Badwolf Posted July 11, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2022 Mathew - Voltage does not appear to vary. I did wonder about having volts but no amps. Not tried a test bulb today, but as mentioned yesterday, headlights very dim when alarm went off. Will pursue that angle tomorrow. Terminals are not bad but I will give them a rub over tomorrow. Tried the old battery charger but not showing anything on the charger indicator for either high or low charge so battery is either full or goosed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted July 11, 2022 Report Share Posted July 11, 2022 One of my trickle chargers has taken to flashing the "fault" light whenever the battery gets to fully charged and stays there more than a few minutes. I know the batteries are good because it does it on all three Triumphs and none of them ever have any trouble with slow cranking, even after they've been parked for weeks (without the trickle). So I would never trust a charger for a diagnosis - do the test Mathew suggested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted July 12, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2022 After 12 hours the voltage has only dropped from 13.9v to 13.3v. I will find a test light and clean up the terminals later as Mathew suggested. I suppose that I could just connect it back up and turn on the headlights!! I could even try to turn the engine over!! Strange that I get the same problem of the flashing display on both chargers with this battery but not the one on Lady BW's car. There is also no explanation for the alarm triggering which, when not set, which is caused by low current. Could I have overcharged the battery? I hate things that I can't explain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted July 12, 2022 Report Share Posted July 12, 2022 batteries once a bit aged and suffering lack of use are normally stuffed ,you may light a bulb but wont crank its best to just bite the bullet fit a new and get on with life ...till it all happens again the 063 was always popular due to it being a volume used unit hence better price than many Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted July 12, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2022 Thanks Pete - I have just connected the battery back up and turned on the headlights. At this point the headlight relay made a sort of 'fried egg' noise before becoming silent..no lights. Looks like I have a nominal 13v but no amps! Tried turning over the engine. Ignition and oil lights come on, turn over, lights off....nothing. Looks like it's Halfrauds here I come!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted July 12, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2022 Next question is do I get calcium 075 for £68.60, or a 063 for £51.00 4 year warranty(best prices with trade card and voucher)? Is there any great advantage to the more expensive one which will probably expire just after the warranty expires like the cheaper one. There are also the traditional lead versions for £60.60 and £43.00 respectively with 3 year warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted July 12, 2022 Report Share Posted July 12, 2022 Personally I'd go for the cheaper one. You certainly don't need any more capacity than an 063 gives you (it's already way beyond the factory spec) and if your battery is going to expire from lack of use then they'll both die just as quick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted July 12, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2022 N/M - Thanks. Just editing my post when your reply came in. Calcium or lead based? (See revised post) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted July 12, 2022 Report Share Posted July 12, 2022 I'm not an expert on battery chemistry and I don't really know much about calcium ones. I've always just used the lead type. I think my Vitesse is on its second battery in the 18 years I've owned it and the GT6 its third in 30 years (although one of those died over an unplanned three year lay-up). The Spitfire's only been returned to the road recently so it's a battery expiry virgin. By contrast, my Mundano is on its second battery, but quite possibly in its entire 16 year life, and SWMBO's Yaris has killed two batteries in the nine years she's owned it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted July 12, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2022 Ok, thanks. I think I'll go for the Calcium technology version and work on the principal that for the extra £7 or £8, I'm buying an extra 12 month guarantee. The previous one was a Bosch, 4 year guarantee..just expired!! Typical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted July 12, 2022 Report Share Posted July 12, 2022 get a Lidl or Aldi charge/conditioner at around £14 they work well and i have two that outlasted a silly priced Ctec Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted July 12, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2022 PeteL - Thanks Pete, but I think that the fact that it is an Aldi charger, indeed they both are, is mentioned on the previous page. The thought is much appreciated though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted July 12, 2022 Report Share Posted July 12, 2022 1 hour ago, Badwolf said: PeteL - Thanks Pete, but I think that the fact that it is an Aldi charger, indeed they both are, is mentioned on the previous page. The thought is much appreciated though. Good reply to Pete L, we need to humour him he's getting on a bit and his memory isn't what it was. While I'm here I gather that Aldi chargers are quite cheap, can't remember where I read it though . . . I've already left.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted July 12, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2022 As Pete says, they sell for about £14.00 and I believe that they are classed by some as a ctek rip off. Got two as you may have gathered. According to the reading, they charge a low battery and then switch to trickle charge. One drawback I found was that if the battery was really low, the unit classed it as a 6v motorcycle battery. Got it to work eventually and it reconditioned the one on Lady BW's car really well over a couple of days. Must have kept charging up and discharging 'til it was happy. I'm very pleased with mine, but the old battery on the Spitfire was too much for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteH Posted July 12, 2022 Report Share Posted July 12, 2022 063 teminals to back, came with the 13/60 in 2015. No Idea how old, But boosted the P-107 recently. Kept charged by an Aldi 20w solar panel. