How very frustrating

[hueandcry71]

Car wont start again (2nd time since owning it) this morning with just a click click click noise. How shoite are the batteries in these bloody cars??

[riwiho]

Sorry to hear that. That is really annoying.

What type of journeys are you mainly doing in the R? The only reason I can think of for a battery running low on a regular basis is a large number of repetitively short trips preventing any opportunity for it to recharge.

Hope this gets sorted quickly

[Cino]

Get yourself a battery conditioner. I got one from Halfords for about £25 (called a 'maintenance charger') and stick it on every weekend to keep the battery topped up. It will charge up overnight even if it is quite low, and you don't have to take the battery out, just remove the plastic cover and clip it on. The cold weather makes the situation worse, apparently

[Gooby]

Cino said:

Get yourself a battery conditioner. I got one from Halfords for about £25 (called a 'maintenance charger') and stick it on every weekend to keep the battery topped up. It will charge up overnight even if it is quite low, and you don't have to take the battery out, just remove the plastic cover and clip it on. The cold weather makes the situation worse, apparently

I think that is dealing with the symptoms not the problem. I have never had battery problems on the R. Are you leaving anything on? a sat nav or road angel? Interior lights?. Is there a fan belt squeal at any point?

[riwiho]

Gooby said:

Cino said:

Get yourself a battery conditioner. I got one from Halfords for about £25 (called a 'maintenance charger') and stick it on every weekend to keep the battery topped up. It will charge up overnight even if it is quite low, and you don't have to take the battery out, just remove the plastic cover and clip it on. The cold weather makes the situation worse, apparently

I think that is dealing with the symptoms not the problem. I have never had battery problems on the R. Are you leaving anything on? a sat nav or road angel? Interior lights?. Is there a fan belt squeal at any point?

If you left an adapter in the 12V socket between the seats would that still drain power if not connected anything to it?

[Hollow Legs]

Am feeling for you here. there's nowt worse than getting in the car to go off and it not starting.

As others have said this isn't right.

apart from the obvious thing about leaving stuff plugged in / on have you checked the battery connectors - are they clean / tight?

have you put a multi meter across the battery when it's off to check for drainage and again when its running to check it's getting charge?

have you had any lights come on the dash, i.e. the battery light flash?

if you brought from a dealer i'd be on the phone to them getting them to look into it

I've never had battery non starting issues with my R, and I'm usually unlucky when it comes to cars and issues! Perserve, get it sorted and enjoy. Good luck.

[Gooby]

riwiho said:

Gooby said:

Cino said:

Get yourself a battery conditioner. I got one from Halfords for about £25 (called a 'maintenance charger') and stick it on every weekend to keep the battery topped up. It will charge up overnight even if it is quite low, and you don't have to take the battery out, just remove the plastic cover and clip it on. The cold weather makes the situation worse, apparently

I think that is dealing with the symptoms not the problem. I have never had battery problems on the R. Are you leaving anything on? a sat nav or road angel? Interior lights?. Is there a fan belt squeal at any point?

If you left an adapter in the 12V socket between the seats would that still drain power if not connected anything to it?

Depends on the adapter, my sat nav adapter has a series of indicator LED's so it does. Not enough to do any harm but there is a current drain and for some cars left in the cold it may be enough. I would be looking at the battery and alternator. Most household mobile phone adapters draw a significant current when not charging (lazy design and cheaper to produce) so I see no reason why car chargers should be any different.

[TonyHetherington]

I agree with mr Gooby...never had a problem on any of my cars with batteries, so wonder if something's draining it?!

[purdy84]

Reflecting the above, ive not had a problem yet. My Exige has sat in the garage unused for over 2 weeks and started first time. I always remember to unplug anything in the 12v socket and remove the head unit....not sure if that helps though.

