Car wouldn't start first time

neilmcl

robdex1 said:

Thanks for all the responses. Took it to Kwik fit for a free battery check. Didn't fully understand but he said it's reading as unserviceable showing like 57 or something? Said need a new battery wanted to charge me £110 but looked on their website and the price was coming up £87 with fitting so he said book it online. Is that a reasonable price? 054e battery

054e as in EFB type battery, do you have stop start?

If so, £87 including fitting is a reasonable price, you'd be hard pushed to get an 054 EFB battery for much less than £70 on your own. Also, don't be deterred by it being an Halfords branded battery, they are actually quite good quality, manufactured by Yuasa the last time I checked.

Goudy

It probably is, but you need to take what they say with a large pick of sodium chloride, after all they sell batteries.

Halford batteries are as Neil states usually pretty reasonable, quality wise. Most are made by Yuasa but they tend to be a bit down on Yuasa's own products, CCA wise.

Halfords do tend to list a lot of batteries wrong as well, I've no proof but I think they try and make their range "fit" as many models as they can and this sometimes leave you down on a few amps that the manufacturer specified was correct for your model.

I've come across one or two of their "listed" batteries that just aren't right, like the one listed of the Panda/500.
There's just not enough amps in it to run the EPAS properly.

Try sticking your reg number is somewhere like eurocarparts.com or batterymegastore.co.uk and see what results they return.

robdex1

neilmcl said:

robdex1 said:

Thanks for all the responses. Took it to Kwik fit for a free battery check. Didn't fully understand but he said it's reading as unserviceable showing like 57 or something? Said need a new battery wanted to charge me £110 but looked on their website and the price was coming up £87 with fitting so he said book it online. Is that a reasonable price? 054e battery

054e as in EFB type battery, do you have stop start?

If so, £87 including fitting is a reasonable price, you'd be hard pushed to get an 054 EFB battery for much less than £70 on your own. Also, don't be deterred by it being an Halfords branded battery, they are actually quite good quality, manufactured by Yuasa the last time I checked.

No I don't have stop start. That was the compatible battery coming up when entering my reg no. It's kwikfit not halfords

robdex1

Goudy said:

It probably is, but you need to take what they say with a large pick of sodium chloride, after all they sell batteries.

Halford batteries are as Neil states usually pretty reasonable, quality wise. Most are made by Yuasa but they tend to be a bit down on Yuasa's own products, CCA wise.

Halfords do tend to list a lot of batteries wrong as well, I've no proof but I think they try and make their range "fit" as many models as they can and this sometimes leave you down on a few amps that the manufacturer specified was correct for your model.

I've come across one or two of their "listed" batteries that just aren't right, like the one listed of the Panda/500.
There's just not enough amps in it to run the EPAS properly.

Try sticking your reg number is somewhere like eurocarparts.com or batterymegastore.co.uk and see what results they return.

Looked on eurocarparts. They have a lion 054 £45 reduced from £93. Suppose I could have ordered that but then who could I have got to fit it for me 

TimSynths

robdex1 said:

Goudy said:

It probably is, but you need to take what they say with a large pick of sodium chloride, after all they sell batteries.

Halford batteries are as Neil states usually pretty reasonable, quality wise. Most are made by Yuasa but they tend to be a bit down on Yuasa's own products, CCA wise.

Halfords do tend to list a lot of batteries wrong as well, I've no proof but I think they try and make their range "fit" as many models as they can and this sometimes leave you down on a few amps that the manufacturer specified was correct for your model.

I've come across one or two of their "listed" batteries that just aren't right, like the one listed of the Panda/500.
There's just not enough amps in it to run the EPAS properly.

Try sticking your reg number is somewhere like eurocarparts.com or batterymegastore.co.uk and see what results they return.

Looked on eurocarparts. They have a lion 054 £45 reduced from £93. Suppose I could have ordered that but then who could I have got to fit it for me 

I have a Lion Battery, my AA mate slagged them off so I think yours may be better- glad you got it sorted though.

Ebe_Scrooge

robdex1 said:

Goudy said:

It probably is, but you need to take what they say with a large pick of sodium chloride, after all they sell batteries.

