Starting with a flat battery.
Discussion
I use my Tuscan daily but with the exception of regular trips to the US andf the UK.
The Tuscan sits in an airport in Germany and so the (new late 2006) battery dies before I get back from trips lasting anything from 2 to 5 weeks.
September was 5 weeks but the ADAC man still got me started pretty quickly with a jump start. It only took a little while to get enough "juice" into my battery before she would turn over. I noted that the output from the ADAC jumper was about 13,5 volts.
Last Saturday after 3 weeks away, it took the ADAC man over 1 hour with only 12,7 volts output but also his booster starter and such that in the end we gave up and he gave me a push start.
I have a solar charger plugged in the fag lighter and also have a 600 amp battery booster in the boot, which so far has only once succeeded in getting me started.
My question is, would I be better with a good quality high capacity second battery sat in the boot and connect to my jumper leads every time I get back ?
Suggestions most welcome.
The Tuscan sits in an airport in Germany and so the (new late 2006) battery dies before I get back from trips lasting anything from 2 to 5 weeks.
September was 5 weeks but the ADAC man still got me started pretty quickly with a jump start. It only took a little while to get enough "juice" into my battery before she would turn over. I noted that the output from the ADAC jumper was about 13,5 volts.
Last Saturday after 3 weeks away, it took the ADAC man over 1 hour with only 12,7 volts output but also his booster starter and such that in the end we gave up and he gave me a push start.
I have a solar charger plugged in the fag lighter and also have a 600 amp battery booster in the boot, which so far has only once succeeded in getting me started.
My question is, would I be better with a good quality high capacity second battery sat in the boot and connect to my jumper leads every time I get back ?
Suggestions most welcome.
Your problem as I see it is that starter batteries do not like being deeply discharged (so called deep cycles) and this is what is happening everytime your car is left at the airport. When starter batteries are deep cycled, they lose some of their ability to hold charge. If you do this enough you can charge the battery so that it shows it's fully charged, but the reality is that it cannot produce its normal cranking current, so your car won't start. You can get batteries which can handle the deep cycles and produce a high cranking current as I have one in the Cerb, an Odyssey PC1500, but they're not cheap. What might also help you though is to have an additional battery which is unconnected to the car's electrics and so doesn't discharge so quickly when you leave it. You can then use this battery to jump start yourself. I'd recommend another Odyssey for this as they're also an absorbed glass matt design and will not spill acid in your car which ever way up you install/transport them, I'm not sure where you'd fit it.
HTH,
Steve.
HTH,
Steve.
Hi Steve,
I guess that I will still have a flat but it wont wreck the battery so much over time.
I am starting to feel that the battery is getting worse even though it is relatively young. I was thinking of having an unconnected spare as I mentioned but havnt thought of the mounting of it yet.
So, dear Santa can I have 2 x PC1500's for Christmas please.
Thanks for the feedback,
Tony.
I guess that I will still have a flat but it wont wreck the battery so much over time.
I am starting to feel that the battery is getting worse even though it is relatively young. I was thinking of having an unconnected spare as I mentioned but havnt thought of the mounting of it yet.
So, dear Santa can I have 2 x PC1500's for Christmas please.
Thanks for the feedback,
Tony.
Every time you deep discharge the battery you will reduce its capacity. Eventually it will drop a cell and be scrap.
If you can't find any way to keep the battery charged up and know it's going to go flat then you could consider getting a battery isolator. Smart isolators are available which will isolate the battery when the voltage drops below a critical level. If you need power to get back into the car then you would need some means to reset the isolator. Mine will reconnect as soon as I open the door, which is OK for me since I have an ordinary key lock.
If you can't find any way to keep the battery charged up and know it's going to go flat then you could consider getting a battery isolator. Smart isolators are available which will isolate the battery when the voltage drops below a critical level. If you need power to get back into the car then you would need some means to reset the isolator. Mine will reconnect as soon as I open the door, which is OK for me since I have an ordinary key lock.
I have a smart battery isolator fitted to my Tuscan and it works a treat! The battery can last for months with it fitted.
