- Thread starter angellonewolf
- Start date
angellonewolf
Member
- Messages
- 8,776
- Location
- bristol england
No but will today thanks
angellonewolf
Member
- Messages
- 8,776
- Location
- bristol england
Hiw would you tell ?
angellonewolf
Member
- Messages
- 8,776
- Location
- bristol england
Will do got to find the recipt for it yet I know I had it but where it is is beyond me I'm normaly good with paper stuff but this has gone missing
Wallace
Member
- Messages
- 7,769
- Location
- Staines, Middlesex, England.
Having re-read the previous posts I would be testing the current draw once the car is locked and the alarm etc has settled down and leave it for an hour. I have found quite a few modern radios, amps and bass boxes draining current as the electronic switching is faulty. Usage makes a big difference, you might not notice the current drain on a car that is driven daily but change the routine from daily to weekly and the problem arises, the battery gets blamed and replaced but the fault is still there. In this case a smaller capacity battery has been fitted so if there is a drain it will run down quicker.
Last edited:
Cobbler
Codger bodger
- Messages
- 8,024
- Location
- Gloucestershire UK
Should be a date on it somewhere, either a production date, or a recharge In storage date Or both.
Ashley Burton
Member
- Messages
- 5,123
- Location
- Northamptonhire
Going from experience, Most the factors I've worked for over the years don't test or recharge batteries. New stock comes in & old stock gets pushed to the back of the shelf rather than being rotated like it should
To check the glow plugs just check each ones resistance with a multi meter. New ones should be 2 ohms or so and duds will show no resistance. To check the capacity you need a load tester. They are cheap to buy and also are able to test the alternator output too or any worthy battery supplier like Halfords will check it for free if they think they can sell you a battery!
Wightsparks
Member
- Messages
- 1,533
- Location
- Wight
Hang on a mo. before going off at a tangent, lets start at the beginning - I am not seeing a post giving the at-rest voltage of the battery (unless I missed it):
Measure the voltage with a digital meter after the car has been sitting for at least an hour.
Then with the meter still connected start the car and note the lowest reading it gets too whilst cranking (film it if necessary)
Then note the voltage when the car is running
Post the 3 results, that will give us an idea of where to look.
Measure the voltage with a digital meter after the car has been sitting for at least an hour.
Then with the meter still connected start the car and note the lowest reading it gets too whilst cranking (film it if necessary)
Then note the voltage when the car is running
Post the 3 results, that will give us an idea of where to look.
angellonewolf
Member
- Messages
- 8,776
- Location
- bristol england
will do the ristance cheak im hoping there ok as i know its a grit teeth if it takes the threads with it when you remove the plugs or snap them ive had that with an older zafira took to the dealer the guy was realy nice said if they snap you pay for removel any way if you can remove a spark plug he said when he done his and said for the best chance use plus gas over 2 weeks every few days soak the plugs when there cold warm the engine up before trying to remove and x twist undo and then retighten a couple turns then undo and repeat untill it comes out
and if they snap call a guy as one costs a lot 2 not much more and 3 and 4 very little as most of the price is turning up the rest is just time and yes his tools etc
angellonewolf
Member
- Messages
- 8,776
- Location
- bristol england
the battery was not enought when needed starting charge up it would start ok but the battery was the original from new and 11 years old was way passed it
angellonewolf
Member
- Messages
- 8,776
- Location
- bristol england
at rest 12,54 seams a bit low id expect near or even over 13 ?
14.45 at running
https://youtu.be/4Os0aVvd-Hc
vid of starting from cold all day not started and its warm down here as well
14.45 at running
https://youtu.be/4Os0aVvd-Hc
vid of starting from cold all day not started and its warm down here as well
Wightsparks
Member
- Messages
- 1,533
- Location
- Wight
errm sorry but looking at the video I'm not seeing any issue at all.
12.6v at rest for an occasionally used car is absolutely fine (assuming lead acid battery I look at 12.58v as fully charged).
Minimal voltage drop during pre-heat and cranking.
Not sure how much faster it could possibly fire up!
Alternator picks right up to 14.4v
Looks and sounds absolutely perfect to me!
12.6v at rest for an occasionally used car is absolutely fine (assuming lead acid battery I look at 12.58v as fully charged).
Minimal voltage drop during pre-heat and cranking.
Not sure how much faster it could possibly fire up!
Alternator picks right up to 14.4v
Looks and sounds absolutely perfect to me!
angellonewolf
Member
- Messages
- 8,776
- Location
- bristol england
yes but its been used for the last days so im assuming thats helping
what im worried about is in the deep winter when cold
how much does the cca 60 or 80 differance help
and thats the best its ever started over the last few days
can you damage a car if the battery is lower rated than spec shoulfd be ?
what im worried about is in the deep winter when cold
how much does the cca 60 or 80 differance help
and thats the best its ever started over the last few days
can you damage a car if the battery is lower rated than spec shoulfd be ?
Wightsparks
Member
- Messages
- 1,533
- Location
- Wight
Not a lot! Perhaps if you were right ooop north then maybe, but in reality it's not going to make any noticeable difference. remember the manufacturer spec is for everywhere the car might be sold- and still have room for error.
If there was a problem with the battery or a parasitic draw or anything really you would not get those results. You don't have a problem.
If there was a problem with the battery or a parasitic draw or anything really you would not get those results. You don't have a problem.
angellonewolf
Member
- Messages
- 8,776
- Location
- bristol england
ok will cheak the glow plugs just out of intrest and see how it goes yes using every day will help but still does not seam to me to throw over as it did before
Matchless
I started with nothing, still have most of it left
- Messages
- 2,870
- Location
- Essex UK
could easily be the starter motor, does it make any noise as the starter disengages? or engages, the starter motor does have a hard life, you try turning a cold diesel over at 300 rpm using a socket and ratchet! lion are not the best, \I had a lot of trouble with silver Bosch a few years ago,
angellonewolf
Member
- Messages
- 8,776
- Location
- bristol england
yes i agree its just at the moment at the time of the video i took it was 15 temp out side and late afternoon prob the best time to start a cold car early in the morning when its zero out side 
Matchless
I started with nothing, still have most of it left
- Messages
- 2,870
- Location
- Essex UK
bad glow plugs will not cause it to throw over slowly, they could cause it to take a while to start or not start at all, usually a warning will come on if you have bad glow plugs, often the glow light will stay on, if you test glow plugs with a voltage supply be aware they are often 4, 5 or 6 volts, 12 will blow them, and they often have a control unit, that can fail, BMW diesels do not need working glow plugs to work but if they have a DPF it will not regenerate without all the glow plugs working,
