Need a charger....!

Reality Bites

Reality Bites

Reality Bites

Soldato
Joined
28 Jul 2003
Posts
5,801
Location
South Wales
Got home last night and my ST220 wouldn't start due to a flat battery. Short journeys and cold mornings taking it's toll !!

I was going to get a basic halfords job
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_894769_langId_-1_categoryId_255205

but i've read a few reviews and the CTEK units come out better in reviews. The CTEK3.6 is £15 more where the CTEK5.0 is £25 more.

Never bought a charger before so a little confused about what i should buy!

Help and advice appreciated!
 
Last edited:
Buy a new battery and stop it happening again? A battery charger is only a temporary fix, its only going to get worse in my experience.
 
I see Bennie's point, It's difficult to just pin this on cold and short journeys. Typically, if a battery has dropped a cell because of the cold, no amount of topping up / recharging will ever see it fully come back to life. If your battery has dropped because you left the interior light on (for example) then that's a different scenario all together and a good charge / jump / run will see it right.
 
You can spend £40 on a battery charger if you want, but within a few months I can guarantee you will be spending £100 on a new battery anyway. Might as well save yourself £40 in my opinion.

I had the same problem after lack of proper use and cold weather, within a couple of months I was having to push start it every couple of days.
 
Last edited:
I've never had a bad experience from a fault flat battery (i.e. drained from leaving a light on, or similar), that's then been charged backup, touchwood. It's just a battery at the end of the day, and as long as the alternator is in good nick and is doing it's job, there should be no ill effects. A dropped cell though (from cold weather) is a different story.
 
because it depends why and how it's flat. As I said, if it's a dropped cell, that's it, dead. It will charge and hold, but never put confidence back into your car starting first time, everytime.
 
Reality Bites said:
It's not completely dead, just not enough to start. I can't understand how a flat battery automatically equals a dead one and replacement needed
Click to expand...

Its an early warning sign, doesn't mean the battery is knackered but its a sign of things to come. Car batteries are huge and shouldn't fail after a few days of little to no use.
 
Lucero said:
I've never had a bad experience from a fault flat battery (i.e. drained from leaving a light on, or similar), that's then been charged backup, touchwood. It's just a battery at the end of the day, and as long as the alternator is in good nick and is doing it's job, there should be no ill effects. A dropped cell though (from cold weather) is a different story.
Click to expand...

When the automotive type battery is optimized for high cranking current, it has some limitations in other functions. You should keep the battery near full charge (between 90% and 100%) at all times. Allowing the charge level to drop below 90% of full capacity can reduce the ability to produce full voltage during high current cranking. It also promotes sulfation of the plates, which can shorten the life of the battery. Fully discharging can shorten the battery life severely, and leaving it fully discharged for even a short period of time may kill it completely. If you allow your car to sit for long periods of time unused, you might consider hooking up a regulated trickle charger to maintain full charge level in the battery. This device may be called a "battery maintainer".
Click to expand...
 
If youve dropped a cell the car may start okay... until this cold snap. So a charge may top it up enough for a while, rest assured the laternator will probably be working its coils off trying to hold the voltage though meaning more drag on the engine.

AGM batteries help as the glass sandwich mats prevent deep discharge plate warping causing a short between the plates
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom