Battery fcuked?

[Dave H]

My car has been SORN for around 4 months, but my friend starts it every two weeks and runs it for around 10 minutes each time. Whilst I was driving it earlier this year I noticed that on a few occasions the car engine didn't turn over very fast on the first turn of the key. This only happened about four times in the last 3 months I was in the UK. This week he went to start it and there was nothing. He charged the battery, and he tells me the meter went to 6 for about 10 minutes and then dropped to 0. I'm guessing the battery isn't taking a charge and needs replacing. The car is an 05 182 Cup and its the original battery.

Do I get a new battery?

 

[Chi]

Not if its gonna be laid up. You can start it with leads.

 

[SBV116]

Does it not have a battery conditioner attached Dave?

 

[Dave H]

No. It's just sat on his drive and every two weeks he starts it, lets it run until warm, revs it gently and then turns it off. He moves it a few inches so that the tyres don't flat-spot.

Do you suggest I just get an old battery so that he can run it from time to time?

 

[koi]

Might be better unplugging the battery if it's not being used for a while and connecting it to start every so often.

 

[Owen92]

Running it for 10minutes is just going to destroy the battery. Takes a lot longer than that for the alternator to recharge the battery.

 

[Dave H]

Yeah. He's going to give it a full charge and then try it. If it has to be jumped then so be it. No point in shelling out for a new battery...i'll just knock it off the price if I sell it.

 

[scott.p]

Yeah. He's going to give it a full charge and then try it. If it has to be jumped then so be it. No point in shelling out for a new battery...i'll just knock it off the price if I sell it.

Seriously? If I went to view a car that needed jump starting I'd walk away.

 

[bloke]

don't start it unless it's going to be driven, short running is about the worst you can do to an engine. plenty of borewash and on idle the rings don't really get forced out much so it's quite easy to end up with glazed/knackered bores and petrol in the oil.

 

[Dave H]

Seriously? If I went to view a car that needed jump starting I'd walk away.

Its SORN, mate...not as if I said its been run every day !

So, are we saying that it shouldn't be run at all? Or just once a month?