I got this back on a test that was run, I would like your opinions on could be causing this, picture attached,thanks.

 

My guess would be that your solenoid is either a little bit corroded (causes very weird problems) or it's that your power wires are corroded. Either way, I would point to corrosion being the culprit, or in a very slim case it could be a problem with your battery. That's just my 2 cents though. What problem were you having with the starter?

 

The battery light was the problem and put in new battery and is still on and that's only bad part shown on test. Never really had bad starting just funky voltages.

 

jagman, what you see there is classic symptoms of a high resistance connection. If they connected the tester across the battery (like they normally do), then that pretty much proves that the battery terminal is on its way out and you will need to replace one (if not both) of the cables here in the very near future. The other thing that it can possibly be showing is you have a cell that is starting to go. As the current needs of starting the car grow, the bad cell causes the output voltage to drop significantly (it is essentially starting to reverse itself and become a load on the battery vice being a source of power). Because voltage dropped to 8.5 VDC, it is also very possible as each cell of the battery generates 2.1 VDC. So, mix the high current (which normally drops the voltage to around 11.0 VDC with the cell not producing 2.1 VDC, it is pretty damn close.

 

When you replace the battery, do NOT get one of those "six-pack" looking fancy ones.

I was sold on the idea when the salesman told me it was bullet-proof, that you could actually shoot it and it would still work.

I thought that might come in handy someday.

So I spent the (considerable) extra dollars and bought the solid-state six-pack battery.

BIG mistake. I have never had so many dead battery days in my life. Oh, sure, it put out some fantastic cold cranking amps when it was fully charged, but leave the glovebox open overnight, or the trunk lid open more than a couple of hours, and it would be as dead as a doorknob.

Whatever brand you choose, go for the HEAVIEST one that will fit in the battery box. The heavier it is, the more lead in the case. The more lead, the better the battery.

Simple science.

Don't worry too much about the extended warranty, either. By the time a nice, heavy lead-acid battery craps out, they will only allow you about ten-cents on the dollar towards the replacement anyway.

Most importantly, either replace the battery yourself, or stand right there as the service guy changes it. The last battery I bought I caught the guy HAMMERING the clamps on to the posts. I made him go take another battery off the shelf, spread and clean the clamps, apply a little anti-corrosive goop, and then tighten the clamps properly.

At first I thought he was an idiot, but then I realized he was in the business of selling batteries.

 

Bruce, yes, the spiral wound batteries are nice when they are at full charge, but like you elude to, you need to look at the "amp-hour" rating of a battery. This is essentially a measure of how much stored energy is inside the battery. You will find that a standard starting battery (lead acid) has about 80 amp-hours in it. The spiral wound ones are down around 50-60. So, you have just cut out about 25% of the possible capacity. Granted, you should not discharge a starting battery more than about 20%. Discharging more leads to plate damage over time. This is true of both the spiral wound and lead plate batteries.

The only "advantage" that spiral wound batteries have is that due to their gel construction, they are capable of being mounted in many different positions. Where a lead acid battery can only be mounted in 1 direction. The other factor is that the spiral batteries do not off-gas (byproduct of the conversion of chemical energy to electrical energy) outside of the battery case. Granted, the sealed lead-acid batteries simply trap the gases inside the case. So, discharging a maintenance free (aka, sealed) battery deeply can lead to possible rupture of the battery case, which is a big mess to deal with.

Each battery style has its good and bad points. The question is what do you need the battery to do and what style battery is best for that application. If you need some help with this, let me know. I have worked around batteries longer than I care to admit to and can help answer a lot of questions.

Another thing to consider is that atleast in the USA, all batteries are made on 1 of 2 assembly lines (either Exide or Johnson Controls). So, really, the only difference between batteries is the warrantee associated with them. For example, an Exide battery is the same battery as a Walmart battery, as is an Advance Auto "Silver" battery, as is...... The only difference is the sticker on the outside and the warrantee. So, is the more expensive battery a better battery? Kinda. If you live in an area where the heat/cold kills batteries every year or so, then the better warrantee will pay for itself. You live in a more mild climate, you are not going to get your money out of the warrantee.

 

hi, if your battery light is on it means that the charging system is not charging your battery properly, plenty of posts on the uk forum, check your alternator :-)

 

forgot to mention, this will also explain erratic voltage readings