[Cino]

Depends on usage though as well. You're unlikely to have problems if you're using it frequently. In my case I've not been using it much over the winter and even if you take it out at the weekend, you'd have to run it enough to charge the battery fully from almost empty. Otherwise you are only topping it up a bit. Over weeks/months and little use the amount of charge can keep going down until it won't start. Combined with cold weather and the drain from the alarm/immobilisor and it can happen.

[cheekymonkey]

I have had problems this year due to lack of use. I have got a poxy solar conditioner from Maplins to try & keep it topped up a little & seems to be working ok so far. I cna't have mains conditioner as there's no power in my lockup.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=98358...

Edited by cheekymonkey on Tuesday 5th February 10:10

[hueandcry71]

This occasion i had gone about 4/5 days without using the car. Other than that i usually use the car every day.

I have been on to the dealer who sold me the car demanding a new battery free of charge. Their line is that it isnt covered, my line is that if i bought a new one then i would get a 12 month warranty on it so why not a new battery on a brand new car?? For all i know the damage to the battery could have occured whilst sitting idle in the dealers showroom for a period of time??
The person i spoke to has gone away to speak to the head honcho and i am awaiting a call.

I really couldnt be arsed plugging in conditioners and the like. I would rather sell the bloody car first than have to fanny about it with it all the time.

And to make my day even worse two more feckin fish have died in my tank.

[Boggy]

hueandcry71 said:

This occasion i had gone about 4/5 days without using the car. Other than that i usually use the car every day.

I have been on to the dealer who sold me the car demanding a new battery free of charge. Their line is that it isnt covered, my line is that if i bought a new one then i would get a 12 month warranty on it so why not a new battery on a brand new car?? For all i know the damage to the battery could have occured whilst sitting idle in the dealers showroom for a period of time??
The person i spoke to has gone away to speak to the head honcho and i am awaiting a call.

I really couldnt be arsed plugging in conditioners and the like. I would rather sell the bloody car first than have to fanny about it with it all the time.

And to make my day even worse two more feckin fish have died in my tank.

Chill man We have the same problem with our Exige S (New) Just buy a condidioner take less than 10 minutes to fit and then less than 1 to plug or unplug. Mrs Boggy got fed up with pushing it down the road and at the end of the day it only cost 37k

Summer's coming you'll be loving it soon!

Boggy

Edited by Boggy on Tuesday 5th February 11:21

[Gooby]

hueandcry71 said:

This occasion i had gone about 4/5 days without using the car. Other than that i usually use the car every day.

I have been on to the dealer who sold me the car demanding a new battery free of charge. Their line is that it isnt covered, my line is that if i bought a new one then i would get a 12 month warranty on it so why not a new battery on a brand new car?? For all i know the damage to the battery could have occured whilst sitting idle in the dealers showroom for a period of time??
The person i spoke to has gone away to speak to the head honcho and i am awaiting a call.

I really couldnt be arsed plugging in conditioners and the like. I would rather sell the bloody car first than have to fanny about it with it all the time.

And to make my day even worse two more feckin fish have died in my tank.

Ok tiger! This isnt going to be a big problem, so lets start at the beginning.
Your use of the car doesnt warrant a problem such as this so there is something wrong with the battery, alternator or earth connections.
Take the car into a local quick fix / halfrauds / friendly lotus dealer / lotus expert. Doesnt matter, this isnt a skilled job. Ask them to do a check on the electrics as the car doesnt start in the morning. Most places will have a diagnostic which will tell you what the problem is. If it is a battery problem then I would suggest that nearly anyone can fit a new one, if it is the alternator then it should be a warranty job (IMHO).

