The bloody cold weather and batteries.
Discussion
What is it about the cold that makes batteries lose power? (serious question).
After leaving my car outside for a week and a half, I went out to start it and drive it this evening. All I got was possibly 1 revolution and then just clicks. Very annoying. I will have to get some friends to help push and I will bump start tomorrow.
Before anyone says anything, I know a week and a half is too long but every time I have wanted to drive it I have been too hungover or my favourite roads have been too icy to drive on!
Another question, why have they not got batteries which hold their power in the cold? If they have, let me know.
After leaving my car outside for a week and a half, I went out to start it and drive it this evening. All I got was possibly 1 revolution and then just clicks. Very annoying. I will have to get some friends to help push and I will bump start tomorrow.
Before anyone says anything, I know a week and a half is too long but every time I have wanted to drive it I have been too hungover or my favourite roads have been too icy to drive on!
Another question, why have they not got batteries which hold their power in the cold? If they have, let me know.
Tell me about it, such a pain, I usually have about half a dozen cars and in this weather the batteries wont last a week with drain from standard immobiliser/alarm systems.
Easiest solution I found was buy a cheap battery with a handle, keep it in doors, then use it with jump leads when they wont start. Much better than those battery packs which having bought a few of them they all had low amps and only lasted a short time.
Easiest solution I found was buy a cheap battery with a handle, keep it in doors, then use it with jump leads when they wont start. Much better than those battery packs which having bought a few of them they all had low amps and only lasted a short time.
lankybob said:
What is it about the cold that makes batteries lose power? (serious question).
After leaving my car outside for a week and a half, I went out to start it and drive it this evening. All I got was possibly 1 revolution and then just clicks. Very annoying. I will have to get some friends to help push and I will bump start tomorrow.
Before anyone says anything, I know a week and a half is too long but every time I have wanted to drive it I have been too hungover or my favourite roads have been too icy to drive on!
Another question, why have they not got batteries which hold their power in the cold? If they have, let me know.
A week-and-a-half isn't long at all. You've an old/shagged battery and/or a current leak somewhere.After leaving my car outside for a week and a half, I went out to start it and drive it this evening. All I got was possibly 1 revolution and then just clicks. Very annoying. I will have to get some friends to help push and I will bump start tomorrow.
Before anyone says anything, I know a week and a half is too long but every time I have wanted to drive it I have been too hungover or my favourite roads have been too icy to drive on!
Another question, why have they not got batteries which hold their power in the cold? If they have, let me know.
Crap unbranded batteries that last until the first winter seem to be a common issue. Apparently there is less lead in them? anyone know for sure?
Bosch Silver Batteries - If the car is a keeper its the best investment I've made to keep a car going for yonks, possibly the only reliable thing Bosch make!
Bosch Silver Batteries - If the car is a keeper its the best investment I've made to keep a car going for yonks, possibly the only reliable thing Bosch make!
chrisxr2 said:
Horsepoo jimbo, my mini (Classic) has a battery in the boot with the no heat heat insulation and the cold for a couple of days absolutely kills it. so yes the cold does make a difference (Bosch battery fairly new)
Errrrrr. No. I don't hear of people in Northern Europe, Canada etc (where it's "properly" cold, and not the half-arsed -5 or 2" snow) complaining of flat batteries after a week. If your battery is useless after a week of...nothing...it's shagged.^^^^ This
It's heat which flattens a battery left standing (due to internal self discharge), not cold. A lead acid battery under normal ambient conditions will typically self-discharge at the rate of about 5% a month. This rate accelerates at higher temperatures.
A knackered battery is a knackered battery. A cold day is simply the straw which breaks the camel's back by slowing the battery's ability to deliver current.
It's heat which flattens a battery left standing (due to internal self discharge), not cold. A lead acid battery under normal ambient conditions will typically self-discharge at the rate of about 5% a month. This rate accelerates at higher temperatures.
A knackered battery is a knackered battery. A cold day is simply the straw which breaks the camel's back by slowing the battery's ability to deliver current.
Put a car's battery on charge for a night every couple of weeks in Autumn & Winter, and perhaps once a month in Summer. And - if there are removeable caps - top up the electrolyte with distilled water if required as well as nipping-off the caps while charging the battery and tightening them again afterwards.
With the battery in situ in the car and the appropriate 'kit' - a charger near a plug socket inside the house and several metres of twin core cable with crocodile clips on the end, plus a coin of demonination 50p or less if the caps are removeable - it takes a minute to connect up one night and disconnect the next morning. Make sure the charger is NOT plugged in at the wall while making or breaking connections at the battery
!
You'll never have the "slow cranking on the first cold day of Autumn or in the depths of winter" problem again
.
With the battery in situ in the car and the appropriate 'kit' - a charger near a plug socket inside the house and several metres of twin core cable with crocodile clips on the end, plus a coin of demonination 50p or less if the caps are removeable - it takes a minute to connect up one night and disconnect the next morning. Make sure the charger is NOT plugged in at the wall while making or breaking connections at the battery
!You'll never have the "slow cranking on the first cold day of Autumn or in the depths of winter" problem again
.aw51 121565 said:
Put a car's battery on charge for a night every couple of weeks in Autumn & Winter, and perhaps once a month in Summer. And - if there are removeable caps - top up the electrolyte with distilled water if required as well as nipping-off the caps while charging the battery and tightening them again afterwards.
With the battery in situ in the car and the appropriate 'kit' - a charger near a plug socket inside the house and several metres of twin core cable with crocodile clips on the end, plus a coin of demonination 50p or less if the caps are removeable - it takes a minute to connect up one night and disconnect the next morning. Make sure the charger is NOT plugged in at the wall while making or breaking connections at the battery !
You'll never have the "slow cranking on the first cold day of Autumn or in the depths of winter" problem again .
thats really not much use when your cars are parked around the local area on the street.With the battery in situ in the car and the appropriate 'kit' - a charger near a plug socket inside the house and several metres of twin core cable with crocodile clips on the end, plus a coin of demonination 50p or less if the caps are removeable - it takes a minute to connect up one night and disconnect the next morning. Make sure the charger is NOT plugged in at the wall while making or breaking connections at the battery
!You'll never have the "slow cranking on the first cold day of Autumn or in the depths of winter" problem again
.Gell batteries is what's needed for cold conditions. No acid to spill - work much better when cold - last for years.
I sold my father a gell battery something like 15 years ago - half the size of normal lead acid. Just told me he gave it to next door neighbour a couple of days ago to start his car - not sure when it was last used or charged up. Started the car fine. Can't think of the name off hand.
I sold my father a gell battery something like 15 years ago - half the size of normal lead acid. Just told me he gave it to next door neighbour a couple of days ago to start his car - not sure when it was last used or charged up. Started the car fine. Can't think of the name off hand.
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