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  • battery information 21 Dec 2003 (Forum)
    Battery on the wifes car is still the original and at 10 years old is likely to need replacing this winter. The existing which is a Unipart and is labelled 12V,680/135 Type 096 In the Haynes manual it reads 680amp /135minutes reserve capacity.
  • How long to charge a battery? 10 Dec 2003 (Forum)
    Assuming a 'modern' car - a few years old, how long (or how many miles) does it take to charge the battery after you've started the car? Lets assume the car is in good condition, and it takes no more than 1 to 2 seconds for the engine to 'catch' after turning the key.
  • Peugeot 306 remote locking 4 Nov 2003 (Forum)
    My 306's remote locking key's batteries have lasted just 3 months. I seem to remember someone here saying that poor contacts in the key cause the batteries to run down. One: are there any fixes for this? Two: does anyone know of a source of cheap batteries (they are lithium)?
  • Pug 406 - Holiday flat battery 12 Jul 2002 (Forum)
    Spoke to someone yesterday who suggested that after I've left my car (1998 Peugeot 406 1.9TD)parked up for 2.5 weeks, the alarm will have drained the battery to the extent that it may not be able to turn over a diesel engine. Can anyone confirm or dispute this?
  • How many miles and/or years are electric vehicle battery packs supposed to last? 16 Mar 2020 (Ask HJ)
    Now that I'm retired an electric vehicle seems to be the most practical, if not the cheapest, option to replace my Ford Mondeo estate. Being on a fixed...
  • Toyota - 97 3000 Which battery charger for Toyota Hiace? 17 Feb 2010 (Forum)
    Any suggestions on whether I could get something modestly-priced which would allow me to charge up the batteries on this monster engine? I don't mind if it's a bit slow, but I would like something which I could also use on my car (1800cc Nissan Almera). (BTW, I do have a mains hook-up for the van's leisure battery, but that doesn't charge the engine-battery, so it's a separate issue, and not a problem).
  • Key batteies 22 Feb 2017 (Forum)
      When I bought the car, and had new batteries fitted by the dealer, the batteries lasted years and never gave any trouble.   Is the brand sold by the dealers superior ?
  • Mercedes C Clas 2004 - Problems following battery change 9 Mar 2016 (Forum)
    [endif]--> Hi John, The RAC man came out recently and changed the battery in my 2004 Mercedes C class.   The battery works fine but for some reason the radio’s sort of wonky, drifting off the station – as though someone’s nicked the aerial and although I can physically lock the car with the metal bit inside the key fob, the button to lock/unlock and alarm it on the fob no longer works (I’ve had a new battery put in the fob at the Mercedes garage).
  • Vauxhall Insignia stop-start problem 8 Mar 2016 (Ask HJ)
    I have just bought Vauxhall Insignia, but the stop start system doesn't shut off the engine when stationary in traffic. Is this a fault?
  • Citroen Xsara Picasso - xsara picasso 1.6i hard to start on first attempt 9 Oct 2014 (Forum)
    I am having issues with my xsara picasso 1.6i petrol 2001. When I try and start the car it turns over but struggles to start. It sounds like that the battery is dead as the instrument panels dims and it turns over slowly, but after about 10 seconds it does start. I tested the battery with a battery tester and it states that the output is good. I've taken a fairly new battery off my other car and the results are the same although the battery from the almera is lightly smaller than that for the picasso.
  • Battery drain on my BMW X6 6 Mar 2013 (Ask HJ)
    I have a problem with my late 2009 BMW X6 - the battery is flattening. I have been advised it was the tracker, and after this has been replaced am now...
  • all cars - Preserving or extending battery life in winter 25 Dec 2010 (Forum)
    pt=UK_Gadgets&hash=item19c1d713e2">http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4W-12v-Volt-Solar-Panel-Power-Boat-Car-Battery-Charger-/110626280418?pt=UK_Gadgets&hash=item19c1d713e2        
  • Ford Fiesta (1995 - 1999) - 96 1.1 Flat Battery 26 Jul 2009 (Forum)
    She started fine, the charging light going out after about 5 seconds. It has had a new alternator fitted by the previous owner as he said the battery wasn't holding a charge. Today the battery went completely flat while my daughter was driving it. The RAC man said the battery was showing 7.1v and, in his opinion the charge light wasn't working at all.
  • Ford Mondeo II (1996 - 2000) - 98 2.0 Battery flat - electric seat the cause? 31 May 2009 (Forum)
    Ghia X with new proper size Varta Battery. No sign of any problems but came out today to a totally flat battery. Not even an internal light. Meter on the terminals confirms it is flat. Lights were not left on. Cause at this point unknown.
  • Mini Flat Battery : o ( 11 Jun 2007 (Forum)
    We bought a Mini three months ago, a 1991 998cc. After a while the battery died so we bought a new one which was fine for a week or so, got progressively slower turning the starter then was flat. Check for anything that could be draining, removed interior light bulb. Gave it a good trickle charge and in the interim fitted a battery isolator switch which has been used every time the car has been left.
  • BMW 318 ci - Why no power? 3 Mar 2006 (Forum)
    She returned from weeks holiday(car parked at airport) and whislt driving home the car lost all power and battery light came on. The car eventually started again and she return home She took car into BMW dealer who check battery and alternator. They found battery had low charge so re-charge and said should be ok.
  • is my battery dead or something worse? 13 Sep 2003 (Forum)
    While I was driving, the electrics were not 100%, e.g. opening the el. window made the headlights dim. Overnight, I borrowed a battery charger and attached it to the battery, but after half an hour or so, the charger reckoned the battery was fully charged, but still no joy with starting the engine. I'm a bit clueless and hope to get a bit of advice before I take a garage's word for it that I need a new this and that.
  • Do plug-in hybrids self-charge while driving? 10 May 2021 (Ask HJ)
    Does a plug-in hybrid have any self-charging capability?
  • How far and for how long do we need to drive our car to keep it in good condition? 11 Jan 2021 (Ask HJ)
    Being retired and benefitting from home deliveries during the latest COVID-19 restrictions, our 2017 Ford Fiesta has remained in the garage for some weeks....
  • Have you heard that fast charging fries EV batteries after 40 charges? 11 Dec 2020 (Ask HJ)
    I've done a lot of reading by various car writers on the subject of EV range and how it differs a lot from the makers' figures. The thing I'm more interested...
 

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