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Hi guys,

i recently bought myself an '03 outback and im not completely used to all the ins and outs of it just yet.

I was wondering about what i should expect from my battery on a cold start in the morning.. not real cold but around 12... Because from what im used to, compared to my '00 commodore and '92 surf the outback seems to be really struggling. The battery looks new enough but i havent taken it anywhere to be tested. A couple of people told me this was normal.

Any advice would be great

Tom

First point of call would be to check the basics - battery terminals for cleanliness and tightness. Also check other connections on all cables leading from battery ie earth and start motor point. Then move on to things such as alternator output and battery capacity (how much/long it holds charge for).

J

When starting, let the engine crank 3 times, let it rest for 3-5 seconds then try again, it should start on the first or second crank.

My 02 Outback does the same, the issue is the injectors need servicing, as such they don't atomise the fuel properly, more like just let it dribble in.

During the 3-5 second rest the unburnt dribbled fuel will vaporise and ignite at the first hint of a spark.

You can try running a bottle of injector cleaner through the system but it made little to no difference to mine, an injector service is my next step when i get tired of the above procedure.

Jordan.

the older a battery is the less it likes the cold. the colder it gets in winter the more chance there is of a battery failing to start a car on a cold morning.

there are a few ways of dealing with a battery that is failing to start a car.

1. buy a new battery and find someone who recycles old batterys and give them the dying battery.

2. I'm not sure of what the product is called but it is basically concentrated battery acid in a small bottle use as per the directions on the bottle.

3. A Fujifan suggested check all the connections to the battery and make sure they are clean and tight. remove each connector from the terminal and clean the connector and the terminal. then when you get the car to run check that the alternator is doing its job.

finally if you are a bush mechanic take the battery out of the car and give it a good side to side shake, not up and down as this can make acid come out of the vents in the top of the battery. this is meant to mix up the acid in the battery, get the scale off the plates in the cells and make the battery work better. (It does work Ive done it a few times)


TOONGA

Also it doesn't hurt to settle any concerns to rock up to any super cheap. they have a century battery/alternator testing device. They will come out and run the check while it's in the car for FREE. It is a good place to start just to confirm it is testing as healthy

1st thing I did with the L series when I got it was ditched the tiny battery in there and put in a "full sized" large car battery, works a treat and fits nicely.

One thing I would be looking at is how old the battery is. I know you can usually push a battery out to 3 years of service if used correctly, I usually change the battery at this point. My wife's VT went 8 years with the factory battery, it caused all kinds of problems when driving/starting. New battery did the trick here.

The baron might be on to something with the injectors, it makes sense to me - he'd also know more specifics about this model as I don't have one Love the L! BVCP - good to see you back on the forums!

Cheers

Bennie

El_Freddo wrote:One thing I would be looking at is how old the battery is. I know you can usually push a battery out to 3 years of service if used correctly, I usually change the battery at this point. My wife's VT went 8 years with the factory battery, it caused all kinds of problems when driving/starting. New battery did the trick here.

Then there's my mum's corolla which still has it's original battery, circa 2003

Yeah i had a battery that lasted 12 years. It was a 1992 factory battery from a ford lazer.
If you get some epsom salts. Dissolve ten teaspoons in a cup of boiling water and add a little into each cell. then slow charge. you will bring it back to a workable condition providing the tags between plates are not broken.