Flat Battery

[Stephenwillson@b]

after standing for 3 weeks my Chimaera has got a flat battery, i know i had a problem before xmas, however an autoelectrician discovered the problem, the curtesy light relay, which i have removed,i have fitted a new battery, there is no pull on the battery when the ignition is off now, except the imobiliser and alarm, is this normal for the battery to go flat this easy?

Also the solenoid on the starter motor clicks for several times before it engages, even when the battery is at full charge, i have checked the starter, but it appears to be new (i have only owned for 6 months)?

Steve

[petros]

When I bought mine I was assured that leaving the car for 2 weeks with the alarm on would flatten the battery, high power micro wave system it seems.

[puffsorted2]

Just went to start mine for its weekly run and yeap the cold weather has killed the battery, not a peep from the fuel pump or starter motor.

[mongoose]

I'm quite surprised how many people still dont seem to use a trickle charger/battery maintainance charger.I'm not trying to sound derisory,but haven't you guys got power in your garages?Or is it just that the real need for one on these cars still isn't common knowlege?

[stackmonkey]

I have thought of it. i just don't expect that a 12 month old battery should go completely flat in the space of a week, as mine did. i feel a warranty claim for a new one when it goes in for service.

[mongoose]

stackmonkey said:

I have thought of it. i just don't expect that a 12 month old battery should go completely flat in the space of a week, as mine did. i feel a warranty claim for a new one when it goes in for service.

I agree,that does sound poor.If you've got a good capacity battery(1st check),and your alternator is charging properly(2nd check),and you have no extra current drain(3rd check),then there could be something wrong with it.Also of course,if the last time you started the car,you didn't run it for long,then the battery would not have been at full capacity when you left it,putting it at a disadvantage straight away.I've learnt by now,that i always plug the conditioner in after every time i use it,even though i always run my car at least once a week.I currently have a very recent,high cap sealed battery,but still dont take chances.The thing is,using a good battery conditioner will also extend the life of the battery.

[bigdods]

I thought I had a flattie after leaving it for two weeks under cover outside - Fuel pump primed and I thought I was onto a winner, but turn the ignition key and... nothing not even a click. Damn thinks me, battery is flat. Quick fiddle around the battery box with relays, wires and ECU connector and voila she burst into life. Must be something in that godawful tangle of wires related to the starter and wiggling things has made the connection.

Have to go read the bible now to see if I can find out what I did !

[stegefal]

Battery conditioners are great if you actually have a garage and don't need 50 ft of power cable just to reach your car, not everyone has that luxury.

I actually own a conditioner and plug it in when I can with the requisite trail of cabling, but overnight just isn't an option and probably isn't for a lot of people.

The battery situation with the Chim is dire, the alarm is awful and there is no good reason why the car should not be able to sit for 3 weeks without being unuseable when you return to it. No good reason except that the elctrics are badly designed and bodged together.

[zumbruk]

stegefal said:

The battery situation with the Chim is dire, the alarm is awful and there is no good reason why the car should not be able to sit for 3 weeks without being unuseable when you return to it. No good reason except that the elctrics are badly designed and bodged together.

Virtually every modern car is the same. The ECUs generally run all the time, they all have alarms, they only need to draw a couple of hundred milliamps and the battery is going to be dead as a doornail in a couple of weeks. My Sierra Cosworth was even worse than my Chimaera for eating batteries....

[stegefal]

I left an Impreza untouched for 6 weeks whilst I was out of the country and it started first time on my return.

I left the Chim 8 days and it was dead, now that could be down to a tired battery or sudden cold spell etc. But what a pain in the a*se!!

Now my immobiliser is permanently on, cant start the car, out of the country again till April, with no-one who can have a look at it for me!!!! There are a few trials only a TVR owner is willing to go through, if the car wasn't so much fun when its working I would of got rid of it a long time ago.

[puffsorted2]

mongoose said:

I'm quite surprised how many people still dont seem to use a trickle charger/battery maintainance charger.I'm not trying to sound derisory,but haven't you guys got power in your garages?Or is it just that the real need for one on these cars still isn't common knowlege?

Nope, no power, my rented garage is 200 Yards from the house down a side alley with a bunch of others. Would love to have a trickle charger - then again took me 5 mins to jump start it from my Laguna Diesel this morning and now everything is right in the world again

To be honest never had a problem with it going flat before, it was just that really cold few days put pay to it.

[chim666]

Stephenwillson@b said:

Also the solenoid on the starter motor clicks for several times before it engages, even when the battery is at full charge, i have checked the starter, but it appears to be new (i have only owned for 6 months)?

Here might be a clue - when I've had this symptom on other cars, it's always been a bad battery connection, either live or earth...which could give the impression of a bad battery (recharging the battery appears to improve the situation...but only for a short time).
Try cleaning the battery terminals.