May need a new battery ???

[wilto]

Recently started to have starting issues with my 1.8 duratec.

As I only do a 4 mile drive to work everyday and I start at 4pm and finish around 12 hours later, I'm using my headlights, fan and heated windscreens ect it's not getting a good charge until the weekends.

Only Sunday I was waiting outside Asda for my daughter and had the ignition and sidelights on for about 15 minutes, and when I tried to start it it only just turned over and fired up.

So I'm thinking of getting a new battery ( currently got a bocsh 065 I think) but would like to get one that would hold more of a charge, any recommendations, liking the look of the yuasa 5000 range.

Thanks in advance guys. 👍

[Luke4efc]

If you're not driving it enough to even recharge the battery I'd be a bit concerned about the amount of excessive wear you're putting on the engine...

[Tdci-Peter]

4 hours ago, wilto said:

So I'm thinking of getting a new battery ( currently got a bocsh 065 I think) but would like to get one that would hold more of a charge,

A bigger capacity battery is unlikely to be a full solution. No lead acid car batteries (including calcium, silver, EFB and similar variants) like to be heavily discharged, and especially not for any length of time. So some way to get a bit of extra charge into it during the week would be a better solution. Connecting a charger can be done via the cigar lighter power points on cars where they stay permanently energised. If this is impractical, then a solar charger of decent size will do some good even on winter days.

But if the alternator is in good nick, and the car starts after a couple of cranks, then 5 to 10 minutes of driving should recharge it, and cope with headlights, fan & wipers. It is the electric heaters (screens & mirrors etc) that can prevent the system getting up to full charging voltage of about 14.4 volts. If the car gets up to that value for at least half the journey, it should be maintaining full charge.

Try to minimise use of screen heaters. Some people use warm water, and have done so for years without cracking screens. I have been known to use a fan heater on an extension lead (via an RCD!) in the car to defrost the screen.

If it is not getting up to over 14v with electric heaters off, then I would get the alternator tested. Voltmeters that plug in to the cigar lighter are cheap on eBay, and can help here. They are inaccurate, partly due to voltage drops in the car wiring, so need cross checking with a voltmeter on the battery terminals with the engine running, lights on etc before the readings can be trusted.

 

[wilto]

9 hours ago, Luke4efc said:

If you're not driving it enough to even recharge the battery I'd be a bit concerned about the amount of excessive wear you're putting on the engine...

Well I ain't walking to work that's for sure. 😂

[TomsFocus]

1 hour ago, wilto said:

Well I ain't walking to work that's for sure. 😂

Just bring the truck home...I'm sure your neighbours won't mind!  

On a serious note though, is this the first year you've noticed problems as you've had the ZS for a few now iirc?  I think you'll just have to accept you may need a new battery every 3 years or so with the type of driving you do.

[Luke4efc]

Having said all of that, our vans only really drive around site and do 1-2 miles before being stopped. The DPF is knackered after the second year (from new) but we don't get any battery issues...

[wilto]

3 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

Just bring the truck home...I'm sure your neighbours won't mind!  

On a serious note though, is this the first year you've noticed problems as you've had the ZS for a few now iirc?  I think you'll just have to accept you may need a new battery every 3 years or so with the type of driving you do.

I won't even get the cab unit down my street let alone a 40ft trailer as well 😂

Yes Tom I've had the car now 3 years September gone, I've just been looking at a battery on eBay, it's made by Advanced.

I think it should last me at least 3 years if not more, it's got a good spec and a good price as well.

[lasthope]

have you not tried euro parts and adding code in

[wilto]

Yeah I have but don't know about those lion make batteries, I'm on the fence about  them.

[Gymfocused]

I fitted one of those a year ago and it seems good.

