Odd Battery Problem, or is it ?

[wrightkarl]

The old R129 is giving me grief again, bless it..

The car has a Varta Silver battery approx 3 years old and its been perfect up till recetly. I also use a Ctek charger for when its parked away in the garage.
So a couple of weekends ago I deceided to take it out for a blast round the hills, started just fine and off I went. Got back to garage, stopped engine, tinkered around for a few minutes as we blokes do and then got in the car to drive into the garage, this time the start was very sluggish but it fired up and I parked it. Thinking I'd got an alternator problem ahead, I put Ctek back on and walked home. (my garage isn't near my house) Next weekend I took my mulitmeter and not sure what to expect, check voltage at 12.6v then started car, started just fine and tested running voltage at 14.4v so was happy that alternator wasn't the problem.
The following weekend I went to the car, disconnected the charger and got classic flat battery, bendix gear harldy engaged, all the lights went dim.... So my battery is goosed right ?
Well I'm not so sure, put charger back on and a few hours later car started like it had a new battery !
So before replacing a very expensive battery, does anyone one know if there are any connections between battery and engine bay that maybe could be the culprit ? It just seems odd that a very high quality battery could behave like its dead, then perfect on the same day. It happened again this weekend, to help prove a point when it acted dead, I used jump leads to my main car and albeit a bit sliggish, it started. (I'm not keen on this method for the obvious ECU issues or stories of anyway)

Any suggestion ?

 

[Wearsafoxhat]

Could the mains have dropped off in the garage, just a thought as Ctecs resume where they where left unlike others that revert to default.
Otherwise I would begin with checking connections, battery, charger.
You could get a drop test done on the battery.
Sorry can't be any more help than that.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[LostKiwi]

Sounds very much more like a bad battery or earth connection. Also check all your fuses under the bonnet - if they are the 'ceramic' or euro type (plastic bullet with a pressed strip of metal down one side) clean them all off with a bit of sandpaper on both the fuse and the fuse holder.

 

[wrightkarl]

The old R129 is giving me grief again, bless it..

The car has a Varta Silver battery approx 3 years old and its been perfect up till recetly. I also use a Ctek charger for when its parked away in the garage.
So a couple of weekends ago I deceided to take it out for a blast round the hills, started just fine and off I went. Got back to garage, stopped engine, tinkered around for a few minutes as we blokes do and then got in the car to drive into the garage, this time the start was very sluggish but it fired up and I parked it. Thinking I'd got an alternator problem ahead, I put Ctek back on and walked home. (my garage isn't near my house) Next weekend I took my mulitmeter and not sure what to expect, check voltage at 12.6v then started car, started just fine and tested running voltage at 14.4v so was happy that alternator wasn't the problem.
The following weekend I went to the car, disconnected the charger and got classic flat battery, bendix gear harldy engaged, all the lights went dim.... So my battery is goosed right ?
Well I'm not so sure, put charger back on and a few hours later car started like it had a new battery !
So before replacing a very expensive battery, does anyone one know if there are any connections between battery and engine bay that maybe could be the culprit ? It just seems odd that a very high quality battery could behave like its dead, then perfect on the same day. It happened again this weekend, to help prove a point when it acted dead, I used jump leads to my main car and albeit a bit sliggish, it started. (I'm not keen on this method for the obvious ECU issues or stories of anyway)

Any suggestion ?

Well update already ! As I'm "working from home" today I got impatient and went down the garage with spanners and my mulitmeter again..... something didn't seem right.
Its definately the battery, its goosed. It may have had 13.4 v when I turned up, took charger off and truned headlights on a left for a couple of minutes, then checked again, now 12.7 volts..... i i I thought, tried to crank engine over, click't click and now 9 volts !!

So my super wizzo C-Tek isn't all that clever after all, its suppoed to tell you when battery is goosed, I know its not infallible but still. This now raises an interesting question.

Why would a top quality battery loose the will to live only after 3 years ? (yes its a 5 year battery but I've lost the receipt)

Can a C-Tek charger over charge a battery after all ?

Why didn't C-Tek pick up on the battery condition ?

There is however a posative outcome to this !! I took the old battery out and found the solution to my central locking problem ! These batteries are big and heavy, lifting into an awkward space and all that, when it was fitted it knocked off a plug that seems to form part of the locking system. I plugged it back in and even with limited voltage my central locking function is back, so not all bad !

 

[wrightkarl]

Sounds very much more like a bad battery or earth connection. Also check all your fuses under the bonnet - if they are the 'ceramic' or euro type (plastic bullet with a pressed strip of metal down one side) clean them all off with a bit of sandpaper on both the fuse and the fuse holder.

Thats where I was going with this myself till I sussed the battery was goosed ! lol

 

[wrightkarl]

Could the mains have dropped off in the garage, just a thought as Ctecs resume where they where left unlike others that revert to default.
Otherwise I would begin with checking connections, battery, charger.
You could get a drop test done on the battery.
Sorry can't be any more help than that.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Reply apprecited but now I know its the battery. These C-tek chargers aren't so clever after all

 

[Flyinspanner]

Photo your receipt so it’s safe in “the cloud” start an album ‘car receipts’ and it will be easy to find.

Have l look in your bank statements to see if you can track the payment?, then you may at least either (a) have a spare, or (b) one to sell

 

[wrightkarl]

Well update already ! As I'm "working from home" today I got impatient and went down the garage with spanners and my mulitmeter again..... something didn't seem right.
Its definately the battery, its goosed. It may have had 13.4 v when I turned up, took charger off and truned headlights on a left for a couple of minutes, then checked again, now 12.7 volts..... i i I thought, tried to crank engine over, click't click and now 9 volts !!

So my super wizzo C-Tek isn't all that clever after all, its suppoed to tell you when battery is goosed, I know its not infallible but still. This now raises an interesting question.

Why would a top quality battery loose the will to live only after 3 years ? (yes its a 5 year battery but I've lost the receipt)

Can a C-Tek charger over charge a battery after all ?

Why didn't C-Tek pick up on the battery condition ?

There is however a posative outcome to this !! I took the old battery out and found the solution to my central locking problem ! These batteries are big and heavy, lifting into an awkward space and all that, when it was fitted it knocked off a plug that seems to form part of the locking system. I plugged it back in and even with limited voltage my central locking function is back, so not all bad !

Update, central locking has gone back to playing up !! So the plug and socket thing doesn't explain it after all. I need a infra red locking expert !!!!

 

[RUBBER_UNDIES]

I have a midtronics battery tester. Voltage isn't enough of a test. It could only be holding a surface charge. The midtronics tells you how many amps are left in the battery. And also tells you to either replace or charge. Best 400 quid I've spent in my job.