Yusa battery ?

[Eager]

Are they much Craic or a cheaper brand ? M3 came with a new one in it few months ago. I left the car a few weeks and had to jump it. Doesn't really hold charge much since. Used to be able to leave my old m3 for few months without issue.

I am wondering did it weaken after it got drained a few weeks ago, before I deployed a trickle/battery maintenance charger.

Yesterday It started the car all be it a bit lazily after it being left on trickle. So I left it ticking over for 45 mins to let it charge off the engine. Went to it today and before I started I checked it, read 11.7 volts but did start the car. Then checked the charging power, 14.4 volts at idle.

It's a yusa 096.

 

[Woodcutter]

They're decent quality, but I'd swap it for a good Varta.

 

[Cartunes]

6 cells, when all healthy should be sitting at 2.1v each, 12.6 is the resting voltage of a car battery.

Check for a drain (you tube will show you as uncle Del is busy) - then fully charge the battery overnight (not on trickle), then if it's still showing the same symptoms, get a new one. I fitted all Yuasa batteries to an electric car recently and they did the job, but they are a Chinese outfit............. quality control is not their strongest subject!

 

[Eager]

I did have the battery out and on the bench, on a proper charger, for 8 hours or more. Still didnt read over 12v Del, 11.8 rings a bell

 

[Cartunes]

Chuck 'er Bai - out with it and take your watertight wallet to Mr Greame Harvey Woodchopper

Other car accessory stores available, but we don't use them cos they're shoite

 

[Eager]

LOL

Well, had a we rummage again there, left it ticking over for another half hour, good to get a bit of heat through it anyway

But, noticed something, can hear a slight murmour from the climate control area of the dash, possibly something running on, after the car was turned off. Reckon i will let it sit overnight, then take the negative off the battery and join the meter in, see what is draining off. Did pull the climate control fuse and the blower motor, but the quiet nose continued.

 

[dervsport]

6 cells, when all healthy should be sitting at 2.1v each, 12.6 is the resting voltage of a car battery.

Check for a drain (you tube will show you as uncle Del is busy) - then fully charge the battery overnight (not on trickle), then if it's still showing the same symptoms, get a new one. I fitted all Yuasa batteries to an electric car recently and they did the job, but they are a Chinese outfit............. quality control is not their strongest subject!

I think you will find most car batteries are made in China now.

Varta used to be a great battery but I wouldn't rate them any better than Yuasa. In fact a few years back Varta batteries were giving serious trouble.

 

[Woodcutter]

I think you will find most car batteries are made in China now.

Varta used to be a great battery but I wouldn't rate them any better than Yuasa. In fact a few years back Varta batteries were giving serious trouble.

We've been selling Varta as our premium battery range for over 30 years and they have been the best battery manufacturer of them all in our experience.

 

[Eager]

@Cartunes what sorta drain do you think would be normal for a 1998 car ? I intend to go through it and pull fuses as I go. And watch for fluctuation.

 

[Bazmcc]

I use only Yuasa Professional Batterys now. Had 2 or 3 vartas that went faulty after a short time and lost faith in them. Been using yuasa professional since and never had a problem.

 

[chrisd1]

YUASA are a great battery... and as said above you'll find almost everything now is made in China...

 

[Cartunes]

@Lyons - The rumbling you hear is normal - BMW's have lots of complicated bits around the dash - I've not been an HVAC engineer, but wouldn't be alarmed at these noises.

Drain comes from faulty or shorted out electronics and wires - first test it at the battery and see what the amperage figure reading is after a few minutes at rest.

Check for any aftermarket items first and disconnect them (if the drain reads anything over 50mA on the battery drain test) - ya gotta go through the fuses one by one mate - it doesn't take long - hour or two should do it Mr Patience!

hope that helps

 

[Lyons]

 

[brendy]

Bosch S5 for me in the future, great CCA, 5 year warranty and not overly expensive neither.

 

[dervsport]

I use only Yuasa Professional Batterys now. Had 2 or 3 vartas that went faulty after a short time and lost faith in them. Been using yuasa professional since and never had a problem.

I'm the same, got a sickner with Varta and lost faith. From what I heard the quality problems came about when production was moved to China initially but it was eventually sorted. However there seems to be a 'brand tax' on Varta batteries so just stick to the yuasa.

 

[Eager]

So gents
had a rummage @Cartunes

My volt meter, is something the dad has. older bit of kit, but he is a electrical technician so its maybe more suited to his work anyway than poking about at car batteries
Anyway, it has no amp option for just amps, Just micro amps

And because its microamps i had to go up to the 2000 range. At which point it was drawing 80 or so,
Also, pulled the battery and it reads 12.8 now lol. Measurement was only after using RCL to open the car, so it is possible that i was a little hasty and should have let the car go to sleep for half a hour, RCL may have activated a few circuits that are normally off

I have it pulled out and sitting in the garage, not on charge, the car was ran for half a hour yesterday and half a hour the day before so i think its fairly charged. I shall see how it reads in a few days with no drain/charge going on.

 

[Cartunes]

Nice multimeter Bro!

I should have said that voltage should be measured with the battery disconnected - my bad! Unlocking the doors shouldn't zap the battery noticably.

8mA is very respectable - typical clock/radio memory drain I'd say!

 

[Eager]

Probably 30 years old del and I have a feeling nortel might be one short... Lol.

It read between 070 and 080. When using the 2 left terminals for the probes, on the pink range at 2000.

 

[Eager]

For reference I know I could just throw a battery into it. But I have bit of spare time and the car is not in use so taking the chance to learn a bit