Car batteries, alternators & starter motors in Millbrook. Tested first, replaced second.
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A slow, laboured crank, a click and nothing, dim lights at tickover, a battery light while driving, or a car that's fine after a run and flat the next morning. Half of "dead battery" calls turn out to be the alternator or a drain, so we test all three before anything is fitted. The test is free.
Battery, alternator or drain?
- Slow crank, worse when cold, better after a drive — the battery itself, usually 4–6 years old.
- Battery light on while driving, dimming lights, electrics playing up — the alternator isn't charging. A new battery won't fix it; it'll go flat too.
- Fine after a run, flat next morning — something staying on: a drain we can trace circuit by circuit.
- Click, or a grinding whirr, and no crank with a healthy battery — the starter motor or its solenoid.
- Warning lights that flicker, or a car that keeps resetting — often a battery on its way out on a modern car before it even struggles to crank.
What we do
- Free test of the battery's state of health, the alternator's charging rate and any parasitic drain. Takes minutes.
- Batteries fitted while you wait, with the right size and type for your car — AGM or EFB where the car has start-stop — and registered to the vehicle's electronics where it needs it, so the charging system treats it correctly and it lasts.
- Alternators and starter motors replaced with quality units, with the belt and tensioner checked at the same time.
- Your radio codes and settings preserved during the change wherever the car allows it.
Price: battery test free; batteries, alternators and starters quoted per car before any work. Batteries carry the manufacturer's warranty. Brakes, batteries & exhausts →
Batteries questions
How long does a car battery last?
Typically four to six years, less with lots of short trips, a start-stop system or a car that sits for weeks. The first cold spell of the year is when a marginal battery gives up, which is why we test them free before winter.
Why does a start-stop battery need coding?
Cars with start-stop manage the battery closely and need to be told a new one has been fitted, otherwise they charge it as if it were old and shorten its life. We register it to the car as part of fitting.
Can you fit it while I wait?
Yes, most batteries are fitted in well under an hour and we keep common sizes in stock. Book a slot or just ask when you're passing.
Is it the battery or the alternator?
The test tells us in minutes and it's free. Please don't buy a battery first — if the alternator isn't charging, the new battery goes flat too.