Battery woes, A possible help

Message

#1 Post by **Kwackerz** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:45 pm

The missus has been having problems with the car. Battery is pretty much on it's last throes of life, not bad as it was the original battery from when we bought the car new 12 years ago. Basically she who must be obeyed doesnt do very much in the way of distance in the car so by the time the car DOES get a decent run out it's pretty much dead. Ive had to bump it a few times now. SHE still doesnt listen and insists on anything electrical inside the car being used for her short commute.
Anyways, it highlighted the fact the battery was dying away and needed renewing.

Being a skinflint twat I decided It can wait another half a decade. Like the starter motor that I bodged 2 years ago when the bearings disintegrated and the housing for them expanded... and the exhaust that died 5 years ago which I bodged with a range of aftermarket end cans (renegade stainless ones.. not cheap shit) and then a cheap car derived end can.. all still going strong.... did I mention the bodge on the heater fan? No? dont ask... it works.. I hasten to say for 'Bodge' read Battlefield Repair... (done the course.. got the certificate.. cheers REME..

)

AAaaaaaaaanyway, Battery life. I chose to add £3.99 (A1 Motorstores) Bat Aid tablets, made by Granville. These work like a kettle descaler, cleaning off the internal plates and as long as the SG (specific gravity) is ok, rejuvenate the battery back to it's former self. They work too! The dying battery in her car has now gained a second wind and is happier than it's been in years, it's holding charge again and happily shrugs off her electrical advances with heaters, radios and lights.

This is what they look like:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165750

however i'd personally fk Halfords off. (a small 8 pack for more than i bought a 12 pack for at A1) I reserved online, went miles in to collect a packet and lo and behold they couldnt find them anywhere. twats. Anyway. They come in an 8 pack or 12 pack of tablets, pop a tablet or 2 down into each cell and they do their thing. Instructions are on the back of the packet.

Ive noticed a few threads mentioning battery problems in the past, thought i'd just share this product with you.

It's definately worth a shot at under 4 quid.

BikerGran · #2 Post by **BikerGran** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:52 pm

Sounds just the ticket for Mike's car which gets started twice a day and driven about a mile each time!

(except when I'm using it cos my useless mechanic has had my car since before xmas and not looked at it yet - grrr!)

However

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Samray · #3 Post by **Samray** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:55 pm

They are probably busy reducing the price BG.

#4 Post by **Kwackerz** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:57 pm

theyre useless!!

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trks ... Categories

there's plenty on ebay to use as examples

Halfords are probably auditing their stock levels..

they had none of the 5 packs in at Cambridge that they said they had!

D-Rider · #5 Post by **D-Rider** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 11:13 pm

Oooooh this is a timely post.

My Mrs drives about a mile each way to work each day (she's a teacher so she always has tons of stuff to take in and bring home each day).
Last year she wanted me to get her a new battery but I've been keeping it going .... as you do ....

With the winter it's struggling again - as is the pressure for a new battery.

I think a pack of these will be just the job

#6 Post by **Kwackerz** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 11:21 pm

I found that I added the tablets (i used 2 in each of the 6 cells) later on gave the battery a charge to give it that kick back up to 'happy' levels of voltage and it has maintained itself at those levels. Im highly impressed with them.

In normal use obviously the car needs a good run to fully recover from the poxy little runs now and again, especially when the battery is under lots of demand and doesnt get a long enough run to recover from starting, lighting, heating, demisting.... radio.. cigarette lightering... etc, etc etc.. but thats just normal and commonsense really (well to us lot anyways, so it seems!) but the tablets definately do the job they say they do

I'd imagine they'd help on the 2 wheeled front too, although you'd have to crush the tablets to get em into the cells on the battery on a bike!

Gio · #7 Post by **Gio** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:08 am

Kwackerz wrote:I found that I added the tablets (i used 2 in each of the 6 cells) later on gave the battery a charge to give it that kick back up to 'happy' levels of voltage and it has maintained itself at those levels. Im highly impressed with them.

In normal use obviously the car needs a good run to fully recover from the poxy little runs now and again, especially when the battery is under lots of demand and doesnt get a long enough run to recover from starting, lighting, heating, demisting.... radio.. cigarette lightering... etc, etc etc.. but thats just normal and commonsense really (well to us lot anyways, so it seems!) but the tablets definately do the job they say they do

I'd imagine they'd help on the 2 wheeled front too, although you'd have to crush the tablets to get em into the cells on the battery on a bike!

I will try them on my old bike battery 1st then, it currently is used as a jump for anyone who has a duff one and is always on a trickle charger.

back_marker · #8 Post by **back_marker** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:39 am

However, before you go all gung-ho with your little pills, remember that many batteries nowadays ( bikes especially) have AGM batteries where the electrolyte is all absorbed into fibreglass pads between the plates, meaning that these may not work. I first found out such batteries existed shortly after I topped one up because it looked "a bit dry"...

#9 Post by **Kwackerz** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 3:42 pm

Result from Halfords too. Complained about the poor service, got a £20 gift voucher! Cool!

And yes it's for halfords not Woolworths

Samray · #10 Post by **Samray** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 4:03 pm

And yes it's for halfords not Woolworths

I'd still spend it quickly.