Car Battery help needed.....please

Hi

Advice would be greatly appreciated. Had to take my relative into work this morning as his car (battery) would not start (3rd time this month). Definatly the battery, so where is the best place to get one?. Have a Halfrauds near here (Are there better places?), also what spec would I need. Need to find out as I have to pick him up from work at 5pm. Car is 1998 Citroen 1.9 Diesel. Current battery is 66 amp hour. Would a similar one be ok. Only ask as it has only last 2 years.

Really would be very grateful for any answers.

Reply to
Matt
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Halford batteries are OK but expensive. Try Yellow Pages for Motor Factors who might have a suitable battery for less money. All you need to tell them is the make and model of car. If price is not a problem, I'd advise going for the biggest capacity battery that will fit. If he has the receipt, the old battery might still be under guarantee. 3 years guarantee is not uncommon for batteries. Mike.

Reply to
Mike G

Halfords batteries are ok and not bad value. That's not to say you couldn't do better if you search. But of course P&P for a battery probably rules out mail order for most.

Halfords have an easy to use selection guide by the batteries. You just look up your car make and model. If it's rare and not covered the counter staff *may* be able to help via their computer database. That's a big

*may*;-)

Other choices are any accessory shop or motor factor. Personally I don't think there's that much difference between makes offering the same warranty. Despite claims, lead acid technology hasn't changed by much in

100 years. There have been improvements, but not on the scale of say mobile phone batteries.
Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

The charging voltage on newer batterys needs to be slightly higher than on older designs, 13.6V used to be fine, 14V is more common nowadays.

Reply to
Duncan Wood

From Halfords a 'heavy duty' normal battery for our Focus was £90ish.

The same 'heavy bugger' from a Ford parts supplier, with 3 year gaurantee, was £35 or £40, dependant on just how heavy duty you wanted it to be. This is pretty standard across the board, go to a parts supplier that's independent, but supplies things with the 'stickered' batteries. In your case, Citroen branded from the French parts place. Definitely cheaper.

Reply to
Martin R

Are some not allowed? ;-)

I always wince when I see the price of batteries in halfords. I got my last one for 20 something from a motor factors but unfortunately it's been bought up by Bennetts who seem to put a retail price on all there products of about 200% so I don't shop there out of priciple.

Reply to
adder1969

Hmm. Looking at the oldest manual I can find for a car with alternator says the output voltage should be between 13.6 - 14.4v when the battery is in a near fully charged state. Seems it was looking to the future...

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

So if said cars regulator only charged to 13.6V, which would match the above statement then it'd put sod all charge into many modern batterys.

Reply to
Duncan Wood

It will still charge any lead acid - just take longer.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Much much longer, it'll never get to 100%.

Reply to
Duncan Wood

I'm old enough to remember when you set the regulator to 16V. That's in the days of dynamos and the Lucas 2 coil electromechanical regulator. Battery technology hasn't changed to any noticable degree since the

1940's. Topping up the battery therefore was a regular item in those days!

BobC

Reply to
BobC

on 29/05/2007, Matt supposed :

Look for a smaller parts dealer. I would never buy anything off Halfords. I am lucky that we have a place that is better and cheaper than Halfords.

Reply to
Baldoni XXV

Dave Plowman (News) formulated the question :

Yes indeed for maintaining the charge it is imperitive to have an alternator.

Reply to
Baldoni XXV

adder1969 formulated the question :

£22 I paid for my last battery and not from Halfords.
Reply to
Baldoni XXV

Many cars made in the last decade use silver/calcium batteries. These require a charging voltage of 14.6 in order to reach 100% charge. A normal battery must not be used in these vehicles because the higher charging voltage will damage the battery; a silver/calcium one can be used in a vehicle not originally designed to use one without detriment.

I disagree strongly with the idea that batteries have not improved!

When I first started driving in the sixties, if a battery lasted two winters you felt pleased. I've just replaced the original battery in my '99 Focus. It was still starting the car reliably after eight years use.

I realise there are other factors such as improved charging control, (for example Ford's Smart Charging System), but at the same time demand load has increased by a factor of perhaps ten.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

It's not a view held by the battery or alternator manufacturers though. & if you don't need full charge you might as well use a smaller battery.

Reply to
Duncan Wood

I said technology. Some makers will always cut corners and not achieve a decent life.

Lucas for example were well known for being forced to produce electrics to a price the car makers were willing to pay, and this often meant poor quality.

My first (secondhand) car was bought in '62 and required a new battery. The one I fitted lasted 5 years. The one on my then new BMW - BMW brand - just over the three year warranty. Over 40 odd years of motoring I've not discovered batteries lasting that much longer - although they have like everything come down in price.

The only real load on a battery is the starting one. And that hasn't changed. The load from the extra electrics is taken care of by the alternator.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Where?

A smaller one not fully charged will had a proportionally smaller capacity.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

It's still the same technology, but the application of that technology has changed significantly.

It isn't when my heated front screen is on!

There are loads on modern vehicles that are present when the engine is not running. These can often flatten a healthy, fully-charged battery in two weeks if the vehicle is not used. Trying to make the loss up when the vehicle is subsequently started shortens the battery life. A battery of the sixties would not have survived this treatment for long.

To try to mitigate this, some cars do a progressive shutdown of things like keyless entry and alarm systems.

If the alternator was really able to balance all non-starting loads, why are some BMW's fitted with 42v systems, and some VW's with twin or even triple battery systems?

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Yes, and a smaller one fully charged would have the same capacity.

Reply to
Duncan Wood

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