Car battery help

tussylucille

In March of last year my battery was flat via my breakdown cover a company came but said they did not have the right battery with them they returned the next day. My car is an i10 Hyundai I live in Halifax am 65 and have health / disabilty related issues. The company are based in Rochdale and charged me £140 for this service. Last week another breakdown company came tested the battery and said it was faulty. I have subsequently been phoning emailing and texting the battery supplier to change it. As of yet 9 days later they have not come. What can I do?

Ditzy_Mitzy

It's hard to know what you are asking, here.  
Having read it, the situation appears to be that your car failed to proceed as a result of a flat battery.  A mobile outfit came and fitted a replacement.  The car failed to proceed for a second time, resulting in another mobile outfit coming out and declaring the replacement battery faulty.  Have you or the second lot attempted to investigate this further, even doing the basics such as attempting to trickle charge the new battery?  There may also be an issue with the car's charging circuit, in which case it's nobody's fault.  It would be interesting to know what the second lot did in order to declare the new battery a write off.  Has the replacement battery ever started the car? 

I'm only asking these questions because it's unusual for a new car battery to 'break'.  If it held charge once, then it is likely to hold charge again.  Sometimes it's necessary to recondition batteries with a proper charger.  

Phantom151

This may be a daft question but have you used the car regularly?

tussylucille

Yes driven car most days locally since 'new ' battery. When the second breakdown came he placed a machine on the battery and said even stationary the battery was losing voltage. The company in Rochdale have said they are bound to replace it as it is under warranty but just keep fobbing me off as to when/ if  they are coming. Due to health related issues this has left me as good as stranded. What "legally" or otherwise can I do? Is there a body who oversees issues like this?
Thank you for your responses thus far. 

Ditzy_Mitzy

tussylucille said:

Yes driven car most days locally since 'new ' battery. When the second breakdown came he placed a machine on the battery and said even stationary the battery was losing voltage. The company in Rochdale have said they are bound to replace it as it is under warranty but just keep fobbing me off as to when/ if  they are coming. Due to health related issues this has left me as good as stranded. What "legally" or otherwise can I do? Is there a body who oversees issues like this?
Thank you for your responses thus far. 

Thank you for responding.  Discharge with the engine off, as you suggest is occurring, is the fault of the car not the battery.  There will be an open circuit somewhere, or something not powering down when the ignition is switched off.  You'll need to get in touch with a proper garage or auto electrician, I'm afraid.  

Thrugelmir

Could you not get the vehicle started and drive the vehicle to Rochdale. 

Alderbank

The car failed to proceed for a second time...

The OP doesn't say that. More likely nowadays is that the engine management computer is flashing up warnings about a battery fault and the handbook (correctly) says to get it looked at. As the OP refers to disability issues, is the breakdown company RAC Motability Assist?

I agree with Ditzy_Mitzy that the issue could be low battery charge after a couple of winter months and probably fewer and shorter journeys than normal. I know what winters are like in Halifax. This will show as battery fault warnings. OP, do you have a battery charger?

This battery is about 8 months old now. Hyundai say to replace the i10 battery at 3-5 years. Batteries are seen as consumable items but under consumer law the OP might be able to claim about 50% refund?
OP, what warranty did you get with the battery? That might give you a better deal.

A new battery for the i10 from the RAC costs about £122 depending on model. 

I don't think the i10 has stop/start but if it does and the wrong battery was fitted then 8 months doesn't sound too bad.

born_again

tussylucille said:

Yes driven car most days locally since 'new ' battery. When the second breakdown came he placed a machine on the battery and said even stationary the battery was losing voltage. The company in Rochdale have said they are bound to replace it as it is under warranty but just keep fobbing me off as to when/ if  they are coming. Due to health related issues this has left me as good as stranded. What "legally" or otherwise can I do? Is there a body who oversees issues like this?
Thank you for your responses thus far. 

Any electrical items such as dash cam or plugged into 12V socket? 
As Hyundai Like Kia the ACC side of ignition is still live for at least 5 mins after ignition is turned off. So unless the check on the battery was for at least a hour you are always going to see a drop in battery voltage.

I'm guessing locally is a lot of short trips which are not good for battery health.

tussylucille

Nothing else plugged in and by local I mean 3 - 7 mes regularly

Alderbank

tussylucille said:

The company in Rochdale have said they are bound to replace it as it is under warranty but just keep fobbing me off as to when/ if  they are coming. 

Nothing against Rochdale but they are on the far side of the Pennines.
What do the terms of the battery warranty say? You can probably claim under the warranty from a local garage.
If you tell us the make and model we could look it up for you.

Ditzy_Mitzy

What exactly is happening to the car?  Is the battery going flat overnight?