"Maintenance Free" battery problem.

I've just acquired an old battery as a spare, marked 'Vauxhall Freedom Battery. Totally Maintenance Free,-never needs water'. It has a clear disc in the top which shows clear- I think it should be showing green if it's any good. There is a vent spigot at the top but the lid is sealed on, doesn't look like it's supposed to be removed. Guarantees often have restrictions/conditions which may be against your consumer rights. I just had an exhaust swapped at ATS after three months due to it making unpleasant booming noise. The guy at ATS reckons that the guarantee on this is two years-less the time I've spent with the other one. I think a court would interpret it differently. DaveK.

Was it actually called a 'maintenance free' battery anywhere?

A genuine maintenance free lead acid battery is a gel type and can't be used with a normal car charging system. What you have is a *low maintenance* type where the electrolytic gases condense within the battery therefore reducing the need to top up. And most will see out their 2 or 3 year warranty without needing attention in normal use. 4 years is unlikely, I'd say.

Standard Mini battery would be a #038 or 138, heavy duty being an 015. Lucas don't name all their batteries in the standard fashion, with heavy duty versions often just having /4 tagged to the end of the std number We don't know which battery the guy was sold, but an 015 or 038/4 on a Mini should last 4 years nowadays, whereas an 038 may well be pushing it.

Maintenance Free batteries are just that in the sense that it does not need maintaining. You don't need to top up the electrolyte level unless an outside influence affects it; that is to say, if other parts of the charging system are maintained (or don't go faulty). Well, the battery itself would have to have a cracked case for it to be the cause of the electrolyte level dropping. If the alternator's been overcharging there's usually some sign of it:

- stains down the side of the case where the electrolyte has bubbled out

- pink or black staining on the inside of the cell caps

A few questions:

Did the car stop while you were driving or not start when you went to it?

Have Lucas checked the battery out? I don't mean just drop-testinng it or putting a voltmeter on it, they'll need to top it up, charge it, leave it overnight and drop-test it first thing next morning when it's nice and cold as well as check each cell with a hydrometer.

Are you getting 13.7v on the Halfords battery, the Lucas one or both?

When you checked the voltage, what electrical items did you have switched on? It might sound daft but I've had so many people tell me their system is charging fine but they haven't switched on the heated rear window, blower, lights or 500w entertainment system. Start the engine and check the voltage as you turn on all your electricals - the alternator may be working fine with a small load but can't handle wipers/blower/rear screen on your way to work on a cold rainy morning.

Does the car do mainly short journeys such as shopping or school runs?

If the battery has a fault then you are entitled to a replacement, not a refund. Whether the Lucas battery has a fault or not, buying another battery is not going to get you a refund. With a faulty battery you just need to get the egnine running and get it home. If the battery has a fault and lets you down, it isn't anyone else's fault that you don't have a set of jump leads or rescue service cover. Lucas, or to be more accurate LSUK, operate a national guarantee so you can usually get something done wherever a problem might arise... unless it's a weekend.

If there's no fault on the Lucas battery then you've bought a spare battery from Halfords. I'm pretty sure that Lucas make Halfords' batteries for them.

Battery looks pristine, just short of electrolyte

Poor starting from cold

They're doing that now

From the new Halfrauds one

Long journeys mainly

I'd be happy with a replacement from Lucas. Basically they seem to be accusing me of not maintaining (i.e. topping up) their so-called maintenance-free battery, which I presumed was sealed. I'm sure that there is nothing wrong with my alternator too. If it says "4 year - Maintenance Free" on the battery then I don't expect it to pack up after 3 years of normal use and Lucas to try and wriggle out of giving me a new one.

under

batteries

As Dave says, it is probably a 'low maintainance' battery not a maintenance free. Either way, you will find that the warranty will be a limited one with a sliding scale off retail price. Probably the fourth year only covers 25% of the retail cost, where you will be expected to pay 75% of retail for the replacement. In reality you will probably get a 30% or greater discount off a new battery anyhow so the last year of warranty is not worth the paper it is written on.

It is unusual for a low maintenance battery to need topping up in the first three years in the UK though, much less fail. Most batteries last a minimum of five years these days and I have several that are now nine to ten years old and are only now a bit dodgy on cold days. My Nissan has a dodgy battery now and is only eight years old but my other identical twin Nissan had the battery fail two years ago.

Huw

I'd agree with that. Of course, it's possible to have an intermittent fault in the alternator regulator where it goes 'high' - I've had this on the SD1. But you could see the lights go brighter when it happened.

If only. ;-)

I can't remember one of mine lasting more than 4 years - usually less. The BMW branded one died just after the car's three year warranty ran out, like it was programmed to do so. ;-) And with absolutely no warning in the summer.

intermittent

Hmm. Usually made by either Bosch or Varta. Both makes I have had good luck with. Replaced one Bosch heavy duty last week which was an original fitted on a vehicle registered in Nov '94. Was fine all Summer but had shown signs of weakness last Winter and didn't like the cold weather last week at all. I have an Italian battery made in early '93 which is still going strong but has never been quite as new since it was completely discharged due to an electrical fault some six years ago. Lucas Premium batteries are just as good in my experience.

Huw

Yes. It's an odd shape, and the only non BMW branded battery I could find was a Bosch. Didn't try very hard though as I hadn't the time.