A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned on the ‘battery care’ thread that I had just bought a Bosch S4 battery for Mrs H’s Focus. The battery in place was the original Ford Motorcraft Superstart – it was 11yr 4m old and I had decided that while there was a special offer on the Bosch S4, then it was time to stop tempting fate. There hadn’t been any starting problems with the Focus, though the battery’s ‘magic-eye’ was showing red which I understand means ‘the battery is discharged’.
I had been told that the new Bosch had been charged, and that it was ready to go on the car but, just to make sure, I hooked it up to the Lidl battery charger; this indicated an incomplete charge, and spent the next 6 hours getting it to ‘fully-charged’.
I swapped batteries, re-set the radio code and turned the ignition key ……… now, I don’t know if this was psychological, but the dashboard seemed to light more brightly and the engine fired up with great gusto. My wife drove to town and back and reported that the car seemed to be ‘generally going better’ and even pulling away more willingly.
Whilst I was happy that the original battery had lasted so long, I just wonder if there had been an almost imperceptible dropping off in performance and if there really is something in electively changing your battery at, say, 5 years??? Anyone got any views? I must admit, I had never thought of a ‘tired(?)’ old battery as having any effect other than giving poor starting.
When I put the old battery onto charge, a full charge was indicated after less than an hour – though the magic eye was still showing red. I wonder if the battery was on its way out and if we had just swapped it in the nick of time.
BTW, I note that the price of an S4 has gone up again with EuroCar Parts, but Carparts4less still have them at less than £40; best to shop around.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 9 Dec 13 at 12:50
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>> My wife drove to town and back and reported that the car seemed to be ‘generally going better’ and even pulling away more willingly.
What's probably happened is the ECU has been reset and over the next week or so will 're-learn' your driving characteristics. In the meantime it's been set back to factory default.
>> When I put the old battery onto charge, a full charge was indicated after less than an hour.
Yep, a sure sign that the battery is on its way out. I have a small 12v sealed lead acid battery that I use to power a portable light in the garage. The old one took only a couple of hours to fully charge. Its replacement can take 12 hours or more.
Sounds like you changed it in the nick of time.
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>>What's probably happened is the ECU has been reset and over the next week or so will 're-learn' your driving characteristics. In the meantime it's been set back to factory default.
What ^e'e said ... I removed the battery from my 07 Subaru yesterday and spent about 2 hours doing some minor work on ze car.
When I refitted the 6 year old OE battery, I noticed there wasn't any fast idle on cold starting and the auto gearbox wasn't changing up 'n down properly.
I gave car a good run round and it seems okay now, hopefully.
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Is the car charging properly?
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>> the battery’s ‘magic-eye’ was showing red
I understand that's a window into just one cell of the battery. Now if that cell happened to be the worst in the battery it may explain some of the symptoms and the other cells could have been doing most of the work.
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The "red-eye" shows level of liquid in battery.In a sealed battery,it shows it's past it's best.
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The Ford smart charge system does what the name implies.It will charge the battery according to engine and electrical load.It also monitors battery voltage.A battery in poor condition will need more input to maintain the voltage and thus more load on the engine as the alternator needs to work harder.A new battery will, not need such a high charge input,so less load on the alternator and engine.For these reasons it is imperative to have a calcium type battery.hth
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Interesting, that. Mrs O'Reliant's radio was doing some sort of strange things (I forget what now) which went away when we fitted a new battery a couple of weeks ago.
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Thanks for the replies to the OP; I thought I’d leave it for 24hrs before replying so that I could gather any further thoughts about the driving characteristics of the car since the battery change. After some 15miles each way to work and back, my wife was still of the opinion that the car was ‘going better’ and I must admit that, after driving the car the short distance to town and back last night, I felt similarly. I was a bit surprised at this, as I had expected it to be a bit ‘strange’ during the period while the ECU settled down again.
NC asks if the car is charging properly and, to be honest, I can’t be certain – though I think it is – certainly there are no warning lights showing on the panel. Is there any easy way of testing for this – I have a multimeter?
