May Need Battery Replaced For 2013 Hyundai i30

Lasunrise on 28/03/2017 - 21:32
Last edited 29/03/2017 - 09:55 by 1 other user

i know nothing about batteries. AT. ALL. :(

Yesterday, when I started my car … it sounded like it was about to die, but then 3 seconds after pushing the start engine button, it started, this happened all day long.

I bought my car used last year, 2013 Hyundai i30. haven't been doing anything different, so not sure why battery weak. OTHER than 2 days ago, plugged iPhone lightening cable into the USB port (instead of cigarette car charger)

Anyways, it looks like I may need a new battery. where should I go and what battery should I get?

Thank you so much for your time and help!

Automotive

Comments

  • Diji1 on 28/03/2017 - 21:50
    +1

    YELL MORE!

  • PJC on 28/03/2017 - 22:10

    So the battery is about 4 years old? Not too early for replacement. NRMA?

  • mskeggs on 28/03/2017 - 22:15
    +2

    If you go to a Repco or Supacheap auto store you can likely get a battery substantially cheaper than the $200+ the delivery companies like NRMA batteries charge.
    They will happily advise the right battery for your car model.
    Kmart used to be the absolute cheapest but you took a risk their stock was old and you needed to work out which battery yourself.
    It is trivial to swap them, all you need is a screwdriver and something to wipe your hands on afterwards as they will get dirty.
    Don't forget to recycle the old battery. Either at the local tip, or metal scrap yard if one is nearby.

  • Worf on 28/03/2017 - 23:11
    +2

    Step 1. Go to a car battery site such as "century batteries" or "supercharge" and use the battery finder search function to find the battery you need. You have the make, model and year, so you're half way there, (just need variant e.g., diesel or petrol, engine size).

    Step 2 search online to see the price for your battery. For instance the DIN53LH Century battery (24 month warranty) retails for 249 at supercheap auto at the moment. Note, this price is likely to change tomo with the sale. Search around because battery prices vary (e.g., sales etc.) you may want to consider a battery with a 36 month warranty. But if you're the type to leave a light on and drain the battery, then 36 month battery might not be worth the extra price.

    Step 3. Purchase and install. If you have difficulties with step 1, any retailer will be more than happy to help, they have charts for this kind of thing. See mskeggs advice (above) for installation tips. +1 for recycling the battery. Note batteries can be kind of heavy (maybe 8kgs), pretty hard to stuff up replacement. You may need to reprogram your radio after the battery change, You can also drop old batteries at supercheap auto for recycling.

    I don't know too much about car batteries, but I've been happy with century and supercharge. Maybe others can comment on battery brands…

    • ulan on 28/03/2017 - 23:41
      +1

      +1 - agree with all your comments here and I do know a little about car batteries having previously worked for Marshall Batteries for 6 years!

      If you "Holler for a Marshall!" you should be able to get one delivered and fitted for $179, at least in QLD (not sure about Sydney). That's for a 1-2 year warranty jobbie and the 3 year warranty ones are beefier but set you back about $220 (delivered and fitted).

      Just call around to either Battery World or Marshall or independents to get the best deal. The benefit of having the "experts" do it is that they usually can retain power to the car whilst the battery is being changed by using a small backup battery. This way the computer/radio/alarm is not disturbed when the new battery goes in.

  • PVA on 28/03/2017 - 23:17
    +1

    Go to a shop like Autobarn and buy one there, and they will install for free.

    Have you checked the fluid level in the battery ( if it's not a fully sealed one) it maybe just that.
    Plugging the iPhone into the USB port didn't cause the problem.

  • [Deactivated] on 28/03/2017 - 23:23

    I had something similar years ago and it wasnt my battery. It was the alternator. Better to take to a service centre to assess

    • mskeggs on 28/03/2017 - 23:59
      +2

      This is possible, but very unlikely on a 4 yro car.
      If the new battery dies in a few months, then absolutely this needs investigating.

  • altomic on 28/03/2017 - 23:43

    how far do you drive each time and how often.?

    if you're only making short trips then it could be the battery is not being charged sufficently.

    or the battery could be on the way out.

    • mskeggs on 29/03/2017 - 00:03

      Not disagreeing, but what trip would be the battery killer? 5 min daily commute and no other driving would likely total a battery in a few years. There wouldn't be many drivers doing under 2000kms a year. (but if that is you, OP, maybe aim to go for a drive to the beach once every month or so?)

  • HardQuiz on 29/03/2017 - 07:48

    SCA or Autobarn will help you

  • SydneySwan on 29/03/2017 - 09:20

    If you are in NSW, are you a member of the NRMA? Last week NRMA replaced the battery on our Jeep - 3 year warranty, $189 fully installed and they dispose of the old one.

  • Euphemistic on 29/03/2017 - 09:29
    +1

    Does the i30 have a 'smart' alternator? If so it is possible that the battery isn't getting full charge every time you drive, and thus the life has been shortened. Our 4wd has (had) a smart alternator that apparently shuts down under certain conditions (under power) to reduce fuel consumption. This means that the battery isn't being charged constantly like in older cars meaning the battery doesn't always get fully topped up. Our battery went flat a few times after what appeared to be only a short time with doors open or accessories on. Since I disabled the 'smart' function of the alternator its been much better, including leaving a car fridge running while parked for a few hours and the car still starts no problem.

    However, having to replace a battery at 4 years is not uncommon, so it could just be the battery.

    • asunrise on 29/03/2017 - 10:15

      will look into this. how did you disable the smart alternator?

      • Euphemistic on 29/03/2017 - 11:28
        +1

        a quick google search leads me to believe the i30 does have a smart alternator. Disabling it depends on the vehicle. For some you can get a special replacement fuse that has something extra attached to trick the alternator - I think Toyota's are one. For ours (Nissan Pathfinder) it was the 'green wire mod' where you disconnect the green wire to the alternator. The green wire supplies a signal to the alternator to turn it on/off, disconnecting it means the alternator is 'on' always.

        For most cars it isn't a problem to run the smart alternator, but for 4wd's that have 2 batteries, or run fridges etc, when the smart alternator is not charging there isn't enough voltage in the standard battery system to operate the second battery charge system. When the alternator is running normally, there is full voltage and everything works, but that is typically for the first 10mins (or so) of a drive or when the vehicle is not under load (eg coasting). So a trip down the highway at 110km/h where the car is under load to keep it moving will not charge the battery fully when a good long drive used to be great for keeping the battery in good condition.

        Lead acid batteries don't like to be run low on voltage as it reduces their lifespan.

  • asunrise on 29/03/2017 - 15:09
    +3

    thank yo for all the advice!!! so i called around and the closet place to me was batteryworld in rozelle. they checked with a meter and it looked like my battery was about to die. i got replacement DIN53LH MF Century for $199 with 2-yr warranty. that included disposing the battery and replacement without having to reprogram anything. online prices were around $25 cheaper … so i went ahead and got them to do it. thank you again !!!

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