$1160 for a car battery??!!

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › $1160 for a car battery??!!

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richms

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#1707528 22-Jan-2017 17:04

Its all the low cost cars with this stuff on it that will be off the road really quickly as they become uneconomic to service. Kinda makes me think its worth hanging onto the older simpler ones as they have already depreciated and the higher running costs are minimal, and cheaper servicing will save heaps. If only rust was not a thing.

Richard rich.ms

alasta

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#1707533 22-Jan-2017 17:20

TinyTim

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#1707799 23-Jan-2017 09:04

Our little car, a 1.4L turbo (and which has the stop go feature), tells me it's using 700mL/hour of fuel when idling so the stop go feature saves minimal fuel - around 10mL per minute. In heavy stop-start traffic, when the fuel it saves would be significant, the feature turns off after a while because the battery discharges faster than it charges, so it seems to be one of those features that is better on paper than in reality.

Dingbatt

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#1707822 23-Jan-2017 09:36

This thread has convinced me that stop-go is probably a useless feature, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid. If you look at the best vehicles in each segment they nearly all have this feature.

Also better in the laboratory. Most features like this are designed with the official fuel consumption/emissions tests in mind. Of minimal practical benefit in real world driving conditions.
I would find the automatic reset function (can turn off stop start but resets when you turn vehicle off) on Mazdas really annoying. The only way round it was too leave the air-conditioning on full time, thereby worsening your fuel economy :-\

My Hybrid Camry requires a deep cycle 12V battery. When I last checked with the Toyota dealer they were $380. Obviously not the same as the subject battery in this thread because it is only to run accessories and initially power the hybrid battery relays, but still an example of something with a specialist function costing more.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

E3xtc

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#1707835 23-Jan-2017 10:03

E3xtc:

Well I just dropped my wifes CX5 (2.5 Petrol) into the shop to get them to look at why the istop is turning itself off at random times (warning sign and istop in amber flashing on the dash)....I suspect they are going to call back and say the battery needs to be replaced....this is 3.5 years old too.....coincidence? :\

I will come back here with what they say.

Well I got the car back, but it has to go back (this Friday), as they have some "steps to run through for Mazda NZ" before they can draw a conclusion....so to me that sounds as though they have a reasonable number of these things happening, and Mazda NZ is trying to control the process around claims I suppose....anyhow, so it's still a waiting game for us at the moment....will post back after Friday to see what they have said.

BlinkyBill

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#1707925 23-Jan-2017 11:16

Still no clarification from Aredwood to substantiate his rather extraordinary claim that some manufacturers deliberately mitigate against warranty alternator claims from drivers who drain their batteries by installing cheap wiring.

If this is in any way correct, I foresee global class-action cases similar to VW's diesel-gate.

mdooher

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#1709256 25-Jan-2017 11:11

Aredwood:

And calcium batteries need slightly more charge voltage than non calcium types. So yet another trap if the alternator was designed for a non calcium and you fit a calcium battery.

Even in my old 2005 BMW when the battery is changed, I need to select from a list of battery chemistry and Ah ratings when I reinitialize the battery.. Don't other "modern cars" require this?

Matthew

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E3xtc

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#1710430 27-Jan-2017 08:37

Okay so the angle they are pushing at the moment (for our issue with the battery) is that the battery is a consumable item and not surprised that it may need replacing...its staying with them today for charging/testing...will see what comes of that.

In the interim I have sent an email to Consumer Protection and also posted the same question with AA (http://www.aa.co.nz/cars/ask-an-expert/legal-advice/show/9837/) to see if they have any thoughts on the matter....

richms

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#1710432 27-Jan-2017 08:40

BlinkyBill: Still no clarification from Aredwood to substantiate his rather extraordinary claim that some manufacturers deliberately mitigate against warranty alternator claims from drivers who drain their batteries by installing cheap wiring.

If this is in any way correct, I foresee global class-action cases similar to VW's diesel-gate.

You would think that they would just correctly drive the field winding to prevent overheating of the alternator. The only justification I could see with using thinner wires to limit the charge current would be to ensure that there is enough voltage for everything else in the car while the battery is near dead, but the cars I have looked at when changing terminals to take a different battery have all had 3 wires to the positive, one from the alternator, one from the starter, and one to the fusebox for everything else so drop in the alternator cable would cause low voltage to everything else in the car too.

Richard rich.ms

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