Car battery question.
03 August 2008, 07:19 PM
#1
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Car battery question.
Not too sure if this is the right place or not......
I had an alternator failure about 6 weeks ago. On the way to the dealer the battery discharged totally (instruments stuck, power steering gave up and all displays went blank etc etc).
The dealer replaced the alternator under warranty but not the battery. Recently, starting has become a bit of a struggle. Yesterday it wasn`t having it until I turned off the AC and the radio.
Now, my question is, should the dealer have replaced the battery? Is my battery knackered and do dealers usually regard batteries as a consumable items which I may find it hard for them to stump up for?
Any ideas?
I had an alternator failure about 6 weeks ago. On the way to the dealer the battery discharged totally (instruments stuck, power steering gave up and all displays went blank etc etc).
The dealer replaced the alternator under warranty but not the battery. Recently, starting has become a bit of a struggle. Yesterday it wasn`t having it until I turned off the AC and the radio.
Now, my question is, should the dealer have replaced the battery? Is my battery knackered and do dealers usually regard batteries as a consumable items which I may find it hard for them to stump up for?
Any ideas?
03 August 2008, 07:27 PM
#2
Scooby Regular
Yes, get a new battery, but from now on make sure you leave your sidelights on at all times. They go off with the ignition so it's not like you need to remember.
Scoobs have a so-called 'smart' alternator which only charges the battery when it detects enough current draw. Sidelights is enough, or the fan left on '1'. What often happens however is, during the summer people don't use lights, fans, heaters etc and the alternator stops charging the battery, which degrades gradually over a few months. Suddenly, come autumn/winter people switch everything on all at once and the battery gives up the ghost. The alternator is usually fine, but many mechanics are fooled into thinking it's knackered as when the pop their voltage sensors across the terminals it shows no charge. If you turn on the lights and then re-check it it usually shows 14.1V.
Mine failed within 3 months of me buying it, after which I ran with sidelights for another 2 1/2 years without issue. The guy who bought it off me didn't listen when I told him to do this and subsequently needed a battery 2 months later, after calling me up in a hissy-fit 'cos the garage quoted him £400 for a new alternator. When he insisted under my advice that they re-check it as I described above it cost him £50 for a battery instead.
Scoobs have a so-called 'smart' alternator which only charges the battery when it detects enough current draw. Sidelights is enough, or the fan left on '1'. What often happens however is, during the summer people don't use lights, fans, heaters etc and the alternator stops charging the battery, which degrades gradually over a few months. Suddenly, come autumn/winter people switch everything on all at once and the battery gives up the ghost. The alternator is usually fine, but many mechanics are fooled into thinking it's knackered as when the pop their voltage sensors across the terminals it shows no charge. If you turn on the lights and then re-check it it usually shows 14.1V.
Mine failed within 3 months of me buying it, after which I ran with sidelights for another 2 1/2 years without issue. The guy who bought it off me didn't listen when I told him to do this and subsequently needed a battery 2 months later, after calling me up in a hissy-fit 'cos the garage quoted him £400 for a new alternator. When he insisted under my advice that they re-check it as I described above it cost him £50 for a battery instead.
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