Battery Woes

[Johnnyb60]

Hi again,
I've had my pug 206cc for the best part of 7 months now and it's been a pleasure to own and drive.
One thing I have been suspicious of was the state of the battery.
Previous to my ownership the car had barely done 1500 miles a year (every year) from new,and when I bought the car last July I needed to put a jump pack on it to get it started.
Not ideal for battery longevity.
Anyway after jump starting it I've not had any issues with a flat battery, but I've always thought it was never really very eager when it cranks over the engine.
It often sounds quite lethargic and feeble.
These few weeks gone its got progressively worse and I've noticed a few anomalies when starting the car.
Very occasionally it won't start on first turn of the key but starts immediately on the second attempt.
The cranking of the engine also sounds very lethargic to my untrained ear.
Today it happened again but something different happened.
First turn of the key it cranked over and then stopped.
The second attempt it fired up straight away but I noticed the clock, date display had reset and needed setting up.
I've checked the battery out today and tested it under load and the cranking amps were around 225 where the battery is specked at 550 amps.
Voltage wise it looks healthy.
So today I've fitted a new battery and I could instantly tell it's got more oomph to it, just by hearing it when cranking the car.
I do about 30 miles a day commuting to work.
What concerns me or should I say curious, are these cars sensitive to low batteries as in they become unpredictable in cold starts and the information being reset on the display screen.
Regarding the info being reset, the date time was reset but the mpg readings and radio didn't.
Any words of wisdom always appreciated from you good people in the know about our cars,
Kind Regards
Johnnyb60

[IanL]

Batteries nowadays are only good for 4 to 5 years. They are made down to a price. I had a Saab from new in 1972, and the battery (a Tudor, made in Sweden) lasted 8 years. Now Tudors are made in the Far East, and don't last nearly as long. The capacity reduces and the internal resistance increases every year. You might get an extra year if you give the battery a gassing charge (most chargers call it reconditioning) say every 6 months.

The electronics of that vintage of Peugeot is quite sensitive to low battery volts, so just when you want a good spark (when starting a cold engine) the volts are dragged down even further by the starter motor, and can give rise to false fault indications and loss of data.

The other tip I have about the battery is when opening/closing the roof. The book says no more than two such operations with the engine off. I recommend zero, not two. The hydraulic pump presents a considerable load, so it's much better that the alternator carries that current.

[Johnnyb60]

Thank you Ian for the good advice and information.With the new battery fitted I can tell " just by ear" it's cranking the engine over more briskly.
I personally think one of the cells in the old battery was not where it should be.
As for operation of the roof I totally agree, only operate it with the engine running.
I think I also forgot to mention in my original opening post in that the old battery was around 20 mm smaller height wise compared to the new one.
There was a small piece of foam packed on top to fill the gap against the supporting battery clamp/bar making me think was the original battery not the correct one.
Many thanks,
Johnnyb60

[Apollo]

Batteries nowadays are only good for 4 to 5 years. They are made down to a price. I had a Saab from new in 1972, and the battery (a Tudor, made in Sweden) lasted 8 years. Now Tudors are made in the Far East, and don't last nearly as long. The capacity reduces and the internal resistance increases every year. You might get an extra year if you give the battery a gassing charge (most chargers call it reconditioning) say every 6 months.

The electronics of that vintage of Peugeot is quite sensitive to low battery volts, so just when you want a good spark (when starting a cold engine) the volts are dragged down even further by the starter motor, and can give rise to false fault indications and loss of data.

The other tip I have about the battery is when opening/closing the roof. The book says no more than two such operations with the engine off. I recommend zero, not two. The hydraulic pump presents a considerable load, so it's much better that the alternator carries that current.

Thank you very much for your suggestions and answers, they are very helpful to me.