[knob]

I think it is normal for the battery to die at 2.5 years. I have heard of OE's dying at 8 months. Mine lasted for 4 years though. But it showed all signs of dying in a months advance. But as yours died abruptly you could just check the electricals for any shorting or even the HU.

[dadu]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

The odometer reading would be stored on the ECU right? What powers that - a small cell like on the CPU in a computer?



Surprisingly, we've got a long service from OEM on all our cars - at least 4!

The ODO doesnt reset, its the Digital trip(depending on manufacturer) and the digital clock (if you have one) that will reset and will not remain in sync with the actual time.

You can try checking what will reset in your car by disconnecting the negative terminal of your battery for 5-10 min, for future reference.

[lordofgondor]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

When the car is running, would the headlights dim or the horn have a lesser tone? Shouldn't right?

Yeah shouldn't but if it does happen, get the alternator checked ASAP!

For the battery, its applicable when the engine is not running and the battery is being used to drive the electrical system.

[soumobakshi]

Well Thanks for all your comments. Just wanted to clarify on some points ..

I did not experience any symptoms as described, like Headlight dimming or excessive cranking, etc. I am aware of such symptoms as i had experienced the same in my earlier rides and was prompt to have the battery replaced.
This was very unique as the car never gave me any feedback or neither during the regular Mahindra A$$ visit. I was anticipating that the Battery might need a replacement as i have clocked 50K on the Odo and 3+ Years of ownership and more so as it is a Diesel.
I repeat the entire scene again, I drove my vehicle on that fateful Sunday over quite a lot start stop scenario and for all my previous Start's the vehicle jumped to life on 1 crank and the headlight / AC / ICE never showed any symptoms. I park my vehicle for the last leg of shopping bout and make sure that Headlights are off, doors are properly locked (else i would have got feedback from Nippon Security device) and ICE was obviously out of equation as Key was in my hand. I return after 20 to 30 mins and the vehicle is stalled.
Now, what happened next. I get my vehicle started by help of donor battery from Bolero come back home after driving without AC or ICE for 15 Kms and next day morning the same scenario, vehicle refuses to start. I call Exide dealers and most of them said that "Sir, Today is Ugadi holiday. Will deliver tomorrow". However was able to find one guy who agreed to come to my home to deliver the battery. And post replacement things are back to normal. And i asked the gentleman what could be the reason and he did mention that the Sp. Gravity would have fallen.

And Yes, the Trip Meter was reset to ZERO and not the odometer in this exercise.

The battery in question was a Sealed DIN 60 Unit from Exide so no chance of measuring the Sp. Gravity. And the One that i have replaced from Exide has 2.5 years Guarantee (Free Replacement) and then 2.5 Years warranty with diminishing figures for exchange value.So a total of 5 Years. So life of Battery=2.5 Years may not hold good based on the confidence provided by Exide on their products.

Your Inputs are valuable, so keep them coming as it can help all of us from getting stalled in future.

[amitoj]

Do you switch off the AC before switching the engine off?
Do you ensure the AC is OFF before switching the engine on?
Do you switch the engine off but keep the AC running at a traffic light?

[bluevolt]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Do you switch the engine off but keep the AC running at a traffic light?

AC can be run only when engine is running, compressor is driven by engine. Only blower run when car is off.

[soumobakshi]

@amitoj
Do you switch off the AC before switching the engine off? Yes

Do you ensure the AC is OFF before switching the engine on? Yes and also ICE and Lights

Do you switch the engine off but keep the AC running at a traffic light? Nops i drive a mileage champion so never felt the need to do so.

Good Probing i must say!

[anilisanil]

This gets me to the question, doesn't Logan have the dashboard warning lamps which will show a red battery icon if the battery is low on charge? I am asking this because I (Figo) do have a host of warning lights on the dash area which go on and off during the initial pre-crank diagnosis and I am assuming that any of the anamolies would be shown on dash, no?

[lordofgondor]

Originally Posted by soumobakshi

Well Thanks for all your comments. Just wanted to clarify on some points ...

