Our Yeti died.

[Ootohere]

@edbostan

8 years is obviously a period of time and gives no idea of how many miles the vehicle will be covering, and if that is several stops and starts a day or week or month.

Like is the car a daily town / city car, a commuter or a sales reps / travellers.

Times being started for short trips and not getting charged back up before parked again type thing.

 

There are drivers of cars with Stop / Start that might seldom have the car stop / start automatically, or turn it off, 

and others that have it operating regularly.

Edited 18 October, 2020 by e-Roottoot

[Fabcol]

Hi,

 

Thanks everyone for your assorted and interesting replies; I only added this thread as I had a bit of spare time but I'm glad now that I did. I can understand anyone short of funds wanting to shop around and save money but it's so easy to cause real damage these days to a modern car without even realizing it until it's too late. I rate things like batteries and tyres as consumables and always change like for like unless I can upgrade as I did in fitting the Michelin Cross Climate tyres. I've seen heavy duty batteries on eBay but won't be tempted to take a gamble on something I know little about. It's interesting that replies range from those who fit the battery at home and those who let a specialist fit the battery. We live on a very exposed valley side subjected to extremes of weather; the Yeti sleeps out and pre Covid we always did at least one round trip per week of 50 miles or so; this kept the exhaust clear and also ensured the battery received a good charge; other shorter journeys were to the supermarkets and garden centre's. 

 

It's possibly our Yeti battery isn't at the end of its life and a regular charging would see it last for quite a while but winter is upon us again and here we tend to have 9 months of winter and 3 months of bad weather each year (Yorkshire). We'll pay the main dealer price for the new battery and have them correctly install it with good grace; anyone deciding to self fit the new battery might end up with a problem miles from home in a blizzard; saving a bit of money in such a situation would I believe be false economy. Everyone pays the money and take their choice; I do exactly the same when buying tools and materials; I buy the best and once I've stopped crying having parted with the money I won't be buying the same tool or materials for the same job again.

 

 

6 hours ago, Kenny R said:

https://youtu.be/IJAScg6JrYI

 

 

Many thanks Kenny for posting the YouTube link; I've just viewed the video and am pleased our battery is being fitted correctly allowing us to forget it for about 5 years. Up to 1990 I did all the work on our cars but from then on we always bought new cars and traded in at or before three years; our Yeti is such a brilliant car we plan to keep it; it's always main dealer serviced and looked after we've even got gap insurance on it until it's six years old then I think gap insurance won't be worth having. We can afford a brand new car but  can't find a suitable replacement for our Yeti and each time I browse the web my eyes glaze over through boredom.

 

It's just a battery we're buying so not a big deal but it could be a big deal if I attempted to save money fitting a battery myself and something went wrong. Thanks again guys I appreciate you taking time to reply.

 

Kind regards, Colin.

[farty]

I would shop around some more.  AGM stop start batteries are available at£150 or less and fitting should be about £15.

[Fabcol]

Hi,

 

I forgot to mention our Yeti battery charged OK with only a very basic charger; I let the charger run until to read fully charged but once again I stress I connected the charger negative to the chassis earthing point located very near the battery and NOT to the battery negative post.

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/ring-rcb104-4a-car-battery-charger-12v/37258

 

This is the charger I used but I bought ours whilst at Rufforth Auto Jumble years ago; it was boxed and brand new only costing a fiver; its the first time the charger has been out of the box but I was glad to have it.

 

Just the shopping first thing tomorrow morning then a trip over to DMK in Wakefield; I'll be glad when the new battery is installed. By having our Yeti main dealer serviced we know it's being looked after; we've already had the brake fluid changed and possibly the timing belt will soon need replacing. 

 

Kind regards, Colin.

[Stubod]

..my Yeti is now approaching 5 years of age, but still under 25k miles.

 

Ever since I had it the "stop start" system has seemed very reluctant to work, (which I am pleased about as i think they are a complete waste of time). I have a "plug in cigarette lighter" battery checker and it never shows much above 11.5 volts when I check it so I assumed the battery is almost gone, but it has been like that for almost 3 years now!

 

I have kept it "topped up" during lockdown and it always seems to start OK. When the time comes I would be happy to go to our local indy dealer to fit whatever battery he recommends.

 

On most cars I have owned the battery life has been 8+ years, (MX5 13+ years, and pre all this stop start crap), but happy to pay the going rate to keep the old girl going when the time comes!

[Paul52]

Ah, the reference to the 100E and vacuum wipers brought back fond memories. A mate had one and in pouring rain we had to negotiate in an upwards direction a long and steep hill. The higher we got the slower the car got and with it the wiper speed (I think there were two - barely moving and not moving at all) and towards the top there was a real risk we would be reduced to a man walking in front with a red flag - a concern for me as the passenger as I'd be that man!!

 

My own car was an elderly 105E in its 997cc guise but with electric wipers although the benefits of these were somewhat offset bay a whole in the passenger side wheel arch which a previous owner had professionally patched with a copy of the Sum and a tea towel; I discovered this at 2am in a near monsoon. The next car was another 105E in rather better shape before taking the plunge with a Ford Escort Mark 1 estate, less exciting than the Ford Anglia Alladette which I'd been tempted by from a "friend of a friend" which I subsequently found out was "rotten as a pair" and with an insurance rating for an 18 year old student which would mean I'd still be paying the instalments now. 

