Battery problem

[waverunner]

When to start my Jazz and battery dead, when I looked under the bonnet acid had leaked out onto the floor beneath. I removed the battery but can't see any damage or cracks I washed it down and then charged it overnight, it appeared to hold the charge, put it back in the car and after two days of not using it the battery has gone dead again! Suggestions?

[culzean]

If acid has leaked its bad news,  even if only one cell as they are all connected in series, so a fault in one breaks the chain.  Sometimes the hold down strap has been screwed down too tight and this can split the case, even if it is split between top cover and case joint it can allow acid out but may not be visible damage.

Get a new yuasa battery, 

[waverunner]

Thanks new battery then

[Jocko]

Make sure you wash the area down with copious amounts of water (preferably while the old battery is out). Add a tub of Baking Soda to the water. This stops the acid corroding the battery tray/bodywork.

[guest5079]

Two very good and important points:
Culzean get a Yuasa battery. Mine cost £55 from a factor.  On the invoice states 4 yr warranty.

and Jocko That is oh so important, battery acid will eat through body work like a hot knife through butter.

[culzean]

Yuasa are making a lifetime black battery now,  costs about 3x as much as a four year yuasa and 2x as much as a yuasa silver 5 year battery but is high tech nano technology said to have more capacity than conventional battery in same size case.

[sparky Paul]

It's a dinky little battery in the Jazz, I'm sure my ride-on mower has a bigger battery!

[Jocko]

Had a look at those lifetime guarantee, Yuasa batteries, but cannot see them in a size suitable for the Jazz. Neither Yuasa, or Halfords (UK stockist of Yuasa batteries), show them on their battery finder.

[culzean]

It's a dinky little battery in the Jazz, I'm sure my ride-on mower has a bigger battery!

Modern batteries have higher power density than they traditionally had,  and modern engines start much easier than they used to, feel the weight of a modern battery and they are surprisingly heavy  for their size, considering that advances in metallurgy have meant they now use thinner grids and better separators between plates etc.

Yuasa 'Silver' battery on my wifes Jazz is 40Ah and 340 CCA,  which is much better than the original battery,  and is exactly the same size.

[madasafish]

My Jazz battery is 5 years old and no issues shown so far.  Leaving a battery partially discharged for long periods is a killer. Usually short journeys on winter nights are worst- lights/wiper/heater/heated windows on.   Big current drain together with starting - drive less than 2 miles and the battery will not be fully charged..

[culzean]

Had a look at those lifetime guarantee, Yuasa batteries, but cannot see them in a size suitable for the Jazz. Neither Yuasa, or Halfords (UK stockist of Yuasa batteries), show them on their battery finder.

Don't seem to make them for motorbikes yet either, suppose they started off with most popular sizes first to test the market.  Would be good if these got fitted as original equipment by car makers,  maybe more suitable for stop-start vehicles.

[guest1372]

....  Would be good if these got fitted as original equipment by car makers,  maybe more suitable for stop-start vehicles.

The age of the 48V lithium battery is upon us, it looks likely to be ubiquitous on new cars launched in the next five years.  An additional 12V Pb battery will also be there for cold starts and recalcitrant consumers.
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TG

[Jocko]

The age of the 48V lithium battery is upon us, it looks likely to be ubiquitous on new cars launched in the next five years.  An additional 12V Pb battery will also be there for cold starts and recalcitrant consumers.

Here is a good explanation of the whys and wherefores.

http://jalopnik.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-upcoming-48-volt-1790364465

[culzean]

The age of the 48V lithium battery is upon us, it looks likely to be ubiquitous on new cars launched in the next five years.  An additional 12V Pb battery will also be there for cold starts and recalcitrant consumers.

Here is a good explanation of the whys and wherefores.

http://jalopnik.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-upcoming-48-volt-1790364465

Good write up, thanks for posting.

So the 48volts has nothing to do with normal lead acid starting battery and your cars main electrics will still be 12volts,  the 48volts is to power a mild hybrid system and some other new stuff.  The reason they raise the voltage for motors is to make supply conductors smaller (the cables  can be 25% of the weight of a 12volt system), the motor windings can be lighter gauge copper as well, but more windings are needed.    To store higher voltage in a battery does not make the battery smaller to store same power,  as each cell is a certain voltage (say 2 volts) and to get 48 volts needs 4x the number of cells even though each cell may be 1/4 of the size in a 48 volt battery because it need to supply only a 1/4 of the current of the cell in a 12volt battery of similar power output.

[guest1372]

Excellent explanation in that link Jocko. Thanks.
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TG