Battery Capacity

[...]

I replaced the battery on my '99 Focus when it was 10 years old just because it was 10 years old - it still started the car.

The battery on my current '03 Focus failed when it was 12 years old.

Clearly well outside warranty time!

Nowadays, cars charge so well, and start so easily, that we tend to think our batteries are fine when they actually only have a tiny bit of the original capacity left. It then only takes a small drop in temperature, or a short time parked with a light on, for it to have zero capacity left.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan
Loading thread data ...

You think like me. Some sort of time bomb built in. ;-)

That E39 had a slightly odd shaped battery, and the only make I could find to replace it there and then was a Bosch. Which looked identical to the original, apart from the BMW badge. But that lasted 11 years.

It's possible the original battery was let go flat when the car was in the main dealer showroom, of course. Or otherwise abused before I got the car.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

The 55Ah GM-branded battery I fitted to my 1.6i petrol astra in

2007 (*) was still going strong in 2015 when I changed my car. By then, after about 3 weeks of non-use, it sounded like it was going down a bit, but still started the engine and soon recovered.

(*) £39

Reply to
Andrew

There used to be a firm, Cambridge battery service in town here where they used to take batteries apart and resolder them if cells had come apart!.

Used to be a workshop burning and boiling pitch, sulphuric acid carboys, and two blokes in long rubber aprons to give their clothes some protection from splashed acid.

ISTR that on larger batteries they could re-cell them if need be!..

Reply to
tony sayer

It sounds like something out of the dark ages !!

Reply to
MrCheerful

Bet you can find somewhere in the 3rd world that does this.

Reply to
Peter Hill

I restore vintage radios and have rebuild several glass accumulators

Reply to
Gerry H

I found an accumulator test meter somewhere or other and have an old mains valve set in the loft. When it was working it seemed able to always pull in really old shows, it was a bit spooky.

Reply to
MrCheerful
[...]

That's often done with traction batteries, although probably less frequently on-site nowadays.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.