The fish.
What is left in the tank? Aquarium start up is the most delicate part of ownership. Dont forget, you are "bump starting" several very complex natural decay cycles. Poor advice and over eager owners cause so many deaths and cause a lot of frustration.
Here is the expert way to set up a tank.
1)Clean all materials (no soap, just running water)
2)Decide the location of the set up, proximity to power and an easy route to remove water is essential. Make sure you are not in direct sunlight unless you want a green stodge to show off.
3)Set the tank on the stand and using a spirit level make sure all is level.
4) Have a "dry run" of setting up filter, heater, lights and all hoses and cables, develop a strategy to hide all the bits you dont want to see.
5)Put the backing on the tank. However you want to disguise the back of the tank so you dont see ugly wall or cables or hoses. I prefer a gloss black sheet, makes the tank look bigger and shows off the fish really well.
5)the most important thing is the substrate. Try not to use gravel, plants hate it. If you must use gravel then do so over sand.
Layer 1, aquarium peat (do not use standard peat, it is full of chemicals which makes algae grow really well)
Layer 2 seal the peat with aquarium sand.- at least an inch.
If you must use gravel then put it over the sand
6) actually place all the components in the tank (heater/ filter / filter hoses etc etc) At this point tidy all cables hoses etc. It will be a sod of a job when wet.
7) Arrange the ornaments. If you are using bog wood then this should be soaked in a bucket of water for a few days, everything must be rinsed off.
8) WATER, I could write for days on this. The newby technique is to use warmed tap water then use some sort of "tap water conditioner". This is "adequate" for a hardy communal tank BUT, this is not very widely known, the water companies put a copper solution into the drinking water 2 to 3 times a year. This removes any biological build up in the pipes. It is of such a concentration that it is harmless to humans and most pets but if you do a water change at the time, your fish will die and it will leave you scratching your head. The best way is to get water containers from a camping shop and take them to your local expert shop and ask for "tropical with minerals". It a good excuse to visit the shop and chat to the experts. I have made some good friends like this so it needn't be a chore.
9) fill up to about 30% and add the basic planting structure
10) fill up to 60% and start up all systems (filters, heaters etc etc)
when settled and you are confident all is running well then fill up to the top.

This process can be made more efficient by getting some old filter media and some "used" water from an established tank.

11) STAND BACK, leave well alone. Let it settle, let the air come out of the filters. Be sure there is nothing wrong with the motors and heaters. Generally if there is a failure it is in the first day.

12) stand back some more. Leave for at least 2 days.

13) when satisfied all is working well and the tank is at a stable temp, plants are settled and not floating around, go buy 2 cat fish (small ones), or a couple of pleco's (hardy species not too expensive). Float the bags for 1 hour and then gently release

14) Allow them time to settle in, BE QUIET, dont tap the glass EVER. People who tap or bang or percuss on my tank are kindly offered a percussive response from me.

15) Feed twice a day, morning feed should be quite generous (all food gone in 4 mins or so) and evening feed should be sure to have all food gone by morning. Cat fish feen mostly at night so it is nice to have a little in the tank to promote their activities.

16) Leave for at least a week. If satisfied that the fish are showing no sign of stress then purchase some more fish. ONLY 3-4 fish. Start your neon shoal or some nice zebra danios, a few harlequins. Build the tank up this way for abut a month. I would be confident to splash out on something a bit more interesting.

If you have ploughed in to the tank filled it with water and chucked a load of fish in then dont despair, so many people do. Have a word with the shop that sold you the fish explain you have a big case of new tank syndrome and ask them to take some of the fish back until the tank has settled. Bag all up apart from a couple of cat fish and start again.

Remember The places you cant cut corners on a tropical aquarium. Never buy a cheap filter, never buy a cheap heater. These are the things that keep your fish alive.

[Cino]

Interesting how many Lotus owners are also into fishkeeping... I used to be really into it - reverse flow undergravel filters and the full works. Might get myself a tank again (catfish were my main interest). What sort of setup have you got going Gooby?

[Tin Hat]

Gooby said:

hueandcry71 said:

This occasion i had gone about 4/5 days without using the car. Other than that i usually use the car every day.

I have been on to the dealer who sold me the car demanding a new battery free of charge. Their line is that it isnt covered, my line is that if i bought a new one then i would get a 12 month warranty on it so why not a new battery on a brand new car?? For all i know the damage to the battery could have occured whilst sitting idle in the dealers showroom for a period of time??
The person i spoke to has gone away to speak to the head honcho and i am awaiting a call.

