Russ's 2.1 SED Auto now in Mandarin

[Dieselman]

The Arna died a quiet death in 1987,

Not quite true.
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[russ92xmsed]

this is don't understand. My battery is flat. It's flipping brand new for crying out loud.
After no trouble starting it and I have been using it this week with no signs of impending trouble, it's gone and blimmin discharged. Infact it must of been the cold snap as the C5 lost its battery too.. What's going on?! Ahhhhh!

Will have to charge it up and see....

[xmexclusive]

Hi Russ

Did you charge or check the new batteries before you installed them?
It is good practice these days for new batteries transported in Bulk to hold minimal charge.
Safety guidance is that Bulk means two or more batteries.
It is expected that the retailer will top up the charge on individual batteries when sold.

John

[russ92xmsed]

Stupidly I didnt John. But the green light was shining brightly. I expect too many short runs again and a hard cold snap didn't do much good.
It's charging up quickly, so will get it back in tomorrow and take it for a good drive, weather permitting.

[Dean]

My brand new one done the same thing Russ, was perfectly fine left a few weeks at a time but we had that cool weather a while back and even with the solar charger connected it just pancaked one day, wouldnt even bring the ignition lights on, charged a treat and has been fine ever since.

D

[xmexclusive]

Still at least we are saved from the control on some modern cars.
Seen a report about dealers destroying batteries because they do not understand the new battery installation procedure.
With a central control BSU (Beyond Stupidity Unit) some cars can save energy by using a minimum needed charge routine to set altenator output.
This changes the charging start point as the battery degrades with use and age.
So if the battery gets renewed without resetting the BSU it is still looking for the parameters expected of a crap battery.
The end result is early charge shut down and a new battery continuously run around a quarter charged.
The battery does not survive well like this and the starting problems reappear within a few weeks.
Battery manufacturers were blamed first but eventually the real cause surfaced.

[White Exec]

For our generation of cars, and with many getting intemittent use, for heaven's sake just invest in a CTEK charger.
The 3.8A unit is more than adequate, and is outstanding value for money.
Just connect and forget.
Sorted.

[Dieselman]

Difficult to use a battery charger if the car is parked on the street.

I can't see a new battery A: not being charged at point of sale (after all, it has been used on the car this week), and B: it should have been charged by the alternator.

I suspect something on the car drained the battery, or the leads or solenoid are not delivering sufficient power to the starter motor to turn the engine well.

[russ92xmsed]

Exactly, I can't charge the battery in situ as its parked in the street on the other side of the road. It's a major hassle to get it in the garage and do it there too.

I suspect the alarm might be draining it. What did happen yesterday, all the electrics worked all lights came on when doing the glow plugs...even wanted the AC on!
But nothing when turning the key to start. I wiggled the starter relay, and that then allowed the motor to turn but not start as there just wasn't enough juice. I'm going to swap the relay incase. I might disconnect the alarm and see if it helps. Not sure.
Checked the leads and no signs of melting. So strange after starting so well with no trouble at all....

[White Exec]

OK Russ, I do now appreciate the parking situation.
Would be a good idea to check the parked-up (quiescent) current drain, ie what's coming out of the battery when everything is switched off and parked.

Connect a multimeter on say 100mA or 200mA setting between the + post on the battery, and the + battery connector, and then remove the connector from the battery post. That way, you will avoid firing up electronics from scratch (which could be misleading) and will be looking at the quiet/parked up current normally exiting the battery. For the same reason (disturbing the supply) try not to switch the testmeter from one scale to another, because it might temporarily break the circuit.

I would say that the quiescent current you see should be below 50mA, and hopefully half that. Anything approaching 100mA is a serious drain on the battery, and should be pinned down by pulling fuses one at a time to identify where the current is going.

Finally, replace that pesky sunroof with a solar panel!