Parked the old Mondeo on the drive last night and this morning I went to use it and the clock was nine hours slow!!!
A turn of the key and about all was the sound of the fuel pump.
Fearing that there was a "terminal" problem that would need £££s I tried the main light switch and I think it woke just a few glow worms :-(
The multi meter supported my fears and the battery charger further added to my initial thoughts. 3/4A charge completed in less than 15 mins while I was getting my tool box and a cuppa.
I needed no more convincing that exchanging £££s for a replacement battery was the right course so no more faffing about.
So I started a phone around for a replacement silver calcium type.
I removed a Varta E9 (equivalent of an 067 ) and from my motor factors got an 100 Ducelier Easy Start. Popped it in all seems well again.
Now looking at my file - The Varta lasted three years and two weeks. IMO this is a not very good survival rate.
In 2009 I paid £99.60 for the Varta and today £85 for the Ducelier.
The guys said the 100 is supplied for Transits etc so it has plenty of grunt.
The Ducelier site does not list it which is a little odd but I trust them
There seems few references to type 100.
I needed it immmediately so just content to get going again.
Just a little irritated at spending out at this time as I want to change the Mondeo as soon as I find a replacement.
SWMBOs taxi service is important and I do feel fortunate that the problem happened at home at 0900 mid week.
I will give the supplier of the Varta a call to see if any guarantee is left on the dead un.
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3 blimmin years is no good henry, my Lancer battery is 4 years old, my previous Almera's batt was 6 years old,
in fact I can't remember the last time I forked out for a new battery.
If I did require a gnu one, I'd buy a Bosch Silver.
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Some 'alfords batteries come with a 4 year guarantee.
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>> Some 'alfords batteries come with a 4 year guarantee.
>>
Last time I visited them ( a large branch) they did not stock Calcium Silver.
I had a smile when I was ringing round last time.
From a large national chain - " Yes we have a suitable battery in stock - £45 "
Replied " I am not very happy at your price" "OH .......sir"
" Well I think your prices are about half that I expected to pay"
Stunned silence. of course it was a "normal" battery at the bottom end of the price/spec range.
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>>3 blimmin years is no good henry
I agree.
I will contact the supplier re any guarantee. One problem is I do not want another battery and I expect at best 25% off a new one.
>>If I did require a gnu one, I'd buy a Bosch Silver.
>>
I understood a Varta is a Bosch and I bought it from a Ford spares place.
Double fortunate that a good friend could immediately be a taxi to collect the replacement and that I had nothing planned for the day that could not be rescheduled.
I suspect the Formoco battery that came with the car had lasted a lot longer.
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>>I understood a Varta is a Bosch<<
Could be right henry, everything is to pot these days - even Buxton spring water is owned by Nestle :(
Those Halford's 'Calcium' batteries look good (to me)
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It's funny how original batteries always last much longer than replacements.
Is that because manufacturers manage to get extra-quality products that are not available to the general public (seems unlikely) or because vehicle charging systems decline in efficiency over time, so although appearing to charge adequately, in fact they are causing damage by loss of control finesse?
It's common to hear of original batteries lasting 10 years, but never replacements.
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>> It's common to hear of original batteries lasting 10 years, but never replacements.
>>
My car's original battery lasted 8 years. I'll let you know how long the replacement lasted, provided that I outlast the battery!
Last edited by: L'escargot on Thu 1 Mar 12 at 09:48
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Funnily enough my Focus was booked in for a service today, but I had to get the nice men at the garage (MOT City) to come out and start it for me because the battery was flat.
They reckoned it's still on the original battery - it's a 2001 Y reg. But the reason it didn't start was probably due to sitting on my drive since Christmas waiting until we had the funds to fix a brake problem. Guess it might have been an idea to turn it over occasionally...
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>>Auto Express did some tests. Can't vouch for them of course.
>>www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/products/210431/car_batteries.html
I always buy the Halfords Standard battery when the original one dies. They're reasonably priced and come with a 3 year warranty.
I only keep replacement batteries for a maximum of 5 years before changing them for another, which I have done recently.
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My starting point was :-
In a recent Technical Service Bulletin from Ford (who have been using Calcium Silver since 1997 as OE), they have stated that due to the Smart Changing System (SCS) fitted to its vehicles ONLY Calcium Silver batteries can be used.
Fitting anything other than Calcium Silver could result in a severely shortened service life, increased warranty claims and could even cause explosions.
The following Ford models must ONLY be fitted with Calcium Silver batteries as stipulated by Ford Motor Company Ltd. Mondeo from June '98
So with that information I was not interested in a standard battery.
Three years ago I struggled to find anywhere with a silver calcium battery in stock hence I finished up paying full price for an instant battery.
I am unsure if a "calcium" battery is shorthand for "silver calcium or calcium silver " version.
Having a decent battery charger and a recently purchased ( but yet unused) CTEK type charger only to get an expensive battery with a short life etc I am not the happiest bunny :-(
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I wonder if it's because replacement batteries tend to go into older cars, which tend to be used for shorter journeys, which in turn decrease battery life. My Volvo's battery will be 10 in October (or presumably sooner, since it will have been put in the car some weeks before the car was delivered to me.). I wondered if it was struggling a little in last year's cold weather - I was having to hold the key a second or two longer than usual - but it seems to have recovered now and the engine starts instantly.