[andypsp]

The lion brand batts are fine fitted one to a mates car 18 months ago still going fine. Remember its got 3yrs on it so if it packs up before then just take it back and get your lion batt replaced for new one 😀

[Luke4efc]

Buy cheap, buy twice 👍👌

[isetta]

"Buy cheap, buy twice",  I sometimes agree with this, but I would say it does not always apply.  I would take into account how long I might plan to keep the car or how much longer the car might last. I paid more for a decent battery in a Mk1 Focus years ago. I part exed the car in a year or two later. I got no extra for the decent battery in it and thought to myself that was some money wasted there.   And then there's tyres, you pay more for a decent one, and sod's law you get a nail in it, and the tyre place say it can't be repaired, which might not actually be true - they just want to sell you a new one. 

But in general terms I agree.

 

[wilto]

I know what your saying, I've ALWAYS bought budget tyres, I've never in my 35 years of driving payed more than £60 for a tyre, so yes I am leaning towards a " budget" brand battery, I really can't justify paying top dollar for a Bosch brand or similar.

The battery I'm looking at has a 600 CCA and it's a 61ah, so it looks like a good buy.

Thanks everyone for your input.

[F0CUE]

Don't slate my lion battery it makes the engine roar better lol

[zain611]

20 hours ago, wilto said:

Yeah I have but don't know about those lion make batteries, I'm on the fence about  them.

I had a lion battery fitted on my Peugeot 107 to replace the original 10 year old one. Worked really well, car would start and turn over quickly. Suits the Peugeot lion logo  🤣

On my fiesta zetec s I bought a Bosch battery again to replace the original battery. People like to make these things last. 

Original 

 

New

[michaelburrows]

iv just put a yuasa hsb 110 from Halfords on my 62 plate 2.0 tdci duratorq.  its a 80AH and 800 CCA.so its pretty meaty. its cost is 115 pounds and fitted by Halfords for 15 pounds with a 5 yr warranty. hopefully it will be a gud purchase.  my original ford battery was also starying to fail.  so far nearly 2 weeks later the new battery is performi g just fine

[wilto]

5 hours ago, michaelburrows said:

iv just put a yuasa hsb 110 from halfords on my 62 plate 2.0 tdci duratorq.  its a 80AH and 800 CCA.so its pretty meaty. its cost is 115 pounds and fitted by halfords for 15 pounds with a 5 yr warranty. hopefully it will be a gud purchase.  my original ford battery was also starying to fail.  so far nearly 2 weeks later the new battery is performi g just fine

I know your engine is a bit bigger than mine, but I would never pay £130 for a battery, the yuasa battery I've been looking at is only £66 delivered from amazon, but it's not as powerful as the one you've had.

[michaelburrows]

well there you go.  you get wot you pay for

[TomsFocus]

18 hours ago, wilto said:

I know your engine is a bit bigger than mine, but I would never pay £130 for a battery, the yuasa battery I've been looking at is only £66 delivered from Amazon, but it's not as powerful as the one you've had.

This is a pointless comparison really, totally different batteries for different applications.

Diesel engines require more power to turn over due to their extra weight and higher compression.  They also require glow plugs before attempting to start the engine.  The Mk3, especially a TitX, has more electrical accessories than a Mk2 ZS.  And those accessories may all have to be powered from the battery when the stop start stops the engine at traffic lights.  And then has to still have enough power left to start the engine immediately when the lights change again. 

A mk2 1.8 petrol uses a lot less battery power comparatively so you'll get away with a much cheaper battery.

[wilto]

20 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

This is a pointless comparison really, totally different batteries for different applications.

Diesel engines require more power to turn over due to their extra weight and higher compression.  They also require glow plugs before attempting to start the engine.  The Mk3, especially a TitX, has more electrical accessories than a Mk2 ZS.  And those accessories may all have to be powered from the battery when the stop start stops the engine at traffic lights.  And then has to still have enough power left to start the engine immediately when the lights change again. 

A mk2 1.8 petrol uses a lot less battery power comparatively so you'll get away with a much cheaper battery.

Gotcha 😉