Halford batteries are as Neil states usually pretty reasonable, quality wise. Most are made by Yuasa but they tend to be a bit down on Yuasa's own products, CCA wise.

Halfords do tend to list a lot of batteries wrong as well, I've no proof but I think they try and make their range "fit" as many models as they can and this sometimes leave you down on a few amps that the manufacturer specified was correct for your model.

I've come across one or two of their "listed" batteries that just aren't right, like the one listed of the Panda/500.
There's just not enough amps in it to run the EPAS properly.

Try sticking your reg number is somewhere like eurocarparts.com or batterymegastore.co.uk and see what results they return.

Looked on eurocarparts. They have a lion 054 £45 reduced from £93. Suppose I could have ordered that but then who could I have got to fit it for me 

I've had the Lion batteries before, no issues.  If you want "good" makes, then there's a Lucas or a Bosch here for around the 60 quid mark https://www.alpha-batteries.co.uk/battery-type/054/

It's also worth looking on carparts4less.co.uk - a sister company of ECP, but internet only and a bit cheaper, if you don't mind waiting a couple of days for delivery.

What car have you got?  Changing a battery really is easy-peasy on most cars.  If you're not confident in doing it yourself, do you have a friend/neighbour who can do basic DIY car stuff for the price of a pint?

robdex1

Ebe_Scrooge said:

robdex1 said:

Goudy said:

It probably is, but you need to take what they say with a large pick of sodium chloride, after all they sell batteries.

Halford batteries are as Neil states usually pretty reasonable, quality wise. Most are made by Yuasa but they tend to be a bit down on Yuasa's own products, CCA wise.

Halfords do tend to list a lot of batteries wrong as well, I've no proof but I think they try and make their range "fit" as many models as they can and this sometimes leave you down on a few amps that the manufacturer specified was correct for your model.

I've come across one or two of their "listed" batteries that just aren't right, like the one listed of the Panda/500.
There's just not enough amps in it to run the EPAS properly.

Try sticking your reg number is somewhere like eurocarparts.com or batterymegastore.co.uk and see what results they return.

Looked on eurocarparts. They have a lion 054 £45 reduced from £93. Suppose I could have ordered that but then who could I have got to fit it for me 

I've had the Lion batteries before, no issues.  If you want "good" makes, then there's a Lucas or a Bosch here for around the 60 quid mark https://www.alpha-batteries.co.uk/battery-type/054/

It's also worth looking on carparts4less.co.uk - a sister company of ECP, but internet only and a bit cheaper, if you don't mind waiting a couple of days for delivery.

What car have you got?  Changing a battery really is easy-peasy on most cars.  If you're not confident in doing it yourself, do you have a friend/neighbour who can do basic DIY car stuff for the price of a pint?

Ive already had it fitted at Kwik fit. Was just curious if there was a better way. I have a Honda jazz 2007. It's good learn how to do it myself for next time. 

Ectophile

With a set of spanners, you can replace your own battery.  As with all things on cars, sometimes it's easy and sometimes you hit an unexpected snag.

Undo the negative terminal first, then the positive.  Undo the battery clamp.  Lift out the old battery (they are heavy!).  Lower in the new one.  Do up the clamp.  Put the positive terminal back on, then the negative.

Of course, all sorts of things can trip you up.  I have had a battery clamp that broke, so it wouldn't do up properly.  Also watch out for detachable plastic trims on the battery.  I had one where I just couldn't do up the clamp - until I pulled off a bit of plastic around the side of the battery.

And never short the battery terminals out with the spanner.  Holding a red hot spanner isn't good.  I have avoided that mistake so far.

Grumpy_chap

I actually think if someone is unable, or simply disinclined, to fit a new battery themselves, then the Halfords WeFit service is ideal.

facade

Ectophile said:

With a set of spanners, you can replace your own battery.  As with all things on cars, sometimes it's easy and sometimes you hit an unexpected snag.

Like if the car says BMW on it (or MINI), a new battery has to be registered (expensively no doubt) with the ECU or Terrible Bad Things happen.