Constant Jump Starting Bad for Car Battery?

kehuehue on 12/08/2022 - 01:51
Last edited 12/08/2022 - 10:20 by 1 other user

So my car battery died (car model 2018) and I called RACV who did some diagnostics and asked the model and said its the average lifespan of a battery and that it had died. Needed replacing. I was skeptical, so I asked him to jump start it and i took it for a ride to charge it up.

Next day went to SCA to get it checked who said it was ok. = https://i.imgur.com/AssPYSB.jpg

Couple of weeks later, while in the parking and my kid playing with car electronics (audio etc), battery died again. Called RACV again to jump start, didnt replace as I had already planned to get an amazon jump start kit ($80 vs $250 on new battery). Ozbargain spirit afterall right (RACV free because Hyundai)

Now, whenever my car battery dies, I pop out the Amazon jump starter and Im ready to go.

Its too convenient, but its got me thinking, how long before this method stops working?

Edit: Thanks the input everyone, will look into getting car checked at upcoming service.

Edit 2: https://axleaddict.com/auto-repair/Is-Jumpstarting-Bad-For-Y…

Edit 3: Thank you again, real good comments here (not sarcasm), hope it will help someone else in a similar situation.

Automotive Battery Car Car Battery Hyundai Motors Jump Starter Rechargeable Battery

closed Comments

  • derweep on 12/08/2022 - 01:58
    +1

    Hmm, might be something else beside the battery if it tested ok, might be the alternator playing up not charging the battery?

    • cashless on 12/08/2022 - 08:08

      Yup, definitely sounds like the alternator (or regulator) has gone.
      Get it checked at auto electrician

      • kehuehue on 12/08/2022 - 08:22

        I have a car service coming through, think they might pick it up by themselves?

      • the Unforgiven on 12/08/2022 - 08:40
        +1

        the alternator is fine with the RACV test result, also no alt light

        • kehuehue on 12/08/2022 - 10:03

          how did you check the alternator is fine from the attached result? (btw that receipt is from SCA) - the RACV guy didnt show me much

  • Gravehaunted on 12/08/2022 - 02:09
    +1

    Going off your receipt, your CCA Cold cranking Amperage is kinda low. Whats your vehicle? I feel like this CCA is suited for a 4 cylinder. Seems you might need to find a friend with a battery reconditioner. I suspect you've got a faulty cell.

    • Gravehaunted on 12/08/2022 - 02:11

      RACV came out huh? Still check over your terminals too. Perhaps a bad contact causing this.

      • kehuehue on 12/08/2022 - 02:26
        -2

        Hyundai Accent, the battery dies only when its turned off and alot of electronics are used (infotainment, 25W phone charging, iphone charging, inside door lights - toddler goes wild) around 20-30 mins of such activity.

        • bobbified on 12/08/2022 - 06:41
          +10

          …the battery dies only when its turned off and alot of electronics are used ..

          Umm.. this is why you can't start your car!

          • kehuehue on 12/08/2022 - 08:08

            @bobbified: yeah i know, but in a healthy battery such usage will not drain it flat otherwise. atleast i think it wouldnt

            • bobbified on 12/08/2022 - 08:19
              +1

              @kehuehue: If you're just listening to the radio, it shouldn't but if you've got everything else on, then it might.

              Do you only turn the key to the first click where it turns on the basic "accessories"? If you turn it to the second click (where all the dash lights are on) and leave it there, then the battery would drain even faster, especially if you have the fan/aircon/heater on.

            • [Deactivated] on 12/08/2022 - 09:12

              @kehuehue: Is the engine on or are you parked when all of this is happening?

              • kehuehue on 12/08/2022 - 09:15

                @[Deactivated]: yep, in usually on the 2nd click (no AC's on) headlights off, just the iphone plugged in with music/radio on

                • [Deactivated] on 12/08/2022 - 09:20
                  +1

                  @kehuehue: If youre engine is on. Check if your alternator is charging properly, also constantly jump starting your battery is terrible for your car battery and will reduce the cold cranking amps even if voltage appears fine.

