Another Battery Problem.

Joe9090

I have 2017 Astra and the battery let me down a couple of days ago. My fault I had not used the car for a couple of weeks. Luckily I have at home breakdown cover and the car was up and running within an hour. Although the car has started first time since then I thought I should be prepared for a new battery as I have had it for 7 years without any problems.

The battery in the car at the moment is a Varta which according to AI is ' The Varta 13 390 019 GJ is a 12V 52Ah 470A (or 450A) lead-acid starter battery' I cannot find the identical battery so could someone let me know the best money saving alternative. Halfords advise a £200 one on their website although I am sure one for less than £100 would be good enough. .

fatbelly

Tayna are pretty good

https://www.tayna.co.uk/

Your actual model number came up on this site

https://www.autopartspro.co.uk/originalparts/oem-13390019gj

So it looks like you have a choice in the £60-70 range

With warmer weather coming yours may have another season in it, particularly if you have a smart cbarger that can do a pulse repair.

But with a battery >7 years old for peace of mind you might want a new one

IOWJJBTM2025

I ordered a new battery for my wife's car a few weeks ago. Got it off Amazon - company called Battery Group Limited.

Was delivered in 2 days - Exide 005 EFB £89.78.

Halfords wanted £230 for the own brand and included fitting / disposal of old.

Battery only was £210. Was 2 days for collection from local store.

I think an Astra may be easy to fit? I was cursing a bit because on our car there is a clamp that holds the battery in position. To remove the clamp I had to remove the front grill. My tip would be to make sure the replacement battery is the same size and the terminal types / position are the same. This will make swapping a lot easier.

Had to take a trip to the local recycle tip to dispose of the old battery.

Wifes car has an alarm fitted which has a flashing light in the front window that stobes like the knight rider car. We think that this puts a small drain on the battery.

Not sure how long a battery should last - the one we bought has a 12 month warranty.

My last car was a KIa which was 11 years old and would spend weeks not being used and still never let me down once.

Rodders53

Had the battery been duff the Breakdown firm would likely have told you / offered to replace it there and then for a cost. With the winter almost over you probably have no rush to replace it —- provided you have done a decent run to recharge it fully.

Or, if possible, attach a smart charger to it for 24 hours. (Aldi and Lidl smart chargers are cheap enough). Repeat occasionally if the vehicle is little used.

Most decent battery sellers (Tayna) will have a number plate lookup to offer you an equivalent to the Varta model number. Go for a decent brand (Lucas, Varta, Exide, Yuasa, etc.,.). Your local motor factors (not Halfords) may be cost effective too and may test the battery / advise more accurately about it's state of health.

daveyjp

Just had a new battery on a car.

Local fast fit centre did a test, the old one was past its best. They had two types, one £70, the other £90. I chose the £70 and for an extra £20 I didn't have think about ordering online, wait for delivery or get my hands dirty fitting it.

I don't expect a 2017 Astra battery to cost much more.

BlueonBlue

You need to id the car type engine type exactly …….saying 2017 astra doesnt do it .

The battery in the car "may not" be the standard uk battery type or it could be… who knows ?…… but from your limited info it seems the battery you currenty have is a UK type 012 or 079 size and type ie. 207L x 175W x 190H in mm

When you figure out what exact car you have and the correct battery UK type number for that car then buying via Ebay with a discount code is the cheapest but the discount codes need to be running for this to happen .

They can be 5% to 24% etc

Presently Tayna has a 10% code running on ebay plus you dont pay the 7.99 delivery but you need to know your correct uk type battery and size …..to buy the right battery .

Most people cant deal with all the above so over pay every time for the rest of ones life …..outfits like Tayna are good but they are not the cheapest way to buy a battery also other battery shops exist that may also have discount codes on the companys Ebay store especially in the cold months .

Varta do make it harder or more work to cross ref and ID batterys so thats part of whats happening in your case. You need to know the Battery uk type numbers such as 063 or 012 or 079 or 096 etc also knowing the sizing helps ..also the terminal positions needed.

Also if its a std Lead acid or AGM or EFB etc

What ever you do dont use Halfords unless you enjoy getting ripped off …..so your doing the right thing asking for info.

Secondly get a lithium jump starter keep it in your car such as Gooloo ….whatever you buy …..it MUST have a booster feature etc £24 -80 odd will do it…. a Gooloo GT4000 will start anything .

Thirdly if you have a driveway/garage with 3 pin plug access then get a good trickle charger for weeks you dont drive. A jump starter is a portable use anywhere anytime and gets you going …get out of jail kind of thing thing .

Some people use them to start ones car for couple weeks till they finally get a new battery .

Bigwheels1111

First, use online shops, to get the right battery.

Using your reg.

https://batterylookupgb.yuasa.co.uk/widgets/?api_key=pVz4WkwK6cmU5HBiiBXsq04S3W6x7IIG&width=600&height=200&scrolling=no

Then decide, are you keeping the car for 3/5 more years.

Can you change it yourself ?.

If keeping the car, I would pick in this order.

1, Bosch or Vatra, both are made in the same factory.

2, Yusa

3, Exide

Battery mega store are very good, used in the past.

As above eBay are the same company's but have better discounts at times.

Joe9090

Many thanks for all the fantastic replies. Some really great replies thank you.

The battery going flat was a bit of an eye opener. I rang the breakdown firm and took out the floor of the boot so the battery was easily accessible. The mechanic didn't want to look at the boot and instead took the charger to the front of the car! From the posts on here I will buy a charger and acquaint myself with what to do if this happens again. I will also go through your recommendations and buy a battery……. do I need a Stop/Start battery? The car spec according to Parkers after I put the reg in is https://www.parkers.co.uk/vauxhall/astra/hatchback-2015/14t-16v-sri-5d/specs/

wongataa

do I need a Stop/Start battery?

If the car has stop/start yes.

Look at the battery you currently have. Write down the battery code on it. Go to the website of somewhere that sells car batteries and put in your reg number and see what battery options you get. Buy one with the battery code that matches your current battery.

Betterthanlife

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81897177#Comment_81897177

I take my old batteries to the scrap yard, (metal recycling) get about £10 a time

BlueonBlue

It seems you now know…. what type of car you own….. I would double check that again to be certain .

Then you can order other parts etc

You need to put your reg in on the Tayna and BMS battery sites to find out what battery you need !

Also take a rag to likely clean your battery abit and your phone to take a number of photos of the current battery type and spec written on the battery top and front..

Check that its the same battery type as Tayna/BMS is offereing once you put your reg in .

When you know for certain what type of car you have and battery you need … go to Taynas ebay shop and price one up as its offering 10% plus you wont pay 7.99 delivery if you buy direct .

You may find discounted deals from other suppliers on other brand batterys via Ebay but its hit and miss which means if you do the search work…. you get the deal .