It has remote reset/set so that you can switch on/off the isolator via the remote fob provide. google 'Battery Brain', I got my from Ebay in the US for about 40 quid including postage last year. I didn't bother but you can connect it in such ways that it keeps things like ecu and alarm etc connect but the main battery is isolated. The only problem is the restricted space of the battery box I got a smaller battery and it just fits with lots of fiddling.
It has remote reset/set so that you can switch on/off the isolator via the remote fob provide. google 'Battery Brain', I got my from Ebay in the US for about 40 quid including postage last year. I didn't bother but you can connect it in such ways that it keeps things like ecu and alarm etc connect but the main battery is isolated. The only problem is the restricted space of the battery box I got a smaller battery and it just fits with lots of fiddling.
You can't adjust the voltage when it cuts out. You can lock you car then switch the isolator on. By isolating your battery, it locks the car anyway as the battery is no longer connected.
All you need to do is when you come back and wants to get in to your car, you just de-active the isolator, they you can open your door and the battery will have more than enough charge to start the engine.
have a look at www.batterybrain.co.uk it will give you all the details you need.
Make sure that you get the version with the remote otherwise it will not be suitable for the TUSCAN as you will need access to the isolator to reset it.
All you need to do is when you come back and wants to get in to your car, you just de-active the isolator, they you can open your door and the battery will have more than enough charge to start the engine.
have a look at www.batterybrain.co.uk it will give you all the details you need.
Make sure that you get the version with the remote otherwise it will not be suitable for the TUSCAN as you will need access to the isolator to reset it.
Just wanted to say thanks to onny for recommending the Battery Brain. 
Left my Tuscan for nearly 4 weeks at an airport car park and for the first time in 5 months was able to start her up and drive off without the aid of a jump or bump start.
Its been driving me crazy. Have tried battery booster and solar charger with no success but last night...great, started first time.
Used the remote fob to isolate the battery when I left the car so that there was absolutely no drain on the battery.
As far as security is concerned, when I returned and "closed" the Battery Brain, I then still had to unlock the doors and imobiliser so I see the Battery Brain as an additional protection.
Thanks again,
Tony.
Also must say that had the Anderson connector and cables checked during a service in January and found that the contacts where completely worn out so no wonder the battery booster and jump starts have been problematic.
Left my Tuscan for nearly 4 weeks at an airport car park and for the first time in 5 months was able to start her up and drive off without the aid of a jump or bump start.
Its been driving me crazy. Have tried battery booster and solar charger with no success but last night...great, started first time.
Used the remote fob to isolate the battery when I left the car so that there was absolutely no drain on the battery.
As far as security is concerned, when I returned and "closed" the Battery Brain, I then still had to unlock the doors and imobiliser so I see the Battery Brain as an additional protection.
Thanks again,
Tony.
Also must say that had the Anderson connector and cables checked during a service in January and found that the contacts where completely worn out so no wonder the battery booster and jump starts have been problematic.
Edited by so called on Friday 20th February 09:34
Tony,
Glad the Battery Brain worked for you too. Where did you end up re-routing the battery brain? I had to get a smaller battery and really had to fiddle with the battery cable to get it to fit.
Cheers
Onny.
PS. I think every TVR owner that can't get access to mains electricity for a trickle charger should buy one of these. You will never have a flat battery every again! Much cheaper than buying a new battery every year.
Glad the Battery Brain worked for you too. Where did you end up re-routing the battery brain? I had to get a smaller battery and really had to fiddle with the battery cable to get it to fit.
Cheers
Onny.
PS. I think every TVR owner that can't get access to mains electricity for a trickle charger should buy one of these. You will never have a flat battery every again! Much cheaper than buying a new battery every year.
Edited by onny on Friday 20th February 14:33
Hi onny,
TorqueRVT fitted it for me. They fitted a new battery, standard (TVR) size and mounted the Brain in the passenger footwell, fairly high up to avoid getting knocked about.
My battery lasted just 2 years and so yes I agree. Its a shame to spoil a new battery so quickly.
Thanks again,
Tony.
TorqueRVT fitted it for me. They fitted a new battery, standard (TVR) size and mounted the Brain in the passenger footwell, fairly high up to avoid getting knocked about.
My battery lasted just 2 years and so yes I agree. Its a shame to spoil a new battery so quickly.
Thanks again,
Tony.
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