My Honda Civic is nine years old, and to my knowledge is still on its original battery. In recent months it has been failing to hold a charge sufficient to start the engine after the car has been left undriven for as little as 48 hours. When used daily, there is no problem at all, and other than this, the car is faultless. I can't find any interior lights stuck on, or anything else that might be draining the battery.
Q1. Is there anything else I need to check which might be responsible for these symptoms, or should I bite the bullet and replace the battery? Mrs Ed is getting fed up with helping me to jump start.
Q2. Can anyone recommend a source of inexpensive but reliable batteries, I don't want to pay Honda prices.
Q3. I haven't got the security code for the radio, but it has not locked me out yet. What triggers the code security to be activated, ie. does a 'dead' battery still provide enough power to the memory chip? Considering that when the car was left for a week over the Christmas holidays, there was so little charge that even the digital clock died.
cheers,
Ed.
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Most likely to be the battery. Hardly an expensive item if you shop around. Always found Halfords or Kwik fit competitive for batteries but no doubt there are other places as well.
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Q1: Most probably the battery. At 9 years old, what else can you expect? As batteries are not that expensive, it wouldn't harm to change, plus, you'll get that added piece of mind knowing that its new and more reliable.
Q2: If you have (or can get) membership to Costco Wholesale, I would recommend getting them from there as they are considerably cheaper than Halfords (what a surprise!)But if you shop around, you can usually get a good deal from somewhere.
Q3:Should be ok changing a battery, but I?m not that good with radios.
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Zero volts, ie dead battery, will trigger the radio code requirement. If the clock stopped, I would be surprised if there was any battery left, so maybe no code has been "inputted" in the first place. Just in case, use 2 pairs of jump leads or some other wire (can be thin) to keep sme current going in when you change battery. (You will have 2 batteries so put the new one on the ground first, connect jump leads, take old one out and connect both to the car. remove the new one and install. Disconnect the old one.
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Check the altenator's pumping out enough juice.
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Yes, I had this myself recently. Turned out the brushes had almost worn out on the alternator - it was fine if I only drove in the day, but at night with the lights on the alternator couldn't stump up enough juice.
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Try a simple load test.run engine.Switch everything on/wipers/heated screen/full beam.And any thing else electrical.If the alternator cannot cope.You will notice wipers/slow down/lights dim/heater motor slows down..I would think your problem is battery.But do this test first.Usualy a good test.Others may dissagree
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Steve
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Costco are particularly good for batteries if you know someone who's a member. Normally Bosch 'Silver'
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Treat betteries as 4 year consumables, unless you don't mind breaking down, why do we tend to leave batteries until we break down when we don't any other part?
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I bought a Bosch Silver at GSF (German, Swedish, French) recently for a very low price, having shopped around half a dozen places locally.
www.gsfcarparts.com/contact/branches.asp
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Not relevent to your quistion but the battery in my mondeo exploded in the supermarket car park(two days before trading it in ,tipicle).just ranting because it scared the hell out of me and my family.Doesnt half go with a bang!!!
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I trust you did something to stop the acid damage in the engine bay that may result?
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Had to wipe as much acid up as possible and then plastered it with baking powder!!burnt thru the bonnet soundproofing within seconds!(wicked stuff)didnt half go with a bang tho.
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many car accessory places will test it for free using a drop test, although this can totally kill a battery that is on it's way out...cheers...keo
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Many thanks for all your suggestions and advice folks, excellent response as usual. Will let you know how I get on.
Ed.
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My original mondeo battery went recently ('96 1.8 petrol). Didn't have time to shop around so went to Halfords, and got their cheapest (065 size I think). 3yr guarantee £50.49. Regarding radio code, if uncertain then keep system 'alive' by inputting 12v via the cigar lighter, if you have the means/adaptor. Fiddly holding on to leads with one battery whilst trying to get another in place, might lead to an accident! Good luck.
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Exploded batteries are usually caused by a build up of hydrogen gas. If you're charging a car battery, switch off the charger and leave the battery for an hour before reconnecting it. After all, the inside of a battery is the best place to get a spark...
If battery acid can strip your sound proofing like that, think what it could do to your face.
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Most certainly a spark that made it explode as it went when i turned the ignition key.very wierd really it had never been charged(apart from when in motion)Got to the supermarket okay(couldnt explode until i had a boot full of frozen stuff could it?)then hour later Bang!!When i phoned Ford up the chap said that was the first time he had heard of one exploding without it being worked on?(i Must be lucky s'pose!).infact when telling anyone that will listen nobody seems to have experianced the same problem.
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I finally gave up and bought a new battery. Tried your alternator test first steve.o, no probs there. I decided to risk it with the radio security - disconnected old battery, reconnected new - and to my surprise, radio security had not been activated. Obviously no code had been input in the first place. I'm going hunting for the radio manual now so I can do it myself...
cheers,
Ed.
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forgot to say, new battery seems to have cured starting problems!
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As an interesting aside here regarding radio codes, modern cars seem to have a useful development (or at least my Passat does).
Although the radio unit is code-protected in the conventional way, it is also programmed to recognise the vehicle it was orginally installed in. Presumably through an electronic identification system, much like modern ignition switches.
Means you don't need the code if you just disconnect the supply, only if you try to install it in another vehicle.
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I dread the day when I'll need to change my Passat's battery.
As the access hatch is too small-I presume that the black cover thing has to come off the bulkhead?
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I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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Try your local motor factors for a competitive price - easiest way is to ring round using Yellow Pages.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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