New battery dead already

SPARC

SPARC

SPARC

Soldato
Joined
7 Jun 2010
Posts
2,872
Location
Scotland
Bought a new battery for my car 2 weeks ago from the local garage who also fitted it for £65.

I don't use the car too often as I get the bus to go to Uni through the week as it's cheaper due to fuel + parking prices.

The car gets used maybe 3-4 times a week for short trips to the local shops which are about 10 - 15 minutes away.

Could my low usage of the car be the reason for my dead battery or have I been sold a duff one ?

The owner told me at the time of purchase that the battery comes with a 2 year guarantee so surely if I walk around there tomorrow they will charge it for me ?.

I'm not great when it comes to cars so it annoys me when they go wrong. :(
 
Alternator, or you have a bad earth somewhere or a light thats staying on (boot) - something that is causing a constant drain.

Short stop - start useage won't help either.
 
R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
Alternator, or you have a bad earth somewhere or a light thats staying on (boot) - something that is causing a constant drain.

Short stop - start useage won't help either.
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strictly not a light, but the stereo never turns off, by that I mean when the engine is off the radio continues to play. The only means of stopping it is to remove the head unit. Could this be my drain?. It's obviously been wired wrong by the previous owner.

Barry Smalley said:
Alternator sounds like its gone. Who diagnosed your other battery being knackered?
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The garage owner checked the alternator. He came around and got me jump started so we could get the car to the garage where he used a voltmeter while the car was running, he said the alternator was working fine but I should get a new battery "as it looked like the original from 04" - in his words.

I feel like such a noob in the motors section :p
 
That may well be it. The stereo should usually operate on a switched live so when the ignition is off, it also is off. Check the wiring at the back.
 
Liverpool-Lad said:
That may well be it. The stereo should usually operate on a switched live so when the ignition is off, it also is off. Check the wiring at the back.
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Wouldn't know what I was looking for. When I go up to the garage tomorrow I'll ask him to have a look. Starting to get the "why oh why did I buy this car" feeling :rolleyes:
 
if the car is old a new battery won't hurt anyway.

They tend to go worryingly soon compared with the old ones. THe one in volvo stopped holding its charge after only 6 years.
 
If it's a vauxhall they need a yellow and red wire swapped round at the back of the head unit to fix the radio staying on problem. Some ISO leads come with split wires for this very reason.
 
Pull the stereo out, at the back there will be 2 thicker red and yellow wires, these connectors may need swapping around to ensure it operates right. Failing that, disconnect it from the car and see how things go.
 
Jonny ///M said:
If it's a vauxhall they need a yellow and red wire swapped round at the back of the head unit to fix the radio staying on problem. Some ISO leads come with split wires for this very reason.
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It's an MG ZR. I've been googling my stereo and it looks like I need these small metal handles to get the thing out which I certainly don't have :( These little handles slide in each side and unhook it from the base/sleeve part. It's beginning to sound like a bloody pain in the rear to try and get this thing out.
 
SPARC said:
strictly not a light, but the stereo never turns off, by that I mean when the engine is off the radio continues to play. The only means of stopping it is to remove the head unit. Could this be my drain?. It's obviously been wired wrong by the previous owner.
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I have the radio in my Scania (HGV) wired to a constant live, if I forget to turn it off and in the unlikely event that it is not used over the weekend whilst I'm off, the twin batteries are as flat as a fart come Monday morning.

Almost certainly, this will be it.

(It could be a bad earth etc also, but somewhat unlikely I'd say)

Get a metal coathanger, cut it to shape & use that to extract the radio. :)
 
R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
Get a metal coathanger, cut it to shape & use that to extract the radio. :)
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Aye, just looked at JVC spares and they want £15 just for one of them :eek::eek:

I might just get the car an early crimbo present and leave it with the garage for a few days for a service and to fix some other issues I'm having with it. Had it 2 months and found out the bad way that my horn doesn't work when some stupid teenager strolls out in front of me. I'm sure he didn't get as big a fright as I did when I stopped just inches from his knee caps. I could have killed him because he had no clue I was there :(.
 
Jonny ///M said:
Pop to Halfords and ask the audio guy to have a look? Should have keys he can use and bung him a fiver or something?
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Never been in Halfords before so I guess this gives me an excuse to go if the garage can't sort it. I assume you mean the one in Hamilton, If you do then that's great as I pretty much live just up the road.
 
SPARC said:
Never been in Halfords before so I guess this gives me an excuse to go if the garage can't sort it. I assume you mean the one in Hamilton, If you do then that's great as I pretty much live just up the road.
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Most of the guys I worked with in there that are sound have left that's the only problem.

Robert is the audio guy so you could always ask how much he'd take to swap the switched and permanent lives around.

Either that or autoparts in Hillhouse could be a shout?
 
Speaking as a bit of a Rover anorak ( :o ) the alternators on the K series engine don't tend to go - if they do it's usually through bearing failure, not electrical issues.

Check everything else first. :)
 
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