Battery dead / erratic performance

Battery dead / erratic performance

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tupolev

Original Poster:

89 posts

270 months

Saturday 12th April 2003
quotequote all
help - have had the battery run down twice in the past two weeks on my standard S2 (weekend car) and i am getting some erratic (rather than erotic) performance.

Idle speed is too high and when lifting off to change up, the revs are hardly dropping (feels like a sticky throttle but I read in the manual that the ecu takes a while to ‘re-learn’ settings after a dead battery)

Did i read somewhere idle speed can be re-set by pressing the accelerator 5 times with the ignition on, while the engine is operating temp?


The other question is how long should the battery last - i know the elise is a smaller unit but even taking that into account i'd expect it to go for more than 18months, in which time it has only discharged a total three times.


any comments welcome -otherwise an expensive visit to sinclaires (will have to buy an induction kit and sports exhaust if i go).

Cheers

Tupolev
Vulneratus non victus.

Bonce

4,339 posts

280 months

Saturday 12th April 2003
quotequote all
I'm not sure if the reset procedure with the accellerator works on the S2 or not, but it certainly sounds like your throttle is sticking rather than the ECU - it shouldn't take that long to drop the revs. Does it only do it when warm, or cold too? Take the air feed off the throttle body and watch the operation of the butterfly while somebody presses and releases the throttle pedal. May give a clue.

As for the battery, I'm afraid once you've fully discharged an Elise battery it will never be the same again and will need replacing. That's why it's running right down now. Dunno about the S2 but on the S1, the battery is only good for about 2 weeks of the car being parked with the alarm on. Longer if you disable the internal microwave sensor when you set the alarm.

DanH

12,287 posts

261 months

Saturday 12th April 2003
quotequote all

Pretty much any car battery if totally dischared is screwed. Having said that, you can get away with it if its not completely drained. Sounds like maybe you've ruined it though if its not holding charge.

Dunno how to reset the ECU on the S2, but its not that routine you just outlined. Mine had problems for 30+ miles after a full discharge, but sorted itself out in the end.

Be a tad surprised if its a sticking throttle in the S2 but it is possible. Does it only happen when its warm?