Is my battery a goner?

[Reverend Frog]

Very cleverly left my lights on overnight. the car is not starting on the key (i just get the click from the starter solenoid), won't bump start and won't jump off my mum's Astra either.

is my nice new Bosch battery destined for a trip to the skip? or is there any way it can be saved?

PS I don't have a battery charger or anything

[bengould]

If the battery is really flat it won't jump start straight away anyway. You'll have to leave it connected to another car with the engine running for at least 10 minutes to get some charge in your battery if you don't have a charger. Or buy/borrow/steal a charger and leave it on overnight.

You may have knackered it, but if it's a new battery I wouldn't give up on it just yet.

Ben.

[Reverend Frog]

If the battery is really flat it won't jump start straight away anyway. You'll have to leave it connected to another car with the engine running for at least 10 minutes to get some charge in your battery if you don't have a charger. Or buy/borrow/steal a charger and leave it on overnight.

You may have knackered it, but if it's a new battery I wouldn't give up on it just yet.

Ben.

it was connected to the astra for ten minutes or so, not a sausage

[Nate]

Ring AA (other breakdown services are available) and they will do a proper battery test for you

[ianaudia4]

If the battery is goosed then take it back to the place you bought it, Bosch batteries come with al least a 3 year warranty. (I would avoid saying you left your lights on though!)

[Reverend Frog]

If the battery is goosed then take it back to the place you bought it, Bosch batteries come with al least a 3 year warranty. (I would avoid saying you left your lights on though!)

haha, yeah, i think i'll be economical with the truth on that one...that was the one you fitted for me in Finchley

[marcus]

While lead-acid batteries don't take kindly to being left discharged for long periods, just leaving your lights on overnight shouldn't have done any significant permanent damage, especially not if it's new. If you left it like that for a month it could be a different story.

Get yourself a battery charger (can't recommend having one of these highly enough), they're not expensive, eg this one from Argos and give it a full charge.

[Nate]

Just a thought, but how are you connecting the leads? Did they spark when you connected them? (you normally do get a bit of a spark)

[Reverend Frog]

Just a thought, but how are you connecting the leads? Did they spark when you connected them? (you normally do get a bit of a spark)

there was nothing

Red to + on good battery, then other end on + of my car

then black to - on the good battery, then the radiator bracket on my car (unpainted piece of bodywork as recommended)

any suggestions as to whether that was wrong?

[ianaudia4]

If the battery is goosed then take it back to the place you bought it, Bosch batteries come with al least a 3 year warranty. (I would avoid saying you left your lights on though!)

haha, yeah, i think i'll be economical with the truth on that one...that was the one you fitted for me in Finchley

Where did you buy it, ECP?

Overnight with side and tail lights shouldn't kill the battery but you never know!

[Reverend Frog]

If the battery is goosed then take it back to the place you bought it, Bosch batteries come with al least a 3 year warranty. (I would avoid saying you left your lights on though!)

haha, yeah, i think i'll be economical with the truth on that one...that was the one you fitted for me in Finchley

Where did you buy it, ECP?

Overnight with side and tail lights shouldn't kill the battery but you never know!

GSF Ian

[ianaudia4]

If the battery is goosed then take it back to the place you bought it, Bosch batteries come with al least a 3 year warranty. (I would avoid saying you left your lights on though!)

haha, yeah, i think i'll be economical with the truth on that one...that was the one you fitted for me in Finchley

Where did you buy it, ECP?

Overnight with side and tail lights shouldn't kill the battery but you never know!

GSF Ian

That's good then, there is a branch in NI I think?

[Reverend Frog]

yeah, Belfast. Shut today of course

[Nate]

Just a thought, but how are you connecting the leads? Did they spark when you connected them? (you normally do get a bit of a spark)

there was nothing

Red to + on good battery, then other end on + of my car

then black to - on the good battery, then the radiator bracket on my car (unpainted piece of bodywork as recommended)

any suggestions as to whether that was wrong?

A flat battery will pull a fair bit of current when you connect it up to a good battery. When I was working roadside, we were told to always connect direct to the battery terminals when possible.

Probably what has happened is you have picked an earth point on the casualty car that is either aluminium and covered with a think layer of insulating corrosion, or something that just isn't earthed at all.

Try again, either just having the leads directly battery to battery, or have the -ve going to something like the alternator bracket or the main earth on the gearbox.

Connect up, you should see a little bit of sparky spark when you connect the last lead. Leave it sit for a few minutes, then start. Once running, switch on headlights and blower fan on both vehicles, then disconnect. This helps to prevent a big spike from the alternators.

Once disconnected, leave it running for 5 minutes or so, switch off and restart. Assuming it restarts ok, take for a drive of at least 15 minutes before switching off again. Should be fine