I wasn’t sure how to interpret the ‘magic-eye’ on the battery, the consensus on a number of sites, including this on an RAC forum is:
“The Magic Eye® that is used in Motorcraft batteries provides 4 stages of indication, they are:
1. Green: battery is charged and the acid level is good.
2. Yellow: Battery is partially dis-charged and the acid level is good. Re-charge the battery or drive the vehicle.
3. Red: Battery is dis-charged and the acid level is good. Charge the battery.
4. Clear and bright: Acid level is low!!! Add distilled water if possible. If not, change out the battery. Do not charge or jump start the battery!!!
While the Magic Eye® is only located in one cell, it is still quite accurate for indicating the state of charge of all cells as they are within 95% of the same condition. If there is a catastrophic failure such as an internal short circuit, the battery would be bad, but the eye would still show green as the density of the acid is still technically correct. This is very rare.”
I took it that, as my old battery showed ‘red’ even after the battery charger indicated ‘full’, it was a sign that the battery was knackered.
As carmalade says, the Ford manual insists that any replacement battery has to be of the calcium type because of the smart-charge system – the old battery carried the symbol ‘Ca’. This terminology was a source of some confusion – is the term ‘silver’ applied to a battery, short for ‘silver/calcium’? Various websites claimed that the Bosch S4 was suitable for the car, though there was absolutely NO reference to ‘calcium’, so it need a phone call to EurocarParts and Bosch to confirm that the battery was compatible with the smart-charge system. Why can’t they be more specific about this in their labels and literature?
I had also come to think in line with carmalade’s statement “A battery in poor condition will need more input to maintain the voltage and thus more load on the engine as the alternator needs to work harder” – this was most likely the reason for the apparently better performance of the car. I remember that the demand placed on the alternator of my son’s old Corsa by a dodgy battery caused the drive belt to squeal under load; it was OK if the battery had been charged overnight.
The conclusion of all this is that I can now understand why some folks would want to change the battery at 5 years and, not wishing to tempt fate on my 7-year old Astra, I’ve just ordered another Bosch of the appropriate type.
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>> NC asks if the car is charging properly and, to be honest, I can’t be certain – though I
>> think it is – certainly there are no warning lights showing on the panel. Is there any easy
>> way of testing for this – I have a multimeter?
With the engine running at 2000rpm, you should see somewhere around 14 to 14.6 volts at the battery terminals.
With the engine off, you should see somewhere around 12 to 12.5 volts.
##values are approximate.
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"With the engine running at 2000rpm,……………………."
Thanks for that, VxF, I'll take a look.
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Under certain conditions,the charge voltage can creep up to 15 volts +.That is one of the reasons for using a calcium battery.
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I mentioned a couple of posts ago, that I had ordered a new Bosch S4 for the Astra (1.3 diesel) from EuroCar Parts online. Estimated delivery time was 3 days - so I was surprised to receive a mail saying it would be here today - and, sure enough, it arrived this afternoon, 31hrs after placing the order via Amazon. Pretty good going, by my reckoning.
Can anyone advise if the battery swapping procedure is exactly the same as on the Focus? I ask because I believe that the electrics on the Astra are a bit later and possibly a bit more complex (cambus?) and I wonder if the break in current is likely to trigger anything nasty. Would it be worth connecting the old Focus battery (still holding 12v) across during the changeover to maintain 12v? [though I can imagine that it would be easier if you were built like a juggling octopus]
Thanks
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I had no bother with our Astra H when I had the battery disconnected for a week or so while I had the cylinder head off it. I just connected it back up, and put the radio code in.
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Astras are no problem.The only cars that I know that can give problems after a battery disconnect are French.Btw some info here ;en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAN_bus
Last edited by: carmalade on Wed 11 Dec 13 at 21:18
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>>are French
Quelle surprise!
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>> Can anyone advise if the battery swapping procedure is exactly the same as on the
>> Focus? I ask because I believe that the electrics on the Astra are a bit
>> later and possibly a bit more complex (cambus?) and I wonder if the break in
>> current is likely to trigger anything nasty.
What model Astra? EDIT - I see above that you mention it's 7 years old. Full canbus then
If it's full canbus, then you won't need a stereo code as the stereo is coded to the remote display unit.
Way to tell is that if the steering wheel controls have 4 buttons and 2 scroll wheels, then you won't need a code. Basically anything from Astra-H onwards apply, which will have something like a CD30, CD70, etc fitted.
You'll need to reprogram the one touch electric windows. Fully open, then fully close, and hold your finger down on the closed button for a couple of seconds. Repeat for each elecy window.
