Why did my battery die?
15 December 2002, 10:32 AM
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I went to start my 3 yr old MY00 yesterday morning, and found the battery almost completely dead :{
I hadn't driven the car since Tuesday morning - although the last time I started the engine I remember hearing a single 'chirp' from the alarm, which was unusual. John, the service manager at Adams garage, reckoned that's a reaction to an already dying battery, rather than a symptom of a fault with the alarm itself.
I took the battery out and found that it needed almost a litre of top-up water; despite being labelled 'maintenance-free', it has six little caps in the top, each with a tiny vent hole. It's certainly true that I've never topped it up before - I guessed that 'maintenance-free' meant just that. Obviously not
Refilled and recharged, the battery now seems fine, although I don't want to find it flat again if I don't drive the car for a few days.
Should it be OK again now it's got some water in it, or will it be permanently damaged?
Is the 'maintenance-free' label a bit of wishful thinking on the part of the manufacturer (Varta)?
If not, could there be something wrong with my car's electrics that means that the battery is being overcharged?
Ta
Andy.
I hadn't driven the car since Tuesday morning - although the last time I started the engine I remember hearing a single 'chirp' from the alarm, which was unusual. John, the service manager at Adams garage, reckoned that's a reaction to an already dying battery, rather than a symptom of a fault with the alarm itself.
I took the battery out and found that it needed almost a litre of top-up water; despite being labelled 'maintenance-free', it has six little caps in the top, each with a tiny vent hole. It's certainly true that I've never topped it up before - I guessed that 'maintenance-free' meant just that. Obviously not
Refilled and recharged, the battery now seems fine, although I don't want to find it flat again if I don't drive the car for a few days.
Should it be OK again now it's got some water in it, or will it be permanently damaged?
Is the 'maintenance-free' label a bit of wishful thinking on the part of the manufacturer (Varta)?
If not, could there be something wrong with my car's electrics that means that the battery is being overcharged?
Ta
Andy.
15 December 2002, 01:09 PM
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3-year old battery dying is not unheard of. In my case a couple of years ago the starter just failed to turn the engine one cold morning. Managed to push start the car and got it into a garage for checking the battery. They measured the battery and said it was time to replace it.
If you are worried about under/overcharging, just measure the voltage on the battery terminals when the engine is running. It should be somewhere around 14.5 volts and the voltage should not change much with rpm.
If you are worried about under/overcharging, just measure the voltage on the battery terminals when the engine is running. It should be somewhere around 14.5 volts and the voltage should not change much with rpm.
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