batteries ??

[craig boyd]

my surf is struggling to start first thing in the morning i think the batteries are probobly tired the sells look fine ! is there anything i can use to prolong the life (some sort of additive to the battery?) if not any body know a cheap place to purchase these in the north west (wigan or surrounding area thanks

[Koi]

my surf is struggling to start first thing in the morning i think the batteries are probobly tired the sells look fine ! is there anything i can use to prolong the life (some sort of additive to the battery?) if not any body know a cheap place to purchase these in the north west (wigan or surrounding area thanks

Is it struggling as in, struggling to turn over or just struggling to actually fire up. If the latter it could be the glow plugs not the batteries.

[Morr]

...............is there anything i can use to prolong the life (some sort of additive to the battery?) ...........

AArragh, don't use any additives, a good battery is essential with any diesel engine, and whilst some additives may work in the short term, you never know when it will let you down. Don't forget if your Surf is an auto (most are, but your profile doesn't give us any clues here - hint, hint) that you can't push or tow start if you're in trouble. Jump leads would be your only saviour, or better yet just put a new battery in and have piece of mind.

This all assumes of course that the problem is with the battery and not with any other part of your starting circuit as mentioned by Nigel above.

[Guest]

AArragh, don't use any additives, a good battery is essential with any diesel engine, and whilst some additives may work in the short term, you never know when it will let you down. Don't forget if your Surf is an auto (most are, but your profile doesn't give us any clues here - hint, hint) that you can't push or tow start if you're in trouble. Jump leads would be your only saviour, or better yet just put a new battery in and have piece of mind.

This all assumes of course that the problem is with the battery and not with any other part of your starting circuit as mentioned by Nigel above.

I had the same problem on mine, my passenger side battery was low on acid, I topped up and put some bat aids in and it's OK now. Not great but OK. Bat Aids might help in the short term but in the long term the only sure fire fix is new batteries.

Cheers

[Pete]

Craig
Got mine from Griifin battery centre in Bury. 0161 761 7234 £55 each.
I know they have a couple of shops elsewhere, not sure about wigan though.
Pete

[high-surfer]

Handy tip. If your beast fails to turn over and your stuck try disconnecting on of the batteries, if that doesnt work reconnect and disconnect the other one. If its one of your batteries has gone tits up this will give you a start.

Ian

[contaminated]

Handy tip. If your beast fails to turn over and your stuck try disconnecting on of the batteries, if that doesnt work reconnect and disconnect the other one. If its one of your batteries has gone tits up this will give you a start.

Ian

hmmm. Is that to say that if one dies the truck won't start? One of mine looks deader than the other.

Used it this morning, jumped back in and it wouldn't start. First it turned over very slowly, then discharged completely amongst lots of clicking from starter and glow plug relay. Have batteries on charge and I don't think the clicking is due to the starter. Have a feeling I may have a short circuit somewhere because batteries died very quickly.

Any ideas, can't find a problem exactly like this on the forum. It's a pain in the ar*e actually, I was about to post how happy I was that it drove me back from Folkestone with two kitchen worktops (tailgate closed!), a load of tiles and tools at 90 mph (I meant 90 kph officer) at 3000 rpm!!

[paulh]

[QUOTE=contaminated]hmmm. Is that to say that if one dies the truck won't start? One of mine looks deader than the other.

How did one battery "look" deader than the other ?
Seriously if you had a short circuit bad enough to flatten both batteries that fast there would be lots of heat and lots of smoke.

[contaminated]

How did one battery "look" deader than the other ?

Well if my Japanese is correct the red indicator on one means it's flat, and the other one is green.

Take your point about the smoke!!

[contaminated]

Update.

Charged batteries, one wasn't too healthy but charged up ok. Then same problem. Struggles to turn over engine, as though there is lots of resistance, and then batteries give up and I get the Hilux click.

Batteries, starter or other? Please help I'm driving around in the wife's bright yellow Seicento Sporting!! Had a disagreement with a Delcia earlier and forgot what I was driving

[paulh]

Sounds like you definately have at least one duff battery and that one will be discharging the other, that is one way that you can have quite a large discharge without the heat as the leads between the batteries are heavy enough to take it.
Unfortunately the only solution is to change both batteries.

[Robb.]

Changed mine yesterday - got them both for £60 inc vat & fitting (trade price )