My Car Keeps Breaking Down

[tiggerblue10]

I have a problem with my Fiesta LX 2004. Its completely stopped in the middle of a busy main road twice in the last month now but there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it according to a recovery chap and a mechanic. I've been told by various people that the reason it does this is because I only make small journeys each day which doesn't allow the battery to warm up enough.

Has anyone else had this problem? What do you do to prevent this?

[tonyav]

2 hours tigger, not very good. Did you complain ?.

[tiggerblue10]

Should've done but no. Luckily I called my parents who came and my mum took Little Tiggs home and put him to bed and my dad stayed with me and it was freezing. Didn't get home till nearly 10.

[ladybirder]

Honest John in The Telegraph reckons you shouldn't take your car on journeys of fewer than 5 miles, well not very often, if you want to keep your battery topped up, especially in the winter. I often drive along the sea front and back a few times after nipping to the local shops just to get the mileage up.

[phleb]

I have been told to start my car in morning, then rev it a few times before driving off. It helps warm battery up....and because I start it 5 mins before journey im warm too.

[tonyav]

If you have a wait like that again, tigger, I would certainly complain if I were you.

Ladybirder, you are doing the right thing with your car. Short journeys especially at this time of the year ( lights, heater, heated window demisters turned on ) will drain the battery.

[vulcan42]

Short journey's are not good for a car.The engine doesn't get to it's proper working temperature and the battery doesn't get fully charged, especially at this time of the year when heater, lights, w'screen wipers etc are all going at once. If you have the time, occasionally take the car for a good run, it will keep the battery in good shape.

[tiggerblue10]

My brother sold his car last month so I might let him use it as I'm sure he can rack up a few miles here and there. As long as he tops up the petrol though.

[vulcan42]

tonyav, I wasn't copying honest !!

[tonyav]

I know, vulcan, It's just common sense really. Don't take more out of your battery than you put back.

[tiggerblue10]

I have the full works going in my car including radio. I have been going out to rev it up 10 mins before I set off the last 2 days.

[Hypognosis]

Surely driving extra miles with the sole specific purpose of topping up the battery is wasteful of fuel, not to mention expensive? 20-25p per mile? How many miles before you burn up the price of a trickle-charger?

If your life consists of mainly short-hop journeys I think it is well worth getting a sheet of paper, totting up your annual insurance, tax disc, servicing, petrol and shopping centre car parking bills and then working out how many taxi journeys per year you could have for the same price.

I know taxis are pricey but if more people did this, the increased demand would support more taxis and more competition means keener prices.

[Hypognosis]

p.s.

You didn't actually say how long your work commute was. I don't actually need to know how far but it would obviously knock the taxis idea on the head if the annual cost of that travel was going to be on par with the cost of a car.

[tiggerblue10]

I make 2 journeys in the morning. First to parents or nursery by car as there is no direct bus route (approx 2m), then I get the bus to work (approx 4m). We used to have free parking at work but thats been taken away from all non-disabled staff. I walk back to parents/nursery every evening which saves me a bit on my oyster card.

[Hypognosis]

So, if you were able to park at work, that would still only be 6 miles out, 6 miles back, per day, which would be about 25 minutes' driving, at 30mph. If it was stop-start town driving, or all driven at quite low revs then not even all that 25 minutes would be actively recharging the battery.

Taking an excursion at the weekends, 10 miles or more, on faster roads might be enough of a charge-up to get it through the week but, as I said, there's the expense of fuel in that. If you enjoy driving for driving's sake then I know you'll prefer this to the trickle-charger option. ;-)

Lastly, the nipper rules out the taxi option - if you want your choice of child seat, you need to keep your car.