You might have to resinc the remote keyfob as well. Key in ignition, turn until you get the dash lights and press the buttons on the fob.
Oh, and one last thing, if it's got a factory fit alarm, because of the battery back it has, you'll first need to switch on and off the ignition and then disconnect the car battery within approx 15 seconds. Helps to slacken off the battery terminal first so you're not fighting time against the spanner.
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 12 Dec 13 at 00:55
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Sorry, VxF, I changed tack ……..
and thanks for the replies to my question…
The Astra is an 'H' estate - it's the 1.3 TDCi 56 plate;reg Feb '07.
As you suggested, it has the steering wheel control layout and a CD30 radio as described.
I'm slightly nervous of having the 15 sec countdown before the alarm goes off …….. sounds a bit like an F1 pit-stop! I've just spotted a note in the handbook that says "Disconnect battery from on-board power supply by detaching negative terminal (anti-theft alarm signal is then disabled)." This is the order I did it on the Focus, anyway. I hope I don't annoy the alarm so I'll do the swap as quickly as I possibly can. The new battery is being topped up with the Lidl charger at the moment.
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>> I'm slightly nervous of having the 15 sec countdown before the alarm goes off ……..
That's why I suggested slackening off the battery terminal with a spanner beforehand. You only need to then pull it off once you've flicked the ignition key on/off. Worse case senario is the alarm will go off if you get it wrong. If it's anything like my Vectra alarm, it's no big deal as the power sounder is in the boot and muffled anyway.
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"That's why I suggested slackening off the battery terminal with a spanner beforehand. "
Thanks, Vx, I'd taken that on board - it's just that, with spinal arthritis, I tend to move with the zizz of a snail on its way to the gallows ;-)
Can I assume that, if the car alarm does go off, it will shut up as soon as the new battery is reconnected - or do I stand there like a lemon until the police come and take me away?
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>> Can I assume that, if the car alarm does go off, it will shut up as soon as the new battery is reconnected
Not sure, but IIRC, it will only sound for 30 seconds anyway, then mute itself for a while before going off again.
Have you not got anyone to operate the ignition switch for you?
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 12 Dec 13 at 13:17
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"Have you not got anyone to operate the ignition switch for you?"
Yes, that's not a problem - just seems a bit strange to do that. The manual only mentions that the ignition should be switched off during the procedure.
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>> Yes, that's not a problem - just seems a bit strange to do that.
By using the key, you're informing the car that its an authorised tamper of the car battery and not one from a thief.
>> The manual only mentions that the ignition should be switched off during the procedure.
The 2006 handbook that I have mentions what I've already said. That's of course if your alarm siren has an integrated battery.
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Are you sure it has an alarm power sounder?Very few astras do.There is usually a sticker under the bonnet ,often yellow or silver/grey,to advise if a sounder is fitted.
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"By using the key, you're informing the car "
That sounds pretty cute for a Vauxhall! ;-)
"The 2006 handbook……………"
ISTR this coming up some time time ago ………… it could have been over the fact that my (year later?) handbook doesn't give any specification for the engine oil needed. We may well have come to the conclusion that the handbooks differed, and some uncertainty over whether the cars differed a bit?
I took a look under the bonnet, and there didn't appear to be any sort of notice concerning the alarm.
The battery is wrapped in a sort of plastic 'insulated' bag with pop-fasteners on the top - BUT I can't see any means by which the battery is held in position. Any ideas? The focus's battery was held by a bolt/plastic flange at the base, but there doesn't appear to be any room for that sort of thing in the Astra.
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This will have a base hold down clamp at the bottom of the battery,secured by a 13mm bolt.You may have to search for it once the terminals are off and the "jacket " removed.
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>> I'm slightly nervous of having the 15 sec countdown before the alarm goes off ……..
>> sounds a bit like an F1 pit-stop!
>>
I feel your pain. I've just put a new battery in one of my keyfobs which also gives you fifteen seconds to change it in order not to lose it's memory. Now 15 seconds to change the battery is more than enough.......unless you know you've got to do it in fifteen seconds when it becomes a nightmare of dropping the new battery and various bits of the fob itself. Simple enough to re-synchronise the thing, but enough stress to get a yellow card off Mrs O'Reliant for foul and abusive language.
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Ford Focus - 02 1.6 Battery change observations….. - VxFan
