car battery required

BeenThroughItAll

Wig wrote: »

It's definately worth the effort, don't pay more than £10 - £15 they are not worth much as scrap value. But only if a scrap yard is nearby no point in driving too far.

Ask them to test it for you and to confirm if it doesn't work you can take it back for a refund. Best thing would be to arrive in the car that needs the battery and to swap it in the car park.

Although of course at this time of year a battery could appear perfectly when you drive it out of the yard, then fail two days later when it's frosty - and you're not going to be getting a five year warranty from a scrapper.


False economy IMO. Do the job right and do it once.

OddballJamie

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

Although of course at this time of year a battery could appear perfectly when you drive it out of the yard, then fail two days later when it's frosty - and you're not going to be getting a five year warranty from a scrapper.


False economy IMO. Do the job right and do it once.

For the sake for £20-£40 it's not worth the risk of getting stranded somewhere or having it let you down when you really need it.

Only worth going to a scrappy if you're about to trade the car in.

Wig

I have been going to scrappies all my adult life, I never have any problems.

It's like this, say they get a car in tomorrow that has been written off rear end shunt, the battery is still going to be as good as it was before the crash. The guy who owned the car before the crash wasn't going to have to get a new battery because the one he had was working fine, you are buying that battery and probablity is that it will last you a few good years. Some of them have battery testers, taking your own voltmeter will only tell you so much about the battery, but you can charge it when you get home and it will probably be good.

Like one of these
http://www.jhmbuttco.com/acatalog/info_BT91_3.html

Gloomendoom

I once took a battery out of a crashed car. The impact must have damaged it internally as whenever I braked hard it cut the power. It gave me no end of trouble until I worked out what it was.

BeenThroughItAll

Wig wrote: »

I have been going to scrappies all my adult life, I never have any problems.

It's like this, say they get a car in tomorrow that has been written off rear end shunt, the battery is still going to be as good as it was before the crash. The guy who owned the car before the crash wasn't going to have to get a new battery because the one he had was working fine, you are buying that battery and probablity is that it will last you a few good years. Some of them have battery testers, taking your own voltmeter will only tell you so much about the battery, but you can charge it when you get home and it will probably be good.

Like one of these
http://www.jhmbuttco.com/acatalog/info_BT91_3.html

Too much probability and not enough certainty for me I'm afraid. Yeah, it might be fine. It might not.


I buy a battery from a shop with a 5yr warranty, I know I've got 5 years+ with no worries.


Try taking your 'probably OK' battery back to a scrapyard more than a few days after you've bought it for a tenner. I doubt you'll get the time of day.


I don't know what scrapyards you're going to, but I can't think of any I've visited who would even have a multimeter, let alone a drop tester, bearing in mind the vast majority of yards are the kind of places that remove subframes with a gas axe.

Wig

Gloomendoom wrote: »

I once took a battery out of a crashed car. The impact must have damaged it internally as whenever I braked hard it cut the power. It gave me no end of trouble until I worked out what it was.

You must have had a dodgy alternator, or dodgy something else, a fault on a battery would not do that, if the battery lost all it's power whilst driving the driver would not notice anything until you stop the engine and try to start it again.

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

Try taking your 'probably OK' battery back to a scrapyard more than a few days after you've bought it for a tenner. I doubt you'll get the time of day.

They make part of their living off you, and the fact that you will come back to them time and time again, all you have to do, is agree terms before buying the item, if you don't like the terms, turn around and walk away.

I don't know what scrapyards you're going to, but I can't think of any I've visited who would even have a multimeter, let alone a drop tester, bearing in mind the vast majority of yards are the kind of places that remove subframes with a gas axe.

I obviously have a higher calibre of scrappies in my area. :rotfl:If you don't ask, you don't get. i.e you won't know if they have a drop tester unless you ask.