My Car Won't Start!

[Krupnik]

Hi, I just came back from a week's holiday and my car won't start. It sounds like a flat battery? I have no idea what to do, I am a female so that is my excuse, hehe. Boyfriend is not here. In England I would just call the RAC, what can I do to get it sorted? I do not know where to go? I live in the Nong Hoi/Saraphee area. Not much English spoken around here and I doubt my Thai will be good enough for this kind of conversation - I don't know car mechanical vocabulary. I am clueless in this situation, flack accepted - advice appreciated... Cheers! x

[harrry]

If you need it fixed now I cannot help you but if you wait till the morning you just have to telephone one of the battery people or BQuick or Compass and they will come and fit a new battery. It will probably cost about 4000baht.

[Krupnik]

If you need it fixed now I cannot help you but if you wait till the morning you just have to telephone one of the battery people or BQuick or Compass and they will come and fit a new battery. It will probably cost about 4000baht.

If you need it fixed now I cannot help you but if you wait till the morning you just have to telephone one of the battery people or BQuick or Compass and they will come and fit a new battery. It will probably cost about 4000baht.

Thanks Harry I don't need my car until tomorrow afternoon - how do I call the battery people? What makes you think it is a case of a new battery and not just a case of re-charging it? I don't see how I could have left anything on to flatten it though. I did buy a new battery about one year ago...

[Krupnik]

Thanks Harry I don't need my car until tomorrow afternoon - how do I call the battery people? What makes you think it is a case of a new battery and not just a case of re-charging it? I don't see how I could have left anything on to flatten it though. I did buy a new battery about one year ago...

Actually it could have been two years ago, thinking about it. Would a battery for a Honda Jazz need replacing after 2 years? Thanks for any help!

[market trader]

I am certainly no expert on auto mecanhics. But I think that a battery that is only one year old would not be the cause of your problem. I have left cars for over 6 months without starting them and when I did start them up again the battery was always fine.

[harrry]

Batteries usually have a pretty short life here 18 months is fairly good.When they come they will check the charger and they are pretty good and will not generally try to rip you off by selling you something you do not need. I fo course asumed you had not left the lights on while you were away. If the battery will not hold its charge for a week it is definitely in need of replacement. My guess is that if it does not need replacing you will only get charged a couple of hundred baht to start your cr and you would then need to take it for a long drive.......about to Mar Rim and back would probably be enough to charge it up enough.

I will have a look on the web and PM a couple of places that you could try phoning. Know the make and model of your car when you ring.

[market trader]

Thanks Harry I don't need my car until tomorrow afternoon - how do I call the battery people? What makes you think it is a case of a new battery and not just a case of re-charging it? I don't see how I could have left anything on to flatten it though. I did buy a new battery about one year ago...

Actually it could have been two years ago, thinking about it. Would a battery for a Honda Jazz need replacing after 2 years? Thanks for any help!

New batteries are usually good for from 5 - 7 years depending on the quality.

[Krupnik]

Thank you both so much for your comments and advice! I couldn't have left anything on, because the car beeps at me if I have. So it cannot be just dead? I thought about trying someone with jump leads though, I have a couple of friends who might be able to do this but they live quite far and I would rather just pay a mechanic place close to me if I can. But it seems it could be a bigger problem? Thanks again.

[harrry]

Thanks Harry I don't need my car until tomorrow afternoon - how do I call the battery people? What makes you think it is a case of a new battery and not just a case of re-charging it? I don't see how I could have left anything on to flatten it though. I did buy a new battery about one year ago...

Actually it could have been two years ago, thinking about it. Would a battery for a Honda Jazz need replacing after 2 years? Thanks for any help!

New batteries are usually good for from 5 - 7 years depending on the quality.

rubbish

not in a hot climate and with airconditiong which poses a heavy drain. Possibly in a cold climate though only top quality ones last that long. In australia a standard battery will give about 2 years though a heavier duty one at nearly three times the cost is used by people like taxis to give about 5 years.

[market trader]

Here is something you can try. Turn your ignition key to on. Then turn on your headlights. If headlights come on problem is not your battery. If headlights don't come on then most likely your battery is dead.

[harrry]

Jumper leads may get you started. If it does go for a long run to put some charge in you battery. If it has gone flat in a week though it is a sign it is not holding its charge and you may find yourself stuck somwhere when it finally goves out. It allways happens in the darkest wettest not safe place at midnight,

[market trader]

Thanks Harry I don't need my car until tomorrow afternoon - how do I call the battery people? What makes you think it is a case of a new battery and not just a case of re-charging it? I don't see how I could have left anything on to flatten it though. I did buy a new battery about one year ago...

