Birty Dastards Jeep Club

Tech Forum => Workshop => Topic started by: Oddball on May 05, 2009, 02:27:59 PM

Title: Methinks my battery is goosed!
Post by: Oddball on May 05, 2009, 02:27:59 PM
Well, i'm just about having kittens. It occurs to me that before I bought the car, it was sitting in the compound at work for about a month. I went and looked her over, started her up with no problems, then locked her up and handed back the keys. Three weeks later, I buy her, move 'er on over to our side of the compound, still starts with no trouble. That's after three weeks of not even being looked at.

Now, after I left all the interior lights on and drained the battery, I can't get it to hold a charge. I had it on a battery charger in the workshop at work yesterday for just over 4 hours. I then cruised around for another 3 hours after work. Parked the car up at 11 last night. Got in this morning, and yet again the battery has lost charge. It has enough juice to crank the engine slowly, but not enough to fire up.

TBH, I have a sneaky suspicion that the batt is either the original, or the second it's had. It's a mopar battery, can't remember the part no off by heart but it looks almost as old as the car.

Should I buy a charger first and give it a real good charge. Or should I bite the bullet and get a new one.
Title: Re: Methinks my battery is goosed!
Post by: PtP on May 05, 2009, 02:30:49 PM
Bite the bullet!
Title: Re: Methinks my battery is goosed!
Post by: Nosebolt on May 05, 2009, 02:32:35 PM
if it were me i would get a new battery.

btw, most batteries will have a 'first charged' date stamped onto the top
Title: Re: Methinks my battery is goosed!
Post by: Oddball on May 05, 2009, 02:44:01 PM
I might actually get both. I reckon a battery charger would be a pretty handy peice of kit to have. I'll head to halfrauds or somewhere and grab one. Should be able to get discount on a battery from work.
Title: Re: Methinks my battery is goosed!
Post by: Oddball on May 05, 2009, 06:49:53 PM
Got a new battery and installed it. All seems to be well at the mo. I'll find out tomorrow morning whether or not the battery is the problem. I reckon it is, but if the new one is flat I guess i'll have to start looking at a parasitic drain. Are there any components I should look out for in particular? Anything that has a common fail which leads to a power drain?
Title: Re: Methinks my battery is goosed!
Post by: pafc11 on May 05, 2009, 07:49:06 PM
the last cold spell killed of my original battery, so i got new one changed the glow plugs, and also bought a battery starter and jump leads. 8-) i got no excuse now,
Title: Re: Methinks my battery is goosed!
Post by: neilhull on May 05, 2009, 10:10:50 PM
Hi check the light under the bonnet go's out when you close it