Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Battery not well.

Good morning friends,

Yes ti's that time of year again.

Went out this morning to start the steed and after the first flourish of power, no start and the battery was struggling to cope even though it had been connected to my optimate.

I can only think that the battery has come to a sticky end, which brings me to my main point.

What would be the best battery to buy (dimentions and power) as all I want is trouble free starting.

Thanks for your input in advance.

1997 plus 4. RoverT16 engine.

I can't remember the size but I bought a gel battery from Halfrauds for my T16 +4. It lasted 7 years & was working when I sold the car.
But before you do that check the earths , especially the gearbox to the chassis on my S1 Roadster they were corroded (though this was out of sight behind the bolt heads etc). The corrosion caused the car occasionally not to start.

I have one of these and can recommend

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ODYSSEY-PC680-Battery-12V-520-Cranking-Amps/362642920298?epid=14026960964&hash=item546f33d36a:g:xK0AAOSwnRpf7a-r

As John says above check the earths first. I had similar a few years ago on my 4/4. As a test I used a long booster/jump start cable from the battery neg to the starter mount, bypassing the earth/chassis route. Danger!,,, connect the starter end first then battery! The car started ok. I then replaced the earth cables. My car had the battery near the rear axle so two short earth cables needed. Cleaned the contact areas, new stainless bolts and petroleum jelly smeared over for protection.

Rob, have a look at Tayna batteries.com

Both Tayna and Battery Megastore are excellent mail order sources for a wide range of battery types and brands and will certainly undercut Halfords.

I've had very good service from Taiwanese manufacturer Hankook and have them in both my Land Rover and Narrowboat. The latter set of five have already outlasted the previous set by three years.

Unless you use your Morgan every day, don't be tempted by exotic construction types and brands. The extra life you may get will not compensate the much greater initial cost. Remember batteries are consumables, better to have a new one of almost any brand than hanging on to an old one that refuses to die completely but will let you down eventually.

I've used Tayna, and went for Varta last time.

Update so far:

I had a surprise phone call today from Keith of Brands Hatch Morgan who had read my thread, we had a very informative chat about where and how to clean the earths.
After an hour in the garage cleaning and tightening earths, the steed burst into life just like the old days.

I must say that the service from BHM and Keith are second to none, this was in my opinion a service you can't beat.

For any fellow Morgan owner who needs a battery contact BHM ( 01732 882017 ) and chat to Keith, as they have the exact size for your car at a very compedative price. Keith also gave me tips on removing the old battery such as jack up the car to drop the axle to make the clearance better for removal.

I have had the car for 8 years now and who knows how old the battery is, so I will keep my eye on it and get stratght down to BHM as soon as i need a replacement.

I am glad it worked. Isn't it surprising how corroded those connections can be.