The motor vehicle questions and answers thread

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Gunk

Guru
Location
Oxford
I might as well buy a battery from the car accessory place in town. I think that if i ask them nicely they'll bring it up to where my car is and maybe even fit it for me. I could shop around for 'bargains', but it'd take days for one to be delivered. I can't go and get one myself for obvious reasons.

What year is your Mini? if it has stop/start you will need an Absorbed Glass Matte (AGM) battery - most BMW cars do. These just contain a better substrate and aren't filled with water like old car batteries.and it needs coding to the car, most independent garages can do it. But the correct battery is expensive about £125
 
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Accy cyclist

Accy cyclist

Legendary Member
What year is your Mini,
2006. It's a 1.4 diesel if that's any help.
 

Gunk

Guru
Location
Oxford
Yes, thanks. Sounds like an R53 Mini. Luckily a bog standard off the shelf battery will do, plus you’ll be able to fit it yourself, no coding required.
 

johnnyb47

Guru
Location
Wales
Don't worry about those lights. They are only check lights to tell you they are working. They will illuminate for a brief time when you turn the key. If they stay on when you drive up the road, that's when you may have a problem. Its perfectly normal for them to come on briefly when you turn the key
 

johnnyb47

Guru
Location
Wales
It only takes one duff cell in the battery to render it useless. You can stick it charge and aftera few hours the battery charger will show the battery to be all good and dandy but a duff battery will self discharge itself over a few days even if its not connected to anything. Some batteries will die slowly whilst others will go suddenly. It's the luck of the draw
 
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Accy cyclist

Accy cyclist

Legendary Member
It only takes one duff cell in the battery to render it useless. You can stick it charge and aftera few hours the battery charger will show the battery to be all good and dandy but a duff battery will self discharge itself over a few days even if its not connected to anything. Some batteries will die slowly whilst others will go suddenly. It's the luck of the draw
If i bought an expensive battery,rather than a bog standard one would it be more reliable? I just have a fear of cars not firing up when i'm miles from home..especially diesel cars! I'm thinking cheap batteries could mean expensive call out to a garage for help charges,if they let me down.
 
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Gunk

Guru
Location
Oxford
If i bought an expensive battery,rather than a bog standard one would it be more reliable? I just have a fear of cars not firing up when i'm miles from home..especially diesel cars!

You get what you pay for, with batteries you buy cheap and buy twice, fit a decent one.
 

johnnyb47

Guru
Location
Wales
Our fork truck battery's at work have around 24 cells to mind. They cost ££££s and when they go its usually just a cell that's fail. Luckily the cells can be replaced individually keeping the costs to a sensible price, Car battery's are what we call sealed units. Once there knackered it's just time for a new one
 
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Accy cyclist

Accy cyclist

Legendary Member
It would always recommend Varta or Bosch. Mines 10 years old now and still going strong. Needless to say it may fail tomorrow. You can never can tell buddy
I'm thinking now about buying one online,like someone suggested quite a few pages back on this thread. Him across the road might take a cut for ordering one for me. Ok,i'll have to wait a few days,but i not in a rush. I'm going to have a look tomorrow to see what make the battery in my car is. I bet it's a cheap one. Not that i'd know which are cheap and which aren't.
 
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