Technical Car battery low after been away on holiday for 2 weeks.

[just wondering]

Hi , i drove my 2003 punto 16v for the first time a few days ago after been away for 16 days , it only just seemed to have enough battery in it to turn the car over and for it to fire up , once it had been running for 5 minutes , i turned it off and back on again and it seemed fine......

Anyway each time since , it still seems the same , when i turn ignition , not much battery but just manages to it going , lights work on full beam etc , car runs sweetly.

I am factoring in two things , 1 its been really cold while i have been away and that i had not run the car for around 16 days.

Sooooo should i run it for another week and see if the battery resumes normal service..... or should i be getting a new battery fitted as soon as possible ?

I have had the car for nearly 3 years and in that time i have not changed the battery .... so the battery is at least around 3 years old.

What would be a good choice of battery with suitable price and can anyone recommend perhaps a service where they come to you in a van and fit the battery.

Advice please , TIA.

 

[Jamiec18]

Before you buy a battery go to a place that does "free battery tests"

Or test it yourself if you have the equipment to do so Before you waste your hard earner cash!

But yes it has been cold and if you have the factory cd player that stays on standby which could drain the battery.

Punto's dont like being stood for long times!

 

[Jamiec18]

A battery is simple to replace and you can get them on ebay with 4years warranty for around £40 next day delivery. Make sure you buy the right one though! You can buy bigger ones but have to take the plastic housing off around the sides.

 

[just wondering]

Good idea Jamie , i shall have the battery tested first

if the battery is on its way out , what would be a good choice of battery at a good price ?

 

[TONY55S]

you can buy a varta silver line battery for around 90 pounds.
They are more expensive than the standard battery,but my experience
from buying cheap batteries for my punto is they dont last too long.
You should get a 4 year warranty with the silverline battery.
Its better to spend a bit extra and buy a good quality battery than buy a cheap
one that wont last too long,just my experience.
tony

 

[Jamiec18]

I have never had any problems with my cheap battery's i have a excide one it comes with 3 or 4years warranty and cost £40 if remember same as the one tony said costs £90 and 4years warranty its entirely up to you which you buy

 

[just wondering]

I definitely need a new battery it has been fine for a couple of weeks, but if I don't drive it for a few days the charge drops.

I was thinking of buying a new battery from here, but I am baffled which number of battery do I need to fit the right physical size into my 1.2 2003 dynamic?

http://www.eurocarparts.com/car-batteries

I have never changed a battery, but have watched a couple of YouTubes, will I have any issues with losing codes for radio etc if I swop over the battery.

advice please. tia

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Just charge it, check the water level and give it a good charge for 8-12 hours and it will probably last you another good few years

Follow my video for doing this


It's also worth noting that these cars do drain the battery suprisingly quickly if left for a few days best to disconnect the battery if going away

 

[just wondering]

cheers Andy, only thing I don't have a battery charger, would letting the car idle for say a hour charge it up?

 

[just wondering]

just one more quick question, where do I buy that type of water?

 

[Ziggy122]

Cars stay awake with 1 eye open all the time

Things like clocks - immbolisers - Alarm systems - Body control units - Keyless entry systems all stay active when the car is off, so you get the small 25 - 80ma draw on the battery depending on vehicle and features

If your battery wasn't fully charged after you last drove it, then the slow drain that pretty much ALL cars have, the battery will be low - simple as

If the car started the alternator will recharge to majority - but not fully
A decent battery charger will do the recharge needed

Halfords do a free battery testing thing
With a fully charged battery - they can test it for you to see what its able to output

However - take a car that wouldnt start and is registering flat (12v is a flat battery btw 12.3v is 50%, 12.6v fully charged) - Take a 2amp charge for 2hours = 4amps, and is now sitting at full charge status is somewhat a very clear indication its unable to hold a decent charge
A tester also confirmed my suspicion

Ziggy

 

[just wondering]

I've spotted some chargers on argos they have crocodile clips, is it safe to charge the battery while connected to the car? Or to use as like a jump start in case of emergency

 

[just wondering]

cool, I have a Halford fairly close by, which happens to be next to a argos, so I might ask Halford to check the battery, does halfords test show if it will hold a charge?

 

[oXRUSSXo]

cool, I have a Halford fairly close by, which happens to be next to a argos, so I might ask Halford to check the battery, does halfords test show if it will hold a charge?

Really does depend if Halfords staff are trying to boost sales and say just to get a new battery. If I was you I would buy the battery charger because it will always come in useful so a good investment.

I've just put my battery on charge due to the cold mornings and cant cause any harm.

My chargers from Argos and works perfectly a challenge one if I remember correctly

 

[just wondering]

Thank you all for your replies

It turned over fine this morning , that is because i had a bit of a run in it last night once i got it going.

But just as a temp mesaure will letting my car run on idel for say 30 minutes help charge the battery up ? or it it counter productive , due to the electric the car will be using for say the ecu etc ?

I have had a look at the battery it is a unipart battery , i have had the car for about 3 years and i have never changed it.

I am so unprepared for this kind of thing , i have just been on ebay and ordered a 10 mm spanner ! i have a socket set , but it can't get into the terminals to loosen them .

so i think i shall join greenflag today , using quidco , you can get there recovery plus service for just a tad over 40.00 for the year , so i guess its a good safety net while i figure things out

 

[PuntoHowTo]

the water you can buy almost anywhere as its used in irons and other small items around the house. I buy it in 5 litre barrels for £4 from car parts shops and use it to fill up the car radiator, as its less likely to cause corrosion and deposits,

as stated getting a battery charger is a go investment, and fairly cheap, you can charge the battery on the car but its better to at least disconnect the leads from the car, that way all the charge goes into the battery.

running the engine on these cars is never enough to fully top up the battery because of the electric powersteering and all the other lights, heaters etc battery benefits from having a proper charge as it helps boost the battery and then the alternator can charge better in the future

think of it as trying to fill a bucket with a hole in it, no matter what there will always be water pouring out, if youre already starting with a half empty bucket filling it is harder, so plug the hole fill it right up and then you're in a better position to keep it topped up

 

[just wondering]

I have a test meter , so i might test the battery using that....based on the video from this thread .

i have let my car just idel outside for 30 mins , with everything switched off , all lights , heating , radio has its face removed etc....

So hopefully that will get me by for today , then i'm thinking perhaps new battery , i have taken a physical measurement of the battery .

Would this Bosch one do the trick ?

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/a...attery/063-car-batteries/?444770635&0&cc5_993

 

[PuntoHowTo]

*

So hopefully that will get me by for today , then i'm thinking perhaps new battery , i have taken a physical measurement of the battery .

Would this Bosch one do the trick ?

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/a...attery/063-car-batteries/?444770635&0&cc5_993

battery dimensions are 207w x 175d x 190h

even a brand new battery, next time you leave it for a few days it will run down and cause issues, needed a good charge

 

[just wondering]

*

battery dimensions are 207w x 175d x 190h

even a brand new battery, next time you leave it for a few days it will run down and cause issues, needed a good charge

Thank you for the wise words, what is your opinion on the choice of battery pls

 

[PuntoHowTo]

what is your opinion on the choice of battery pls

which ever one fits the hole, go for the highest Ah and CCA you can get with in those dimensions, all batteries are the same they all are made of plates of lead, plastic and acid so don't worry so much about brand, i'm sure though in 30 seconds someone will come in and say their Bosch platinum organic freerange fair deal battery is better than everything in the world including sliced bread