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinR Posted July 12, 2022 Report Share Posted July 12, 2022 "Normal" lead acid batteries and Calcium batteries are both fairly similar. In a standard lead acid battery there is a small amount of antinomy alloyed into the lead plates, where as in the Calcium battery, there is a small amount of Calcium alloyed into the lead plates. A Calcium battery is usually lower maintenance than a traditional lead acid battery, suffers lower sulphating rates and a lower self discharge rate. On a car that is infrequently used, a Calcium battery has its advantages, especially if a battery conditioner is not being used. On the down side, a Calcium battery requires a slightly higher charge voltage, so your generator/alternator will need to be in tip top condition. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted July 13, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2022 Kevin - Thanks for the advice. I may just stick with a standard lead battery then. I am not sure what state my alternator is in and I don't want to tempt fate. Still, it will save a couple of quid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted July 14, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2022 Just collected and installed the new Halfrauds 063 traditional lead based battery and things are looking up. Put it on charge, only showing two bars on the charger so confirmation that the charger is ok and that this battery has probably been in stock for some time but not to worry. Put a copy of the receipt in a plastic bag and taped to the back of the battery so that if it fails I know where and when I bought it. Also written the purchase date on the battery as a reminder. One thing I have noticed and that is the positive lead is the original 'cap' type and is not making very good contact so a new lead and insulated cap are on order. Not original but, I hope, safer, mind you, the dis-car-nect unit on the negative side is just as 'unoriginal'!! So, I hope, that brings to an end my problems with the battery for the time being. As usual, thanks to everyone who has offered advice and info. As ever, all of it is useful, valuable and I am very grateful for it. Back to grubbing about under the dashboard sorting out the tunnel cover (it's nearly there!!) and other stuff.....more to follow on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted July 14, 2022 Report Share Posted July 14, 2022 yes the old tapered caps wear and youget poor areas of contact often just the screw and all lead terminals seem to gather a hard scaled coating which evades current and needs removing to get a good bright lead finish fit a new clamp typeand coat with lanoline or grease Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted July 14, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2022 Pete L - Thanks for that Pete. Those are exactly the problems that I found with the old cap. I also noticed that the plastic/rubber composite was breaking up around the hole so, a new clamp type is on order. I remember that my Dad had problems with his cars in years gone by. He used to pack the terminal/cap with thin lead ribbon and then hammer the cap on. Probably did the battery posts a load of no good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted July 14, 2022 Report Share Posted July 14, 2022 1 hour ago, Badwolf said: He used to pack the terminal/cap with thin lead ribbon and then hemmer the cap on. The last car I had with one of those cap terminals I ended up packing it with a thin copper ring and hammering it on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted July 15, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2022 I think that Dad used either some lead strip off an old window glass, or a flattened out balance weight. Whichever, whenever it took off the battery I had to spend ages grubbing around looking for the packing which invariably fell out and disappeared somewhere, usually found lodged in the normal, totally inaccessible place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted July 15, 2022 Report Share Posted July 15, 2022 Ive got a strip of thin aluminium sheet wrapped round my terminal so the original lug fits tight (hardly needs the top screw) and it seems to stay in place when I disconnect.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted July 16, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2022 After receiving the new rubber sealing strip, I have finally after so many months got the tunnel cover back in along with the repaired carpet. I ended up using this 'double D' draft excluder extrusion which was stuck onto a wide piece of thin foam to stop the two halves of the rubber separating before fitting... which, as you can see from the photo compared with the original (which is lying on top of the new stuff for the photo). As expected it went in with a struggle but finally went in. My plan was to run a length of aluminium strip along either side of the cover but this didn't work due to the thickness of the new seal. I will get some longer self tappers on my next order. It won't take much to whip out the old screws and add the strips with the new ones. Now on to the next bit!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bordfunker Posted July 16, 2022 Report Share Posted July 16, 2022 On 14/07/2022 at 17:13, Badwolf said: Put a copy of the receipt in a plastic bag and taped to the back of the battery so that if it fails I know where and when I bought it. Also written the purchase date on the battery as a reminder. Modern receipts are printed on a heat sensitive paper, which degrades and blackens with heat time, so you might want to have a backup copy! Karl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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