Xantia V6 dead battery

[Mandrake]

DAMN!

Our first really cold start this morning (-6 degrees) and the car wouldn't start.

It was turning over but very slowly with the dashboard lights fading out. Clearly the battery is very flat. Now granted I had accidentally left the radio on over night, but I've done that a number of times before without any trouble starting the following day, also the car had had a good 20 minute drive before being parked yesterday so the battery should have been topped up nicely. (Assuming the charging is working ok, which it was last time I checked)

I've been a bit suspicious about the condition of the battery for a while - while it's never failed to start until now, I have noticed oddities with the electrical system - like excessive dip in the engine RPM (and voltage) when you turn on an accessory like the rear window demister or use the electric windows. So I think the battery has been a bit weak for a while and the reduced capacity you get at low temperatures combined with a bit of discharge over night has got the better of it.

Can anyone confirm whether leaving the radio on over night (in aux with no audio playing) would be enough to flatten it enough so that it can barely turn over, or am I looking at a tired battery that can't cope at -6 degrees and the radio is just a red herring or a minor contributor ?

I don't have a battery charger either so given my prior suspicion of the battery being a bit sick and my plans to replace it anyway (it's age is unknown and could potentially be quite old) I think my best bet is to get a jump start tonight and drive to halfords for a new battery...

Does anyone know the type (physical size/shape) and amp/hour rating of the battery in the V6, as I don't have an owners manual ? So I can check their stock and prices before driving all the way there...

[vborovic]

I know of one Xantia V6 that its owner has placed a 75Ah battery in it, now, is it standard or not, not sure ...

EDIT: One link I've found so far: http://www.acdelcocyprus.com/acdelco-cy ... v6-details" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

EDIT: Another link: http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Citroen-XANTIA-3 ... 0720405860" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[addo]

DIN66 is what we call that size. You could try fitting Anderson plug and trickle charging it every night.

[RichardW]

Suspect it's dead - they tend to go like that these days, OK one day, pancake the next. Don't buy one at Halfords what ever you do.... I got one for our C4 from TMS (they've got a branch in Airdrie not that far from you) for about £60 - Halfords was well over £100. It's a 'Starting Bull' never heard of them, but they seem to be a decent supplier. It's 750 CCA so it's a hefty unit! CCA is more important these days than Ah - not sure what the V6 would require, but I doubt it's worse than a diesel. You can borrow my battery charger, but you'll need to come and get it.....

[Mandrake]

Thanks for the suggestion Richard, the only problem is according to their website TMS are only open from 8:30 to 5:30 during the week and I catch a train at 8am and don't get home until after 6pm.

That would mean no battery and no car until the end of the week which would not go down well with SWMBO! Worse still we are both off on Friday for her Birthday with plans to go out, so getting a battery sorted out on Friday would also not go down well...

Unfortunately I need a battery tonight or tomorrow night at the latest so halfords it might have to be as they are open until 8pm...

I agree, I think the battery has died and while it might start the car again if I gave it a 24 hour trickle charge it's likely to die on me in the cold again - I want the peace of mind of a new battery, and also to see if it solves the other electrical gremlins that I've been observing recently...

[Mandrake]

Yes I'm going to change the radio fuse back to let the radio only work with the key on again - I changed it because I found myself sitting in the car waiting using the radio quite a bit, but if it means I keep forgetting to turn it off (I've done it 3-4 times now) then it's not worth the hassle!

[Mandrake]

And then of course there is the battery drain from the magnetic bomb detector....

[isisalar]

Hi Simon
I'd avoid the jump leads and if you have to start the car before getting the replacement battery, charge the one you have or fit another. You know far more about electronics than me but after illuminating the air bag light the last time jump leads were attached to mine I was warned off jump starts as they cause current spikes which complex electric systems don't like apparently.
Cheers
Paul

[Mandrake]

With a more modern car I'd agree, but I think the Xantia's are fairly ok to jump start. I take the battery on and off Xantia's indiscriminately and have yet to have a problem.

I don't have a charger to charge it anyway and I suspect that if the battery is sick then in these temperatures it will not start the car even after a charge, so a jump start or catch the bus to buy a battery are my only two options other than calling out a mobile mechanic...

[RichardW]

I'm mobile and I've got spanners....

Looks like an 096 battery. Halfords got a 3yr one for £75 so not as bad as I feared. 4 year one on the bay for £50 delivered - but then you've got to be in to receive - but they do click and collect at Argos. I remember that first time I had to buy a battery (for a BX) I had no option but to go down there on my bike, strap the battery onto the rack, and then push it home Don't much fancy getting one via the bus route!

PM'd you...

[Mandrake]

Thanks Richard, £75 is not too bad, I was bracing myself for up to £100, so SWMBO will be happy that it's less than what I said it could be!

How did you figure out what the correct type number is ? (096) Halfords Airdrie have one in stock so I've reserved it online. As long as I can get there tonight all will be well.

Edit: Did a little bit of calculating regarding the radio current drain. It was 19 hours between the last time the car ran and this morning's cold start, if we assume the radio draws about 1 amp (it's probably less when silent) then the battery should be able to supply that for 70 hours.... conservatively halve that for cold weather conditions and call it 35 - there's still no way it should be flat after 19 hours, so the capacity of the battery must be well down on what it was when it was new. Leaving the radio on overnight shouldn't cause an inability to start the next morning.

PS - nobody commented on my bomb detector ?

[Hell Razor5543]

Lidl are doing car chargers (and batter/alternator testers) from 15/1, but as this date has passed I cannot tell you the price.

[Mandrake]

I don't think the battery is ok (after being recharged) Mike. I think it's well past its best.

It was working well enough to start and run the car in the warmer weather but I was still seeing a variety of gremlins, including the engine momentarily staggering quite badly just from the rear heated mirror being switched on (let alone the engine fans or cabin fan being turned on) and an intermittent misfire at idle with high accessory load.

The battery in a car also works as a "filter" (like a big filter capacitor) to help smooth out voltage spikes and fluctuations from the alternator and the devices drawing power - if the battery is naff then that filtering ability is diminished, and more of the current surge from turning something on needs to be supplied by the alternator instead of the battery, hence the engine staggering due to the more extreme change in aux belt load from the alternator.

I have no use for a spare battery of unknown age that has let me down already so I'll be ditching the old one. My calculations suggest that a good battery should easily cope with the radio being left on over night.

[RichardW]

I just put in the car details and it came out with 096. Pretty sure that was the number for the Xantias I had, and it looks about right. Have a quick measure of the old one before you go in, and then you will know for sure. 70Ah / 650 CCA sounds about right.

[isisalar]

I discovered on mine that it's possible to turn the car off, which obviously turns off the radio, and then if the radio is switched on, with the ignition off it will turn on. This may have something to do with radio's flattening batteries?