mk2.5 Panasonic battery discharged -- what to do?
Discussion
Hi all
Late last year after not being driven for a few weeks my NB2.5's battery discharged. I did an overnight trickle charge and it was fine after that. Stupidly I left it for another two week stint without running the engine, though a particularly cold period here in Scotland. Needless to say the battery has discharged again.
I thought the second discharge might mean I need to replace the battery. I called a local parts dealership who said that if it's the original Panasonic s46a24l (I've just checked, and it is) then it'll need to be a dealer replacement which costs in the region of £150. I know it's possible to get a Westco one from Mx5parts for about £90 which would fit the bill.
I'd rather avoid having to replace the battery though, since I've got a full service, Tax and MOT due soon. So my question is, do you think it would be sensible to try another trickle charge?
I've read that the Panasonic gel battery requires a much longer trickle charge (like 3-5 days) than other batteries, but also that it's very reliable even at 10 years old, which makes me not want to give up on it (especially if it means I can save the money on a replacement).
Any thoughts appreciated
Late last year after not being driven for a few weeks my NB2.5's battery discharged. I did an overnight trickle charge and it was fine after that. Stupidly I left it for another two week stint without running the engine, though a particularly cold period here in Scotland. Needless to say the battery has discharged again.
I thought the second discharge might mean I need to replace the battery. I called a local parts dealership who said that if it's the original Panasonic s46a24l (I've just checked, and it is) then it'll need to be a dealer replacement which costs in the region of £150. I know it's possible to get a Westco one from Mx5parts for about £90 which would fit the bill.
I'd rather avoid having to replace the battery though, since I've got a full service, Tax and MOT due soon. So my question is, do you think it would be sensible to try another trickle charge?
I've read that the Panasonic gel battery requires a much longer trickle charge (like 3-5 days) than other batteries, but also that it's very reliable even at 10 years old, which makes me not want to give up on it (especially if it means I can save the money on a replacement).
Any thoughts appreciated
The gell battery is a robust bit of kit , I had the same problem a few years ago, after a 4week trip to the US
The car can sit idle for about 3 weeks but after that without a maintainer connected , due to alarm and other things ,the battery will eventually discharge ,but dont worry after the correct charge profile the battery will recover
These batteries require a different type of charger to a normal lead acid battery
http://www.accumate.co.uk/accumate.htm
This can be connected whenever the car is out of use and will always keep the bettery in tip top condition, when ever my car is not in use this maintainer is connected
I thought I had done the battery by letting it go flat , and went to MX5 Parts .co.uk for a new one ( now £89.64). The old one , now 13 years old is STILL holding a full charge .
The car can sit idle for about 3 weeks but after that without a maintainer connected , due to alarm and other things ,the battery will eventually discharge ,but dont worry after the correct charge profile the battery will recover
These batteries require a different type of charger to a normal lead acid battery
http://www.accumate.co.uk/accumate.htm
This can be connected whenever the car is out of use and will always keep the bettery in tip top condition, when ever my car is not in use this maintainer is connected
I thought I had done the battery by letting it go flat , and went to MX5 Parts .co.uk for a new one ( now £89.64). The old one , now 13 years old is STILL holding a full charge .
MX51ROD said:
The gell battery is a robust bit of kit , I had the same problem a few years ago, after a 4week trip to the US
The car can sit idle for about 3 weeks but after that without a maintainer connected , due to alarm and other things ,the battery will eventually discharge ,but dont worry after the correct charge profile the battery will recover
These batteries require a different type of charger to a normal lead acid battery
http://www.accumate.co.uk/accumate.htm
This can be connected whenever the car is out of use and will always keep the bettery in tip top condition, when ever my car is not in use this maintainer is connected
I thought I had done the battery by letting it go flat , and went to MX5 Parts .co.uk for a new one ( now £89.64). The old one , now 13 years old is STILL holding a full charge .
Thanks for the reply. I charged it for 2 days with a Halfords gel-compatible charger and that appeared to do the trick. If it dies again I might look into getting an AccuMate.The car can sit idle for about 3 weeks but after that without a maintainer connected , due to alarm and other things ,the battery will eventually discharge ,but dont worry after the correct charge profile the battery will recover
These batteries require a different type of charger to a normal lead acid battery
http://www.accumate.co.uk/accumate.htm
This can be connected whenever the car is out of use and will always keep the bettery in tip top condition, when ever my car is not in use this maintainer is connected
I thought I had done the battery by letting it go flat , and went to MX5 Parts .co.uk for a new one ( now £89.64). The old one , now 13 years old is STILL holding a full charge .
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