Dead battery or something more serious?

[jammycodger]

Went to use my car last Saturday and it wouldn't start - haven't used it for a while so figured it was a dead battery, but just tried jumping it (admittedly from a very small car) and it's still acting exactly the same way.

I recorded a video of it - I don't suppose you guys could tell from this footage could you? Any help (for a noob!) much appreciated.

Video.MOV

[niedzial1983]

Yep . Looks like dead battery 

[WPAWS]

Same problem i had dead battery 

[Magnet]

Hello Kieran,

It could, and I must stress could, be a dud battery, but you can only confirm or refute that by answering some questions and doing some tests. Anything short of that is pure assumption.

I notice the car is now 10 years old, and if it still has its original battery then there is a fair chance that the battery has done its time. If it's not the original, then it's unlikely that a replacement battery for the original will itself be unserviceable.

I would ask, why even a battery on a small car would not 'jump' start your car even if your battery was no good. Possible is that your battery is so bad that it will it accept a through voltage from another good battery. But, it is also just possible that the jump leads you used were the cheap variety with so much resistance through them as to render them useless!  - very common. Also, did you have the small car running at the time? If not, again not a good way to do it. Are your battery and earth connections serviceable? Do you  have a problem with the starter motor or its solenoid?? Parasitic drain with the electrics which has resulted in the battery being run down?? Who knows. The list goes on. All assumptions and questions of course, but important considerations before the correct diagnosis is made.

What would I do:- Check your battery connections. Fully charge your battery -at least overnight - and then see if it starts. If it dosnt - then get the battery checked. Halfords will check it (but it must be fully charged at the time of test). Buying a new battery from Halfords?? Um.

Only after doing this can you confirm the battery is unserviceable. Pure guess work otherwise! 

Good luck with it.

Gareth.