First sign of needing a new battery?

S

scorpio

Hi guys n girls, may I pick your brains about changing my car battery?

I have been well chuffed with the calcium battery I put in my micra some eight years ago.
However, I think the battery may be on its way out due to the refusing to start halfway through its weekly sunday main drive. I think I may have caused this by the daily starting of the car to move it daily and not putting the juice back into the battery with more frequent runs. This combined with winter coming so having all the electrical gear on plus lights may have drained the battery! Fortunately I was able to bump start the car as I was parked on a decline, more by luck than design tho..lol

My question here is do I assume the battery is on its way out and change it. I am not too keen on waiting to find out if it is the start of a faulty battery by waiting to see if it fails to start again.
Do I invest in a new cheapy battery off ebay for £33, get a portable battery back up thing for that will be like another car battery to start the car or one of those little power packs that boost the battery to start for £20? I could even carry the cheapy new battery around in the boot till it is needed when my main battery gives up the ghost.
Not sure how long these calcium batteries are due to last but due to them giving no warning they are about to give up the ghost and winter fast approaching, I think I need to prepare for the worst with a new battery or at least a back up. Right, think I'll give this battery saga a rest now..lol

To be fair, I would just rather not chance getting caught out with the car not starting and have to call someone out! lol. So, what do you all think? Any replies would be much appreciated..Cheers folks..
 
I suppose the connections to the battery terminals are nice and clean? You are not seeing a warning light on the dash? If you have a volt meter, check for better than 14 volts across the battery while the engine is running. Garages can check battery condition very easily, but maybe it's time for a new battery. Though I was checking out those jump-start battery packs in Halfords the other day...
 
Tornado said:
I suppose the connections to the battery terminals are nice and clean? You are not seeing a warning light on the dash? If you have a volt meter, check for better than 14 volts across the battery while the engine is running. Garages can check battery condition very easily, but maybe it's time for a new battery. Though I was checking out those jump-start battery packs in Halfords the other day...
Click to expand...

Cheers Tor,
Fair point about the terminals, I only tightened them up year ago tho, come to think of it I was told by a machanic to clean the one terminal with hot water and grease the them as it had the dreaded white powder stuff form on the one battery terminal a year ago. This may have been a tell tale sign of the battery condition.
There hasn't been a warning light for charging come up on the dash except a engine warning light that has been on for months and I havn't found the sensor causing it yet, though it hasn't made any difference to the running of the car.
I haven't put a multimeter across the battery yet but I will at the end of the week once I do a few more runs in the car to get the juice back into the battery to try to get it to max and will try that 14volt check you have mentioned.
I think you are wise to get a jump start pack if you can get one reasonable but as one person has said on here, how often is it likely to be used.
The mystery goes on but I am sure I will end up getting a new battery just for the peace of mind! Thanks for the advice tho!
 
scorpio said:
Cheers Tor,
Fair point about the terminals, I only tightened them up year ago tho, come to think of it I was told by a machanic to clean the one terminal with hot water and grease the them as it had the dreaded white powder stuff form on the one battery terminal a year ago. This may have been a tell tale sign of the battery condition.
There hasn't been a warning light for charging come up on the dash except a engine warning light that has been on for months and I havn't found the sensor causing it yet, though it hasn't made any difference to the running of the car.
I haven't put a multimeter across the battery yet but I will at the end of the week once I do a few more runs in the car to get the juice back into the battery to try to get it to max and will try that 14volt check you have mentioned.
I think you are wise to get a jump start pack if you can get one reasonable but as one person has said on here, how often is it likely to be used.
The mystery goes on but I am sure I will end up getting a new battery just for the peace of mind! Thanks for the advice tho!
Click to expand...


Check the alternator drive belt tension and condition that it is not slipping. A worn V belt will sit low in the pulley V grooves with reduced contact area, therefore more prone to slippage under increased electrical load of oncoming winter demands. A simple voltage test at idle will not reveal this without max electrical load conditions. Good luck happy fault finding together with a battery cell specific gravity comparison hydrometer test.
 
plmval said:
Check the alternator drive belt tension and condition that it is not slipping. A worn V belt will sit low in the pulley V grooves with reduced contact area, therefore more prone to slippage under increased electrical load of oncoming winter demands. A simple voltage test at idle will not reveal this without max electrical load conditions. Good luck happy fault finding together with a battery cell specific gravity comparison hydrometer test.
Click to expand...

o.k. cheers,
I will check the tension of the belt next, could that be a culprit or not helping, well shall see ;p
 
o.k. folks, I'll try to conclude this battery saga soon as its not the sexiest of threads..;p
After the weekly 50 mile run and several mid week mini week runs, the battery seems to be starting the car faster now. The battery voltage was in the permitted/advised 12.8 volts to 13.2 range for a calcium battery to be in good order, on the weekend. It showed 13.1 volts then dropped down to 13 volts the day after.
From lots of reading, i gather that during the winter, it is advised that calcium batteries are topped. It all gets a bit complicated with what I have read about different types and batteries and chargers and all at this point. However, I have read that calcium batteries need a 14.8 volt charge from the alternator. My alternator seemed to be working o.k. and i was reading 14.2 volts across the battery at idle.
Although these calcium batteries need a special charger, I think I will get one as my old one has gone kupput!
Still thinking about a spare booster pack though, just incase the dear old micra battery gives up the ghost but will monitor the voltage of the battery now for any drops that indicate its heading towards the old battery grave yard..;p
I will finish this thread soon, I promise..lol
 
davyboy said:
You should check your battery under load ...ie, with the headlights on.
I would stick a new one in personally.
Click to expand...


Thanks davy, I' ll try that battery test under load with the lights on at the weekend.
Though, I think you are right, I best be done with the whole thing by replacing the battery and then I will know that I won't get caught out during the winter with starting problems.
As usual, I have come back to my original idea after exploring all the options and the extensive range of car battery gadgets they have brought out these days.

Thanks to all who have taken an interest in this thread..
 

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