HELP! Engine won't start

collinsca

sorted - RAC put in an AGM battery which should have cost £300ish?…but turned out to be covered by my insurance thankfully! So a nice result there.

yes the stop/start HAS been playing up…. If I was in the know a bit more then I could have twigged…it was on my list to ask a mechanic friend.

Noted- thanks for that link

LightFlare

battery covered by insurance ?

That’s a new one on me - but good result

collinsca

yeh… nor me…I didn’t question it!

Hopefully they won’t come back for cash!

Bigwheels1111

Just replaced my Battery last month as was 10 years old, AGM Bosch, £103 on eBay then £70 for dealer to fit. For the first time in years and years the stop start works.

Grumpy_chap

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82171916#Comment_82171916

RAC offer an add-on to break down cover called Battery Replace.

The OP did well that the Recovery Operative volunteered that the cover was in place without the OP needing to advise.

facade

I've never heard of a battery failing through old age being covered by standard car insurance, and unless they asked for your insurance details it won't be that. (It would be covered if it were stolen, or damaged in a crash, but there'd be an excess to pay)

Maybe you have some sort of add-on to your insurance, or you accidentally took out the £4 a month battery cover with your RAC breakdown policy.

I wouldn't spend the money for a while in case they made a mistake and a bill lands on your doormat.

(If a bill arrives, before you just pay it you should argue that you'd never have accepted a £300 battery if they hadn't said it was free under insurance when you can get one from Tayna for £150, and they will likely chop something off as a "Good Will Gesture"- never hurts to try)

Arunmor

In my view the first thing you should with a stop start system is switch it off! PITA.

oldagetraveller1

"In my view the first thing you should with a stop start system is switch it off! PITA."

Agreed, although I've never owned a car with that system. Further to that, I think it should be off by default and up to the driver whether it's on.

Mildly_Miffed

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82172518#Comment_82172518

Sheer luddism.

It's a damn-near-transparent way to save fuel and reduce emissions, especially in urban areas. The starter is specced for it and won't die prematurely. You still need an AGM (which'll last longer than old-style wet lead) battery coded to the ECU, so there's no difference there.

QrizB

I'm quite happy with my stop-start-equipped Fiat.

An unexpected advantage (at least as implemented in my Fiat) is that the engine will re-start itself automagically if you stall.