                  • kehuehue on 12/08/2022 - 09:29

                    @[Deactivated]: sorry, bit of brain fart. engine is off, car in 2nd stage where dash lights are on. the car starts up fine after i take it for a run, so I guess the alternator is charging.

                    properly tho, idk - how do i check? take it in for another SCA test?

                    Last time, SCA rep told me running (ie driving) the car for a hour should charge the battery fine.

  • [Deactivated] on 12/08/2022 - 04:16
    +9

    A battery is not designed to go completely flat - this can cause permanent damage to the battery.

    I would strongly recommend you replace the battery at this point.

  • Euphemistic on 12/08/2022 - 05:39
    +4

    Just replace the battery. It can’t be good for electronics in the car to keep dropping below optimum voltage.

    It’s also not great for the jump starter. They are likely not designed for very frequent usage and you’ll shorten its life by regularly using it.

    If it was an old school car with no computers, go for your life, keep jump starting it forever.

    • kehuehue on 12/08/2022 - 08:09

      Fair enough, will start looking for one.

  • brendanm on 12/08/2022 - 06:17
    +1

    Yes, so convenient, much better than just turning the key and having the car start.

  • randomusername2017 on 12/08/2022 - 06:26

    how long before this method stops working?

    Until the battery dies and you have to jump start in pouring rain

    Surely there would be cheaper options than $250 for a replacement?

  • Overclocked91 on 12/08/2022 - 06:45
    +1

    I would shop around. Try a battery specialist. A battery that size would cost us approx $100-120 and we install it ourselves. Stuff that every time you potentially start it, it may fail. How annoying.

    • kehuehue on 12/08/2022 - 08:14

      I will check again, thats what the RACV guy quoted me (~270ish). On SCA a "Century Battery Hi Performance - DIN44LH" is for $250

        • kehuehue on 12/08/2022 - 09:05

          thank you!

          • randomusername2017 on 12/08/2022 - 09:38
            +1

            @kehuehue: Cheaper on eBay.
            They also do a basic level under the gold about 25% cheaper again.

        • FLICKIT on 12/08/2022 - 09:21
          +1

          I'm not a fan of Century batteries, they seem crap these days, the last one I had was replaced under warranty twice in 2 years, and the 3rd one died within a year also…

          Supercharge seem much better, Exide seem good also, they're priced quite well at Bunnings but most are "special order"…
          https://www.bunnings.com.au/brands/e/exide-batteries

          (IMO your battery is showing typical end-of-life symptoms, I'd just bite the bullet and replace it)

          • kehuehue on 12/08/2022 - 09:35

            @FLICKIT: Never heard of SuperCharge, but whirlpool threads (old thread) also indicate its a good brand. On top of that 40 month warranty compared to Century.

          • Euphemistic on 12/08/2022 - 09:41

            @FLICKIT: What sort of vehicle did the batteries die in?

            • FLICKIT on 12/08/2022 - 09:56

              @Euphemistic: Triton.. The alternator and such are all fine, I've had an Excide battery in it for the last couple of years without issue…

              • Euphemistic on 12/08/2022 - 10:17

                @FLICKIT: Thanks. Some modern cars have smart alternators that don’t really give a good charge. Our Parhfinder has one. Until I disabled the smarts that control the alternator it would leave us with a flat battery after only a short time with the radio on - like 15min, even after an hour of driving. Since removing the smart alternator haven’t had any dramas, even running the radio for over an hour or the fridge for a while too.

                • FLICKIT on 12/08/2022 - 10:37

                  @Euphemistic: Thanks, it's an older 1995 Triton so no issues with smarts, she's old-school dumb (which is why I stick with it, no fancy newfangled electronics), lol

      • Cobber870 on 12/08/2022 - 09:14
        +1

        You pay through the nose for the convenience of SCA or Repco on batteries. Try a specialist battery store like Battery World.

        Also, if you have a bit of a look at you battery position, you may not need the DIN (terminals recessed and level with the top of the battery casing). I needed a urgent replacement for a Hilux a couple of years ago and found that I could fix an N70ZZ where it previously had been a DIN65 something from memory - it was >$100 cheaper.

