Is the emergency entry method in the handbook?

[Luckyone]

Must remember never to curse a car by calling it reliable!

I’m just trying to guide a friend on the procedure over the phone so my better half can get in, but they can’t quite get it right. It’s been years since I did so I can’t be totally sure I’m telling non technical people the exactly correct procedure.

I really can’t remember how I found out about it myself but thought it was in the handbook, but I can’t see it in there for love nor money now!

[Chim450]

It’s not in the handbook! PM me (I assume the Cerbera is the same as a Tuscan).

[RUSSELLM]

Email sent.

[Luckyone]

RUSSELLM said:

Email sent.

Thanks for the help, the recovery driver just got into it in seconds so it was them being muppets!

He said the battery was down to 4v, she insists she didn’t leave any on. So it’s very odd he jumped it & it up to 13.5 - 14v again so hopefully she’ll be fine getting home...

[RUSSELLM]

Alternator sounds good at 13.5v

Any chance the battery’s died a death ?

[Luckyone]

RUSSELLM said:

Alternator sounds good at 13.5v

Any chance the battery’s died a death ?

I hope not it’s an optima, they aren’t cheap! It seems the most probably thing though she only parked it up yesterday evening.

I’ll check for current drain when she gets back to be sure.

[Luckyone]

I was thinking big fuse, but I don’t think it would be charging if that was duff...

[Byker28i]

Big fuse cracked, allows some charge but not all - intermittent.
Or the batteries dying and it's losing cells. Just happened to me, car wouldn't start after a run, but would after being on the trickle charger. A work colleague had a very expensive battery tester that showed 3 out of the 6 cells were down

[Luckyone]

Byker28i said:

Big fuse cracked, allows some charge but not all - intermittent.
Or the batteries dying and it's losing cells. Just happened to me, car wouldn't start after a run, but would after being on the trickle charger. A work colleague had a very expensive battery tester that showed 3 out of the 6 cells were down

Yes the big fuse was cracked for a very long time back when it was still quiet new. I spent ages trying in vain to get some kind of radio reception. I thought the amp was duff too, it kept buzzing, I got it tested but there was nothing wrong. It wasn’t till the fuse finally got so bad it wouldn’t charge at all, APM Andy told me about the problem, I changed it & I found I had decent reception & a very nice sounding stereo. It was obviously arking over the crack for many months, if not years thinking about it!

I think I found the problem though. She got back fine last night, despite the weather. Later on I was out till stupidly late fixing the BM & walked past the Cerb, I could hear the extra fan I installed to help the cold air (A/C) blower still blasting away. She must have turned it on in the busy Friday night traffic & forgot about it.

The only power source I could find when I stuck it in to test it was the back of the cigarette lighter so it doesn’t go off with the ignition. I never bothered to change it, I figured it made such a racket it couldn’t possibly get left on by mistake...

Trouble is she has got too used to modern cars that often have the radiator fan still on after you lock the car so she didn’t think anything of it!

I had told her, but it’s been at least 10 years since she last used the Cerb by her self & a lot of things have changed on it so I’ve been trying to drip feed her the info as she glazes over very quickly when I tell her too much.

At least its a yellow top deep cycle battery so hopefully it won’t affect it getting so drained, it been really good for the last 4 or so years.