Further to the post above--

If you tried to put 115 amps into your battery it would EXPLODE in less than 5 minutes.--( just in case you try. )--:eek::eek::eek:

And if it took 24hours of driving to recharge the battery, it would have drained itself from full after a few days of normal commuting, - it's a diesel, so never mind the start-up load, apparently the fuel pumps use a fair bit of power. I'll leave the alternator/regulator to work out how much charge it needs to put into my battery, fact is, after a total of 20 miles, it had stopped humming, with demisting, wipers and stereo working, and has not since given any indication of being run down, despite early, frosty starts most mornings this week. So stop trying to make out I'm some kind of idiot. My 1991 diesel Mitsubishi has a voltmeter - you can hear and see when the glowplugs click off, after a stone cold start - the voltmeter flicks up to 14+volts, showing the alternator is working hard to restore the starting deficit. But within a few miles, it drops back to the normal "full" battery voltage of around 12.8V, indicating the battery is fully charged. If your car takes 24 hours of driving to get your battery back to starting power, I suggest you get it looked at by an expert.

Very sorry to have upset you. Not my intention at all. Just trying to help, nothing more.---;)

I have owned my diesel car 13 years now and have never had any battery problems.

To check your battery voltage you need to let it rest over night and test it before start up the following day.
What you are reading en route is the voltage from your alternator.



PS. The really, really useful thread on the main page. Did you perhaps have a read of it ???

We never stop learning and I try to learn something new every day even though I'm now 82 years old.

If you feel like an idiot may I again apologise if my post made you feel that way. This great car forum is all about helping other members with their car problems and that was the reason for my post.----:bowdown::bowdown::bowdown:

Further to this battery thread if anyone is interested.

Battery voltage is not an accurate indication of battery condition.

A battery can show a high voltage reading even when it is half way through its useful life.

Before batteries became sealed a test of the electrolyte was quite an accurate method of assessing the battery.

Now the only accurate way is to use a garage Drop Tester.
This will measure battery Capacity. ie. how much power is available for work. Voltage is only an indicator of battery Pressure ( volts. ) and not capacity.

For instance if only ONE plate of a battery was working you could still get a reading of 12.68 volts.--:eek:

Wouldn't start your car though.----:xmas-smiley-026:

Colvert, thank you for your less than whole-hearted apology, and don't worry, I DON'T feel like an idiot, however, I do feel justified in thinking you believe me to be one, judging by your choice of imogees, and your presumably unintentional, but nontheless condescending manner. I don't know why you were so concerned that my car had an understandably reduced, but still adequate starting charge in its battery, after standing for so long. Having survived the neglect I had given it for 3 +months before giving it a full charge, (I never intended to leave it so long), my concern was more for the alternator than the battery due to the hum coming from it, and the oil spilt over it ( which is what connected me to the OP). In my long experience of old cars, (but from another thread, - a good decade less than yours!) many having needed replacement alternators, brushes, voltage regulators and/or batteries, and if the meter is correct on my smart charger, the difference between 12.4V and 12.8v on the Rover CDT, the MGF, and the Mitsubishi diesel, makes a significant difference to their willingness to start, although the Mitsubishi is the most able to cope with lower voltages. Incidentally, the first site I googled (this one) https://www.stoneacre.co.uk/car-serv...-while-driving confirms my view that 30 mins of motorway driving is sufficient to recharge your battery to an adequate level. I rest my case.

OMG who brought the decorations down from the loft :eek:

:xmas-smiley-041::xmas-smiley-041::xmas-smiley-041:

Colvert? what have you been drinking this evening??????


Brian :xmas-smiley-040:

Just trying to help. However a long life teaches you that there are some folk in life you just can't help.----:D


Total Denial I think it's called.


I have ENORMOUS experience in this as my Wife is one of them.---:D:D:D:D


If she reads this I'm dead meat.---:eek::eek::eek:

I'll try one more time.---:D:D:D


Personal Disclaimer:
My thoughts are intended to provide a sounding board for your own.
Some of what I say may go against your own thoughts and may seem harsh, targeted and malicious.
This is not my intention – I am simply using my experience, including other peoples, as a way of debating and giving advice - of which there is no guarantee that it's correct

I think we should politely agree to differ, and move on. I'm sure there are plenty of other topics we can argue over!:D

Agreed.-------:bowdown::bowdown::bowdown:





But never forget----------Knowledge is Power.------:eek::eek::eek: