Recharging a battery

[FST4RD]

If your battery was dead flat (new battery) how much driving would it take to charge it fully again??? 20 minutes?? 30 minutes??

[l1ttle_d3vil]

when my battery was dead (ie - wouldn't turn over), it only took about 2 minutes before I could switch it off and start it again no problems.

not sure how much it would need to be charge to max capacity though...

[Ae92typeX]

If dead flat (i.e. not even a door light on dash) really it would be better to charge on a charger overnight.
It also depends on size of battery of corse.
On one of my cars (Big Big battery)I left several things on for a week, batt was flat as flat gets. I drove around for an hour and it still was not charged enough. All the cars charging system is fine. Charge it overnight, no hassles.

[FST4RD]

Well there's enough power to power the interior light and the indicator lights when the alarm turns on, just not enough to power the starter motor, you turn the key and you can hear the relay clicking.
I jump started the mini before and drove up to my g/f place about 15 minutes away, got there turned off the lights and the heater and then turned the car off, tried to turn it straight back on and no go, won't even turn the starter motor just relay clicking..... lucky she lives on a hill so managed to crash start it for the journey home. Think the new battery might be poked..... I would have thought after 15 minutes of driving there would have been enough power to turn the car on straight after you turn it off.....

[Ae92typeX]

the starter is 100% ok also?
could be worn brushes on it too

[FST4RD]

Thats what i thought, but when you jump start it it seems to be fine.......
Getting another motor this weekend so might try and swap the starters over.
But before I do that i'm going to test the battery just incase the starter is fine.....
Anyone got any other ideas???

[gepsk8]

mini guess a genator wont recharge batteries if there dead dead for shit.
saying that most cars won't charge anything like 5volts or under.
recharge at home then if its the same look at getting the battery tested.
then starter.

[matt dunn]

If a battery is that flat it will take at least 4 or 5 hours of engine running to charge it enough to be reliable to start.

then it will slowly charge up to fulkl capacity over the next few weeks of driving.

[FST4RD]

Thanks guys

So does anyone in the chch area have a battery charger i can borrow for the weekend or something???

[Elmendorf]

As well as recharging it I would recommend putting in the battery conditioner stuff you can get at supercheap as it helps the battery to hold the charge for longer.

I did this on my starlet one and the battery was sweet as for another year before lack of use finally killed it.

[Stealer Of Souls]

Have you checked that the alternator is actually charging?

From the posts it sounds more like a dead alternator.

If you jump started it, and then ran for 15 mins, it should've at least tried to turn over once or twice on the restart... It would take an awfully dead battery to not have a reasonable charge after 15 mins.

[FST4RD]

The alt must been fine (i think) cause the battery was dead flat and i jumped it and managed to get up to my g/f house and then crash start it and come back again.....
I'm thinking more along the lines of batterys to flat to charge.....

Well I was driving to work this morning in it (as I had to take it to the mechanic to get the new extractors put on it) jumped it, turned the lights on and the heater and the window wipers as it was raining and got 3/4 of the way to work and the car just died, the wipers got slower and slower and then the dash lights went out and then finally the motor. So i'm thinking running all that stuff on a dead flat battery, the poor old altenator couldn't keep up!!!

[B1NZ]

Get a multimeter, start the car, and check the voltage while running accorss the battery terminals, it should be about 14.5V

FYI you should charge a battery on a charger, not rely on it to charge in your car

[FST4RD]

Yeah i know that.... i don't have a charger and had to take it down to the mechanics this morning to get some stuff down, he's left it on the charger over night so should find out tomorrow, he's going to test the altenator as well.....

[matt dunn]

The alt must been fine (i think) cause the battery was dead flat and i jumped it and managed to get up to my g/f house and then crash start it and come back again.....
I'm thinking more along the lines of batterys to flat to charge.....

Well I was driving to work this morning in it (as I had to take it to the mechanic to get the new extractors put on it) jumped it, turned the lights on and the heater and the window wipers as it was raining and got 3/4 of the way to work and the car just died, the wipers got slower and slower and then the dash lights went out and then finally the motor. So i'm thinking running all that stuff on a dead flat battery, the poor old altenator couldn't keep up!!!

No matter how flat a battery is, if the electric's loose power while the engine is running,
then the alternator is a problem.

Even with every accesory and power draining deviced in the car on full,
the alternator is made to supply more than the current draw.

If the wipers got slower and slower etc etc, then the alt is 99% probably faulty.

Matt

[FST4RD]

Yeah i'm beginning to think it is....
It's another alternator out of another mini, insides seem quite new.....
Mechanic said it's about $100 to recon it, new bearings and brushes and the copper/brass (??) thingee on the end....
Is this cheap??

[jondee86]

Yeah.... had the same thing happen. Driving at night, the lights started
to go dim and after a while the car died. Turned out to be sticking brushes
in the alternator. It wasn't supplying any juice to the battery, and when
the battery went flat the car died.

Short term fix was to give the alternator a crack with a small hammer
That would shake the brushes free and the alternator would charge for an
hour or two, then stop charging again. The real cure was new brushes.

Cheers... jondee86

[FST4RD]

So found out it was the alt......
Both the ones I had were buggered......
the new one I put in the though looks as if all the inside is new except the brushes, so going to chuck some new brushes in it and see how it goes, fingers crossed thats all it is!!!!

[Loudtoy]

So found out it was the alt......
Both the ones I had were buggered......
the new one I put in the though looks as if all the inside is new except the brushes, so going to chuck some new brushes in it and see how it goes, fingers crossed thats all it is!!!!

for $100 it's better to get the alternator recon'd then it will be like a new one and last for at least another 100000 miles or you could price a new one and see what thats worth.
imho i'd get it recon't piece of mind and your not going to be worrying about something going on it again a short time after you've replace the brushes