To reduce the chance of spiking I always use a GYS OBD battery saver.

This unit plugs into the diagnostic socket of the car ( Not into the cig lighter ! I hate those as some dashboards light up like x-mas when these are used ! ) & supports the electrics whilst the battery is disconnected. The vehicle then retains all the following whilst the battery is removed , radio code, clock time, window closing settings, any stored faults, gearbox adaptions , imobilizer link to ECU, idle speed adaptions.

I never change a battery or starter without ! saves a whole world of hurt.

Beware cheap batteries and some tyre centre batteries used to have terminal convertors from L shape post to round posts !!!! Worst thing I have ever seen and can cause no end of engine mangement & ABS issues to to voltage issues across the terminals !!! I have fixed so many cars with obscure faults that have had carp batteries fitted its very important to purcahse quality.

The car I was reading about was the BMW E60 5 series.

I know that many newer cars can throw up spurious faults if the battery is weak or poor quality.

Thanks for the info guys.

Hah, I spit upon your evil stop-start systems and your electric parking brake!

I want a car I can fix with a Big Hammer and a Bed Spanner.

Hah, I spit upon your evil stop-start systems and your electric parking brake!

I want a car I can fix with a Big Hammer and a Bed Spanner.

Thankfully I don't have start stop, but I bet one day it'll be unavoidable. Til that day, spanners ahoy!

Spot on chaps.

There doesn't have to be a 'one day', this isn't 70's East Germany (though the apparatchiks are doing their level best to make it so, aided and abetted by the turkey electorate voting for their own Christmas) you do not have to buy this rubbish, you have the choice to spend your heard earned wherever and on whatever you choose.

Buy what you want, what you really really want, there's a song there, and service it and look after and rustproof it and service it some more, and vote with your wallet by keeping it for years.

Whilst people, unthinking drone like, buy shiny tat designed to last till just after the warranty expires, they'll keep making it.

If you stop buying, and tell them why you've stopped buying, they'll soon change tack.

Most car buyers do no research before buying and don't RTFM after buying so manufacturres can and will do what they like...

Also I don't think it's the most obvious thing to know about either even if you do look into what car you buy. Unless you are technically inclined stuff like this will pass you by.

I know what ABS is but the others.....? Just imagine that lot going wrong.

So it would seem that GB with his 1990s Mercedes is the one who's got it right.

And thats been trouble too, though in fairness it was a known problem of degrading in the engine wiring loom, which despite periodic checks by indy and myself, still managed to catch us out.

Unless someone makes me an offer i can't refuse, i'll run the old girl for as long as i can.

All those acronyms scare the pants off me, the MB doesn't even have traction control (ASR), which means you have to drive it properly to keep it on the grey stuff, but you hedge your bets by fitting proper tyres in the first place, and maintain brakes (ABS works well) and suspension as good as new.

Edited by gordonbennet on 02/03/2014 at 07:06