 

Totally off topic but what else to do on a Sunday?

[kenfowler3966]

1 hour ago, Stubod said:

..my Yeti is now approaching 5 years of age, but still under 25k miles.

 

Ever since I had it the "stop start" system has seemed very reluctant to work, (which I am pleased about as i think they are a complete waste of time). I have a "plug in cigarette lighter" battery checker and it never shows much above 11.5 volts when I check it so I assumed the battery is almost gone, but it has been like that for almost 3 years now!

 

I have kept it "topped up" during lockdown and it always seems to start OK. When the time comes I would be happy to go to our local indy dealer to fit whatever battery he recommends.

 

On most cars I have owned the battery life has been 8+ years, (MX5 13+ years, and pre all this stop start crap), but happy to pay the going rate to keep the old girl going when the time comes!

It probably has one duff cell. The others are enough to start and run the car when fully charged, but the stop /start sysyem will not operate if the volts are too low.

[Fabcol]

Hi,

 

Replying to the posts regarding old cars and in particular the Ford 100E and 105E. Both cars were rubbish but at least better than public transport.  I think the firing order on the 100E was 1243?  The vacuum wipers were indeed dire as was the 3 speed box. In those days cars generally had positive earth which I believe was a great aid to rusting. The 105E now an OHV was a bit more powerful with a 4 speed box but what a rust bucket; the "A" frame used to rust so much the wide heavy door would sag; I've already mention the cart springs through the boot floor; in fairness though the Ford's weren't alone in their habit of rusting; in later years the rust trophy must have gone to the Alfa Sud.

 

Remember the electric petrol pumps on the morris minor's? If these didn't tick then lift the bonnet and tap the pump with a spanner; distributor caps were also another weak point getting damp. on the Mini the distributor was in the firing line for adverse weather. Boy this takes me back; my first car was an Hillman Minx convertible bought for £5; having pushed it home and parked it the boys in blue descended; the result push it back because of to insurance; road tax or MOT. What fun.

 

In 1970 I bought a scrap BSA 650cc  S10 Golden Flash for £6 from a local rag and bone man; I fully restored it adding 10.5/1 pistons and hot cam; the result was I couldn't then kick it off; I wasn't heavy enough so had to run it off; I got £150 allowed on it against a one year old BMW 750cc R75/5 I was king of the road on my beemers in those days.

 

Two of the best cars we ever owned were a pair of Citroen 2CV's; the body on these can be taken apart by just sliding  the doors and boot lid off. A mention was made of the Triumph Herald; actually not a bad car and when the rear end was jacked up the bottom of the tyres looked like they were going to kiss. 

 

Back to the plot though I've rambled on enough; here's how to get your battery restored;

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l665eovBlEk

 

Kind regards, Colin.

[EnterName]

21 hours ago, kenfowler3966 said:

The battery in a stop start car has to be programmed after being replaced, so not a simple swap. They are special and expensive as well, and can only be charged with a compatible smart charger.

If they are allowed to go completely flat they may never take a full charge again.

My new Karoq was built in Feb and put on the road in August. It failed to start twice in first week with a flat battery. The battery had to be replaced. Apparently this has happened to many new cars where the battery has gone flat in storage during the lockdown. It must have also affected many cars little used or laud up for some time.

I took my Yeti off the road for 3 months but kept the battery healthy with a smart charger.

 

 

 

What smart charger do you have, Ken?

I take my car for a run every week or so, but I could probably do with a charger just in case.

[J.R.]

Really enjoyed the battery recon video Colin, no need for protective clothing when the workers are responsable for their own safety, open buckets of acid and molten lead yet not a single hole in his clothing or feet

 

I wondered how he was going to seal the casing and liked the way he applied the hot melt glue, I would be a bit worried carrying the battery though!

[Fabcol]

Hi,

 

I'm pleased you liked the battery video J.R.  I started my working life at the age of 15 down a deep coal mine as an apprentice mechanical engineer. Even before starting the job I was subjected to a medical then lots of safety training  by The National Coal Board.  I never ever felt unsafe at any time; highly skilled engineers always watching over me and roughing me up if I did anything wrong; being really cheeky I used to get dunked head first into the 45 gallon water butt at the side of the forge; to this day all the safety training has thus far paid off. 

 

Here in the UK kids can't play conkers at school without wearing a full suit of armour. When we buy a power tool the tool is usually covered with safety labels which I'm sure most don't read. What's happened to common sense?

 

I've just done the supermarket shopping so now I'm free to pop over to DMK's in Wakefield for my 9:30 battery appointment.  I wonder what the true cost of the stop/start system really is and how long it takes to recoup the cost of the special battery over a standard battery; what problems are ahead for those who like and use the stop/start system on a daily basis. No gain without pain?

 

Every time I drive our Yeti I think what a wonderful car it is.

 

Kind regards, Colin. 

[kenfowler3966]

I think the stop start only has two purposes.

