Do car batteries die overnight?

[RogerS]

Just gone out to start the car (last used a few days ago) to find the battery dead as a do-do. Measures 0.4v dc (not a typo....zero point 4).

Could put it on charge (if the charger fuse doesn't blow) but at that voltage would I be right in saying that it's time for a new one? More expense

 

[Smudger]

It's dead. Cut your losses. If you charge it up again it may well go at an even less convenient time.

Last time it happened to me I was at a friend's garage, having a chat...

 

[OLD]

Yes.winter is here you will need a good battery when fitted make sure the charging system raises the voltage and you should be good to go.

 

[Mark Hancock]

Happen to me last week. Must be the area Roger

Turned out to be a bad cell in the battery so wouldn't hold it's charge so there went another £100

 

[Hitch]

Could be a collapsed cell if it went that quick.
I never bother, once a battery has let me down once, its time for a new one.
Go to a motor factor and get a new one, probably works out about 25%+ cheaper than Halfords :wink:

 

[Grinding One]

Generally you can expect 4 years out of a battery...if you keep your vehicle tuned up(most do not) you can get more years but not adviseable.Break downs cost more then the battery I`ve found.Once you have run a battery down you have killed it,oh it will take another charge but its not worth it.

 

[ike]

Yes Rog, they can just go like that. Just needs a cell to go open circuit - usually a break inside. My son had his go while he was driving and conked out. When a lead-acid battery gets below 20% charge, you'll be lucky if it will regain a full charge. At 0.4V, it's very dead - as a parrot.

Ike

 

[maltrout512]

A battery can die any time of year. I had spent 20 years in the motor trade and found that it does not matter what season it is they can go just like that.

 

[lurker]

Scrap yards are a good source of batteries.

Bit of a gamble but mine charges (if you will excuse the pun) a tenner with 3 months warranty.

My landrover battery was an ex- scrapyard job & is now 8 years old + :shock: :shock:

I bought one for our last old car - 3 months later SWMBO wrote the car off - glad it was only £10 and not £100

 

[RogerS]

Thanks for the advice.

Turns out that it should still be under warranty but they want to check it (and the car ...makes sense in case it's the charging circuit that's also duff) so I've got to find a way of getting enough charge into it plus adding the Gunson Battery hopefully will be enough. Then get car started, put SWMBO in the driving seat and wave her goodbye (bless her as she's going to take it to the garage) and hope she doesn't stall it :twisted:

 

[devonwoody]

BTW, I found last year (on a hire car in Europe, I had left the lights on all night) that you cannot push start a car now.

The ignition has changed?

 

[RogerS]

Went to the Mazda garage. The battery was bought new from them Sept '07. They tested it and said that although two cells showed up as not very good (hollow laugh) they couldn't make a warranty claim and I'd have to buy a new one (second hollow laugh).

The next conversation went something like this..

'Well, if the battery was Ok then how come it only measured 0.4v on my meter?'

'There must be something draining it'

'I measured the current draw this morning and it's under 1Amp'

'That sounds reasonable. Well, then we'd need to keep the car for a couple of days and measure it in the morning and then again....'

'Forget it..I'll buy a better battery somewhere else'

 

[devonwoody]

So roger purchase the new battery elsewhere and take the faulty battery back to the Mazda and if you have paperwork then claim a waranty refund and they can have the dodgy battery to test all they wish?

 

[Blister]

Went to the Mazda garage. The battery was bought new from them Sept '07. They tested it and said that although two cells showed up as not very good (hollow laugh) they couldn't make a warranty claim and I'd have to buy a new one (second hollow laugh).

The next conversation went something like this..

'Well, if the battery was Ok then how come it only measured 0.4v on my meter?'

'There must be something draining it'

'I measured the current draw this morning and it's under 1Amp'

'That sounds reasonable. Well, then we'd need to keep the car for a couple of days and measure it in the morning and then again....'

'Forget it..I'll buy a better battery somewhere else'

And do they then give you the keys to a curtsey car for you to use while they have your car in their workshop to test ? :wink: