Sprinter battery...

[emjaybee]

I'm hoping Maca is floating about.

My Sprinter, 62 plate, decided to have a flat battery this afternoon. It started fine this morning, drove for 15 minutes to clients house, parked it for the day on their drive. 5.30 this evening, turned the key and all I got was a bit of fluttering and then a dash warning of alternator/battery. The client kindly jumped started me off his Skoda Superb, when I turned the key it almost stalled his car despite him holding it at medium revs. This makes me think there was very little charge in the battery.

I've had a few instances in the last year where it felt like it wasn't keen on starting, but because of the age I thought it was just "one of those things".

Got home okay and left it running in the yard. The battery lives under the cab floor, so lifted the covers and put a multi-meter over terminals, 14.4v going in and the terminals are tight. It's an original MB Varta battery, so 4 yrs and 2 months old with 65k on the clock. This doesn't seem very much to me, I'm planning on replacing the battery in the morning.

Would like your thoughts.

Ta.

 

[Banshee]

I'm hoping Maca is floating about.

My Sprinter, 62 plate, decided to have a flat battery this afternoon. It started fine this morning, drove for 15 minutes to clients house, parked it for the day on their drive. 5.30 this evening, turned the key and all I got was a bit of fluttering and then a dash warning of alternator/battery. The client kindly jumped started me off his Skoda Superb, when I turned the key it almost stalled his car despite him holding it at medium revs. This makes me think there was very little charge in the battery.

I've had a few instances in the last year where it felt like it wasn't keen on starting, but because of the age I thought it was just "one of those things".

Got home okay and left it running in the yard. The battery lives under the cab floor, so lifted the covers and put a multi-meter over terminals, 14.4v going in and the terminals are tight. It's an original MB Varta battery, so 4 yrs and 2 months old with 65k on the clock. This doesn't seem very much to me, I'm planning on replacing the battery in the morning.

Would like your thoughts.

Ta.

Bad luck matey, sounds like your alternator is doing just fine and it's just the battery given up the ghost.

Find out your spec and give BatteryBay in Cannock a shout, they are very reasonable on Numax, Lucas and Varta batteries. I had a Lucas leisure battery with them that had 3 years warranty on, it packed up 3 months before the warranty ran out so I turned up at their yard with it and I could tell the guy was going to be hassle, he was telling me all the usual mumbo jumbo about how his batteries never fail etc and then when the tester said it had failed he genuinely looked surprised and swapped it no quibble :clap

 

[don simon]

Aging battery and a couple of cold nights, colleagues have even said there's been frost in High Wycombe recently, are likely to have killed it. Mine's the same, I've put it on charge and will see how it goes over the next couple of weeks before retiring it.

 

[emjaybee]

Cheers fellas, I will be knocking on the door of Frenco tomorrow morning then. Thanks for the Cannock tip, but time is money (self employed!), so I'll pick up a new one with the truck, hurtle back here, fit the new one, and hopefully still get to the clients for 9am !

I'm a bit surprised it only did 4yrs and 65k.

It got a bit of a cold shock today as it was parked in a stiff cold breeze and then we had 15 minutes of hail at lunch time. Maybe that was just enough to tip it over the edge.

I think it's going to be a Bosch from Frenco, I normally use GSF but Frenco opens at 8 rather than 8.30.

Just before anyone starts to berate me, we don't have any independants in this area.

 

[jims-terrano]

Try halfords too, they sold me a yuasa with some discount for the old terrano.

 

[emjaybee]

Try halfords too, they sold me a yuasa with some discount for the old terrano.

They open at 9, and I really want it all sorted by then. They have some Yuasa Silver at a reasonable price, if I can't talk Fenco down a bit on price I may go there anyway, it'd be on my way home.

:thumb2

 

[terranosaurusdoug]

Check for drains, are the rear interior lights stuck on or owt?

 

[emjaybee]

Check for drains, are the rear interior lights stuck on or owt?

The cab light (1 x festoon LED) is on the door switch and goes out when vehicle is locked, rear loadspace lights (2 x festoon LED's + 1 regular festoon) are on door switches, the van won't lock if they're not all shut properly and the headlights are set to come on when engine is running, I never touch the light switch.

 

[terranosaurusdoug]

The cab light (1 x festoon LED) is on the door switch and goes out when vehicle is locked, rear loadspace lights (2 x festoon LED's + 1 regular festoon) are on door switches, the van won't lock if they're not all shut properly and the headlights are set to come on when engine is running, I never touch the light switch.

My cousin had citroen relay 12 months ago giving batt trouble, turned out to be loose wires on alternater but while trying to find out what was wrong realised lights in back were stopping on for a little while everytime he closed it up, think he had bashed the switch with something and not realised. Put new batt on and see if owt is draining it with multi meter.

I feel your pain mate, I'm subcontracting at mo so when my van went bang I took one of theirs, lucky for me, otherwise a few days not earning and a nice bill for a van or repairs, still using theirs while I accumulate some more van money, decided against leasing too much worry when work drops off. Bloody 'ell is it worth being self employed :lol

 

[emjaybee]

I feel your pain mate, I'm subcontracting at mo so when my van went bang I took one of theirs, lucky for me, otherwise a few days not earning and a nice bill for a van or repairs, still using theirs while I accumulate some more van money, decided against leasing too much worry when work drops off. Bloody 'ell is it worth being self employed :lol

I bought this Sprinter 12 months ago, 60k and 3 yr old. Thought about leasing, but you pay all that money and have no collateral at the end. In another 4 yrs this Sprinter will still only have 85k on it and should still be worth around £6k/£6.5k with a FSH. Had to get a loan to get it but it's working out cheaper to insure and maintain than my last LWB Transit. Just paid £168 for full comp, prot. NCB, 6k mls/yr. That's £100 cheaper than a Transit.

Wouldn't be anything other than self-employed now. Much more tax efficient.

 

[terranosaurusdoug]

Great price for ins!

Yes, some are more "efficient" than others too :lol

 

[solarman216]

self employed is the bees knees, but you have to know the ropes, that is what it is all about, Rick

 

[solarman216]

Just read whole thread, 4 years is good for a start battery, do not expect much more unless it starts within 3 seconds every time and it is never ever flattened, Rick

 

[rustic]

Bad luck matey, sounds like your alternator is doing just fine and it's just the battery given up the ghost.

Find out your spec and give BatteryBay in Cannock a shout, they are very reasonable on Numax, Lucas and Varta batteries. I had a Lucas leisure battery with them that had 3 years warranty on, it packed up 3 months before the warranty ran out so I turned up at their yard with it and I could tell the guy was going to be hassle, he was telling me all the usual mumbo jumbo about how his batteries never fail etc and then when the tester said it had failed he genuinely looked surprised and swapped it no quibble :clap

Battery Bay are still in business, I went there last week for a pair of Leoch mobility batteries. They are not the company they were, they have been taken over by Leoch batteries, and now supply that brand. They no longer supply Numax or lucas, I bought a pair of Lucas supreme batteries for the boat from there, 3-4.years ago, and they have been great.
I don't know what Leoch quality is like, time will tell.
Pity really, They were keen on price and had a huge turnover on numax and lucas.
Rustic

 

[macabethiel]

I am a Yuassa Fan

They open at 9, and I really want it all sorted by then. They have some Yuasa Silver at a reasonable price, if I can't talk Fenco down a bit on price I may go there anyway, it'd be on my way home.

:thumb2

Have Yuassa 5000 in the Jeep its the big Type 019 100 ah 900 cca 5 yr warranty £86 Jan 2016

BMW Hankook 3 yr warranty Type 019 100ah 850 cca £65 Dec 2016 both via e bay from the Megga Battery Store. Was cheaper via e-bay than direct from Megga next day delivery.

 

[panelbeater]

batts now seem to just die rather than oh it seems a bit low.twice last year i jumped, i have a 180a in back of terry,fello vanners batterys to get them started out on the field then next day flat again with no reason,ie nothing on etc they called out there recovery and it was dead batts,once replaced all ok both over 3 years old as well,recover peeps say it happens a lot,they just die.

 

[emjaybee]

New battery, Banner £98, bought this morning.

Sprinter started four times on old battery no problem. Yet was absolutely flat at 6pm last night.

New battery fitted, started ok, will see how things go. I wonder whether it was the sudden drop in temperature yesterday afternoon that goose it or whether something else is going on. Time will tell I suppose.

Thanks for all the help fellas.

:thumbs

 

[macabethiel]

New battery, Banner £98, bought this morning.

Sprinter started four times on old battery no problem. Yet was absolutely flat at 6pm last night.

New battery fitted, started ok, will see how things go. I wonder whether it was the sudden drop in temperature yesterday afternoon that goose it or whether something else is going on. Time will tell I suppose.

Thanks for all the help fellas.

:thumbs

That's one advantage of doing a proper batter test on a modern tester they tell you if it's the battery. The one we use at work is one where you input the battery specification and it does a cycle of test for surface charge and a drop test.

 

[emjaybee]

That's one advantage of doing a proper batter test on a modern tester they tell you if it's the battery. The one we use at work is one where you input the battery specification and it does a cycle of test for surface charge and a drop test.

I've got a C-Tek charger at home, i might stick the old battery on it and see if it comes up with anything. Unfortunately, being self-employed and needing the van I didn't have time to go somewhere to get it drop tested.

Here's hoping.

:nenau

 

[johnb5177]

A CTek will not recognise your battery if there is less than approx 2.5 volts......put a meter across it first to check voltage.

Tyna told me to connect a charged battery to the duff one, fit the CTek, leave it for 1 hour, then disconnect the good battery.

The CTek then continues to charge the duff one.