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dead car battery

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hi there,

need some advice, I came back from a holiday after couple of months and the car won't start .. the central locking doesn't work and the music system doesn't switch on .. when I turn the key nothing happens .. I guess the battery is dead and there is no power?

how much will the garage charge if I have to get the battery re-charged?

thnx
«1

Comments

  • Depends if you take the battery to them. If you call them out £40 +?

    Join a breakdown company wioth homestart and wait a few days for it to kick in.

    Or buy a new battery and fit it yourself.

    Batteries dont like being left in a flat state, They build up a coating and lose some of its capacity.

    So if its been a while a new battery will be needed.

    Buy your own charger for less than £20.
    Censorship Reigns Supreme in Troll City...

  • it could be a number of different things, could be dead battery, dead alternator. Or it could be just a fuse that's shot.

    Post on a forum dedicated to your make a model. A common car should have one. I have diagnosed many faults and fixed them myself by reading and posting on the fan forum of my car.
  • rxbren
    rxbren Posts: 413 Forumite
    jump start it and take it for a long drive
  • s_b
    s_b Posts: 4,464 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    depending on make model year of car it might need the bsi awakening in a set procedure so poster either needs to read handbook or gain further advice before slapping a battery on it and givin it some or worse jumping it seeing as car battery flat
    them days went with cortinas
  • SailorSam
    SailorSam Posts: 22,754 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    One problem you may have if you disconnect the battery is possibly losing your radio code, Make sure you know it before messing about. I'd try a jump start.
    Liverpool is one of the wonders of Britain,
    What it may grow to in time, I know not what.

    Daniel Defoe: 1725.
  • s_b
    s_b Posts: 4,464 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    SailorSam wrote: »
    One problem you may have if you disconnect the battery is possibly losing your radio code, Make sure you know it before messing about. I'd try a jump start.

    heres what will happen if its a ford built this last 10 years
    http://www.petercoopercarrepairs.co.uk/ford_focus_alternator_smart_charging.htm
  • skivenov
    skivenov Posts: 2,204 Forumite
    Depends if you take the battery to them. If you call them out £40 +?

    Join a breakdown company wioth homestart and wait a few days for it to kick in.

    Or buy a new battery and fit it yourself.

    Batteries dont like being left in a flat state, They build up a coating and lose some of its capacity.

    So if its been a while a new battery will be needed.

    Buy your own charger for less than £20.

    All the above sounds fine to me.

    On a separate note. Careful you haven't got the keys inside the car with a door shut when you hook power up to the battery as a lot of cars will lock themselves.

    Standing at the end of your drive looking forlorn with a pair of jump leads in your hand can work well. There's still some good people in this world!
    Yes it's overwhelming, but what else can we do?
    Get jobs in offices and wake up for the morning commute?
  • SailorSam
    SailorSam Posts: 22,754 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    skivenov wrote: »

    Standing at the end of your drive looking forlorn with a pair of jump leads in your hand can work well. There's still some good people in this world!

    That may only work if the Op is a woman.
    Liverpool is one of the wonders of Britain,
    What it may grow to in time, I know not what.

    Daniel Defoe: 1725.
  • SailorSam wrote: »
    That may only work if the Op is a woman.

    Wearing a tight blouse, knee length boots and a mini skirt, or hot pants. :p
  • Dave_C_2
    Dave_C_2 Posts: 1,827 Forumite
    Bedsit_Bob wrote: »
    Wearing a tight blouse, knee length boots and a mini skirt, or hot pants. :p
    Oh Noes!
    Not the tight blouse, knee length boots, mini skirt and jump leads again :)

    Dave
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