Actually it could have been two years ago, thinking about it. Would a battery for a Honda Jazz need replacing after 2 years? Thanks for any help!

New batteries are usually good for from 5 - 7 years depending on the quality.

rubbish

not in a hot climate and with airconditiong which poses a heavy drain. Possibly in a cold climate though only top quality ones last that long. In australia a standard battery will give about 2 years though a heavier duty one at nearly three times the cost is used by people like taxis to give about 5 years.

Rubbish to you also. The battery in my car in Chiang Mai is 7 1/2 years old and still working fine.

[Krupnik]

Just tried your suggestion market trader and the headlamps come on, oh dear...?!

[uptoyoumyfriend]

i would just go out with a picture of the car to the next mechanic show it to him and tell him it it won't start ,pretty easy with some sign language and he will come over on the moped and start working.well, mine does anyway.give it a try.

they do this here,this is thailand.

[Tywais]

Just tried your suggestion market trader and the headlamps come on, oh dear...?!

That is not conclusive. The headlights do not use nearly as much current as the starting motor of the car. Now if you turn them on and try to start the car and they get very dim then that is indication of a faulty battery. Do you just get a clicking sound when you try to start the car, another indication the battery is down.

Battery life in Thailand, in my experience so far, has been as low as 2 years but normally mine have held from 4-5 years. Depends on quality of battery. The 2 year was with a cheap battery.

[dickyknee]

Rubbish to you also. The battery in my car in Chiang Mai is 7 1/2 years old and still working fine.

agreed, there are lots of things that kill lead-acid batteries, air-conditioning (which runs off the engine, not the battery) and temperature aren't part of that equation.

my RX7 in australia got 5 years out of the battery, was only dead because of a 3rd parties abuse. being a rotary engine, they are a bit picky about batteries/starting sometimes, and you risk flooding it if it doesnt crank hard-and-fast when cold. this is wankel engine related stuff, not pertineant to a honda.

now back to the OP, if the engine cranks over and sounds as fast as normal, but wont start. not your battery.

if it goes tik-tik-tik but the engine wont turn over, it is probably a flat battery. the solenoid is engaging the starter gear, but the battery doesnt have the power to turn the engine. maybe it needs a charge, but a discharged battery will shorten the life of the battery.

[ignis]

Bought a Honda Jazz when they 1st came to Thailand, Honda battery would last 14 months, but cost 900 - 1,000 baht fitted at Honda. bought 3 in the 4½ years I owned the car..

[ignis]

Rubbish to you also. The battery in my car in Chiang Mai is 7 1/2 years old and still working fine.

Bought a 2nd hand Audi A6, after a year the battery had problems, jump started [always have jump leads] took it to the battery place, he ordered me a good battery, on the exchange he pointed out the sticker on my old battery, was 11 years old. so was the battery that came new with the Audi when new, almost 4 years on no problems, nothing like the price of the Jazz battery from Honda.

[bristolgeoff]

no one has jumper leads in cm to give u a jump start

[Pormax]

I had the same problem yesterday and had to purchase a new battery for my 5 year old Yoyota Vigo.

Windscreen wipers, radio, headlights, indicators worked ok but i had not enough power in the battery to start the engine.

So just because the above things work on your car does NOT mean to say it is not your battery.

There is a possibility that your inside courtesy light was left on. I think this is what happened to my car as I had young children in the back on my last drive and think they messed around with the switch so that it stayed on all the time.

Once I put a new battery in I had no problem.

Best of luck hope you can get it sorted.

[Semper]

Thanks Harry I don't need my car until tomorrow afternoon - how do I call the battery people? What makes you think it is a case of a new battery and not just a case of re-charging it? I don't see how I could have left anything on to flatten it though. I did buy a new battery about one year ago...

Actually it could have been two years ago, thinking about it. Would a battery for a Honda Jazz need replacing after 2 years? Thanks for any help!

New batteries are usually good for from 5 - 7 years depending on the quality.

Don't want to start a discussion about this, but 5-7 years in Thailand is not nornal.

[worgeordie]

Honda Jazz batteries are very small, mine only lasted 1 year, got new one

and guy at battery shop said Honda do not put good batteries on the Jazz,

on my pick up had one last 8 years,but like everything else nothings made

to last in this throw away society.

