bungle666
31-10-2007, 12:46 PM
ok peeps, it that time of year again where MOST of the car specific forums start filling up with "my car wont start/ battery keeps going flat/ turning over very slowly/ lights going dim" etc etc etc posts start!!
and the first advice i would give is usually the simplest!! now MOST regular posters on here will know the following advice already, THIS post is not designed for you, rather designed for the noobs that only post when theyve got problems!! :Cool2:
now MOST winter flat battery problems are caused by by short journeys to and from work in the dark and cold with the heaters, lights, heated rear screen and mirrors etc etc, all running at the same time and as you can imagine this puts an ALMIGHTY strain on the battery and alternator, the alternator may be working correctly but with all the electrical systems running it wont be charging the battery as much as it should be!!
make sense so far??
ok ill carry on!! my advice is, if you only do a large amount of the above driving, first get your battery checked, most battery places and halfords (i think) will do this FOR FREE!! if the batt and alternator are ok, then once a week take the car out during the day and give it a GOOD run without the lights, heater, heated rear, mirrors etc on!! have a run up the motorway or similar to replenish the shortfall in the batterys power and if this isnt practical, then buy a charger!! a good overnight charge is usually sufficient to do the same job as a run out again, in times of high battery strain then repeat once a week or so!!
this should be enough to give you trouble free motoring all winter!!
if you are doing this and still get problems then your charging system/battery could be at fault!!
go and get it checked (or do it yourself) and repair as needed, THEN carry on as above!!!
hope you find this usefull (if not obvious) but like i said at the top, this is one for the noobs!!!!
happy motoring peeps!!
bungle
and the first advice i would give is usually the simplest!! now MOST regular posters on here will know the following advice already, THIS post is not designed for you, rather designed for the noobs that only post when theyve got problems!! :Cool2:
now MOST winter flat battery problems are caused by by short journeys to and from work in the dark and cold with the heaters, lights, heated rear screen and mirrors etc etc, all running at the same time and as you can imagine this puts an ALMIGHTY strain on the battery and alternator, the alternator may be working correctly but with all the electrical systems running it wont be charging the battery as much as it should be!!
make sense so far??
ok ill carry on!! my advice is, if you only do a large amount of the above driving, first get your battery checked, most battery places and halfords (i think) will do this FOR FREE!! if the batt and alternator are ok, then once a week take the car out during the day and give it a GOOD run without the lights, heater, heated rear, mirrors etc on!! have a run up the motorway or similar to replenish the shortfall in the batterys power and if this isnt practical, then buy a charger!! a good overnight charge is usually sufficient to do the same job as a run out again, in times of high battery strain then repeat once a week or so!!
this should be enough to give you trouble free motoring all winter!!
if you are doing this and still get problems then your charging system/battery could be at fault!!
go and get it checked (or do it yourself) and repair as needed, THEN carry on as above!!!
hope you find this usefull (if not obvious) but like i said at the top, this is one for the noobs!!!!
happy motoring peeps!!
bungle