Did the RAC condemn a serviceable car battery?

[Adam W]

I only recently found out you can pay for your RAC with clubcard points. Also they've recently started charging an arm and a leg if you want to be covered for being in any vehicle as a passenger - it's much cheaper if you're covered on a specific vehicle.

 

[telectrix]

I only recently found out you can pay for your RAC with clubcard points. Also they've recently started charging an arm and a leg if you want to be covered for being in any vehicle as a passenger - it's much cheaper if you're covered on a specific vehicle.

RAC has always been the policyholder that's covered. not the vehicle. will need to check that out.

 

[pirate]

Tel, I didn't know about the £150...makes my AA (Automobile Association, before you start...) membership look cheap. I have been recovered half a dozen times in the last few years, and frankly am very impressed with the service. My daily commute was 40 miles each way, with maybe the same again during the working day, yet they always took my car to my own mechanic, who is 20 miles away in the opposite direction. Once they even sent a VIP transporter...not a big yellow thing but a discreet silver van which swallowed up my car...I liked that because the car had broken down on the High Street, and with its "cherished number" would have had the locals jeering!
As for the Dignitas superkings, maybe mixing them up with the B-side to Bend Me, Shape Me?
Again, if you're under 50, ignore this bit...

 

[telectrix]

I well remember bend me shape me, amen corner, but can't remember what the B side was.

 

[pirate]

The B side was "Satisnek The Jobs Worth"

 

[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....