View Full Version : New car - battery fubared?
Bought a car at the auctions last night (perhaps a stupid move for a pleb like me), drove it 12 miles home, no issues just went out to start it and nothing.
Gave it a jump off my trusty golf (which is the car the new one is supposed to be replacing) and it fired up, left it running a few mins and turned it off, just went back out there and nowt.
It is a fairly hefty old lump of a car Mercedes E220 estate, the first time it went to start but sounded like it didn't have quite enough juice.
Is the battery completely knackered or is it likely to be something else?
cb1000rsteve
08-12-10, 07:57 PM
Do you have an optimiser for your bike?? If so put the merc battery on charge and see if it can be recovered. Or take it to halfords and they will test it for free usually.
No I use the bike every day so have never needed one...I get free RAC with my bank account so have given them a shout, but they could be 4 hours apparently. I wanted to go and give it a test drive too.
I'm thinking it could've been stood for a while, the auctions often gives cars a jump and the car was running for a while, so by the time I had the bid accepted and paid for it was no more than 20-25 mins and it started again fine, but overnight has lost its charge for some reason.
cb1000rsteve
08-12-10, 08:12 PM
when you jumped it off the golf then diconnected the leads did the battery light warning light come on to tell you its not charging?? If not i'd take it for a brisk drive
No no battery warning light but it had a reasonable drive last night and there isn't much jungle juice in it, which was where I was going to be taking it.
cb1000rsteve
08-12-10, 08:16 PM
In that case hopefully its just the battery and not the alternator then.
I had a C200 - completly reliable unless I eft the couretesy lght on:rolleyes:
timwilky
08-12-10, 08:46 PM
Batteries have a finite life, a dead cell in these temps and it causes all sorts of issues.
The 7 year old car I bought a week ago worked fine, just a tad slow turning over but started first attempt.
The cold happened and despite being on a trickle charger overnight it would not start.
Problem being that I had changed the timing belt/water pump, plugs, oil, filters etc. And not starting, turns over just wont catch.
Brand new battery fitted and it still wont catch. Damm is my service (cam belt) or is it the starter etc.
On the jump leads, fires up first time. Yippee.
Since then fine, I guess the brand new battery was not quite fully charged
If it starts with a jump then I would say the battery. Just make sure that when you turn the ignition on ALL the dashboard lights come on as people remove warning bulbs to hide expensive problems. If they come on and the car starts and the lights go off then the battery. You cant beat a Merc IMO.
The car has only had one owner since 1999 (bloke paid £19k for it then) and I have a pile of bills and old MOT's, so I believe it is a genuine motor that hasn't been used and abused.
I'm going to let them RAC come and check it over. If it is a battery then £50 should sort it.
I didn't pay anywhere close to £19k for it!
Mine has a main battery under the bonnet and a small battery hidden in the back right hand boot panel. A bit bigger than a bike battery. I presume that it is to help the engine cut out when at lights (Blue Efficiency).
Is yours the same as mine? I just noted a small silver battery type thing in the right hand panel and the was a triangle, first-aid kit and I even found two-seats I hadn't bargained for!
Just need it to start!
Identical to this...
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l286/krhall_2006/1622399.jpg
metalangel
09-12-10, 06:37 AM
TBH if the car is used it could just have been sitting for a while (a long while) and the battery, already old, has decided it's going to just give up and die.
My new (to me) car did this last year, it struggle along for a few months but when it was parked for two weeks while we jetted off to Vegas, I came back to collect it and found it was fudged.
Dicky Ticker
09-12-10, 08:41 AM
Just make sure you get the correct size battery if you replace it, I think you are being a bit optimistic with your £50 battery as it is quite a big battery on a Merc and charge rate and crank power are important as the battery has to be compatible to the alternator output in order to maintain a fully charged battery.Somebody suggested using a bike battery charger but they have such a low charge rate it would need an extended charge to bring it back up to optimum charge,providing that all the cells were fully operational.CHECK the levels ,give it a charge and once it is fully charged.if you haven't brought the battery indoors to charge it pour a kettle of boiling water over the battery before you start the car.The increase in temperature is often enough to reactivate the battery fully if it has been stood for a while
I'd have stab in the dark and say battery as well. Cold weather like we have been having is a battery killer. If the battery is old and possibly not at it's best, come cold weather, it'll just die.
I'm another one saying battery. Having replaced mine this year at 110K mile and that was the original.
BUT make sure you get a decent one.
Are there any other strange things going on with it? becuase they can normally be linked back to the battery too in a merc as I found out. (only after a replaced fuses and relays and stuff)
metalangel
09-12-10, 09:55 AM
Don't just go to Halfrauds... the battery they brought out claiming 'this is what our book says' for my Celica looked like it would have been a bit too large for a bus. Toyota supplied me with the correct battery, at nearly half the price of the Halfrauds one.
Pay your local Merc dealership a visit and see what they want.
454697819
09-12-10, 10:21 AM
Don't just go to Halfrauds... the battery they brought out claiming 'this is what our book says' for my Celica looked like it would have been a bit too large for a bus. Toyota supplied me with the correct battery, at nearly half the price of the Halfrauds one.
Pay your local Merc dealership a visit and see what they want.
or partco trade prices over the cash counter
Right it starts to crank, but it is as if it doesn't quite have the guts.
RAC came out and the bloody thing started no issues, turned it off and started it again - no issues. The bolke wasn't exactly forth coming with testing things or helping out much.
Went out this morning, put some water in for now, and it fired up and it ran beautifully. Sat in heavy traffic at just over 80 degs (is that right?) and did exactly what I asked of it. All electrics work too.
What anti-freeze do I need for it?
Battery or alternator not charging the battery. Both easy fixes.
Sid Squid
09-12-10, 04:25 PM
Check charging first.
Symptoms suggest battery and/or connections aren't top notch but before spending money find out what's wrong.
Check charging first.
Symptoms suggest battery and/or connections aren't top notch but before spending money find out what's wrong.
Here is where my ineptitude comes in not very handy!
Is yours the same as mine?...........
Identical to this...
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l286/krhall_2006/1622399.jpg
No. I have one of these
http://www.numan.biz/sv650/merc.jpg
swap?
No thanks but did you get the merc sorted?
erm it is just working no problem, starts fine, runs fine have racked up a few miles in it and apart from losing a bit of water it seems sweet as a nut.
Checked the oil today and it looks brand new, just need to find where the leak is now.
It has benefited from a wash and coat of auto-glym today too.
I'd be wary of just ignoring it because it now works. It didn't work for a reason. I'd take Sid Squids recommendation and confirm what the fault was. I'd suggest the next time a really cold spell hits, you may just find yourself with a non starting car again.
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