But this car has lived on a regime of longer runs as it got older - 55,000 in its first five years, 80,000 or so in the next five - and still does my 25-mile commute three or four days a week. I suspect most ten-year-old cars will have done more than half their miles in their first five years.
The battery has never had any help from anything outside the car. I don't even know what make it is, since it's hidden under the boot floor and I seldom even see it.
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I imagine that Volvo source batteries that can put up with multiple Swedish winters, to keep their traditional domestic market customers on the move when it's icy and snowy for weeks at a time?!
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The battery used on a Volvo sold in Scandinavia is unlikely to be of the same spec. as more southern countries along with starter motors,rads,thermostats,A/C and other items.Many cars have battery recesses with multiple fixing holes/restraints to allow different size batteries to be fitted-at one time,automatics used a larger battery but the old fashioned autos have been phased out and,in general,certainly with modern EFI,starting tends to be better,if only because the human factors are virtually phased out.
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My S60 was still on its original (Volvo branded) battery at 10 years old and 146,000 miles. I thought I'd killed it by accidentally leaving the interior lights on over a weekend, and flattening it completely, but it recovered fine. Impressive stuff.
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>> I wonder if it's because replacement batteries tend to go into older cars, ...........
I wonder if it's because a lot of drivers buy a cheap or different make/specification replacement battery? When the original battery on my Focus packed up I asked my Ford dealer to fit a genuine replacement. I decided that for the sake of a few pounds extra it wasn't worth buying a cheaper replacement or one that was a different make/specification from the original.
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VARTA Silver dynamic has a 5 year warranty, it is Blue dynamic that has 4 years. Can you get the old one swapped?
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>> VARTA Silver dynamic has a 5 year warranty, it is Blue dynamic that has 4 years. Can you get the old one swapped?
>>
Unfortunately it was a VARTA Black so the cheapest model ( Three years ago £100 for a Mondeo does not seem cheap in my eyes).
I guess it might have had a three year warranty so in one sense "brilliantly" designed as it lasted two weeks beyond the three years.
Unfortunately I cannot get it swopped. We are a one car family and yet again I needed an instant replacement for SWMOs taxi :-)
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>> Unfortunately I cannot get it swopped. We are a one car family and yet again
>> I needed an instant replacement for SWMOs taxi :-)
>>
I just rang up my Ford dealer and they brought a replacement to my house and fitted it in my garage where my car was immobile. They took away the old battery and said I could pay for the new one the next time I was passing their premises. All for no extra charge. I didn't have to lift a finger.
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>>
I just rang up my Ford dealer'
I didn't have to lift a finger<<
Clever that, what sort of phone y'all got then??
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>> >>
>> I just rang up my Ford dealer'
>> I didn't have to lift a finger<<
>>
>> Clever that, what sort of phone y'all got then??
>>
Voice-controlled. You should get one. They're marvellous. tinyurl.com/7me43ks
;-)
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>>Voice-controlled. You should get one. They're marvellous. tinyurl.com/7me43ks<<
Well, knocked me down with a wet Woodbine! - reminds me of the Via Voice speech recognition software I installed on my computer 10 years ago (and never used!)
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Well, knocked me down with a wet Woodbine!
Second time I've laughed out loud in as many minutes - Haven't heard that said for years.
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>>I wonder if it's because replacement batteries tend to go into older cars, which tend to be used for shorter journeys, which in turn decrease battery life.
The original battery in my Focus lasted 11 years despite only doing 40,000 miles in that time. I read all the posts on here on the subject and ended up buying a Ford replacement that was no more expensive than a Bosch.
If the battery lasts another 11 years I'll be very happy!
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>> My starting point was :-
>>
>> In a recent Technical Service Bulletin from Ford (who have been using Calcium Silver since
>> 1997 as OE), they have stated that due to the Smart Changing System (SCS) fitted
>> to its vehicles ONLY Calcium Silver batteries can be used.
>> Fitting anything other than Calcium Silver could result in a severely shortened service life, increased
>> warranty claims and could even cause explosions.
>>
>> The following Ford models must ONLY be fitted with Calcium Silver batteries as stipulated by
>> Ford Motor Company Ltd. Mondeo from June '98
>>
>> So with that information I was not interested in a standard battery.
>> Three years ago I struggled to find anywhere with a silver calcium battery in stock
>> hence I finished up paying full price for an instant battery.
>> I am unsure if a "calcium" battery is shorthand for "silver calcium or calcium silver
>> " version.
I was working with Ford when that statement was made by Ford based on their supplier information. Subsequently this was contradicted by said supplier on their aftermarket marketing programme. As you can imagine there was a falling out over it and that supplier lost Ford's business.
The truth is that for best results use a calcium silver battery but ordinary ones won't blow up, they'll just have a shorter service life.
Last edited by: Chas on Fri 2 Mar 12 at 14:06
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Another new battery so not happy. - Dog
