Replacement battery

F

FFLNC

Member
 Devon
Hi All,

Advice required please.
Our 2004 3.0 auto only gets occasional use every two weeks or so as it is a second car or maybe even a third if you include my bike as well.

Anyway the battery keeps going flat in between useage and this is obviously really annoying as there is nothing worse than going to the car and it not starting, once its going it starts normally during the day and if used again fairly soon it's ok.

I am considering getting a replacement battery and wondered if somebody could offer any advice on getting a heavy duty one.

I know they all have codes and cca and amphrs and suchlike but these figures dont mean a lot to me, so if somebody could offer any advice it will be appreciated

Neil
 
Do you keep the car in a garage. If so I find a trickle charger will work fine and can be left on at all times. I tend not to lock my car when it is in the garage as the locking mechanism can lead to battery drainage over time.
 
If it's in a garage with power use a trickle charger if it's outside get a solar trickle charger from maplins
 
Once a battery has discharged it will never regain its original capacity so will keep going flat. I got a Varta E44 online for about £60 and am very happy with it.
Get yourself a new battery and an appropriate trickle charger and you should be fine in future :)
 
To be clear you want a smart battery charger. Most here favour various models of 'CTEK'. They are designed to take the battery through various stages of charge and conditioning and once up to 100% maintain it there (forever).
 
CTEK is a good shout, some of the high end manufacturers like Ferrari use them but re-branded and ten times the price.

If you get a new battery you shouldn't have need for a charger that's capable of charging a car battery but only maintaining one. These are a lot cheaper. I use the one I have for my bike which is still fine for trickle charging (maintaining) batteries up to around 80Ah and cost c.£30.
 
I would have thought if you are using it every couple of weeks then once the new battery is in then you should't need to worry about a charger
 
Much better with one still for that little use, yes it should start but the battery will last a lot longer if you keep it plugged in.
 
Thanks for all the advice,
Using a battery charger of any sort is not really an option as it's the wife who mainly use's the car, unless it's a solar powered one that plugs into the cigratte lighter and can be left on the dashboard if such a thing exists!!!
I dont really expect her to remove a charger from under the bonnet every time she wants to use it, we just to get in and start her no fussing about with wires/mains plugs etc.
Also I suspect the battery because when I go on holiday for two weeks I dont want to come back to an airport car park in the middle of the night to a flat battery.

Hope you understand my point of view

Neil
 
FFLNC said:
Thanks for all the advice,
Using a battery charger of any sort is not really an option as it's the wife who mainly use's the car, unless it's a solar powered one that plugs into the cigratte lighter and can be left on the dashboard if such a thing exists!!!
I dont really expect her to remove a charger from under the bonnet every time she wants to use it, we just to get in and start her no fussing about with wires/mains plugs etc.
Also I suspect the battery because when I go on holiday for two weeks I dont want to come back to an airport car park in the middle of the night to a flat battery.

Hope you understand my point of view

Neil
Click to expand...
You can expect the same again then even with a new or higher capacity battery. For 15 months I drove to the airport every Monday and returned Thursday, just a short distance, but over Winter (cold heavy engine, fans, headlights, demister, etc.) the battery could struggle even though new, so had to put it on a CTEK or a longer run. Do what you do currently and the battery will go flat and die.
Yes thee are plug in solar chargers and nothing to stop you putting it on charge the odd day when it's not in use so it's ready to go.

As an auto you already should have a larger battery so just check it's got the recommended 'auto' size fitted and get the highest AH you can find for those dimensions.
 
What he said or just drive it more...

Anybody would think the Z4 is a Ferrari that depreciates like a stone and breaks down the way some people use them so sparingly on here.
 
Yeah, there is a fair amount of drain from the systems even when the car is off. So you're either going to have to hope a solar one will do or spend some time teaching the wife. Other than that, you're out of luck!
I've not laid mine up for a period yet - the only real option if you were parking it for a few weeks would be transport mode I think.
 
Your battery should not be discharged after two weeks lack of use.

I'd suggest a charger or a conditioner will only mask the problem - you need to establish why you are getting a flat battery first.
 
TR4man said:
Your battery should not be discharged after two weeks lack of use.

I'd suggest a charger or a conditioner will only mask the problem - you need to establish why you are getting a flat battery first.
Click to expand...

I have to disagree. Cars drain at an alaeming rate and if the battery is just past its best it'll discharge in 2 weeks. Go to any airport car park and see...
Putting in a new one will probably make it stretch the 2 weeks or so, but unless then driven a good distance, or charged, it won't make the next span.

Battery is a good 1st step.
 
Would be interesting to compare the drain normally with transport mode on; I've not checked to see what mine drains at normally as it's a DD so can't give any guesstimates.
 
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