Battery Problem

Obviously something wrong with the so called new batteries. Have you cleaned the terminals properly and are the "new " batteries really new and charged. Frank

On or around Fri, 16 Jan 2004 14:25:05 +1100, "thesnowbaron" enlightened us thusly:

IME "new" batteries are rarely fully charged.

try hooking your old one up to it with jump leads, start engine and run it for a while, see if it charges up. Improbable that there are 2 dud new ones, really.

It should be a 643 battery, 105 amp - if the correct one won't start the engine when sold to you it should be returned, as you have done. It has a code on it indicating when it should be recharged after so long on the shelf. If you are worried, ask your supplier to verify it.

has some useful refernce info.

Richard

Note that this is one of the commonplace batteries used in tractors and other agricultural machines, also the very similar 644, which has the terminals opposite handed. So it shouldn't be hard to get (and if you need one it can be worth ringing round).

I find that checking the specific gravity with a hydrometer shows that the charging current drops long before the battery is fully charged. A battery hydrometer doesn't cost much, and can be very useful. The cells should give a similar reading. But be careful, you're working with acid. Have some water handy to rinse your hands.

Have you connected it the right way

ie Positive to Positive, etc and not the wrong way !!!!

Guys, thanks for the input. I'm still not sure what is happening. Yes, it's connected the right way round - easy mistake to make I know, and both batteries (new ones) where fully charged at home by me. I've had past experience of "fully charged" batteries from dealers before, so I wasn't going to take any chances.

The old one failed miserably tonight, leaving me with a (thankfully) short walk home. I will get back to it on Sunday and let you know the result :O)

Cheers

MB

Doh!

Halfords are selling jump starters (a self-contained unit with a lead acid battery and 240v/12v charger and jump leads) for £30. Won't charge your own battery but at least it will get you out of trouble.

David

I have one of these (although I got mine a bit cheaper at the local motor factors). I got it early December and it has saved me three times so far. Best 25 notes I've spent - it now lives in the back of the Discovery (which is still draining its battery for some reason as yet unknown).

Mine will let you charge it from the cig lighter and from a wall socket, which is handy.

Twas Sat, 17 Jan 2004 14:26:16 +0000 when Tim Hobbs put finger to keyboard producing:

I got one from ALDI the other day (there is an ALDI opposite the motor factors where I went for my battery, handy that) and it's great piece of mind. It also has a built in compressor (no trailing wires), a couple of small lamps and three cigarette lighter extention sockets. I intent split charging to it when I get the rest of the stuff sorted, definatly worth getting one IMHO.

-- Regards. Mark.(AKA, Mr.Nice.) ___________________________________________________________ "To know the character of a man, give him anonymity" - Mr.Nice.

mrniceATmrnice.me.uk 110 CSW 2.5(na)D___________________________________________________________

Snip>

Thanks for this info David and others. I was considering getting one last year as part of the "tool" collection (oo-er missus), but never got around to it and it escaped the "most wanted" Christmas list.

I shall purchase tomorrow.

I asked a couple of colleagues this morning and they both said it's probably a bad earth from the chassis to the engine. When told about the old battery starting the car, they shrugged their shoulders and said, "that's electrics for you"....still none the wiser though.

Cheers

MB

On or around Sat, 17 Jan 2004 02:42:02 -0000, "Mental Banana" enlightened us thusly:

have you checked voltage etc?

sounds to me like you may have a dodgy starter or something, maybe as well as a dodgy battery.

Checked up on this today and it seems that the £30 unit is a heavy duty charger only. The jump starter is £70. I believe Argos do them a lot cheaper....

MB

On or around Mon, 19 Jan 2004 02:21:03 -0000, "Mental Banana" enlightened us thusly:

if it's a lucas one, it'll have the number stamped on it. There may be more'n one design to the same spec.

This is true. The spec is M45G but the design is different....see above....DOH!!!!! (is there an echo around here) :O)

Point is, will both types fit the 2.25 diesel engine before I break a couple of fingers getting the old one off and the replacement on only to find it won't fit and I have to get a new one, thus depriving me of the pleasure and wonderment of driving a diesel SIII and holding up loads of Jap Kamikaze supercars as they try to overtake in impossible situations..

Cheers

MB