Have I been sold a battery unecessarily?

puddy

Today, I was visiting someone away from home and my car wouldnt start when I tried to drive home. My friend tried to use jump leads as by mistake earlier, I had left my lights on for about an hour before I noticed so thought that the lights being on had drained the battery (although we discussed that surely leaving lights on for just an hour wouldnt do this)

Anyway, he couldnt get the car to jump start and so I called the AA (again, they must be sick of me by now).

AA come out and jump start the car. Whilst the jump leads are on it, he measured the battery and it read 12v (or whatever the measurement unit is) and said that this meant it was weak. I said, that in previous weeks when I had to call the AA out, they had checked the battery and said that there was lots of life left in it (the battery is 6 years old).

Then he took the leads off and started the car on its own and the battery read 16. So he said that this meant it wasnt drawing enough power from the alternator. This meant nothing to me so I bought the battery from him and he fitted it. I have driven home and hopefully its all ok now.

However, looking on tinterweb this evening at the measurements for battery power, those figures he gave me dont make sense. It appears that a reading of 12 is ok? Is that right or wrong?

Its an automatic if that makes any difference. If the battery was needed thats fine but can someone explain the numbers to me. He said at one point that the battery should be 'taking' from the alternator and then recharging itself, I didnt really understand the terminology.

Thanks

Tucker

Not sure about the readings, but there's lots of past instances of the likes of the AA flogging overpriced batteries and times they may not have been needed.

They push sales such as these as they are good money spinners. Sounds to me like you will have drained your battery having left the lights on, so any reading is probably not reflective of the state of the battery overall.

I would never buy one from them. I'd say thanks, but I'll source a good price battery myself, if it's needed.

puddy

Thanks, I suppose I was worried about breaking down as I had a 90 mile motorway drive home. Another £71 down the drain then.

WelshPaul

A car battery should be around 13.8 Volts, when running it should read more as the alternator needs to charge it.

Wig

If the 12V was with the engine switched off, it is really irrellevant as we know your battery needed charging anyway at that point - having been discharged.

12V under normal circumstances would be low but 12.6 would be ok.

If he started the car and removed the jump leads and it read 16V that's too high (I would expect 13V - 15V), I would assume there is something wrong with the alternator putting out too much power - but I'm no expert on this. Are you sure he said 16 and not 13?

Have you got a voltmeter? Measure the new battery,
engine off
engine running on idle
engine running on idle with lights & full beam (pull the high beam on don't flick it) & rear demister on

puddy

no.

depressed now, as having found batteries around £50 mark and obviously I dont know the quality of the AA battery either.

Wig

And you could have got one from a scrap yard for £15, that's what I do

Well, maybe he had your best interests at heart and didn't want you getting stranded again. Your battery being 6 years old might not have lasted much longer anyway, but you never know with batteries.

Don't these call outs of the AA cost money? I thought you get a couple of free call outs then they charge £40 for any after that.?

puddy

Wig wrote: »

And you could have got one from a scrap yard for £15, that's what I do

Well, maybe he had your best interests at heart and didn't want you getting stranded again. Don't these call outs of the AA cost money? I thought you get a couple of free call outs then they charge £40 for any after that.?

What!!!?????????

mikey72

If the batery was 6 years old, it's done well, and getting near the end of it's life anyway.
You said it's not the first time as well the AA have been out to you?
It's got a guarantee, so even if you could have saved £21, you'd be faced with any problems, not just a quick call to the AA who'll replace it.
And you'd have been stuck, or driving round trying to find another battery.
So, all in all, not bad.

Wig

Wig wrote: »

Don't these call outs of the AA cost money? I thought you get a couple of free call outs then they charge £40 for any after that.?

I dunno, anyone know?

A friend of mine was in the AA and thats what he told me about 15 years ago, when he needed help starting, I was surprised, I always thought they were free to members.

Yeah don't forget those £50 batteries don't include fitting, at least you got it fitted by the side of the road in the middle of the night, and peace of mind. Not too bad really.

puddy

I called them out a couple of weeks ago when the car wouldnt start. Not turning over or making any sound at all.

First bloke came out and said that the key had 'unprogrammed itself' to the car and gave me the number of a locksmith who could programme it back.

Locksmith came out, paid $45 call out fee, locksmith said it wasnt the key because the key light would have been flashing if so, and it was 'steady on' so it was something else.

AA called again, next man said initially that he could see some corrosion of the fuse box, but that it wasnt that preventing the car starting and could be the starter motor or something on the gear box, but not the gear box itself.

They towed it to Nissan but on the way, I got a phone call from him to say that because he tried to use the wipers whilst towing and because they didnt start he concluded it was the fuse box after all. Nissan therefore fitted a new one and car was fine.......

except that I noticed after getting it back the lights were being inconsistent in terms of what they are expeted to do, ie not coming on when they're supposed to and not turning off when supposed to, hence the error today when they were left on by accident (they are supposed to turn off when the drivers door is opened if the car is turned off first).

So although I have called them out twice recently, one of those times is because the first bloke misdiagnosed the problem