Battery Problems

[manders]

We have just brought my parents new Kia Carnival back from Spain. It had been sitting unused for 3 months (but is still only 6 months onld) and the battery was dead and not holding charge even when jumped then driven for 2 hours. The Kia garage agreed to change the battery and it got us back from spain via france and tunnel (all 2500 kms) with no apparant problem.
Now we have it back in UK it originally started after 3 days or so no problems. We left it for a further 4 days (in the freezing cold) last week and on sat it wouldn't start again - had to jump it again. It was then driven approx 80 miles and started ok that day. Now two days later, today it will not start again !
Any clues as to what the problem might be other than just an iffy battery. Could it be wiring/electrical issues?

[ron1004]

Did they "change" or "charge" the battery?

Allowing a car battery to fully discharge normally damages it behond repair.

If you have a multimeter, check that the charging voltage is 13.8 ~ 14.5 V with the engine running just to make sure it's charging right.

If you leave it standing for a few days again, try disconnecting the battery.
Before you disconnect the battery measure the voltage, then once its disconnected, and then again after a few days of being disconnected.
If the voltage rises immediatly after disconnecting it, then it would confirm some auxiliary circuit is drawing power with the car off (alarm, boot light, ....).
If after a few days (week) the battery voltage is still within 1 volt of when first disconnecting it then that's confirmation the battery is OK.

You could also take it to a trustworthy autolec and let them do a load check on the battery.

[manders]

They did actually change it but we don't think it was a new one. We were on holiday and needed it fast so we have our suspicions they "pinched" one off another vehicle. It sounds like something is draining it.

[fjlima]

4 months months ago I started having some problems starting my diesel Carnival, only after 30 secs the starter "started" only clicks from the relay, the batery seems to be replaced, when I was to do this all return to normal, then (2 weeks ago) the 10A panel fuse started to blow... strange... I replaced it turn key and every thin OK, I notice as well that sometimes I had no rear reverse light, the lamps were OK and notice that pushing and pulling the left cables, it went OK, disassembling the rear panel I notice that the spounge that should protect the cables from contact with the body went inside the hole and that the copper was live inside the protective tape (within some wires), I protect them (tape and spounge) et voilá... afterwards the battery was good! The fuse stop blowing, the starter never fail again on key turn.
A stupid electrical problem!