Battery condition
Voltage at rest and under load. The result shows whether the battery keeps its capacity or is near the end.
Battery and charging: a test at your place
Slow cranking, a battery warning light, a clock that keeps resetting, or a car that won't start after a night's rest. I come, measure the battery and charging, and tell you plainly: is it the battery, the alternator, the terminals, or something drawing current after the car is switched off. That way you know what really needs doing before you buy anything.
Battery and alternator test on site
Finding current drain while parked
Call-out within 50 km
Call-out
150 zł
Plus work: 150 zł per started hour; the test normally fits in one hour. I quote the price before I set off.
Call and book a test
Why it matters
The first frosts expose a weak battery
Autumn and winter are the worst time for a surprise under the bonnet.
In winter a battery delivers less current while the starter needs more. A battery that "still managed" in summer stops coping on the first frosty morning. A test done in advance lets you react before the car is stuck at home or in the car park at work.
The battery is only half of the story. If the alternator charges weakly, a new battery will die within weeks, and if the car draws current after the ignition is off, it will flatten even a new one. That is why I measure the whole system: battery, charging and drain while parked.
So I start with a measurement, not a purchase: the result shows what really needs doing.
- Slow, heavy cranking, especially in the morning
- Battery or charging warning light on the dashboard
- Clock, radio or settings resetting after the car has stood
- The car stands for a few days and the battery goes flat
Scope
What I measure
Measurements that tell a worn battery apart from poor charging and from a "current thief".
Charging voltage
Whether the alternator charges correctly at different revs and loads. Too low a charge drains the battery, too high destroys it.
Terminals and earths
Corrosion, play and poor contact can imitate a dead battery. It is the cheapest fault to fix.
Current drain while parked
I measure how much current the car draws after the ignition is off and point to the circuit that does not "go to sleep".
Power-related fault codes
Reading fault codes from the control units, if the car records charging or power-supply faults.
A conclusion with no sales interest
I do not sell batteries, so I have no interest in you replacing one. I only tell you what the measurement shows.
Honestly: the battery doesn't always need replacing
Often the cause is a dirty terminal, weak charging or a device that leaves the car "switched on". I only say the battery is worn when the measurement shows it — not as a precaution and not "for peace of mind".
If the battery is still good, I will say so and you will save the expense.
Prices
What it costs
The price is simple: call-out plus work. I quote the total by phone before I set off.
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Call-out | 150 zł | Within 50 km of Grodzisk Mazowiecki |
| Fault finding and repair | 150 zł per started hour | When a service has no fixed price |
| Computer diagnostics | from 80 zł | Reading fault codes and control-unit data |
| Weekend work | +20% | Saturday and Sunday |
| Urgent night call-out | price by phone | Agreed before I set off |
Parts are not included in the labour price. I quote before I set off — never after the fact.
How it goes
What it looks like
One visit is usually enough.
Phone call
You describe the symptoms and the car. I tell you what I will do and quote the price before I set off.
Measurement
Battery, charging, terminals and, when needed, current drain after the car is switched off.
Result
I explain it in plain language: the battery is good, weak or worn; charging is normal or not.
What next
If the fault is in charging or wiring, I repair it on site where possible. If the battery is worn, I tell you which one you need (capacity, cold-cranking current).
Questions
Common questions
Question not here? Call me — I will answer straight away.
The call-out is 150 zł within 50 km of Grodzisk Mazowiecki, and work is 150 zł per started hour. A battery and charging test normally fits in one hour. I quote the price before I set off.
No. I measure and tell you what the measurement shows, so I have no interest in you replacing a battery unnecessarily. When it is worn, I give you the parameters you need when buying.
I measure the charging voltage at different revs and loads. If charging is wrong, a new battery will not fix anything — so I check both.
Yes, I measure the current drain after the ignition is off and point to the circuit that uses it. Intermittent faults can take time — I tell you straight away if the measurement will take more than an hour.
It shows its current condition and whether charging is correct. No honest person can give a failure date, but the result tells you whether the battery still holds its capacity and whether it is worth reacting before winter.
Yes, we agree a time by phone. I also work at weekends (+20%), and an urgent night call-out is priced by phone.
See also
Related services
A battery is rarely alone.
Check the battery before winter checks it for you
Call, tell me the model and what happens when you start — we will sort the rest by phone.
Real repairs, not a brochure
I film what I actually do — including the jobs that did not go my way.