Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   Technical Stuff (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/)

-   -   Car battery life - How long did your battery last? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/38613-car-battery-life-how-long-did-your-battery-last-71.html)

I had to open the boot yesterday to get something and saw the lamp on. So I tried starting and it did :) Not sure what happened as I just the left the car since last time. This time, I revved to 2000 rpm for a solid 45 minutes to fully charge the battery as I won't need to use it for a while. I'll take it for a brisk driving for 20 minutes every 4-5 days just to be safe. In a couple of months the service will be due so will get the battery checked at that time.

If you know you won't be using it you can disconnect the battery terminals if feasible. This will keep the battery alive.

The observation of GTO is spot on even for a daily drive and as AP mentioned, replacing them even if the battery does not provide any signs of distress is a good idea around the 4-5 year mark.

I follow up a few things having lived with a few old generation cars.

1. Keep the top of the battery clean, as well as the contacts.
2. Periodically check if the battery cables are fastened tight.
3. Morning start - diesel as well as petrol - Keep the key in ignition, wait for the instrument cluster to finish its song and dance, give it another 10 seconds (fuel pump hiss \ glow plug lights etc, keep AC blower off) now start the engine.
4. Do not allow battery to discharge too much by keeping the, headlights on, AC blower on, using the power window and other accessories a lot while the engine is off.
5. Disable the walk me home \ follow me home lamps if not needed.
6. Avoid too many engine start-stop unless your car battery is specifically designed for it. (Its not long before you realize that starter motor is a consumable, poor thing)
7. Alternator, not all of them will output enough juice to keep the battery charged at idle speed, sometimes its age of the alternator or the design or even the belts - check them periodically.

These things are from my own observations over many different cars, new and old that I have owned. My last battery lasted almost 5 years , it passed all the tests during its time, however I changed it due to the fear that someday its going to call it quits and I do not want to be sitting in the car at 7AM in the morning after Ooty weather having frozen the battery overnight and hearing just a faint click trying to crank the engine over.

Oh last point - Use Amaron only , preferably the model suggested by the manufacturer.

My Thar's battery has lasted 7+ years and still going strong - this is some kind of new record for me!

You have maintained it well, that's good. While my Scorpio's battery did not give any warning signs as well as passed battery test , I just couldn't get to keep it once it was nearing its 5th year. I replaced it for good old peace of mind - priceless.

Thar's battery if maintained likewise ideally should last longer due to less power consuming accessories (stock). Will I get over the mental block is what matters I guess.

Well, my Thar is a hardtop with a remote central locking system installed.

Mods, I'm posting here as I could not find a better thread than this. Please move this post if it is irrelevant.

Our Stingray is 4 years and 8 months old and has covered 72xxx kms till date. It still runs on the OEM battery. For the past 6 months, the car has been struggling a bit to start. Took to MASS last December, but the issue didn't seem to rectify. As the car always started, despite a bit of a struggle, we just ignored the issue.

Today, the car started initially. After covering a few kilometres, when the car was restarted, it refused to start for some time. However, it managed to start later. When I opened the bonnet, I saw some fungus-like material over the battery's negative terminal. Could someone please tell me the reason for the formation of the fungus-like material? And is it time to replace the battery?

Thanks in advance.

Hi there, i would suggest you to remove the battery and get it charged from a battery dealer, i got mine done for some 40-50 bucks, the last time it died. Its more practical that burning more valuable fuel for 45 mins straight. However you won't find a battery dealer open in this Covid situation and ill thus suggest you to give your car a spin for groceries shopping the next time.

That green-white fungus like material is due to the electrolyte bubbling out of the battery case and condensing on the post. It is mainly due to too much distilled water filling OR high charging voltage. I'd suggest you check battery electrolyte levels and top off with distilled water only if necessary Consult your car owners manual for details. Get the charging system checked once the lock down ends.

Guys, I assume most people may not be having a car battery charger at home. But if the need arises, you can charge your car battery by using 12v single battery home inverter if you have one. Follow these steps:

1. Turn off back up button on your inverter.
2. Turn off mains for the inverter and pull the plug out from socket.
3. Disconnect inverter battery leads one by one. Avoid unnecessary sparks near battery area.
4. Connect your car battery terminals to the inverter leads. Red is normally positive and black is negative. Confirm this with markings on your device to make sure you do not mix up polarities.
5. Plug in the inverter and switch on the mains. This should begin charging the battery. Do not switch on the back up mode. Just keep it in charging mode. Preferably, leave it overnight.

Trust this helps for readers.

Regards,
Saket

BATTERY SULFATION!

You car mighty be guilty of not running too much or possibly many start/stops. Go long drives. Keep the engines running for a while. Let the battery juice up well.

The only issue with this is fixing inverter cables to car battery posts may be a challenge as inverter cables use crimped terminals with a 4-5 mm hole for the bolt while car batteries require a clamp to fit over the post. Also, if power fails at night the inverter may deep discharge the comparatively small car (35-50 AH capacity) battery.

I would recommend all car owners buy a smart battery charger to deal with situations when the car cannot be used for extended periods of time.

Best is to have a dedicated battery charger but during this lockdown, it will be difficult to find it anywhere. Please use this tip only during this emergency; if at all required.

To take care of your other apprehension of inverter putting your car battery into deep discharge which is justified, I have suggested to keep the back up function of the inverter in off mode. :)

Modern vehicles hate push start and may kill the catalyser. Jump starting with help of another car is possible if done in correct manner but finding a donor may be difficult especially when many will be dealing with this situation. Last week I did help two cars in our building by jump starting their cars by help of my car with 6 year old battery :D

Post this lockdown, a lot of battery shops will be overwhelmed by vehicle owners for service of their batteries, and some owners may even have emergencies during this period; hence this may come as a life saver.

Regards,
Saket.

Thank you R2D2 and Miyata for your inputs.

I shall check the battery electrolyte levels. Is it necessary to clean the electrolyte or just leave it?

Does battery sulfation cause starting trouble? Even if I plan to take the car for a long drive, I'm afraid that the car would refuse to start when I restart the car after a stop.

It is necessary to clean it off using a mixture of baking soda and water (1 tbsp of baking soda to 2 cups, about 300 ml, of water). Once the deposits are cleared, coat the posts and clamps with Vaseline or other petroleum jelly.

Sulphation will damage the battery over time and it will eventually require a replacement. If the car is not starting I would strongly recommend you replace the battery before heading out for a long journey. This is even if the hard starts are caused by other issues in the fuel or ignition systems. A 4 year old battery is generally nearing end-of-life.