Flat battery
Submitted: Thursday, Jul 18, 2002 at 00:00
ThreadID:
1512
Views:
2332
Replies:
5
FollowUps:
5
This Thread has been Archived
Fred
Trying to help a friend with an electrical problem in a Commodore. Battery dead flat one morning, started with jumper leads and replaced battery. New battery fine until following day - dead flat again. No obvious signs of anything left on and it's a wagon so no concealed nboot light - not that that would flatten it in 12 hours. Any way of testing for drain on the battery? Or maybe the new battery is a dud? thanks in anticipation ...
Reply By: paul - Thursday, Jul 18, 2002 at 00:00
Thursday, Jul 18, 2002 at 00:00
I still think you should
check the alternator. David is an electrical engineer and wouldn't something that wasn't worth checking. What he didn't say but probably thought is that a new battery is not necessarily, more like rarely if ever, fully charged. I helped replace a battery in a mate's Hyundai the other day - the brand new battery he bought was putting out 12.30 volts, almost only half alive. I bought a brand new yellow top optima a few months ago, unwrapped the plastic and it was dead - charged it up slowly and no problems. The point being that if your mate started it a couple times and say has a decent arlarm system then that can put a not insignificant drain on a not very charged up battery and who knows, maybe it could flatten it in 12 hours.
Its just a starting point that all.
AnswerID:
4944
Follow Up By: Fred - Thursday, Jul 18, 2002 at 00:00
Thursday, Jul 18, 2002 at 00:00
Thanks Paul - I think your reply must have come in when I was thanking David and Paul. Understand your point about the new battery .. but it started OK when installed at 7pm then again at 8am but was dead flat at 4pm. I wouldn't expect it to discharge completely after 2 good starts and some driving. I had trouble starting it with jump leads tonight so it was very flat. After starting it I drove it with lights on and it was fine. The original battery was fine after being unused for 5 days. I started it, moved the car for the owner and when she went to use it the following morning it was dead - I assumed the battery had simply failed and replaced it. very surprised to find the same thing happen to the new one!!
FollowupID:
2122
Follow Up By: Member - Nigel - Saturday, Aug 03, 2002 at 00:00
Saturday, Aug 03, 2002 at 00:00
How much do they charge for yellow top optima's in your part of the world? I'm in a small town and want to make sure I don't get ripped off.
FollowupID:
2325