Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Starting - Battery?

I’ve been spending the last 6 months converting some old cartsheds into a house (great way to pass lockdowns!), and the M3W has been sitting in a friend’s garage, and only used intermittently. It has been on a Ctek conditioner.
I went to bring it home yesterday, and it wouldn’t start. The engine turned over ok a few times, and then the starter motor started to click exactly like the one in this thread http://www.talkmorgan.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/660401/1.
Having read through a number of other threads it seems likely to need a new battery - the Banner is now four years old.
However, I can’t see any consensus on the best one to go for. A higher CCA than 300 seems worthwhile, but ?I don’t want to get one which doesn’t fit the current battery’s footprint.
Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

What about this 40 amp hour, 340 CCA Varta



Same footprint but taller. Reasonable price. Requires terminal change though to match Jap size tapered.

I use a JMT Lithium ion battery. Has been brilliant and weighs next to nothing. It's a HJT X 30 from Motorworks.co.uk

+1 for JMT.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/2082890266?iid=153633469646

Expensive, but it has lots of cranking power and no modification is needed to tray or terminals.

Because my garage has no power, I combined it with a Battery Brain to ensure that there is only minimal discharge in cold conditions.

Before spending £££ have you done a couple of basic checks?
Earth, battery, starter.
Earth connections is a common problem. Charge your battery fully, connect a cable long enough to go from battery negative to starter mount. Start the engine. Repeat a couple of restarts. If the engine continues to start a few times then it is the earth.
The clicking you hear sounds like the solenoid is working ok but not enough amps getting through to turn the motor to turn the engine.
A good earth with a good battery will spin the engine a few times before draining the battery.
I am assuming your engine just turns over and fails to start and run before the no spin and clicking starts?
If you have eliminated a bad earth then it is likely the battery is gone.
Can you temporarily swop it for a known good battery?
If the engine still doesn’t start with a known good battery and earth it might then be the starter itself. Worn brushes?
I hate non starting.

In July I fitted a Yuasa U1R 30Ah CCA330 from Tayna, its now a little cheaper than the £49 I paid. It drops straight in but the terminals are at 45deg so you may need to ease the cables to fit. Its a maintenance free battery. More expensive on Amazon though supplied by Tayna. My Banner lasted 7 years.
https://www.tayna.co.uk/lawnmower-batteries/yuasa/u1r/

The Banner battery is very marginal starting the M3W even when it is 100%. There is a list of suggested batteries that fit, in the Alternative Parts List (page 6) that is in the "M3W Owners Resource" at the top of this forum. I have a Magneti Marelli Lithium Ion battery that has been excellent for the last 4 years. If I was getting a new one I think I would probably get the Exide AGM one as it looks good value for the performance and fits perfectly.

Thanks for your comments - very helpful as usual!

A good earth with a good battery will spin the engine a few times before draining the battery.
I am assuming your engine just turns over and fails to start and run before the no spin and clicking starts?

Yes, the engine turned over a few times without firing before the clicking started.
I’ll check everything over carefully tomorrow before going for a new battery.

I too hate an engine that won’t start, Sospan.

Thanks for pointing me towards the Alternative Parts List, planenut. That is very useful.