Hi quick question what colour should a magic eye be please , sometimes its black and sometimes green ? Is it ready for a replacement ?

Edited 25 March, 201313 yr by seboni121

black = the battery is charged less than 65%;

green = the battery is charged more than 65%.

So preferably it should be green (lead-acid batteries don't like being discharged).

Too check does ignition need to be on ?

Too check does ignition need to be on ?

No

It's just a hydrometer.

Hi quick question what colour should a magic eye be please , sometimes its black and sometimes green ? Is it ready for a replacement ?

Hi quick question what colour should a magic eye be please , sometimes its black and sometimes green ? Is it ready for a replacement ?

Do not ascertain the life/state of a Battery by looking at this Colour, it is hardly reliable.

So wait until it fails ?

So wait until it fails ?

If in doubt, get it tested by a garage , AA, RAC ask to see the printout. Modern batteries tend to give very little warning of failure anyway, starting normally one minute and then totally failing the next. Most batteries give in at 3 to 4 years although I've had quite a few go on to 9 years, its a lottery really. Best advice is test it and if dodgy buy the best you can afford.

If in doubt, get it tested by a garage , AA, RAC ask to see the printout. Modern batteries tend to give very little warning of failure anyway, starting normally one minute and then totally failing the next. Most batteries give in at 3 to 4 years although I've had quite a few go on to 9 years, its a lottery really. Best advice is test it and if dodgy buy the best you can afford.

Thanx

I've always sworn by Hoppecke batteries in the past but I

don't think they make car batteries any more. With that in mind I

suppose Varta or Bosch would be my next choice.

Shame about Hoppecke though, their car batteries were absolutely

excellent. They just make batteries for more specialist applications now.

Yes Bosch is probably Bly the better option

Yes Bosch is probably Bly the better option

Varta is the maker of the OE batteries on Skodas I think.

OE batteries are old tech, "pretend" to be maintenance free but in reality have filler caps hidden under a sticker. Worth checking level and topping up the individual cells, especially on diesels.

I use top of range Exide maintenance free batteries, cost ~£75 delivered from online retailers, the 2 I used so far lasted over 5 years (one is at 5 years and good as new, one got taken off the car as a garage 12v supply at 5 years, 2 years later it was still good enough to start the car) and at all points the Exides offered double cranking current and lower voltage drop when starting than OE batteries. Last 2 batteries I bought were EA852 (big one for Mk1 Superb) and 1x EA770 (fits in place of Roomster battery). Capacity is at least as large as the premium Bosch and Varta ones of similar size, but it's the genuine maintenance (and hassle) free operation that they win my money for.

Varta is the maker of the OE batteries on Skodas I think.

I'm not sure what Skoda fit as OE now, but Varta is certainly the maker of Bosch batteries! A Bosch battery is just a Varta battery with different labels stuck on it and a higher markup on the price. Otherwise identical.

So wait until it fails ?

No, get a "Battery Load Test" done as suggested above.

Some common symptoms of a Battery failing include; Slow Cranking, Low Battery Voltage after long drives, Battery voltage falling real quick when under load when engine is not running, Headlights dimming/brightening when engine is revved up/down, etc.

No, get a "Battery Load Test" done as suggested above.

Some common symptoms of a Battery failing include; Slow Cranking, Low Battery Voltage after long drives, Battery voltage falling real quick when under load when engine is not running, Headlights dimming/brightening when engine is revved up/down, etc.

Yes we have some of those symptoms I will get aa too check it