Car shut off now won't start plus battery replacement advice.

wazza2004

Have a 2018 hyundai i20 1.0 petrol automatic.
After a couple weeks of not being used I took the car out for a drive. As you know in the UK it has been freezing weather lately. Car started OK and drove off. Came to a set of traffic lights the stop start kicked in and switched the engine off. When I tried to set off the car won't restart. I tried restarting the car no luck. The battery has gone flat. I had the car for 3 years and it's a 2018 model. Don't think the battery has been replaced. Got a jump starter kit and connected to the battery. The engine turns over but does not start. Could it be due to poor battery condition? It's an automatic so can't really bump start.

Any idea why it does not start? Thinking of getting a new battery from halfords and get them to fit it. I am not sure if the car needs to be coded to the new battery like some car does. Halfords has its own brand and Yusua brand, both with 5 year guarantee. Any advice which to go for?
Reason for using halfords is that they have a mobile fitter that can come and fit a new battery.  However rac also offer the same service at the same price.  Who shall I go for?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Mildly_Miffed

There could be a stack of fault codes stored from the low voltage - and that may be preventing it starting. Clear those, and try again.

OBDII readers are *dirt* cheap. It's almost rude not to have one.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/317366472195 plus a free smartphone app (I use Scanmaster on Android).

QrizB

Have you got the car home now?

Is it in a location (driveway, garage etc) where you can get power to the car, and do you own a battery charger?

See these two threads (the same poster) from the middle of last year:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6613888/help-i-cant-get-into-my-car

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6614232/how-do-i-use-a-car-battery-charger

Good luck!

paul_c123

Fault needs properly diagnosing before throwing parts (eg a battery) at it.

wazza2004

paul_c123 said:

Fault needs properly diagnosing before throwing parts (eg a battery) at it.

Will leave it for a few days before I attempt another start before going ahead and either get a battery replaced or get a mechanic to look at it. 

wazza2004

QrizB said:

Have you got the car home now?

Is it in a location (driveway, garage etc) where you can get power to the car, and do you own a battery charger?

See these two threads (the same poster) from the middle of last year:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6613888/help-i-cant-get-into-my-car

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6614232/how-do-i-use-a-car-battery-charger

Good luck!

Got it towed home.  It's on the main road.  Will have a look at those threads.  Thanks

wazza2004

Mildly_Miffed said:

There could be a stack of fault codes stored from the low voltage - and that may be preventing it starting. Clear those, and try again.

OBDII readers are *dirt* cheap. It's almost rude not to have one.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/317366472195 plus a free smartphone app (I use Scanmaster on Android).

Will look into this.  Thanks

Brie

My VW up automatic ran well at the end of December after being left on the drive for a couple of weeks.  A couple of days later it wouldn't start - but the radio would come on and there was a ticking noise, but no slight rev of an engine trying to start.  Lots of things were suggested here including trying to jump the battery - couldn't do it in the end as I didn't know anyone with cables and a car that could be used to do the jump.  

10 yo car and I've not replaced the battery in the nearly 8 years I've owned it so I got Halford's mobile mechanic to come out with a new battery.  (join the Halford club for a discount) I went for one of the mid price batteries (HCB202 12V Car Battery 4 Year Guarantee) on the thought that I might sell the car in the next few years so nothing better was required.  Turned out that they no longer stock these so I was given one with a 5 year warranty instead.  Zero fee for coming to you if you book well enough in advance and go for the 8am - 8pm range.  I waited until the day before to book this and there was a £3 fee.  There's other fees depending on how popular the time of the day is.  Chap was speedy, efficient, no mansplaining of the problem.   Full price just under £100.

The mechanic did say that it wasn't just the age of the battery that seemed to be the problem but the fact that I only use the car now for very short journeys, under 5 miles, often less.  10 miles seems to be the best to aim for to get a proper recharge.  So if you are in a stop/start vehicle the recharge isn't likely to be happening.  Maybe if you've not been running it for a while you should turn that option off (if possible) to keep the battery topped up?

QrizB

^ Brie I remember your thread and almost added it to the ones I linked earlier. Glad everything was sorted out by a new battery

vacheron

Not sure if it is the battery as cars with auto start-stop continuously monitor the charge of the battery to ensure that it is safe to use. If the battery voltage is low, the car will disable the auto start stop until the alternator has charged it back up to an acceptable level. 

It could be a sudden fuel supply issue, say fuel pump or electronic ignltion failure, are you sure the car deliberately auto stop-started, or did the engine just die at the lights, and you made the assumption?

This might sound like a stupid question, but there is fuel in it? It's amazing how many people have (even professionals) who have expeienced problems with cars not starting, and checking there is fuel in the tank is about the 5th, rather than the first, thing they did! 

Arunmor

paul_c123 said:

Fault needs properly diagnosing before throwing parts (eg a battery) at it.

8 year old car I would do 5 minute run through to discount a few things, and check voltage and then be online to have a battery delivered.  Getting it properly diagnosed would just cost more money when temps get low, you just know.

Just splashed out on two large Yuasa 12V batteries for the DAF LF45.  Was slightly miffed that they just lasted over 4 years.