Car Battery Charger

peteb74

Due to a fault somewhere in my car, my battery discharges itself completely over time. However, I'm due to go on holiday on Saturday therefore could do with a portable charger just in case. Can anyone recommend one; don't think online would work due to lack of time for a delivery

[Deleted User]

I wouldn't advise going on holiday, in a non-charging car.

Do you know what fault is?

Mr_Thrifty

Could it be a fault with the Battery itself?

If I were a billionaire, I would buy u a new car.

Joe_Horner

I take it from your post that it's charging fine while it's running (you're not expecting it to run down on the road) but may need a quick boost in the morning - so presumably the fault is an intermittent drain when everything should be switched off?

Better really to trace and fix the fault but, in the meantime, the cheapest most basic charger you can find will be perfect as long as it'll give about 6 amps or so. Argos have a switchable 6 / 12v one for about £25 which works well - we got one for the 6v Dafs just in case over winter but have ended up using it on the 12v ones more often!

20 minutes on one of those will give plenty to get running again

[Deleted User]

Mr_Thrifty wrote: »

Could it be a fault with the Battery itself?

Sounds likely.

Possible buckled plates.

My advice would be to get the car to an auto-electrician, and have him put a meter on it.

BTW OP. Petrol or diesel?

shaun_from_Africa

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Sounds likely.

Possible buckled plates.

If you can't get to an auto-electrician, checking this out yourself isn't difficult. (providing you have a voltmeter).

All you have to do is to check the voltage then leave the battery disconnected overnight.
Check the voltage again in the morning (before connecting it back up), and if there is an internal short then the voltage will have dropped noticeably.
If the voltage is about the same as the previous evening then it's likely to be a problem with the car and not the battery.

forgotmyname

£5 test meter is all thats needed.

check the battery voltage 1st thing in the morning.

Switch the lights and hazards on, with the engine off. You may need the ignition on though. After 5 minutes check the voltage again.

Then start the car, Giove it a few minutes to recover, Switch all the electrics on. Headlights, heater blower and the heated rear screen etc.
And check the voltage again.

All voltages should be in excess of 12volts
If you get a meter and post the results for these tests we can say what the issue is.

fatbelly

If you have a Wilkinsons nearby, they do this one for £18

forgotmyname

Portable charger, I think they mean a jump pack.

Avoid the cheaper ones, I got mine from machine mart in 2006? and the battery is still good today.
Cheap ones will have rubbish batteries in them and may not work on a totally flat battery.

[Deleted User]

forgotmyname wrote: »

Portable charger, I think they mean a jump pack.

Get a BIG one if it's for use on a diesel.

I bought an average one, when I had a petrol Volvo.

When I tried to use it to start a diesel Maverick, the starter just laughed at it.

peteb74

thanks all; had the car to my local garage and they've tested the battery for a day and found it's not powerful enough for a 2.0 Diesel Mondeo so they replaced it. Touch wood that this is enough, the car started fine this morning