Vehicle Battery Duff?

[pwdrive]

The battery in my wifes Peugot was lacking any poke during the recent cold weather, mainly first thing in the morning, a replacement was obtained and fitted, it's been fine until this morning, wife tried to start the car, no go, no ignition or warning lights when the ignition was switched on, it was fine early evening yesterday, symptoms of a discharged battery or poor terminal connections.

Check with the Avo across the battery posts, ignition off = 10 volts, ignition on = 5 volts and varying, starter connected = 2 volts, it looked like a discharged battery so out comes the battery charger, connected it up and the fully charged light came on straight away...hmm, disconnected the charger and measured the voltage across the battery posts again with everything switched off...12 volts, not perfect but not bad.

Switched on the ignition again with the meter connected to the battery posts, the voltage dropped to that originally described, switched off and connected the charger again "battery fully charged" it indicated, disconnected the charger and measured the voltage across the battery posts again...11 volts near enough.

Still had the old original battery in the shed so I connected the charger to it, my wife made us a cup 'o tea, 5 minutes later I took the new battery out and put the old one back in, not yet fully charged by then...switched on the ignition...dash lights etc lit, turned to start, engine fired up ok.

My wife took the new battery back to the supplier and showed them proof of purchase and explained what had happened, they exchanged it no problem, will fit it tomorrow.

Lawrence.

[AlanBeckett]

It's sounds as though it's High Resistance. I've had them where the internal Connection between a couple of the Cells have cracked.
Sounds like a good Retailer anyway.

Alan

[pwdrive]

I thought the same too Alan, the retailer is good, local bunch, the bloke tested the battery when my wife returned it, not sure what the results were but he made a 'phone call...distributor/manufacturer? then exchanged the battery.

The battery was a Duracell, I didn't know they made vehicle batteries.

Lawrence.

[Skywave]

"Duracell", eh? That explains everything!

Al.

[pwdrive]

"I've had them where the internal Connection between a couple of the Cells have cracked"

I wonder if the obstacle course of a track that leads to our place had anything to do with it ?

Lawrence.

[AlanBeckett]

I guess it's possible, but I equally suspect it's just bad luck.
Bring back the days when the Lead Straps were on the top and you could measure the Cells

Alan

[Refugee]

It is most likely a cheap battery that has been badged.
When I lived down south there was a local company that made car batteries and there batteries were well known for the plates dropping off the under side of the top.
They went bankrupt thank goodness

[ed731pdh]

Sounds very much like a cell plate has dropped inside the battery. Had one go in transit when the car went over a v large bump in the road, just enough to shake the battery and cause damage. Symptoms were when it happened (note diesel car) total headlight dimming, electronic odometer blanked out and when I got it home failure of the central locking. Strangely enough, there were no dash warnings and the engine ran ok even though the ECU was struggling in an undervolts situation.

[Refugee]

The one I had went on a bumpy road and was pre ECU petrol. The thing ran off the alternator regulator and the lights went dim at tick over and flickered as the regulator cut in.
No chance of starting it again. The battery had no warranty as such and that is why the manufacturer went bankrupt as did the retailer. They just would not replace faulty batteries and that was it.

[ed731pdh]

I don't know what it is about Duracell batteries these days but we're getting a lot of leakers as of late. Usually along the seam or the negative base of the cell, brown liquid, now will not touch Duracell with a barge pole. Suspect that Duracell are as of late going along the "badged product" road.

Could be worse, had 1000 amp hour traction batteries go on the fritz, found each cell was in a plastic pocket and the sludge from the plates would collect in the bottom of the pouch and short out the remaining plate when the level went critical.