I really couldnt be arsed plugging in conditioners and the like. I would rather sell the bloody car first than have to fanny about it with it all the time.

And to make my day even worse two more feckin fish have died in my tank.

Ok tiger! This isnt going to be a big problem, so lets start at the beginning.
Your use of the car doesnt warrant a problem such as this so there is something wrong with the battery, alternator or earth connections.
Take the car into a local quick fix / halfrauds / friendly lotus dealer / lotus expert. Doesnt matter, this isnt a skilled job. Ask them to do a check on the electrics as the car doesnt start in the morning. Most places will have a diagnostic which will tell you what the problem is. If it is a battery problem then I would suggest that nearly anyone can fit a new one, if it is the alternator then it should be a warranty job (IMHO).

The fish.
What is left in the tank? Aquarium start up is the most delicate part of ownership. Dont forget, you are "bump starting" several very complex natural decay cycles. Poor advice and over eager owners cause so many deaths and cause a lot of frustration.
Here is the expert way to set up a tank.
1)Clean all materials (no soap, just running water)
2)Decide the location of the set up, proximity to power and an easy route to remove water is essential. Make sure you are not in direct sunlight unless you want a green stodge to show off.
3)Set the tank on the stand and using a spirit level make sure all is level.
4) Have a "dry run" of setting up filter, heater, lights and all hoses and cables, develop a strategy to hide all the bits you dont want to see.
5)Put the backing on the tank. However you want to disguise the back of the tank so you dont see ugly wall or cables or hoses. I prefer a gloss black sheet, makes the tank look bigger and shows off the fish really well.
5)the most important thing is the substrate. Try not to use gravel, plants hate it. If you must use gravel then do so over sand.
Layer 1, aquarium peat (do not use standard peat, it is full of chemicals which makes algae grow really well)
Layer 2 seal the peat with aquarium sand.- at least an inch.
If you must use gravel then put it over the sand
6) actually place all the components in the tank (heater/ filter / filter hoses etc etc) At this point tidy all cables hoses etc. It will be a sod of a job when wet.
7) Arrange the ornaments. If you are using bog wood then this should be soaked in a bucket of water for a few days, everything must be rinsed off.
8) WATER, I could write for days on this. The newby technique is to use warmed tap water then use some sort of "tap water conditioner". This is "adequate" for a hardy communal tank BUT, this is not very widely known, the water companies put a copper solution into the drinking water 2 to 3 times a year. This removes any biological build up in the pipes. It is of such a concentration that it is harmless to humans and most pets but if you do a water change at the time, your fish will die and it will leave you scratching your head. The best way is to get water containers from a camping shop and take them to your local expert shop and ask for "tropical with minerals". It a good excuse to visit the shop and chat to the experts. I have made some good friends like this so it needn't be a chore.
9) fill up to about 30% and add the basic planting structure
10) fill up to 60% and start up all systems (filters, heaters etc etc)
when settled and you are confident all is running well then fill up to the top.

This process can be made more efficient by getting some old filter media and some "used" water from an established tank.

11) STAND BACK, leave well alone. Let it settle, let the air come out of the filters. Be sure there is nothing wrong with the motors and heaters. Generally if there is a failure it is in the first day.

12) stand back some more. Leave for at least 2 days.

13) when satisfied all is working well and the tank is at a stable temp, plants are settled and not floating around, go buy 2 cat fish (small ones), or a couple of pleco's (hardy species not too expensive). Float the bags for 1 hour and then gently release

14) Allow them time to settle in, BE QUIET, dont tap the glass EVER. People who tap or bang or percuss on my tank are kindly offered a percussive response from me.

15) Feed twice a day, morning feed should be quite generous (all food gone in 4 mins or so) and evening feed should be sure to have all food gone by morning. Cat fish feen mostly at night so it is nice to have a little in the tank to promote their activities.

