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        General >> Problems >> Flat Battery :-(
        
(Message started by: Scorpio_Mike on Dec 2^nd, 2007, 2:55pm)

Title: Flat Battery :-(
Post by Scorpio_Mike on Dec 2^nd, 2007, 2:55pm

Just got back today from 2 glorious weeks in Florida and found the battery on my Scorpio is as flat as the proverbial pancake. Guess the time has come to get a new one but need to get the car running.

Just wondering if there are any issues with jump starting from another car or if I need to disconnect it to put it on charge.

Any advice gratefully rec'd, just don't want to damage the delicate electrics but doing summat wrong.

TIA

Title: Re: Flat Battery :-(
Post by scorpio_man on Dec 2^nd, 2007, 3:01pm

http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/images/handbook114.gif

just take your time and it'll be fine.

hth

Title: Re: Flat Battery :-(
Post by Snoopy on Dec 2^nd, 2007, 3:05pm

Putting it on charge would be the best idea but you CAN jump start the car but take care . connect the red lead first and then the black one to a suitable ground point... Only use the battery - terminal as a last resort .. Leave the engine running to charge the flat battery for a few minutes and then make sure EVERYTHING is switched off and try to start the dead car. leave it running and then disconnect the leads, in the reverse order.

Title: Re: Flat Battery :-(
Post by Scorpio_Mike on Dec 3^rd, 2007, 6:52pm

OK, so I took the battery out this morning and connected it to the charger - the needle on the charger meter has registered a steady zero all day long...so either the battery or the charger may be totally cream crackered. Charger makes a humming noise but not sure it is actually doing anything ???

Does anyone know how to test if the charger is working ?

Sticker on the side of the battery tells me it is approx 3 1/2 yrs old so may be due for replacement anyway, funny how it was working perfectly fine the day I went on holiday.

Since I need to get the car running again asap, looks like it will have to be a new battery so what is the correct spec to go for in terms of capacity etc...
Can anyone recommend a particular brand ?

TIA

Title: Re: Flat Battery :-(
Post by TRACEYS_LIMO on Dec 3^rd, 2007, 7:00pm

hi i got my last couple from halfords the guy who had it before me had the wrong size on there and the needles would flick round before starting i have not had any problems with there batterys they were not both for the scorpio ;)

Title: Re: Flat Battery :-(
Post by harry.m1byt on Dec 3^rd, 2007, 7:09pm

Some battery chargers produce an output voltage whether connected to a battery or not. Others only output a voltage when connected to a battery with some voltage already across the battery terminals, thus preventing damage from reverse polarity.

So if your battery is completely flat and you are trying to use one of the above types of charger, then it will not work. Faced with the same situation I choose a charger which does not check for voltage to get it going or connect a second battery with some voltage just to kick start it charging.

Title: Re: Flat Battery :-(
Post by mr._floppy on Dec 3^rd, 2007, 7:26pm

A 75 Amp hours - 720 amps battery is ideal for a 2.0 or 2.3 Scorpio.

Hold fire though, don't shell out the shekels just yet, my battery was flat when I came back fromtwo weeks hols too, but as the Scorpio has a sensitive starting circuit, maybe all it needs is a good overnight charge up.

Title: Re: Flat Battery :-(
Post by Scorpio_Mike on Dec 4^th, 2007, 10:46am

Left battery on charge all night, stuck it back in the car this morning and it started first time !

Maybe the meter on the charger is faulty ???

Title: Re: Flat Battery :-(
Post by harry.m1byt on Dec 4^th, 2007, 6:42pm

As my Scorp doesn't get much regualr use, I keep it and the bike each on their own battery tenders in the garage. For the Scorp I use a rather copy of a rather fancy charger I bought from Lidl at around £10, so good I got myself a second one when they were re-offered some months later. I notice they had them on offer again recently and there may still be a few left. Max output is 2.6 amps and they are designed such that they can be left permanently connected, nursing the battery.