it, started after a bit of effort not like usually, intantly, took it to work this morning to give it a run out, started instantly, battery showed 31.2 on self diagnostic thingy. astarted car this evening, started instantly, but i happened to be looking at dials and they spun , does this mean battery on way out?

Title: Re: battery
Post by Highlander on Jun 22^nd, 2010, 5:51pm

on 06/22/10 at 17:35:13, gost wrote:

13.2 I hope! ;D

Dials will always spin on starting after you do the dash diagnostic.

What engine is it you have again Bruce?

Is the battery rated high enough?

Title: Re: battery
Post by gost on Jun 22^nd, 2010, 6:37pm

SORRY stuart meant 13.2 2,3 ultima, was new 12 months ago, prob is wife only does about 6 miles a day, not sure of rating but i did ask for high crank when i bought it

Title: Re: battery
Post by Highlander on Jun 22^nd, 2010, 7:34pm

Sounds like that could be the problem, 6 miles probably wont replace the drain caused but starting it meaning its slowly discharging every time it starts

Title: Re: battery
Post by gost on Jun 22^nd, 2010, 8:02pm

Makes sense Stuart, before she had an Omega, every year we had to re3new battery, what amps and crank should i be lloking for?

Title: Re: battery
Post by Simmo on Jun 23^rd, 2010, 6:52am

Bruce. The details for the battery are Here (http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/battery.htm). It sounds as though it's the low mileage each day which is the problem as Stuart says. Mike
Have a look at one of These chargers (http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_190498_langId_-1_categoryId_165629)and see if that might solve the problem. :)

Title: Re: battery
Post by gost on Jun 23^rd, 2010, 3:20pm

thanks mike

Title: Re: battery
Post by Scorpio_Mike on Jun 23^rd, 2010, 6:29pm

Might be worth getting one of those solar trickle chargers from Maplins - sit it on the top of the dash and plug it in the cigar lighter socket ???

Think they are only about £10 or £15

Title: Re: battery
Post by tonyboy on Jun 23^rd, 2010, 8:00pm

Something like this (http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=228624)

Title: Re: battery
Post by Scorpio_Mike on Jun 23^rd, 2010, 8:19pm

on 06/23/10 at 20:00:51, tonyboy wrote:

Something like this (http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=228624)

Yes, just like that - cheaper than I thought !

Mate of mine has one on his Lotus Elan and reckons it does the job OK.

Title: Re: battery
Post by gost on Jun 23^rd, 2010, 8:46pm

Thanks gents, will take all advice on board

Title: Re: battery
Post by Tompion on Jun 23^rd, 2010, 8:54pm

You could look at the others from Maplins with a bit more output:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?MenuNo=95037

Title: Re: battery
Post by Mike H on Jun 25^th, 2010, 1:45pm

That's not a solar panel, but have got a aforementioned Maplin solar panel on mine does seem to work. Only, if car still not used enough it only postpones the inevitable, i.e. stick a mains charger on.

on 06/22/10 at 17:35:13, gost wrote:

started instantly, but i happened to be looking at dials and they spun , does this mean battery on way out?

It means battery isn't being charged enough. It's only got a low charge. Sure works the starter motor but my impression is the resulting low Voltage drop causes the dashboard to reset. I usually take this to mean "must plug in battery charger ASAP". Or take it for a long drive. ;D

Title: Re: battery
Post by Mike H on Jun 25^th, 2010, 1:49pm

Appendix ~
I did a test on the Maplin solar panel, it puts out a maximum of 120mA, but must have direct sunshine right on it, else it's naff. I usually have it on the back parcel shelf (facing South at home) but even then soon as clouds appear it's not doing much.

Title: Re: battery
Post by Mike H on Jun 25^th, 2010, 1:58pm

Appendix #2 ~

I have one of these chargers that tests state of charge first, most often I have to leave it on 48 hours to make sure all the LED's light up on the test.

In Winter when the battery is cold it can take 3 days. This is starting at "20%" (or lower)

NB I put a cigar lighter plug on it so just plugs into the rear cigar lighter socket and mains extension lead out the bottom corner of the boot lid so can still be left all locked up for the duration.

Title: Re: battery
Post by Tompion on Jun 25^th, 2010, 3:05pm

on 06/25/10 at 13:45:58, Mike H wrote:

That's not a solar panel,

It was when I posted it :) just changed the link.
I simply stepped back (towards the top of the page) of the link tonyboy posted - it gives some solar chargers with a higher output.

on 06/25/10 at 13:45:58, Mike H wrote:

As Highlander wrote “Dials will always spin on starting after you do the dash diagnostic.”
In Bruce’s description that appears to be the cause of the flicking dials.

Title: Re: battery
Post by Mike H on Jun 26^th, 2010, 2:07pm

No it can happen WITHOUT the dash diagnostic thingy!!!!!!

That's not what he wrote, he said he did the dash diagnostic thing one time to get the battery Voltage reading, then tried starting it again later at a separate time and THEN got the spinnig dial needles. Without the diagnostic

And in my experience, because I've had the exact same happen a few times, it means battery charge is critically low.

Before that stage is the "early warning", which is the ABS light comes on when you turn the key to start. To see that have to wait for all the lights to go out first before you actually start.

Title: Re: battery
Post by Mike H on Jun 26^th, 2010, 2:17pm

Appendix ~ not sure if you mean dials spin next time even after you've turned it off at the time you did the diagnostic, doesn't alter the fact it can still happen cos it's happened to me

Title: Re: battery
Post by gozz on Jun 26^th, 2010, 2:25pm

Time you got your appendix out Mike ;D
GOZZ.

Title: Re: battery
Post by Tompion on Jun 26^th, 2010, 2:30pm

on 06/26/10 at 14:07:02, Mike H wrote:

I never said it can't happen without the diagnostic, it is well documented that a failing battery is likely to cause the dials to reset.

I’m simply pointing out that in this case it may be due to having used the diagnostic. It will always reset after using the diagnostic and you can easily get caught out by it as the next time you turn on the ignition may be sometime later when you’ve forgotten that you checked the voltage by this method.

Title: Re: battery
Post by gost on Jun 26^th, 2010, 9:33pm

Ok just to clear things up, i got to work, did diagnostic thingy, stopped car, then when i started to come home, thats when dials flicked, so it was first start up since diagnostics, phew, im tired now, think Ill have a lie down lol

Title: Re: battery
Post by Mike H on Jun 29^th, 2010, 1:35pm

OK so apparently it's the case that the dials do the flick next start up after diagnostic was used? Yes?

Think I found it once by accident but not absolutely sure what I did.

My argument is, ;D dial flicking can occur just because of low battery. Is all. So is a useful indicator

Title: Re: battery
Post by Highlander on Jun 29^th, 2010, 1:42pm

on 06/22/10 at 17:51:53, Highlander wrote:

Dials will always spin on starting after you do the dash diagnostic.

Yes ;D