The other day I went out to the car to find that it wouldn't start: the battery had flattened in the few days since I'd last used it, having enough power to operate the central locking and light the lights very dimly, but nowhere near enough to turn over the starter motor.
As I didn't need to be anywhere important and it was getting dark, I left it until the next day before going to get the battery out for a charge, only to find that the bolts that hold the battery in place had a fair bit of rust around them and seemed to have locked up solid.
I sprayed some WD-40 on them to see if that would help, and today walked up to Halfords to get one of those portable power-packs for jump-starting. (Aside: as I'd reserved it online last night, they'd taken it out and charged it up for me - saved me waiting however long for it to charge, so good on them for that.)
The car started first time, and just by way of experiment I stopped it and the jump-starter easily started it a second time; the device has fully recharged from the mains in less than ten minutes after those two starts, so I obviously wasn't straining it. Therefore I can be reasonably certain of being able to go somewhere and be able to start the car again at the other end.
The question is, how long ought I expect to have to drive around to recharge the battery, pending a solution to the bolts problem so I can fit a new battery? Also, what sort of driving would be best for that purpose? I can drive round and round the city centre stopping and starting and never getting above twenty-five, or I can head off to the motorway and do a steady seventy to Coventry and back - the M69 is always empty during the day. (The battery is over seven years old, so it's had a good run, but on past experience I should be able to get a few more charges out of it.)
What does the panel recommend?
As I didn't need to be anywhere important and it was getting dark, I left it until the next day before going to get the battery out for a charge, only to find that the bolts that hold the battery in place had a fair bit of rust around them and seemed to have locked up solid.
I sprayed some WD-40 on them to see if that would help, and today walked up to Halfords to get one of those portable power-packs for jump-starting. (Aside: as I'd reserved it online last night, they'd taken it out and charged it up for me - saved me waiting however long for it to charge, so good on them for that.)
The car started first time, and just by way of experiment I stopped it and the jump-starter easily started it a second time; the device has fully recharged from the mains in less than ten minutes after those two starts, so I obviously wasn't straining it. Therefore I can be reasonably certain of being able to go somewhere and be able to start the car again at the other end.
The question is, how long ought I expect to have to drive around to recharge the battery, pending a solution to the bolts problem so I can fit a new battery? Also, what sort of driving would be best for that purpose? I can drive round and round the city centre stopping and starting and never getting above twenty-five, or I can head off to the motorway and do a steady seventy to Coventry and back - the M69 is always empty during the day. (The battery is over seven years old, so it's had a good run, but on past experience I should be able to get a few more charges out of it.)
What does the panel recommend?
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