It allowed the car to use less fuel and emit less pollution in the official emission test cycle, a significant part of which is with the vehicle stationary. It does usefully reduce pollution from stationary cars in queues.

I doubt if the savings in fuel ever recover the extra cost, but we probably do save slightly in the road tax assessment.

[Austin 7]

I am of the age that remembers new-ish well maintained cars that were still a pig to re-start when hot, no-one would dare to cut the ignition when waiting in a summer traffic jam.  I am rather glad that my current petrol Yeti doesn't have stop-start, I think I would find it a confounded nuisance. 

 

I am lucky enough to live in a semi rural area.  When I occasionally venture in to Southampton (home of the red traffic light), the MPG readout drops from its normal 43 down to 35 if I am lucky.  I guess the percentage fuel saving from stop-start must vary tremendously depending on how much idling time you are forced to encounter.

 

Trying to put some figures on it, if you do 10000 miles a year at 40 mpg that's about £1300 in fuel.  If as a city dweller the stop-start improved that by 4% to 41.6 mpg the fuel bills would drop by £50.  Over 4 years that would be a saving of £200.  But if you are paying near £300 a time for a special battery, compared to £100 for a normal one, that saving has just disappeared !

[farty]

I just wish my stop start wouldn't start the engine, at traffic lights, when I put the handbrake on and take my foot off the brake!  I think the handbrake should be on when stationary and I don't want to dazzle the driver behind.

[Fabcol]

Hi,

 

I'm happy; happy with our Yeti and happy now I can relax for another five years regarding the battery; At almost £300 for a new battery and if it expires after five years then £60 per year just for the battery; modern cars are expensive and becoming worse year on year with all the modern electronics and technology. Excellent at DMK Wakefield this morning; appointment at 9:30 and estimated job done time 11:00; yes fully sorted at 11:00 and with a free courtesy car wash also I requested the emissions to be checked due to the warning light showing the little engine on the dash last Friday which cleared on its own. Everything is fine though and if the warning appears again it's possibly just a relay fault; checked free of charge.

 

I took along a bottle of drinking water and my ipod also because of this battery problem I took along the Yeti owners manual; who knows the adblue fluid needs replacing every four years?  My eyes started to glaze because I couldn't make sense of all the infotainment information; I never use the infotainment and don't even use a mobile phone unless I absolutely have to; I've only just sussed out how to send and receive text messages on my wife's new mobile phone; my wife has the phone for emergencies and still doesn't understand how to use it. We don't wander around with a mobile phone welded to our ear and we have zero interest in all the latest expensive must have gadgets; I recently bought the ipod but only so that I could load it with favourite 60,s MP3 songs and hook it up to the mini hi-fi system in the workshop. Our dream car would be a diesel Yeti stripped of all its electronics apart from essentials but I can dream on. I'm 73 and want to do something useful not spending my days pressing buttons; I press enough buttons here on my keyboard which is more than enough for me; OK I'm a dinosaur and happy being one. 

 

Well done DMK Wakefield.

 

Kind regards, Colin.

[stonyb1]

Fabcol/Colin - obviously we are members of the same club !

Edited 19 October, 2020 by stonyb1
addition

[rarrar]

re Old cars - My first was a Ford Prefect with the E93A engine, seem to remember running on one wiper in hilly regions to make life easier for the vacuum system. You could always open the windscreen if really necessary. WIth poor electrics ( 6volt) , cable and rod brakes probably a good job the lateral 2 spring suspension really wasnt happy above 40 mph.

[Austin 7]

Hi.  The AdBlue has to be topped up from time to time, depending on your mileage.  The tank holds 8.5 litres which is enough for about 4000 miles, and you will get a warning if there isn't enough left for about 1500 miles.  I think it would be very unlikely that you had any in the tank that was over 4 years old, unless you covered less than 1000 miles per year.  Any decent brand will do (All AdBlue is the same), but as filling the tank is a bit of a faff you might want to get the dealer to do it in which case they will most likely use Skoda branded stuff which I doubt is the cheapest.

[Fabcol]

Hi,

 

The first car I ever really saw as a child was an E93A van; I must have been about 6 years old and in 1953 only one neighbour could afford this even then it was an old banger with its bonnet more open than closed.  I was 5 years old when my parents had electricity installed; we relied a lot on gas and coal fires in those days. Yes 6V electrics in the cars in those days. It must have taken a brave person to drive one of these at 40 mph. 

 

Thanks Austin 7. I mentioned adblue needs draining and refilling at 4 years old because it surprised me to read it in the Yeti manual this morning. I buy the big containers of adblue from our local BP station; I think they are about 10L and not expensive. Yes it's a palaver topping up but I resort to using a plastic jug and funnel to prevent spillage; I also use an LED small torch to peer into the tank opening to judge level.  Once it's been topped up then switch on the ignition but not the engine for half a minute this resets everything.

 

The following is what can happen with correct car maintenance;

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHOk87QWmmk

 

Our Yeti now just on 25,000 miles and me at 73 years old it might see me out; my wife and I have no intention of parting with it any time soon. The Volvo in the video is pre electronic and isn't fitted with every modern must have convenience.

 

Kind regards, Colin