3 month old leisure batt dead!!

[pionte]

I fitted a new LB about 3 months ago, good quality from Alpha battery's, I havnt used the van for about 8 weeks and always meant to fit a trickle charger, anyhow I bought one from Liddles a couple of weeks ago on special and when I plugged it in it wouldnt charge , the LB was almost completely flat, probably caused by stereo permanent live.

I also tried a standard car batt charger and an optimate 3 charger, designed to recover dead batteries , still no joy is my battery beyond hope? is this normal? are LB really that weak in repect to having to be continually charged? According to the guarantee they say that they will not cover warranty claims caused by not using a conditioning charger at all times!

[eatcustard]

How will they know you have not used a charger at all times?

and under sales of goods act, they will have to replace/refund

[andisnewsyncro]

Surely they mean that you need to use an appropriate charger "at all times" when you are charging it, not trickle charging it all the time. A leisure battery is designed to be used and discharged and recharged many times and can take a higher level of discharge than a "normal" starter battery without damaging it.

Ring them up and ask them to arrange getting a replacement to you.

[tonytech]

How long did you try charging it for?
I've had problems getting the Lidle charger to charge a really flat battery, but 48 hours on a old style charger brought the battery to a point where the Lidle charger worked.
T

[kevtherev]

take it back...

[pionte]

I found out the guarantee and it said that I could send back the battery at my own expense and they will check and would be able to tell if the battery had been allowed to fully discharge.....

I couldnt be bothered with all the hassle so forgot about it for a while.

Since being made redundant recently I have been using the van as the every day transport, so decided to take another look at the LB. I have just replaced the 240 hook up and internal wiring so now easier to plug in the lidle charger and leave it for a couple of days, this time it seems to have done the trick, the LB now charges and seems to hold its charge, my only slight worry is that straight after the charge it reads 12.8 v but this morning it read 12.08v.... is this a little low?


whilst having another poke about I did discover that the earth was pretty rubbish so have re done that, but the reading is taken straight onto the battery terminals.

[Ian Hulley]

Take it back and practice muttering darkly about Trading Standards and 'Fit for purpose' if they don't swap it IMMEDIATELY.

Ian

[kevtherev]

IT'S DEAD.... GET IT CHANGED

[AdrianC]

they will check and would be able to tell if the battery had been allowed to fully discharge...

Isn't that kinda the point of a leisure battery?

[Mocki]

put it on a proper charger for 24hrs, check the voltage as its charging, then soon as you disconnect the charger and then 24hrs later without using it.

the lidl one quite possible isnt upto what you are asking of it. How big is the battery? What output does the charger have? if its one of those 2-3 amp trickle / standby ones, it wont bring the battery up to full charge anytime this week...... it could be the lidl charger is not peaking at much more than 12.8vdc, so the battery wont be more.
less than a volt drop after 24hrs is ok, more than a volt, not so good.
however, if your battery has been completely discharged for a long period of time, it may take two or three good charges to get it back to goodness of a high degree.

[Novice in need]

Hi i hope you dont mind me butting in... however i heard Sale of Goods Act 1979 being mentioned.
Firstly is it definatelly a LB? and did you specify when purchased your intended use as a LB?

The Sale of Goods Act 1979 is basically intended for backing up contract law, it implies statutory terms into consumers contracts with retailers. such as S14(2) satisfactory quality S14(3) fit for purpose for which the buyer expressly or by implication makes known to them.

So to sum up if you brought the battery and made it known to the company that it was for a LB usage but it turns out that they gave you something which is fine for general usage instead of the special purpose that you made known to them, then it is not fit for purpose irrespective whether it is or proves to be of satisfactory quality.

You can use this argument in trying to get a exchange because it would be reasonable for you to be reliant on the skill & Knowledge of the retailer in recommending the battery for the special use such as a LB is designed for.

However if the battery turns out to be a good LB and they recommended the appropriate one, it would be in breach of S14(2) Not of satisfactory quality!!!

Hope this helps, or just interesting adleast

[TeamSid]

My current van came with a pretty dead leasure battery which wouldn't charge. I took it to my local scrap yard and got £7 for it! I now use an old car battery in its place and it never lets me down.

[kevtherev]

me too I use starter batteries, cheap and easy to charge fully

Traction batteries are better leisures by a country mile..

[Novice in need]

Well i also used normal car batteries for my leisure power source on a narrow boat i owned and never had a problem either, i just thought id explain the Sales of Goods Act and in particular its intended use.


Just glad you have the battery issue sorted