there are two fitmenst for the MGF batterys in halfords the standard one and the heavy duty one,

both of which come with difere warranty and prices i baught one recently from halfords it was a HB 075 the heavy duty cos about £75 with a 4 year warranty your best option is to check the sheets next to the batteries in halfords.

 

You need to check your alternator output with a multimeter.
With the engine running you should be getting 14 - 14.7 volts to the battery.
If that's OK, then check any current draining from the battery with everything switched off.

 

I would not receomned halfords batteries. I went through a phase where I bought 3 of them as winter was coming for all my cars. All the heavy duty ones for each vehicle. Seemed like a good deal, all with 4 years warranty, i though they should last at least 150% of the warranty period so 6 years, and they had high power output for easy cold starts.

All three have been replaced before 3 years is up and one is 4 years and been replaced twice.

Ive not been impressed, so your problem maybe a dodgy battery. Halfords have a test meter (not a volmeter) to try them out which they connect it to if you take it there, they did that for me to show it was the battery and not my car. try that before spending time with your electrics.

 

oh, my farther recommends exide for trouble free use for at least 5-6 years. I should have listened!

 

The halfords batteries will just be a well known make (Exide, Varta etc) rebadged. It is worth checking the battery out but I would suspect that you have a charging problem or a current drain overnight.

 

The halfords batteries will just be a well known make (Exide, Varta etc) rebadged. It is worth checking the battery out but I would suspect that you have a charging problem or a current drain overnight.

There arent no they are aparently cheap import from a chinese manfacturer. This is what the same guy at the parts desk told me the second time i turned up.

Taking a look at the "global sources" website there is no shortage of asian manfacturers making generic batteries at knock down prices.

 

I had HB075 (the most expensive one) fitted to my 96F VVC around this time last year but it started to drain flat 2 day after charging ( I have checked everything) when winter comes in Nov. Since then it went into to hibernation and guess what i cannot find the reciept as I expect it to last until i sell my car!

So I bought another HB075 and hope it will last.

 

Autoexpress seem to rate them.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/products/210439/halfords_standard.html

Heres some info on all things battery. Might prove useful

http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=car+battery

 

Autoexpress seem to rate them.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/products/210439/halfords_standard.html

Thats intresting, maybe it was a transient thing about 5 years ago.

"The used to be made by Lucus"
Yes this is what I thought orginally. Lots of other parts are made by lucas and branded as halfords, exactly identical to much more expenseive dealer parts.

 

The used to be made by Lucus when I worked in Halfords as Teenager (8 years ago) but perhaps they are now cheap chinese ones as suggested above. I have always used Halfords batteries and they have always lasted as long as I have owned the car however I tend to change cars every 2 years or so.

In saying that though the missus' MGF has a Halfords standard battery and its (touch wood) been fine for almost 3 years now.

Steve.

 

I've had two of the Halfords HB075 batteries die within three years and I have one that is still fine at seven years - having said that, I had a premium Varta brand battery expire after two years.

Luck of the draw I reckon.

 

Seems to be alot of slagging off of Halfords batteries going on......I suggest you check the car for faults first.......it was probably a discharge or charging fault that led to the battery failing in the first place.

I've got 4/5 year old batteries in both my cars with no problems plus one of my previous cars had a battery in for over 7 years and no problems.

Check the car first and don't blame the battery!!

 

I posted as while ago with a battery drain problem which left me totally stranded on 4 different occasions (one of which was the first servicing day at reading - arrived at lunchtime)
This was proved to a 3 week old halfords heavy duty calcium battery. Subsequently changed, although it took some arguing and the word of an AA man before they'd accept it was the battery and not my car. Been fine in the year or so since, despite having sat outside my house for months at a stretch without use. Just bad luck to get a bad one i reckon.