Krupnik, if you are still not able to start your Honda,PM me with your address

and I can come and start it for you as I have jumper leads,but I will only be avaiable

till 10.30 this morning, no charge, as its happened to me before as well.

regards Worgeordie

[Krupnik]

Honda Jazz batteries are very small, mine only lasted 1 year, got new one

and guy at battery shop said Honda do not put good batteries on the Jazz,

on my pick up had one last 8 years,but like everything else nothings made

to last in this throw away society.

Krupnik, if you are still not able to start your Honda,PM me with your address

and I can come and start it for you as I have jumper leads,but I will only be avaiable

till 10.30 this morning, no charge, as its happened to me before as well.

regards Worgeordie

Thank you so much Worgeordie are you sure?? I will PM you right now!!!

[elektrified]

Thanks Harry I don't need my car until tomorrow afternoon - how do I call the battery people? What makes you think it is a case of a new battery and not just a case of re-charging it? I don't see how I could have left anything on to flatten it though. I did buy a new battery about one year ago...

Actually it could have been two years ago, thinking about it. Would a battery for a Honda Jazz need replacing after 2 years? Thanks for any help!

New batteries are usually good for from 5 - 7 years depending on the quality.

5-7 years??? Thai batteries? Come on....

[dvg]

If you need it fixed now I cannot help you but if you wait till the morning you just have to telephone one of the battery people or BQuick or Compass and they will come and fit a new battery. It will probably cost about 4000baht.

3,5 years ago bought a new Mazda 3,battery dead after 18 month.Mazda told me this is normal and a new one should cost

3600 bath.Bought one myself at the street where the trainstation is,close to the superhighway for 1600 bath,still ok.

[transam]

Around 2 years is the normal lifespan of a water filled battery in LOS on average.

Heat is the culprit. I now lift the hood when l get home to let the heat out. An engine bay gets hotter on shut down before it cools.

[Krupnik]

Thanks for all your comments and advice.

Special thanks to worgeordie who despite not knowing me from adam drove all the way over here just to jump start my car.

It seems I let my battery run dry of water which was causing the problem, and it seems to be solved now.

Hurrah for worgeordie for saving the day!

[eek]

^ really kind of worgeordie. Great to read this kind of hospitality.

Krupnik, you probably already know this, but just to reiterate what another member suggested regarding when you get your battery up and running, that its a good idea to go for a bit of a drive to get the charge back in.

Hope you have no more issues.

[Dellboy218]

]

rubbish

not in a hot climate and with airconditiong which poses a heavy drain. Possibly in a cold climate though only top quality ones last that long. In australia a standard battery will give about 2 years though a heavier duty one at nearly three times the cost is used by people like taxis to give about 5 years.

Rubbish to you also. The battery in my car in Chiang Mai is 7 1/2 years old and still working fine.

I don't know why people have to rubbish other peoples ideas or experiences but I do side with Market Trader. I have never had a car battery last less than 4 years and at 7-1/2 years MT yours is doing well. Some batteries may not last so long if people do not top the water up with distilled in a wet battery or if the vehicle has a poor or rough charging system. Off road driving can also shorten the live of batteries as lead will fall of the plates eventually. Gel batteries are sometimes damaged by charging with a charger designed for wet batteries. I have just put a new battery in my BMW bike, not BMW's 10k Baht one but one out Amorn for 1400B. The exact same one has just come out after 5 years service. If I was only getting 1-2 years I would be trying a different type. Oh and by the way, is your aircon really powered directly from your battery, presumably you do not have to run your engine then? Odd.........

As Tywais says turning the head lamps on is not going to cut it. That will take roughly what... 10A or so. The starter will take a hundred to several hundred Amps, albeit very briefly. In a batteries spec commonly called the ''cranking current.''

[kaptainrob]

Thanks for all your comments and advice.

Special thanks to worgeordie who despite not knowing me from adam drove all the way over here just to jump start my car.

It seems I let my battery run dry of water which was causing the problem, and it seems to be solved now.

Hurrah for worgeordie for saving the day!

Well done Worgeordie Krupnik, batteries contain acid, not water. One should always check levels at least once a month and top up cells with distilled water or at least, clean filtered water.

It is not heat which causes acid loss so much as high charge - low discharge cycles. May pay to have the charging (alternator output) checked to see it is not above 14.7v

Also check discharge current is low. Some immobilisers (especially aftermarket ones) will drain a good battery in a few weeks.

Any good auto shop or big battery shop can test these functions, usually free of charge or for just a few 100 baht.