  • pegaxs on 12/08/2022 - 07:50
    +1

    It’s all a scam by big battery corps. They don’t want you knowing this one easy trick. Click here to find out more…

    Buy a new battery or jump start the car every time you want to drive it. I dont know, it is a pretty compelling argument to just buy a $80 jump start battery. You know what? I’m going to convert all my cars over to this system.

    Will it hurt the car, not really. But the main battery will eventually completely die and not hold any voltage and that could start causing errors in the electronics. You may even get to a point where the battery is that dead that it too also tries to drain the starter jump pack.

    • kehuehue on 12/08/2022 - 08:26

      could start causing errors in the electronics. You may even get to a point where the battery is that dead that it too also tries to drain the starter jump pack.

      yep, read some articles, damage in electronics that results in a write off, not worth saving $250 over, going to the battery checked again

      • Screamingeagle on 12/08/2022 - 09:45
        +1

        I have a Mitsubishi Triton and one day the battery just completely and utterly died. Would not start, gave all sorts of warning lights on the dashboard. We tried to jump start it from a jump starter… it cranked slowly but would not fire. We tried to jump it off another car. Same thing just slowly cranked but would not start (the other car just was not big enough). Ended up having to use both another car and the jump starter pack at the same time, and it just barely started.

        Drove it home and it was towards dusk so we had the lights on when we got home, as soon as we turned the car off, no lights. Basically the battery in my car had no power in it at all so my car needed to get all of the power needed to start from elsewhere. Replaced the battery the next day with a new one… the car has worked fine every since. That was about 2 years ago.

        I'm not sure how old that battery was, it was in the car when I purchased it secondhand.

  • AndyC1 on 12/08/2022 - 08:37
    -1

    So your time and the family time is worth very little as you have spent so far a number of hours on this and are still having issues. Sounds like you should buy an new battery so you can spend more time with the family.

    • kehuehue on 12/08/2022 - 08:48

      Well firstly, thanks for assuming the worst about me.

      The first time it got flat (in my garage), I did place an order from SCA immediately after looking around, but took atleast 2-3 weeks to arrive. I made sure it wouldnt get discharged and also organised a battery health check to which the SCA rep said the battery was fine. So I decided to cancel the order.

      Later when it ran flat (weeks later), the time wasted waiting for RACV to arrive while with family, made me look for an immediate solution (Amazon charger). Since then it has run flat 2 more times under specific conditions (which I can control). I can get the car up and running pretty quick comparatively.

      The query was just about how bad can it be in the long term, and got my answer.

  • CodeXD on 12/08/2022 - 08:44

    This sounds exactly like the issue I had with my Hyundai Elantra. Turns out the dashcam was draining the battery when car was off. Just had to change the cut-off limit and I havent had the problem since, even without driving car for 2 weeks.

    • kehuehue on 12/08/2022 - 08:50

      No dashcam, but I am able to recreate conditions under which it goes flat or I expect it to go flat.

      • CodeXD on 12/08/2022 - 08:52
        +1

        Yes I read your comment:

        Hyundai Accent, the battery dies only when its turned off and alot of electronics are used (infotainment, 25W phone charging, iphone charging, inside door lights - toddler goes wild) around 20-30 mins of such activity.

        Just leave the car running when you are using electronics. The most common occurrence of dead battery used to be people leaving their headlights on. Modern cars now have auto sensor to turn them off. You shouldn't be using electronics for 20-30 minutes AFTER the car has been turned off.

  • the Unforgiven on 12/08/2022 - 09:01
    +1

    OP, this is what I would do, because I did it myself this year
    Take off battery terminals (neg 1st) & clean the clamps & the battery terminals don't do this if it will stuff up your electronics
    Get a kettle of hot water & pour it on your battery to clean it all up. You will have voltage leak if you had a dirty battery top
    What sort of battery is it? How old is it? A battery only lasts so long, then it dies. Instead of worrying about if jump starting is OK (we used to do it all the time when I was a mechanic & nothing happened), read about lead acid batteries. Then wait there is a special at Repco or SCA or whoever you shop at & buy a battery and keep it in the shed. Do you have a charger? I suggest this one:-
    https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=CTEK+MXS+5…
    or if you want a cooler bag as well -
    https://www.mytopia.com.au/ctek-mxs-5-0-12v-5-amp-smart-batt…
    It is a grouse charger, have a look at the reviews, or you can trust a mechanic (me)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzJFJBqb-e0
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xxKQozjNI0
    This charger will let you know if you put the leads on the wrong way (I think by memory), it will charge car, bike & something else. It goes through stages of regeneration so it will coax your battery back to life (if it has any left). It goes through all these cycles to make sure your battery is looked after. It will automatically regulate the amperage to suit the condition.

