Technical How much should a new battery cost - Arnold Clark?

[ChrisF]

A battery, for a 1.6 stilo supplied and fitted, crappy little standard fiat one

£96...little bit on the steep side no?

ATS - 71.00 supplied and fitted (heavy duty)
Kwikfit - 45.50 supplied and fitted (heavy duty)
McConecheys - 53 supplied and fitted (heavy duty)

Arnold Clark - Wallet rapers to the masses!

 

[dave]

4 year guarantee? sounds about right for a garage price.
if you want cheaper then its motor factors an fit your self, a 2 year guarantee one be about £35 + vat

 

[sammiboo]

i get mine from halfords. have a good warrenty on them.

 

[ChrisF]

Didn't mention any guarantee at all. Probably going to go to McConechys as this is the only place that I've been where they didnt try to rip me off for something else.

Oh yeah and despite having my car for 5 days now, they've just called to say its ready to pick up. "Did you do e suspention recall like i asked?", no the techinician didnt do the recall. We'll do it now! WTF is going on in there!! I mean honestly!

 

[wotnowarninglight]

Fiat quoted me just shy of £90 for an 096 for the JTD, for a Banner one with 4yr g'tee. Cheapest 096 with 2yr g'tee was about £50 from local motor factors(can't remember brand). Have topped my original battery up and added bat aid tabs and seems to have done the trick for now... then again not much in the way of frosty mornings so far this winter, so we will see!

Think the 096 has been suggested for the 1.6 on here and should fit if the battery boxes are the same, which from memory they are. Perhaps due to bleeping issues for which Stilo is famous, Fiat quoted you on an 096 as it will save you bother in the long run... general view seems to be fit the best battery possible in terms of quality & capacity, rather than cost.

Best options for me are either top line Exide from Makro @ £62 incl. VAT or 12 month old 096 Halfords's 4yr g'tee job off mates Rover 600 which is off for recycling very soon...

 

[Hellcat]

JTD battery will be a lot bigger compared to 1.6 petrol though thus they cost more.

Try your local motor factors - they should be able to get you a decent brand battery with good guarantee.

 

[Rich]

Join the Stilo Club, then a FIAT dealer will do one for a 1.2 FITTED for £38.99. So, the difference in cost for a 1.6 should bring it to £54.99.

 

[ChrisF]

Got a heavy duty battery fitted at McConechys for £45 fitted. The mechanic commented that the battery setup with the fuse box etc, was bloody madness! I quote "Ford did the Mk2 escort...and they never did it again LOL"

 

[Argonought]

The mechanic commented that the battery setup with the fuse box etc, was bloody madness!

Why

 

[ChrisF]

Under that battery cover, is also the auxiliary fuse box. The thing which i just got replaced due to corrosion (car is 2 and a bit yrs old). Think about it, you have a fusebox in the engine bay where water can penetrate, the fuse box has a bunch of unused sockets which water can get into. just screams give me electrical problem please mr stilo. New battery, New fuse box has made a big difference, even the wobbly idle is gone now, running much smoother now and starting like a reasonably new car should!...FIRST TIME!

 

[Luke M]

battery prices are climing atm. the cost of lead has doubled from $9000 to $18000 per ton. so we were told in work anyway!

 

[Argonought]

Under that battery cover, is also the auxiliary fuse box. The thing which i just got replaced due to corrosion (car is 2 and a bit yrs old). Think about it, you have a fusebox in the engine bay where water can penetrate, the fuse box has a bunch of unused sockets which water can get into. just screams give me electrical problem please mr stilo. New battery, New fuse box has made a big difference, even the wobbly idle is gone now, running much smoother now and starting like a reasonably new car should!...FIRST TIME!

It certainly speaks volumes about keeping your battery cover on

Interesting post about the improvements although as always difficult to pass judgement when two things are changed at the same time.

 

[ChrisF]

Fusebox was changed at the dealers and made a huge difference, the battery was changed at a local McConechy's about an hour or so later as a just in case the battery was goosed too measure, dealers tech said it was dodgy, the AA man said it looked ok. Car is running so smoothly now, it's like a completely different car. Plus i bought it some new front tyres on Saturday which has helped the handling alot too. Nothing big or fancy, just budget ones from the local independent tyre place, 87 for the pair. Seem like pretty good ones tho, dont look like cheapo bits of rubber.

 

[pensuke]

okay, could it be a coincedence that my battery is on the blink too? it's gotten to the point that when in idle the radio will cut out, only to come back on 2 seconds later?

what kind of battery did you go for in the end ChrisF (brand wise)?

I also own a 54 plate 1.6 Active sport :/

 

[ChrisF]

I'm not sure what brand it was to be honest, it came with a 3yr warranty though. It was certainly a far more powerful unit than that which fiat fitted. The guy at McConcechys said the battery was quite small for the engine size, so he stuck in a nice big heavy duty one and now there is none of that sluggish starts in the morning. Everything seems to work smoother, but that might just be me imagination and the new fusebox.

I dunno if your stereo issue is battery related, if there is enough juice in the battery to get the engine running, then i doubt its a duff battery causing your stereo problem. When my battery gave up the go, I still had enough juice in it to listen to a cd while i waited on the AA. Maybe pop your stereo out and check the connectors on the back, i had a loose one when i first got the car, been fine since.

 

[pensuke]

I went to a independant garage today and asked for a heavy duty battery to which he replied and i quote "oooo special battery that!". Now is this guy yanking my chain or is the stilo 1.6 battery 'special' in some way?

After he referenced his guide book, he then quoted me £43 for a heavy duty battery which sounds reasonable, it also comes with a 2 yr garuntee.

 

[T14086]

Standard Fiat stilo battery is around £74 from memory...plus few quid testing/fitting.Remember it doesn't matter if battery says super duper heavy duty its the rating that matters (on stilos esecially) which I think for stilo is 60Ah.

 

[pensuke]

how much would you say it is for a Heavy duty variant of the Stilo battery then? since it's £74 for a bog-standard battery?

 

[ChrisF]

I was £45 for a non fiat battery which was higher capacity than the fiat standard one. I wouldn't pay 73 quid plus dealer fitting charges for a battery, not after the hassles the original fiat has caused me. They're apparently not that great as batteries go either. Chances are the Arnold Clark around my way would charge for a fiat one (£90) and fit the same one i got round the corner for £45. Wouldn't be the first time, they do a service, they use Texaco oil and not manufacturers reccommended Selenia, the parts dept doesn't even stock it.

 

[T14086]

A Fiat or approved battery must be fitted to all Fiats under warranty,how old is your car Pensuke?