Battery Did the RAC condemn a serviceable car battery?

[Bob Snapper]

8 am, cold morning I started my 3 litre Toyota Hilux as normal, drove 20 miles to a meeting but left my headlights lights on at 8.25... doh.

11 am coffee - realised and found lights very dim. There was power but not enough to turn the engine,

Called the RAC. They arrived , collected my keys from Reception, set to work. My meeting ended, I went to the Hilux to be met by the RAC Engineer who said "All sorted, we've replaced the battery, nothing to pay"

I spent the next week telling people what a wonderful RAC scheme I was on. Then the bill arrived - £183 for a battery routinely sold for £100.

I naively thought our (expensive) business scheme had cover for some parts.

BUT WAS MY OLD BATTERY REALLY ACTUALLY UNSERVICEABLE?

It had started OK that morning and for 2 years since we bought the vehicle. No sign of a problem. I had simply expected a jump start.

Is there a battery expert out there who can interpret these printout results the RAC have given me since bearing in mind it was a flat battery when they attended.

Thanks

Adrian

Battery Test Results
Battery Test
Battery Manufacturer: OTHER
Rating of battery tested: 770CCA
Chemistry of battery tested: FLOODED
Rated Ah of battery tested: 90
Smart charge: No
Battery Test Results
Time: 23/11/2017 11:58
Temperature: 9.4°C
Measured voltage: 11.01Volts
Measured rating: 0CCA
Reserve capacity: Poor Reserve
State of health: 40%
State of charge: 0%
Test Result: Replace battery
System Test
Jump pack used:Yes
Starter Avg voltage: 9.15Volts
Starter Avg current: 26.8Amps
Starter result decision: Charge Battery
Alternator voltage (unloaded): 0Volts
Alternator voltage (loaded): 13.41Volts
Alternator current (unloaded): 0Amps
Alternator current (loaded): 22.6Amps
Diode decision: Normal
Alternator test decision: Normal
First drain test voltage: 11.01Volts
First drain test current: 0.1Amps
Second drain test voltage: 12.45Volts
Second drain test current: 0.1Amps

 

[pirate]

How do I remeber these things, when I can't remember what I had for lunch???

 

[telectrix]

i always remember what i had for lunch. the empty bottles are there to see.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Seems correct to me. The lights were on for 2.5 hours at maybe 12A load. 30Ah useful reserve for a 90Ah battery means that it is at the end of its life. Modern engines are generally easy to start and can sometimes be cranked with nothing more than an alarm battery, so it is possible the for car's own battery to have lost much of its capacity before the car won't start. But then one minor slip like this and there's no reserve capacity. Provided the alternator is charging it properly (without which even the new one will keep going flat) then I would have changed it too. There's no point pratting about with substandard batteries.

 

[Bob Snapper]

Thank you Lucien Nunes. That explains why the RAC reported "State of health 40%" but the reason "State of charge 0%" was I had left my lights on, not that the battery had suddenly failed. I did tell the engineer that.

They report that the alternator was charging OK so should they not have jump started the vehicle, recommend running for a few minutes before driving off and advised me to change the battery at an early opportunity. Surely they should at least to have offered me the old battery albeit only 40% health.

It seems that in the RAC terms and conditions they can supply and fit parts up to £300 value without asking permission.

I expect the RAC to make some money from supplying the battery but are RAC Engineers on some sort of bonus/commission/brownie point system that gives them an incentive to supply parts that might not be essential at the time?

 

[davesparks]

They report that the alternator was charging OK so should they not have jump started the vehicle, recommend running for a few minutes before driving off and advised me to change the battery at an early opportunity. Surely they should at least to have offered me the old battery albeit only 40% health.

It seems that in the RAC terms and conditions they can supply and fit parts up to £300 value without asking permission.

Should they have done that? Maybe.
But then you could also ask whether you should have turned your lights off or whether you should have identified that the battery was reaching the end of its life as part of your regular maintainence of your vehicle?

 

[Lucien Nunes]

I do a full discharge cycle annually on the boat batteries to confirm that the meter readings are representative of how the batteries would perform in an emergency. Specifically because of the very large reserve - enough that I can get away with leaving the fridge on battery for a few weeks if needed - but for exactly that reason the capacity can fall off unnoticed during normal use, unless one keeps an eye on the dials.

 

[Bob Snapper]

I've driven a million miles in maybe 30 different vehicles and this Hilux from day one 3 years ago always seemed to turn the engine over slowly when starting (It is a big 3 litre diesel).

I had it checked particularly when we first bought it and beyond normal servicing I specifically asked for and watched a rapid discharge test not that long ago and was told all was OK. Maybe a rapid discharge test wasn't enough.

What threw me here was the delight that I had apparently got a free battery "no charge mate, it's part of your cover".

What he meant was no charge now.......

Death and taxes. I know.

 

[telectrix]

not knocking the RAC man for his actions, but the mark upon the battery is scandalous. makes me wonder if RAC is owned by British Grasp.

 

[Adam W]

Really? Try this then:

4 and a half Euros for a cup of coffee and a Twix.

 

[Pete E]

I am with Green Flag and had them out one evening to do a "home start" due to a flat battery. I confess that I already suspected my battery was on the way out, but the cold weather plus an interior light left accidently on, killed it.

They came out and simply jump started it..After a few questions, he advised me to change the battery asap or he could change it but the cost would be quite high...He also warned for the next 28 days I wasn't covered if I ignored the advice and had a another flat battery.

I replaced the battery within a day or so, but all in all he handled the situation as I would of expected even if he didn't do any in depth fancy analysis of the battery....

 

[static zap]

.....
It seems that in the RAC terms and conditions they can supply and fit parts up to £300 value without asking permission.

Add good servicable-spare tyre to the list of -Pocket hurting parts-
..these T & Cs have slowly evolved as people take advantage of RELAY ... Complete your journey promise ..that I originally liked ...
(and even the Policy holder-rather than vehicle)

 

[telectrix]

er'indoors car does not have a spare wheel, not even a get you home pram wheel. instead it came supplied with an inflator and a can of foam. the foam is out of date and needs replacing at some horrific cost, and it's of no earthly use if you get a sidewall split due to hitting one of the thousands of potholes that decorate our roads. progress my arse.

 

[gnuuser]

( it's a Toyota, and invincible )

you got that nail on the head.
when my uncle passed away many years ago he had one of the original toyota corrolas
his son had it junked ( it had more than 750,000 miles on it and was still going strong, even the body was still in decent shape)

 

[Squid]

er'indoors car does not have a spare wheel, not even a get you home pram wheel. instead it came supplied with an inflator and a can of foam. the foam is out of date and needs replacing at some horrific cost, and it's of no earthly use if you get a sidewall split due to hitting one of the thousands of potholes that decorate our roads. progress my arse.

£10,

Holts Tyreweld 500ml - https://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/garage-equipment/tyre-inflators-pressure-gauges/holts-tyreweld-500ml