I may be wrong mate but here are my 2 cents:

Was the alternator checked when this problem occurred?

If not, I'd suggest that you get your alternator checked ASAP! A pretty similar thing happened to a friend of mine. One fine evening, he was starting for home from office and the car refused to start inexplicably. It'd been completely fine when he'd driven to office in the morning.

Final diagnosis was that something in the alternator had blown and hence the battery wasn't been charged while engine was running. Finally, when the juice had run out off the battery, the starting problem came that evening. In his instance, it was the alternator at fault, the battery was fine after charging.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

The odometer reading would be stored on the ECU right? What powers that - a small cell like on the CPU in a computer?

It uses EEPROM memory. Search wiki for more info.

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Regular maintenance of the battery should be done so as to avoid such problems.

Originally Posted by dot

Thats right@Bluevolt. Sometimes a bad battery may just die without perceptible warnings. Have a look at this thread.

Right. Even if careful maintenance of batteries is carried out, they sometimes die without any warning. My battery conked out a week before and did not give ANY warning before that.

Originally Posted by soumobakshi

... that the Sp. Gravity would have fallen.

hmm... could you please elaborate?. Also, how does one check the sp.gravity, and what are the reasons for it falling?.


As an additional note, Batteries are one of the main areas where manufactures save cost of the vehicle. OEM IKON batteries(Motorcraft) cost only 2800rs, where as good quality brand costs somewhere between 5.5k-6.5k. Double cost.

[soumobakshi]

@ anilsanil
At the point where the battery failed, the display never came on, all lights were blinking; however prior to that all was well. Logan has an LCD based display so if power is inadequate the LCD will not come on.

@lordofgondor
Must appreciate your point, i had the same thought at the back of my mind. When i replaced the batery i asked the gentleman to check through multimeter if the needle is deflecting on acceleration and to that his answer was yes. Do you suggest to check anything else ?
@dhanushs
You can get more info @ Battery Tutorial
However in lay mans term it is done by inserting a bulbular hydrometer. In a sealed battery this option is ruled out, as was in my case.
Must thank Mahindra Renault that they have not implemented cost cutting technique here as the original battery was also manufactured by Exide.

[lordofgondor]

Originally Posted by soumobakshi

When i replaced the batery i asked the gentleman to check through multimeter if the needle is deflecting on acceleration and to that his answer was yes. Do you suggest to check anything else ?

Were the multimeter readings for voltage & current appropriate for a properly functioning alternator? If not, deflection on acceleration doesn't imply that alternator is functioning properly. We need to check for correct current & voltage.

On the other hand, a battery may indeed die unexpectedly because of one particular reason related to wear and tear. The battery plates lose (or shed) their active material (lead, Nickel), with time which deposits at the bottom or around the plates. This build up of material can actually short circuit the plates leading to battery failure. This short circuit can happen anytime, without a warning, I think.

[anilisanil]

From the comments above the slow death of battery is ruled out as the dash did not show any prior warnings, so it is a case of sudden death of battery where the reasons could not just be attributed to life of battery. As someone suggested above get your alternator coil checked!

[soumobakshi]

Apparently after 3 days of continuous usage with AC+ICE+Lights i still have not come across any issues (Touch Wood though) and the indicator on the Battery is still a very Bright Green.
Do you still think that getting the alternator checked is necessary? Reason nearest Mahindra A$$ is a not in the vicinity and i dont let any roadside mechanic touch my car.

[lordofgondor]

Looking at the current scenario, I think the alternator doesn't warrant an urgent check. But if I were you, I'd still get it checked. No need to visit any A.S.S.. If you have any battery retailers around your place, then they can do the job.

On the other hand, inspecting the alternator is not a big thing and if you have a multimeter, it's a DIY job. First check the voltage across the battery when engine is off (should be >= 12 V as it's a new battery). Now start the engine and then check the voltage across the battery (should be > 13 V). This is what I'd been told by an electrician; essentially on starting the engine, the voltage across the battery should increase (to > 13 V) if the alternator is working properly and charging the battery.