My hippo has always started first turn of the key, in all winds and weather since I've had it, and also today, but when I went to drive off the engine cut out, and wouldn't start back up, I had lights on the dashboard flickering on and off but no power to turn the engine over. A mechanic friend tested the battery and said it was duff, so I bought a new one and fitted it and everything's ok now. I thought I had more serious problems with the electrics, and never would have suspected the battery after never having the usual duff battery symptoms, anyway panic over, and all good for now.

I had exactly the same thing with same sypmtoms happen to me earlier this year.
There was no warning at all that the battery was on it's way out. All the electrics and lighting were working as normal until one day, I went to start it and had the same symptoms.
I was clutching at straws when I changed the battery and it's been fine since. I have had loads of batteries die on me during my lifetime, but this one did not follow the usual pattern.

I don't know if its related to the problem I had, but a few days ago, the rear window had gone down on its own during the night. Lucky there was no rain about.

Hmmmm, I seem also to recall that about the time the battery died, my rear window also was found down one morning.

Now I cannot be sure how close to the battery dying this occured, but thinking about it, it was pretty close.

brownie55 said:

I don't know if its related to the problem I had, but a few days ago, the rear window had gone down on its own during the night. Lucky there was no rain about.

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dog-man said:

Hmmmm, I seem also to recall that about the time the battery died, my rear window also was found down one morning.

Now I cannot be sure how close to the battery dying this occured, but thinking about it, it was pretty close.

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The rear window automatically drops when it's "reconnected" to battery voltage, so if your battery flatlined in the night and then bounced back... the window will drop.