Somebody left his bloody lights on.

Borrowed a battery pack but it will not start. Doesn’t get close to turning over.

Tried all the usual tricks changed earthing points and sanded a good shiny spot for both cables.

Battery reads 11.96v and increased to 12.12v with the pack attached.

The pack was definitely charged I checked multiple times.

So… stuck without car, worse things can happen but what do I do next?

The battery is old the car is older seeing as I know the battery was flatted by lights left on…
Will a new battery almost definitely fix it? I’m pretty reluctant to carry one on the bloody bus unless its an almost sure thing!

Answers on a postcard please

Cheers

charged battery reads 12.7 50% reads 12.4 you have a flat one even with the battery pack attached

It may recover well enough if you just charge it – can you bump start the car – is it petrol? can you take battery off and charge it?

Yes a new battery will fix it as long as you dont leave the lights on

Never had much joy with them battery jump packs.

Especially like in your case you have deep discharged the battery

jump leads from another car – make sure the engine is running and revved a little to help

Battery is knackered. Change it.

Was gonna suggest that but unsure if ops car is modern and he risks frying shit

Modern?!

1.9 tdi diesel in a rusty heap!

You need a jump start, get a car that that works and connect the batteries up with cables, with the good car engine running.

Give it five minutes.

That will probably start it, if the battery is good it’ll need a good run to allow the alternator to top it up.

Considerations :

It might just be a flat battery.

The battery might be **** and the alternator might be ****.

If the battery is really old it might be knacked, also the alternator.

First things first, give it an Italian tune up and see if it holds charge after a good run.

jump leads then as it does not need any electric once running so that will be the easiest way – battery may survive but i bet it goes in winter when its cold.

Batteries don’t just die if you discharge them once. Do it often they will sulphate and that **** um.

A good recovery charge on a smart charger works wonders if it’s the first time or so.

You lot must throw away some amount of perfectly good batteries.

Set fire to the car.
Claim insurance.
Buy new car.
Avoid jail.
Problem solved.

Batteries don’t just die if you discharge them once

Indeed, I wonder how many people but new batteries because they are flat, or there’s an alternator fault.

Okay. Smart charger will be bought. Berta will breathe once more.

Definitely buy or just borrow a smart charger, even a short blast with one can make a big difference.

I have had no joy with a smart charger after a deep discharge

It needs a new battery, just buy one. eurocarparts worked for me

Mine died after driving 2.5 hours on the motorway to center parcs, pulled into sign in place, 2 minutes later, nothing. It was the original battery, and 9 years of starting a 2.5 turbo diesel engine had taken it’s toll I guess.

It’s also possible that the starter motor has seized with you trying to start? give it a few taps with a mallet whilst someone turns it over.

Yep, a deeply discharged old battery will probably have had it.
Buying a smart charger would be a waste of money in this case. Just jump start it, drive to halfrauds and buy a new battery.
If you want you could take a long drive to halfrauds, leave the car for an hour or two and then try to restart it. If it doesn’t then walk in and buy new battery.

I would disconnect the battery and trickle charge it overnight.

If it’s not holding a charge after that then it’s jiggered, unfortunately.

Christ is it too much to ask for a consensus on here?

On the old transport publique* and I’ll walk past a halfrauds.

I’d rather carry a smart charger than a battery.

You can all tell me i told you so.

Except trailrat and lionheart you can apologise 😆

*the horror

To be fair a smart charger worth having will cost about the same as a battery for an auld car like that.

My smart charger was 120 quid. Worth every penny.

Yer regular 25 quid halfords charger will likely do nowt.

If you were nearby I’d put it on charge for ya.

A lare stage defensive play by trailrat.

How much does a battery weigh?

I take it trying to bump it wasn’t an option?
My old Mazda has a battery issue which meant occasionally it’d need a bump. Managed to push it fast enough on our (level) road, jump in and bump it.
Jump start from another car. Connect them up, leave the other car on a fast tickover for 10 minutes or more and then try and start yours. It usually works.

You need a jump start, get a car that that works and connect the batteries up with cables, with the good car engine running.

Last time I tried this I killed the alternator in the good car.

Any idea what I did wrong? (I followed the instructions on the jump cables)

An update.

Borrowed a smart charger.

Ctek one.

So…. am i just charging it or am i conditioning it?

Just charge it, it’ll be fine.

I recently bought a smart charger from Halfords, something like £50 iirc. Useful thing to have.

Although now I’ve fixed the faulty door control module I shouldn’t need it.. touch wood…

Ooh ctek . Which one. Does that have a “recover” or “restore” mode.

I used to borrow rusty Mac’s ctek 6.0 before I got my own smart charger. Nice bits of kit.

Any idea what I did wrong?

some modern cars have sensitive electrics that fry when you do this

Are you sure the faulty alternator was not the cause of the flat battery

if you fired the alternator in the good car it was a regulator fault and had probably been there a while you had just never put enough load into it to notice/fry it

Out of interest seeing as so many think a battery can be recovered* why do they eventually die ?

* sometimes you can [ but it is still damaged]but an old totally flat one needed for a diesel engine is not a prime candidate for success- can you post up in winter as to whether it still works when its cold and the heater is needed

Are you sure the faulty alternator was not the cause of the flat battery

Yep. Dead car was my wife’s Fiesta. It had a faulty relay that stuck on leaving the engine fan running overnight, flattening her battery.

I hooked up jumpers from my Focus, which was perfectly healthy, followed all the instructions on the leads but failed to get her car started (RAC man also failed and advised us to get a battery charger and give it a full 12hr charge – which worked).

About two days later my car died with a flat battery. Diagnosis: fried alternator.

if you fired the alternator in the good car it was a regulator fault and had probably been there a while you had just never put enough load into it to notice/fry it

Hmm so trying to jump/charge her dead battery was just too much for an already dodgy but apparently working regulator? Could be I guess.

clutching at straws[ my explanations] a bit tbh as it may just be bad luck and the two events were not related

Possible you put too much load into it and had it at peak output – they tend to not kick out that much 40 -90 Amps and considerably less than the cranking amps of a car so long attempts, to start the other car, may have fried it ???

Again i am just guessing as it should not really break the alternator

Why haven’t you simply ‘BUMP-STARTED’ the bloody thing?

Well the one that went dead in my land rover after being left for 3 months last summer while I worked abroad and had discharged to 9v with the analogue clock in the dash

It’s lasted winter and still going now.

Why haven’t you simply ‘BUMP-STARTED’ the bloody thing?

Whilst I agree fully thats the best idea its one of time.

By the time i get in I’m reluctant involve soneone else. Its parked on a fairly busy main road right outside my flat. If it doesn’t play nice when i roll it down the hill i’m then stick at the bottom of the hill in a narrow street. The charger means i can atleast take it oot. Charge it and leave it come back and try it. Public transport isn’t an issue i might even ride in tomorrow.

Christ is it too much to ask for a consensus on here?

😯

Let us know which new battery you go for 😉

outside my flat

Take the battery indoors. Leave it charging overnight. It’ll be fine.