Elan Battery..Phut!

[alexblack13]

Hi Guys,

Just had to remove the battery from the car today. Put it on charge again last week. Just a light trickle & noticed the LED indicators on my little charger went from three red and one green (fully charged) down to three reds !! then down to 2 reds!!! I thought the charger has blown a fuse, but no...I tried to start the car this afternoon to go for a jaunt with Mrs B riding shotgun and the battery was completely flat. Charged it a while and then jumped it from my spare battery and off we went. The battery will not charge. After a good run it again would not turn the car over. Runs normally otherwise. Voltage under light load is only about 6 volts. Charging voltage just over 14 so the alternator is fine

The battery is a Halfords item with three year warranty. But I've lost the receipt.

Anyone recommend a good (poss lightweight / gel) alternative. 18 months is not a good battery life. And not all that cheap!!

Real happy that happened now and not three weeks from now. On hols with car then!!


Alex...


PS... Got an almost new BM M3 to use while the boxster is getting a new door fitted ...

[Mr.Gale]

Batteries are sometime stamped of have a tag that shows the purchase date.

Gale

[alexblack13]

I can only try Mr G....

Wish me luck!!

AB.....

[alexblack13]

What are the recommended alternatives guys? I found this Halfords item fitted the car very neatly.What else is there?

AB...

[RobL7/Elan]

Hi Alex,

Here in the states, I've had great luck using a riding lawnmower type small battery. It has good cranking amps and is small. Best of all they are cheap and last 2-3 years.

Rob
64 S2

[chicagojeff]

I got an Odessey battery. Small, and tremendous cranking power. BUT, the most important thing I ever did was install a cut off switch. I turn the battery off when I put the car away each day, and that has made the inevitable draining from somewhere untraceable a problem of the past. Also serves as a theft deterrent!

Jeff It's Finally Nice out in Chicago But My Cam Cover Gasket is Leaking and I Will be Making My Own With RTV This Weekend.

[JJDraper]

re having lost the receipt for purchase - If you paid by Credit Card Halfords will sometimes accept the statement showing the purchase. You do keep your old statements?!

Jeremy

[Elanintheforest]

Alex, I've lost count of the number of Halfords batteries that have packed up on me after 18 months - 2 years or so. And I can never find the bloomin receipt either! But like you, I bought it because it was a perfect fit.
Last time I tried a tyre & battery place, who couldn't help as their right size had the round terminals. They suggested that I went to a motorfactors and definately NOT Halfords, for the very reason we have experienced. I ended up with a Unipart battery, which is a bit fat, but so far so good.

Mark

[Higs]

You may well be better to select a battery and then find a supplier. This way you can select the quality, size and power first rather than rely on what any shop has available.

This is what I did - ended up choosing a Varta battery from their Blue range (I have a Plus 2 so I'm not sure if the size constraints are the same). 4 year warranty (but four years of "where is that receipt" problem - btw I put the recept in an envelope a tape it to the back of the battery - problem solved!). Lots of local shops had it or where willing to order it, so got a good price.

Here is the link:

http://www.varta-automotive.com/fileadmin/templates/downloads/en/Folder/Folder_car.pdf

Richard

[69S4]

Alex, I've lost count of the number of Halfords batteries that have packed up on me after 18 months - 2 years or so.
Mark

I got about six years out of my last Halfords battery. That was five years of it sitting in the car on a maintenance charger when the car was in bits and one year of actual use before the signs of lack of capacity became noticeable.

I replaced it with an Odyssey PC680. They're about ?85 (ish) and only half the size of the std battery so you'll have to construct a mounting bracket, but I would highly recommend them. The starter turns the engine over at about twice the speed of the Halfords battery and it just keeps on cranking - something I was very grateful for when my hot start problems were at their worst.

Like Jeff I've installed a cut out switch - over 20 yrs ago now and I take the key out whenever the car is parked. Originally it was for anti theft purposes but knowing that I've isolated the electrical system so it's not going to drain the battery / end up as a pile of ash is good for peace of mind as well.

[alexblack13]

Spoke to them this am and they said please go forth and multiply. So I did. At the mo I have the one that came with the car in its place but it is not going to stay there. Its way too big. It wont clamp down and I cant fit my battery hiding trim panel I made up so it will be very temp' solution.

I am at this moment looking thru my old online statements to find the transaction etc b4 I go back and kick ass..

Thanks fellas. I will try this route 1st then if no go I will come back for info on where to get what etc..

Many thanks again..

Alex.....

[alexblack13]

Hello all,

I just thought I would let everyone know that the nice fitting little battery I bought from Hal***ds. Very nice fit,clamped via a bracket moulded into the base of the case. Perfect. Except if failed after just 18 months approx. Dead as a dodo.....

The 3 year warranty is not worth the paper its printed on.Taking the battery to them resulted in them telling me its not our battery its something you have done to it!!!!
Weird considering it sat most of its life in my utility room connected to the conditioning charger they also sold me. They then said my car was faulty.That was the last straw and I left before I became too angry and got arrested.

Barstewards... No doubt some will be fine but I recon' the item I got was not fit for purpose & the warranty is worthless. I had traced the transaction on my online account so I had the proof of purchase. Having the actual receipt would have made no difference.

You have been warned. Buy at your risk

I won't be shopping there again...


Alex B.....

[alexblack13]

Meant to say big thanks for all the options and advice. I do have the isolator switch fitted and I use it always. I like the idea of the little Odyssey 680 which would be a good option as is the varta of course. I have decided to refit the existing that came with the car for now as I am off on hol's soon and have other things to do before the off..

Big thanks for all the very much appreciated advice...

Alex....

[billwill]

Oh...


I bought a ?100 battery at Halfords about 15 montha ago for my Grande Espace.

[pereirac]

The last battery I bought from Halfords for my Elan looked identical (apart from the Halfords sticker) to the one I had bought from a general motor parts supplier locally 4 years earlier for about half the price (it was ?18.00 then)! Have battery prices really gone up that much or is it just Halfords?

Carl