Is this the end?

[Whorty]

I bloody well hope not

To those of a certain vintage, they will always be Datsuns.

Passed my driving test in a Datsun Sunny

[ladymuck]

My brother is going to recommend one of those home jump starter things which I suspect will come in handy until I can get it fixed. Limited time available to get it seen, but may abandon the car at my parents' place as I'm due down there in a couple of weeks and it'll give my Dad something to do in arranging for it to be fixed.

[DealorNoDeal]

I only use my car a couple of times a week, and have to leave it permanently on a trickle charger. The parasitic load, when it's parked up, drains the battery in 7-10 days to a point where the starter motor won't turn the engine over.

If you have access to a multimeter, it's worth checking the battery voltage. A fully charged battery should be 12.6v. Once it falls much below 12v, you may have trouble starting the car.

[xoggoth]

Had her for 10 or so years now

Note her, not it. Glad I'm not the only one that sees my vehicle as not just a thing. I'd be really upset If I had to get rid of my little van. He's my mate, he is.

[HoofHearted]

I only use my car a couple of times a week, and have to leave it permanently on a trickle charger. The parasitic load, when it's parked up, drains the battery in 7-10 days to a point where the starter motor won't turn the engine over.

If you have access to a multimeter, it's worth checking the battery voltage. A fully charged battery should be 12.6v. Once it falls much below 12v, you may have trouble starting the car.

I have an old car which I don't use very often, and I've got a Ctek MXS 5 which I keep connected, and that does a great job of keeping the battery on form. I even used it with an old battery which wouldn't take a charge from a normal charger, I set the Ctek to "Recondition" and it breathed new life into it

[Benny]

Some here may know that I have an old (04) Nissan 350z as my gas guzzler of choice. Had her for 10 or so years now.

I drive about every 6 weeks or so, to visit the parentals, so it was unsurprising the other week when I discovered the battery dead as a dead thing one rainy, windswept morning. Got a new battery fitted at short notice from the lovely chaps at Kwik Fit (my car has a 'special' battery; none of that universal, find one anywhere types common folk have). It seemed plausible that it had died, the last battery change was over 5 years ago.

Imagine, therefore, my dismay when I pop out to my car three days after the new battery has been fitted to discover it be dead as a dead thing once again.

Now starts the presumably expensive game of 'find the electrical fault' that is draining the battery.

Shall I just give up now or fight the good fight for a while longer?

I don't know if this helps


YouTube

[Paddy]

Some here may know that I have an old (04) Nissan 350z as my gas guzzler of choice. Had her for 10 or so years now.

I drive about every 6 weeks or so, to visit the parentals, so it was unsurprising the other week when I discovered the battery dead as a dead thing one rainy, windswept morning. Got a new battery fitted at short notice from the lovely chaps at Kwik Fit (my car has a 'special' battery; none of that universal, find one anywhere types common folk have). It seemed plausible that it had died, the last battery change was over 5 years ago.

Imagine, therefore, my dismay when I pop out to my car three days after the new battery has been fitted to discover it be dead as a dead thing once again.

Now starts the presumably expensive game of 'find the electrical fault' that is draining the battery.

Shall I just give up now or fight the good fight for a while longer?

The first problem was going to Kwikfit.

I suggest buying one of these from eBay "12V/24V LED Digital Auto Car Truck Cigarette Lighter Volt Voltage Gauge Meter"
(about £3) It plugs into the cigarette lighter socket and displays the voltage. The battery should not drop below 12volts and when the engine is running, it should be about 14volts. If not, it could be a bad earth wire or a faulty alternator.

[Eccystig]

Go back to Kwik Fit and ask them to test the alternator, they should have done this when you first went in. It only takes them a minute to put the tester on the battery and then start the car to see if the alternator is charging or not.

[ladymuck]

The first problem was going to Kwikfit.

I suggest buying one of these from eBay "12V/24V LED Digital Auto Car Truck Cigarette Lighter Volt Voltage Gauge Meter"
(about £3) It plugs into the cigarette lighter socket and displays the voltage. The battery should not drop below 12volts and when the engine is running, it should be about 14volts. If not, it could be a bad earth wire or a faulty alternator.

How does that work if the car doesn't even turn on?

[ladymuck]

Go back to Kwik Fit and ask them to test the alternator, they should have done this when you first went in. It only takes them a minute to put the tester on the battery and then start the car to see if the alternator is charging or not.

Yes, that's the plan. Need a jump start first.

They can check a few bits over at the top of the idiot list and then I'll get it to a garage for the real work (but not Nissan, I'd like to keep my pension intact!)