16) Leave for at least a week. If satisfied that the fish are showing no sign of stress then purchase some more fish. ONLY 3-4 fish. Start your neon shoal or some nice zebra danios, a few harlequins. Build the tank up this way for abut a month. I would be confident to splash out on something a bit more interesting.

If you have ploughed in to the tank filled it with water and chucked a load of fish in then dont despair, so many people do. Have a word with the shop that sold you the fish explain you have a big case of new tank syndrome and ask them to take some of the fish back until the tank has settled. Bag all up apart from a couple of cat fish and start again.

Remember The places you cant cut corners on a tropical aquarium. Never buy a cheap filter, never buy a cheap heater. These are the things that keep your fish alive.

I cannot imagine that you would find this kind of knowledge and assistance on the Porsche forum?
Never ceases to amaze.......

[hueandcry71]

[quote=]

The car has only not started twice so perhaps i was being a little melodramatic this morning. 10/10 to the AA though who arrived at my house within 10 minutes.

The fish - Now thats another story. Thanks for taking the time to put your advice on here. The one bit that stands out is feeding them twice a day. Pets at home told me once very two days. Please dont tell me they are dying of starvation???

What is left in the tank? I have two little fish with zebra type stripes called Ant and Dec, they have been their from the start and im beginning to think they are the Harold Shipmans of the aquatic world. Touching wood as i type this but they have loads of energy and look helathy.

1)Clean all materials (no soap, just running water) - Did that

2)Make sure you are not in direct sunlight unless you want a green stodge to show off. - Positioned away from the sun.

3)Set the tank on the stand and using a spirit level make sure all is level. - Put on a level table.

I am actually thinking about replacing the tropical fish with goldfish. Is this easy to do?? I was hoping i could just take the heater and filter out and out some goldfish in straight away?

[hueandcry71]

Tin Hat said:

Gooby said:

hueandcry71 said:

This occasion i had gone about 4/5 days without using the car. Other than that i usually use the car every day.

I have been on to the dealer who sold me the car demanding a new battery free of charge. Their line is that it isnt covered, my line is that if i bought a new one then i would get a 12 month warranty on it so why not a new battery on a brand new car?? For all i know the damage to the battery could have occured whilst sitting idle in the dealers showroom for a period of time??
The person i spoke to has gone away to speak to the head honcho and i am awaiting a call.

I really couldnt be arsed plugging in conditioners and the like. I would rather sell the bloody car first than have to fanny about it with it all the time.

And to make my day even worse two more feckin fish have died in my tank.

Ok tiger! This isnt going to be a big problem, so lets start at the beginning.
Your use of the car doesnt warrant a problem such as this so there is something wrong with the battery, alternator or earth connections.
Take the car into a local quick fix / halfrauds / friendly lotus dealer / lotus expert. Doesnt matter, this isnt a skilled job. Ask them to do a check on the electrics as the car doesnt start in the morning. Most places will have a diagnostic which will tell you what the problem is. If it is a battery problem then I would suggest that nearly anyone can fit a new one, if it is the alternator then it should be a warranty job (IMHO).

