Bought car today, flat battery on way home!

Netwizard

Buzby wrote: »

The first thing I'd do is spend a little money and buy a new battery. These are classed as consumables, and remove the most common cause for failure.

They didn't promise you a new battery - so get one! (Or join the RAC/AA).

About the most sensible post in the thread. I don't know why people are banging on about SOGA and taking the car back.

Its probably been sat around for a while and the battery is probably a way past its best, backed up by the fact that after three hours running up the motorway, car still wont start.

Pick up a new battery for 40 odd quid from Eurocarparts or carparts4less and it will most probably be fine.

Its a second hand car, batteries can and do fail, as someone else said, its a consumable.

Weird_Nev

To be hoenst, I'd take it to a proper battery supplier. They will be able to use a booster whilst they switch the battery over, preventing your electronics from losing data/damage, and they'll also be able to do a proper check over of the cars charging system to check that nothing else is amiss.

We had this shortly after buying our car: the battery died when we were a couple of hundred miles from anywhere. The multimeter showed it at 10.6V but 13.7V when the car was running.

Took it to a proper battery shop, they did all the checks and recommended a Bosch battery (but talked me out of the more expensive diesel spec version).
It's a 3.8 Litre engine so it takes a bit of turning over.

9 times out of ten a new battery will cure this kind of fault. The other 10% of the time you're entering a world of pain in identifying and diagnosing electronics/ignition system problems!

teffers

Alibuster01 wrote: »

Sorry to make you sick. I don't know the first thing about cars and I was responding to kind/interested people's questions. I only bought it yesterday, and tomorrow will be the first opportunity I get to buy anything - battery included.

I hope having a go at me made you feel better...

It is frustrating when several people give very sound advice and then the poster ignores that advice and says "I just don't understand"[why it's happening].

You have to know that a new battery is urgently required but you still:

Drove home from the hotel
Drove to work
Drove home
Drove to the tip
Drove back from the tip
Drove to your mates
Drove to the coast
Drove back

All of this knowing your battery is probably knackered. I realise it was a Sunday yesterday but car parts places are pretty much all open on Sundays.

Anyway hopefully it's an easy fix with a new battery :beer: good luck.

fivetide

teffers wrote: »

It is frustrating when several people give very sound advice and then the poster ignores that advice and says "I just don't understand"[why it's happening].

You have to know that a new battery is urgently required but you still:

Drove home from the hotel
Drove to work
Drove home
Drove to the tip
Drove back from the tip
Drove to your mates
Drove to the coast
Drove back

All of this knowing your battery is probably knackered. I realise it was a Sunday yesterday but car parts places are pretty much all open on Sundays.

Anyway hopefully it's an easy fix with a new battery :beer: good luck.

It is easy to understand why the OP could be confused and why, it might not actually be the battery!

Lets not forget, the car turns over but doesn't start, that doesn't say battery.

The car sits for a bit, then fires up, again, unless the pixies are charging a flat battery, that doesn't seem to fit.

It may well be a loose connection or a hot starting issue as the car seems to be better when it has had a rest for a bit.

I'd be having a chat with the dealer and seeing what is wrong. It might be something electrical, especially with the rear wiper not working.

Also OP, I did take a car back to a dealer and get a new battery (£80 saved) because they said the same thing "needs a good run" a drop test on it proved it cream crackered so they replaced it two days after I bought the car.

Norman_Castle

As the v5 is in the previous owners name try contacting them. Get the battery tested. Contact the dealer before spending money on it.

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/advice/problemswithvehicles-sum6.cfm

Avoriaz

Alibuster01 wrote: »

It's just started, so I've moved it to the hotel car park. I'm going to bed, I'm drained.

Just like your battery then.

Was that a deliberate pun?

Rapished

um a grrrrrr ing noise, when you turn the key does it sound like the starter motors running on, like a grinding noise, it may be that then as apposed to the battery if your not getting any lights dimming, or clicking noises,

Easiest thing is do a video bud then we'd know what you know

spacey2012

This sounds more like your crank sensor is playing up, they go funny when the engine is hot, so short journeys are ok, but warm the engine and let it stand a few seconds and wallop they wont let the car start.

ontrack

And yet again we have,
I bought a car from a "dodgy dealer"
Oh dear it's gone wrong!
Yawn!

prowla

ontrack wrote: »

And yet again we have,
I bought a car from a "dodgy dealer"
Oh dear it's gone wrong!
Yawn!

And a valuable contribution there!