Topic continued from here viewtopic.php?f=8&
t=5464

snail wrote:

l seem to be having a lot of problems with my car battery.lt goes flat in a matter of 2 days in this cold weather.
Questions
1/how can l stop this from happening and what is the true cause of this happening
2/ls there any way for me to charge the battery up from the electrical house sockets.
3/l heard there are those solar panel gadgets you plug in the cars light socket to charge the battery up.Where do l get one and how much does it cost.
l am in the Elhovo area

Try covering your engine with an old blanket when your not using it. Our battery does the same thing in cold and thats what the mechanic recommended. Fingers crossed so far so good, it hasnt done it since.

beautifulangel wrote:

Try covering your engine with an old blanket when your not using it. Our battery does the same thing in cold and thats what the mechanic recommended. Fingers crossed so far so good, it hasnt done it since.

l do hope so.l just cannot afford the luxuries of a new battery.l need someone to come over to my place so to jump start it.Then after that l will use this method.Or maybe l can disconnect the battery after use.

I suppose once you have got the battery recharged you could disconnect it over night at least then if it still drains you will know the battery is kaput.

beautifulangel wrote:

Try covering your engine with an old blanket when your not using it. Our battery does the same thing in cold and thats what the mechanic recommended. Fingers crossed so far so good, it hasnt done it since.

Not a good idea . If the engine is covered while the engine is still hot from use then you are creating an explosion risk. By covering an engine that is still possibly emitting fumes which are now contained could lead to an ignition and hence a bang. :Headbang:Plus if you forget its there, what a mess and a costly repair bill.

Batteries will lose their efficiency when cold but they are designed to cope with extreme temperatures. If a battery is low in power it is usually because of cells in the structure falling apart due to age or that the battery is not being re-charged properly by the cars alternator, which would indicate that the alternator either has faulty brushes or has some other electrical problem. It could even be a case of the main vehicle earth strap being rusty and hence being a bad connection. Please stop this DIY approach to things that people know nothing about. If it aint your trade or expertise then see someone who is . Rant over

I completely disagree with you Tony although this is you opinion its not mine and I would advocate that anyone who wishes to save some money then if you feel confident enough and can get some advice from others that may know better then why not have a go. I think beautifulangel was assuming that the op does have a certain amount of common sense and not the iq of a chimp! There are plenty of user manuals on the market for the DIY person and these are endorsed by some very big names so if in doubt get one and follow any instructions therein.

Yes Lisa there is nothing wrong with a bit of DIY care care.

Car diy is something of a pastime in the uk and here in Bg most people are the same in fact I doubt there is a village in Bg that doesn't have a local car diy person. I think this is a bit daft really all of us with a bit of know how will have ago at repairing our cars and we all know where to draw the line unless of course you are a Chimp [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I often put an old blanket over my engine in the hard winters and never had a problem. My advice is try it. :Howdy:but make sure the engine is completely cooled down (COLD)

LisA wrote:

I completely disagree with you Tony although this is you opinion its not mine and I would advocate that anyone who wishes to save some money then if you feel confident enough and can get some advice from others that may know better then why not have a go. I think beautifulangel was assuming that the op does have a certain amount of common sense and not the iq of a chimp! There are plenty of user manuals on the market for the DIY person and these are endorsed by some very big names so if in doubt get one and follow any instructions therein.

Mine is not as you say an opinion. What I am giving is professional advice. Before I retired I was still studying to keep up with everyday trends. To be a Manager in Health and Safety you have to have a professional qualification. I have this where is yours? Having had to investigate the reasons behind some horrific accidents I think I know what is called a 'Cause' and an 'Effect'. Saving money is one thing but!!!!!! But you people carry on I am never surprised by some of the things that I have seen.

Question. Have you ever seen a battery explode, have you ever had to wash acid of a mans face when one has exploded. Did you know that in some batteries there was an inherent fault where the connections inside were not made properly and when the electrolyte went below the connection, bang. These are just one's that I know of personally there are many others. Plus the one's that I have forgotten.

If the thing is worn out then just change it. If you cannot afford it then don't have a car. If it fails in the middle of no where then what do you do?

Blink wrote:

Car diy is something of a pastime in the uk and here in Bg most people are the same in fact I doubt there is a village in Bg that doesn't have a local car diy person. I think this is a bit daft really all of us with a bit of know how will have ago at repairing our cars and we all know where to draw the line unless of course you are a Chimp [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Yep. Check the Oil, water, tyre pressures all the things that the good book says. But if you have to question what you are doing then don't.

Lets not get carried away here and lets remember this is Bulgaria and not the uk where they have the HSE! Please someone tell me if people should have a go at diy then why is the diy industry worth multi millions? Most of us who live in Bulgaria have had to turn our hands to all sorts of things because its the only way to get it repaired properly, the alternative is to get some one in a garage to do the job a great expense and then not knowing if its done correctly unlike the uk where you can bring an action against a garage for mal practice its not the same here. So some of us have no choice but to diy.

If its so wrong how have Haynes made a fortune out of diy.

davshaz wrote:

If its so wrong how have Haynes made a fortune out of diy.

Never thought of that

I should think after reading all this the OP is ready for a stiff drink and beside himself. DIY is fine so long as you are careful and in the case of a car so long as you follow any information from a good book then you should have no problems, Haynes in particular do cover safety with all there DIY repairs so stick with what they say to the letter and fingers crossed you won't have any accidents even garages no matter where they are can make mistakes and it can also be very costly so its not a case of getting a qualified person to do the job and everything will be fine? Common sense is what's called for and lets be honest I can't think of anyone I know that would put a blanket on a hot engine but if you are that person then don't do anything leave it to someone else.

Noddy wrote:

Lets not get carried away here and lets remember this is Bulgaria and not the uk where they have the HSE! Please someone tell me if people should have a go at diy then why is the diy industry worth multi millions? Most of us who live in Bulgaria have had to turn our hands to all sorts of things because its the only way to get it repaired properly, the alternative is to get some one in a garage to do the job a great expense and then not knowing if its done correctly unlike the uk where you can bring an action against a garage for mal practice its not the same here. So some of us have no choice but to diy.

Quite right Noddy. But snail started the thread by asking a question which clearly indicates that he needs advice on what to do.

I repeat 'But if you have to question what you are doing then don't'.

I must agree that some of us including me have been ripped off in the past. But if snail needs to see a good mechanic then I would clearly point him in the right direction. I have already suggested a Auto Electrician. I doubt that you will find Haynes suggesting a Blanket over an engine to keep it warm. I might start putting a Teddy Bear in with mine to keep it company as well. Sorry just couldn't resist it.

This poor guy has a problem which can be resolved very easily, but with all cars they take your money. I have my car checked by the authorities once a year and then by a mechanic twice a year, serviced yearly whether it needs it or not. We all know what the roads are like and I like my car to be safe rather than me being sorry. Like any ex H&
S person I will always air on the side of caution. But I also agree that some H&
S advice goes way over the top. My advice is more on the practical and sensible side. But I nor anybody else will stop DIY , B&
Q have made a fortune out of it.