help - possible starter prob?

It's possible the starter is knackered. It's also possible the starter is not being fed from the ignition switch. It's also possible the battery was pushed over the edge when it went totally flat. They don't like it. And 3 years is the average life of a battery.You need to get voltmeter readings at the battery-

A - before attempting to start.

B- Whilst attempting to start.

C-When the engine is running.

HTH Steve

"shazzbat" wrote in news:ds50a4$84u$ snipped-for-privacy@news6.svr.pol.co.uk:

Really? IME, modern ones tend to last at least twice that period! Take my dad's last car: 9 years old, was once drained totally flat (2V with no load) due to a faulty diode, and the original battery was still going strong when he got rid of it!

It seems to vary according to application. Some batteries get very hot then very cold during a few hours.

I suspect the battery is FUBAR: change it.

Certainly makes the 4-year warranty on my new one look good.

This may be why I used the word 'average' Some last longer, some die within months.

Steve

It is good. That's why you pay more.

Steve

But he said the headlights work OK when the battery's charged. I suspect he's got a poor connection somewhere. Is there any current getting to the solenoid, or even the starter? Have you checked all the connections for tightness or corrosion?

Rob Graham

I paid £30 _less_ than Halfords were asking.

Headlights don't need as much power as a starter, plus after 3 years plus a bad drain, I'd just change the battery.

-- Stuart

the test is to operate the starter with the headlights on. If they go off then, the battery is duff. If they stay bright, it's a starter problem. Simple as that.

But more than you would have for the 3yr warranty one from the same supplier. You have to compare apples with apples.

Steve

At Stuart has said, headlights take little current compared to a starter.

Trying to start with the lights on is a good idea.

It could be. :)

Months? Our Ka's battery died three years and two days after first registration. Admittedly I'd left my OBD-II Scanner plugged into the car over a long weekend *cough* which is what killed it.

Oh, hang on, paying less for something at a certain shop doesn't mean you didn't pay more... :p

I wasn't offered a cheaper battery. £40 for a big 088 battery is good value in any case (that's what Halfords charge for a poxy 038), but with a 4-year warranty it's even better. FWIW nobody locally could undercut that even with a 3-year.

Read my later post...

Better to get it tested first. Most places that sell batteries will do this for free. There are electronic testers these days that can determine how close a battery is to 'as new' by doing a pulsed peak current discharge while reading the voltage.

Unipart used to make a "Blue Sampson" battery with a lifetime guarantee. Not much more than the standard "Red Sampson" with 2 year guarantee. The small print stipulated that the guarantee was not transferable to another owner if the vehicle was sold. My nan had one and they changed her battery after 6 years no questions.