dead as a dodo

[fowstino]

Hi

wondered if I could pick some brains. The chim has been garaged up for a couple of months and got into it today and obviously battery flat as a pancake. Anyway got a jump start from a mate (after sliding arm in to break in !)and took it on lengthy drive to charge up .. got back and tried to restart and .. nothing .. battery not dead but total nothing when I turn the key .. any immediate thought before I start with a new battery ?

ta

[MADMAX2]

I'd start with a new battery first

[bigdods]

How lengthy was the drive ? IME a totally flat battery will need at least 30 mins to get any kind of charge into it. Sometimes if its totally dead it wont take kindly to a high charge rate from the alternator so you should trickle charge it for a few hours first to gently bring it back up to a decent level of charge.

Apparently deep discharge can kill a battery completely (and this may have happened to you) but my current battery has been deep discharged 3 times in the last 2 years. A few hours on the trickle charger has so far managed to rescue it each time.

[fowstino]

hi

cool thanks I'll put it on trickle before I try a new one - I went for about 45 min burn before I stopped - then there was no life in the key - totally dead ..

I'll give the battery one last chance then !

cheers

[phillpot]

Quick test to see if battery got any life is to put headlamps on without engine running.

If nice 'n bright problem could be starter or solenoid related?

[speedtwelve]

Further to the above posts, the battery can become sulphated if left discharged for sufficiently long. It won't then hold much charge, if any, no matter how long you try to charge it for.

[fowstino]

Hi thanks for the advice - i got my mate back round again to give me another jump start and headed for the motorway - an hour later after a proper charging arrived home and battery is flat .. so new battery on Saturday - I'll post a note here to say if that was the problem or whether I'm on the money chain once again ! cheers

[fowstino]

yer got it out - original Lucas maybe ?.. and it was shot - so new one in and all seems good and working - just need to get around to realigning my doors ...someday

thanks again

[Alexdaredevilz]

I managed to revive a old dead battery with a good quality charger with the fancy trickle settings, after 3 days it's as good as new,

Pay at least £80 for one my was made by silverline I think