The fish.
What is left in the tank? Aquarium start up is the most delicate part of ownership. Dont forget, you are "bump starting" several very complex natural decay cycles. Poor advice and over eager owners cause so many deaths and cause a lot of frustration.
Here is the expert way to set up a tank.
1)Clean all materials (no soap, just running water)
2)Decide the location of the set up, proximity to power and an easy route to remove water is essential. Make sure you are not in direct sunlight unless you want a green stodge to show off.
3)Set the tank on the stand and using a spirit level make sure all is level.
4) Have a "dry run" of setting up filter, heater, lights and all hoses and cables, develop a strategy to hide all the bits you dont want to see.
5)Put the backing on the tank. However you want to disguise the back of the tank so you dont see ugly wall or cables or hoses. I prefer a gloss black sheet, makes the tank look bigger and shows off the fish really well.
5)the most important thing is the substrate. Try not to use gravel, plants hate it. If you must use gravel then do so over sand.
Layer 1, aquarium peat (do not use standard peat, it is full of chemicals which makes algae grow really well)
Layer 2 seal the peat with aquarium sand.- at least an inch.
If you must use gravel then put it over the sand
6) actually place all the components in the tank (heater/ filter / filter hoses etc etc) At this point tidy all cables hoses etc. It will be a sod of a job when wet.
7) Arrange the ornaments. If you are using bog wood then this should be soaked in a bucket of water for a few days, everything must be rinsed off.
8) WATER, I could write for days on this. The newby technique is to use warmed tap water then use some sort of "tap water conditioner". This is "adequate" for a hardy communal tank BUT, this is not very widely known, the water companies put a copper solution into the drinking water 2 to 3 times a year. This removes any biological build up in the pipes. It is of such a concentration that it is harmless to humans and most pets but if you do a water change at the time, your fish will die and it will leave you scratching your head. The best way is to get water containers from a camping shop and take them to your local expert shop and ask for "tropical with minerals". It a good excuse to visit the shop and chat to the experts. I have made some good friends like this so it needn't be a chore.
9) fill up to about 30% and add the basic planting structure
10) fill up to 60% and start up all systems (filters, heaters etc etc)
when settled and you are confident all is running well then fill up to the top.

This process can be made more efficient by getting some old filter media and some "used" water from an established tank.

11) STAND BACK, leave well alone. Let it settle, let the air come out of the filters. Be sure there is nothing wrong with the motors and heaters. Generally if there is a failure it is in the first day.

12) stand back some more. Leave for at least 2 days.

13) when satisfied all is working well and the tank is at a stable temp, plants are settled and not floating around, go buy 2 cat fish (small ones), or a couple of pleco's (hardy species not too expensive). Float the bags for 1 hour and then gently release

14) Allow them time to settle in, BE QUIET, dont tap the glass EVER. People who tap or bang or percuss on my tank are kindly offered a percussive response from me.

15) Feed twice a day, morning feed should be quite generous (all food gone in 4 mins or so) and evening feed should be sure to have all food gone by morning. Cat fish feen mostly at night so it is nice to have a little in the tank to promote their activities.

16) Leave for at least a week. If satisfied that the fish are showing no sign of stress then purchase some more fish. ONLY 3-4 fish. Start your neon shoal or some nice zebra danios, a few harlequins. Build the tank up this way for abut a month. I would be confident to splash out on something a bit more interesting.

If you have ploughed in to the tank filled it with water and chucked a load of fish in then dont despair, so many people do. Have a word with the shop that sold you the fish explain you have a big case of new tank syndrome and ask them to take some of the fish back until the tank has settled. Bag all up apart from a couple of cat fish and start again.

Remember The places you cant cut corners on a tropical aquarium. Never buy a cheap filter, never buy a cheap heater. These are the things that keep your fish alive.

I cannot imagine that you would find this kind of knowledge and assistance on the Porsche forum?
Never ceases to amaze.......

Porsche owners keep canaries. Tropical fish are too masculine for Porsche owners.

Seriously though, this site is one of the big plus points about owning a Lotus.

[hueandcry71]

Mrs Boggy got fed up with pushing it down the road


Quality. I cant even get my missus to push the hoover up and down the living room.

[Gooby]

You still need a filter for goldfish.

Believe me it is worth the work in the end. It really is! Persevere. One certainty about keeping livestock is sooner or later something will die.

I have created a small corner of the Amazon river in a corner of my house. My fish breed the recognise me when I come in the room and there is more action in the tank than hollyoaks.

Now it is stable the only maintenance I have done in 4 years is every 6 - 8 weeks I remove 40% of the water and sluice out the filters. 2 hours work.

Edited by Gooby on Tuesday 5th February 16:46