    • kehuehue on 12/08/2022 - 09:17

      I will consider dropping it off SCA for a long charge as well over a weekend. They dont do overnight charging anymore, only during the day.

      Dont have a charger, just the jump starter, thought running the car for an hour later would give it sufficient charge (but that is not always an option)

      https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B08J2LM6VG/ref=ppx_yo_d…

  • JimB on 12/08/2022 - 09:31
    +1

    Sounds like the battery is stuffed.

    I would buy a battery charger/reconditioner such as OZB fav- CTEK MXS5. If after reconditioning the battery, it still fails, then time for a new battery.

    Idling the car for 1 hour isn't fully charging it.

    • kehuehue on 12/08/2022 - 09:38

      Idling the car for 1 hour isn't fully charging it.

      driving for an hour should be fine though right?

      • JimB on 12/08/2022 - 09:59
        +1

        If you're on a highway at 100km, perhaps.

        My estimate for a flat battery is 2-3hours of city driving. Or better yet get a battery charger/reconditioner and use it every 6 months.

        Short trips really shortens the lifespan of batteries. A CTEK MXS5 is about 1/2 the price of a decent battery which may double or triple the life of your battery.

        • John Kimble on 12/08/2022 - 10:16

          I do lots of short trips, but I can't think of a way to use a trickle charger logistically. I live in an apartment block with no off street parking, car is parked out the front on the street (if I can get one right in front).

          The only way I can think of utilising a trickle charger like what you've mentioned is to take the car battery out of the car completely and into my unit overnight…which would be a PITA and possibly unsafe with 3 small kids.

          Otherwise I would have to run a 20m+ power lead out my window across the front lawn and footpath to my car…which probably isn't a good idea safety or security wise. 😔

          • Euphemistic on 12/08/2022 - 10:17
            +1

            @John Kimble: Solar panel for a trickle of youve got no power points.

            • John Kimble on 12/08/2022 - 10:20

              @Euphemistic: I did buy one of these, but I think I may have stuffed the diode in it by leaving it connected to the battery permanently, so it's disconnected at the battery end currently.

              I will give it another go on a sunny day to confirm.

              ALLPOWERS 18V 12V 7.5W Portable Solar Trickle Charger Keep Car, Boat Battery from Drain Sunpower Solar Panel Battery Charger Maintainer for Automotive Motorcycle Tractor Boat RV Batteries https://amzn.asia/d/grBB3gr

          • JimB on 12/08/2022 - 10:27
            +1

            @John Kimble: I'd do a 20m run when you can park in front overnight.

            Just tape the power cable to the footpath so no one trips.

            You should be able to close your bonnet with a power cable sticking out of it (battery charger is tiny so can sit inside your engine bay.

            I agree that taking the battery out of is a PITA, but I don't see how it's unsafe (even with 3 kids) lol.

            What about charging at work?

            The trickle charger is good to topping up batteries that you don't use often, but it's definitely no smart charger that can re-condition your battery- https://www.oliverjobson.co.uk/cars/guide-ctek-chargers-and-…

  • mini2 on 12/08/2022 - 10:26

    Sounded like my mate with his bike. Keeps jumping it, trying to charge it etc the battery keeps on going flat even with a charger.

    Ended up being a dead battery, and I think the problem disappeared after that.

    • JimB on 12/08/2022 - 10:33

      What was the solution to the problem?

      Walking or pushing the bike around?

  • ModeratorRichardL on 12/08/2022 - 11:09

    Thread closed as requested by OP.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join