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[Kevin Wood]

If you aren't using a car for a while, it's a good idea to trickle charge the battery to stop it going flat.

Halfrauds do trickle chargers that are like a little mains adaptor and pretty cheap.

Kevin

[MickAP]

My battery seems to be an original, sealed type no topping up. Been on the car since new I think now over 7 years old.
The battery on the last car I owned (Nissan) was original and 7 years old before it gave up. That just went all of a sudden, one very cold winters day.

Mick

[Dave-C]

Solar panels are good too, plug into the lighter and go....   Only thing is, my Omega Elite's lighter sockets go to 0v when ignition key removed....  so, no constant supply for ancillaries etc,  I've put a spare lighter socket in the boot with a constant 12v, ideal for charging camera batteries out of sight...


DC

[Markjay]

...My cousin had one explode! Made a right mess...

Yep, happened to me as well,back in 1982... a 3-years old battery exploded when I started the car (it was an Alfasud with the original battery). The base of the battery was intact as was the first inch of the sidewalls, but everything else has disintegrated... problem was that even after cleaning the mess and hosing it down, there was permanent acid damage to the paintwork in the engine bay and inside bonnet.

[Kevin Wood]

.. and a dousing in acid's probably the last thing an Alfasud needed!  

Kevin

[Markjay]

.. and a dousing in acid's probably the last thing an Alfasud needed!  

Kevin

I wrote it off a couple of months later...  

But interestingly, when the panels fell off in the crash, there was already rust evident in the joints... and the car was actually less than 3 years old at the time.

[laughjimbo]

well guys, i got the car running with a power pack so there must have been more than 10 volts at the battery otherwise my pack doesn't work. Run the car for 15 mins. Just tried it which is 4 hours later and fired straight up so now going to trickle charge it over night to see if it is ok. Need the car for Monday cause i have got to go to  funeral in Salisbury, so 200 mile round trip. What battery type does this car have because i have spoken to several motor factors today that state different types. From an 065, 067, to an 075 which seems to be the most popular right up to a 017 or 019!! Which is the standard size for the 3.0 l MV6??

[Markjay]

Vx 'Go' branded after-market battery from Vx dealers is best for quality and price... and 3y warranty  

[Markjay]

Vx 'Go' branded after-market battery from Vx dealers is best for quality and price... and 3y warranty  

and they cost around £30-£40

[kbou55]

well guys, i got the car running with a power pack so there must have been more than 10 volts at the battery otherwise my pack doesn't work. Run the car for 15 mins. Just tried it which is 4 hours later and fired straight up so now going to trickle charge it over night to see if it is ok. Need the car for Monday cause i have got to go to  funeral in Salisbury, so 200 mile round trip. What battery type does this car have because i have spoken to several motor factors today that state different types. From an 065, 067, to an 075 which seems to be the most popular right up to a 017 or 019!! Which is the standard size for the 3.0 l MV6??

i always go for a Varta battery, ive had one in the vectra for 5 years and not so much as a groan out of it, i got one with a higher amper hour than the standard rating for a bit more crank in the cold. i know they're dear but i think its worth it.

[LFF64]

I knew I should not have read this thread   Went to pop out last night and guess what battery absolutley flat , called AA oh someone will be with you in about 2 hours  
 Then  I had a cunning plan use the battery from the caravan to jump start the car, this worked ok probably wont do the lesuire battery much good but at least got the car going. So phoned AA back and cancelled the call .
 Question is does any one know if you can use trade cards on batteries at vx or halfords  :question

[Auto Addict]

I knew I should not have read this thread   Went to pop out last night and guess what battery absolutley flat , called AA oh someone will be with you in about 2 hours  
 Then  I had a cunning plan use the battery from the caravan to jump start the car, this worked ok probably wont do the lesuire battery much good but at least got the car going. So phoned AA back and cancelled the call .
 Question is does any one know if you can use trade cards on batteries at vx or halfords  :question

Yes.

[TheBoy]

I knew I should not have read this thread   Went to pop out last night and guess what battery absolutley flat , called AA oh someone will be with you in about 2 hours  
 Then  I had a cunning plan use the battery from the caravan to jump start the car, this worked ok probably wont do the lesuire battery much good but at least got the car going. So phoned AA back and cancelled the call .
 Question is does any one know if you can use trade cards on batteries at vx or halfords  :question

Vx trade card at Vx, and Halfords trade card at Halfords.  I have both if you need.

[TheBoy]

First bout of sustained freezing weather, so many old batteries failing.


My MV6 has been giving me warnings about its poor battery for months, so defo not sudden IME

[LFF64]

The battery in mine looks fairly recent but there is no reciept amongst the paperwork so not much I can do there   I did check the battery a while back and found a couple of cells very low on water, the battery was not causing any problems but my journey to work is very short about a mile.
But with everything on in this cold weather it is just asking for trouble . I was told that every time a car starts it takes about seven miles to put that charge back in to the battery , not sure how true this is but it does not seem unreasonable.  
 Checked battery price at halfords yesterday a HB010 MAINT FREE with three year warranty is
£94.99   with the trade card it comes down to £56   so thats a fair old saving The HB010
is the battery for a car with aircon by the way,I have not tried vx yet for a price  
 I gave the car a good run yesterday down to Essex to swmbo and it appears to be ok for now.
The alternator was given output of 14Von load so that appears to be ok   May be a good idea to run the car for a short detour to work just to keep the battery happy