4mths - Bets on battery being fooked

[Johno]

So it's 4mths since I started the Griffith.

Obviously the battery is as flat as . . . I've never bothered with a battery conditioner because I've always been a regular user and not needed it, even after 3-4wks.

New Optimate 4 landed this morning and won't even sniff at it (therefore below 2v in battery). So have put the charger on it for now and we'll see what it's doing later on.

I don't need the technical details of sulphation and the in's and out's of lead batteries not liking being fully drained etc . .

For a laugh I thought I'd open an online book on the likely outcome ...

1-battery charges fine and starts car 2/1

2-battery starts car, but won't hold any charge 3/1

3-battery totally fooked 5/1

Gentlemen, place you bets . . .

PS-they'll be no issues with the car starting, it's just whether we can get enough juice in it!

[jeremyc]

In my experience the book should be based on how much warranty is left on the battery.

They usually manage to fail just after the warranty has expired ...

[Johno]

You be a rare visitor to these ere parts Jeremy

You well?

Warranty won't be an issue . . . It's just over that of course

[y2blade]

are you leaving the Optimate plugged in now to recover the battery?

[spend]

Was the jolly influenced by its bloodline by any chance?

(a Halfords might be an outsider, but a T'Bred like Varta is a fairly safe punt )

[jeremyc]

Johno said:

You be a rare visitor to these ere parts Jeremy

You well?

Warranty won't be an issue . . . It's just over that of course

Good, thanks.

In which case I have some money on it starting but not holding charge. What prices will you give me on a siezed caliper?

[Johno]

y2blade said:

are you leaving the Optimate plugged in now to recover the battery?

Optimate won't engage programme on a battery with less then 2v's left in it. . . So currently it's got the full charger on it set at fast charge.

I'll give it 2hrs with that and then see if the Optimate will pick it up from there.

[Johno]

jeremyc said:

Johno said:

You be a rare visitor to these ere parts Jeremy



You well?



Warranty won't be an issue . . . It's just over that of course

Good, thanks.



In which case I have some money on it starting but not holding charge. What prices will you give me on a siezed caliper?

20/1 - they'll be fine

(Cowers in corner hoping bravado will see him through)

[spend]

Quinny said:

Odds on that one please

Depends on the owner

it might be big odds on if it were a certain silly cone chappy

[y2blade]

Johno said:

y2blade said:

are you leaving the Optimate plugged in now to recover the battery?

Optimate won't engage programme on a battery with less then 2v's left in it. . . So currently it's got the full charger on it set at fast charge.

I'll give it 2hrs with that and then see if the Optimate will pick it up from there.

Ah I see, I have a few Optimate 3sp for my various toys, I have never had a battery go completely flat before sticking the Optimate on though, so never had to try to fully recover a dead one before

I'm not familiar with the latest Optimate 4 though

doesn't the "latest Dual-stage program" work?


from Optimate online

Dual-stage recovery action: If the diagnostic check determines that the battery is sulphated (deep-discharged), the first stage attempts to drive in an initial current by applying up to 16V for a brief limited period. If this is unsuccessful, the TURBO recovery stage engages (indicated by a flashing recovery LED), which increases the applied voltage to up to 22V. This action is limited to a maximum two hours.

Edited by y2blade on Thursday 21st January 13:24

[spend]

Quinny said:

Car was sat untouched for 4 months and the ignition Amp fails....... HOW??

Did nobody tell you to wear an anti-static wrist strap when touching the car?

[Johno]

y2blade said:

Dual-stage recovery action: If the diagnostic check determines that the battery is sulphated (deep-discharged), the first stage attempts to drive in an initial current by applying up to 16V for a brief limited period. If this is unsuccessful, the TURBO recovery stage engages (indicated by a flashing recovery LED), which increases the applied voltage to up to 22V. This action is limited to a maximum two hours.

Edited by y2blade on Thursday 21st January 13:24

"For safety reasons, the Optimate will only switch on if a battery retaining at least 2v is correctly connected to it nad it is connected to a live 220-240v input. If these conditions are not met, only the POWER ON LED #1 will light on the LED panel" - instruction manual

Given it's connected correctly and plugged in, it appears the 2v rule is what's not allowing it to do more than just light the power on led.

I bought the Optimate for exactly the deeply knackered battery torbo boosting function . . . rather unfortunately it seems mine is soooo discharged that not even the Optimate will bother with it

[Johno]

Quinny said:

Car was sat untouched for 4 months and the ignition Amp fails....... HOW??

I can confirm that that will certainly not be an issue with mine . . It hasn't got an ignition amp.

It'll be something else like the coil packs instead

[y2blade]

Johno said:

y2blade said:

Dual-stage recovery action: If the diagnostic check determines that the battery is sulphated (deep-discharged), the first stage attempts to drive in an initial current by applying up to 16V for a brief limited period. If this is unsuccessful, the TURBO recovery stage engages (indicated by a flashing recovery LED), which increases the applied voltage to up to 22V. This action is limited to a maximum two hours.

Edited by y2blade on Thursday 21st January 13:24

"For safety reasons, the Optimate will only switch on if a battery retaining at least 2v is correctly connected to it nad it is connected to a live 220-240v input. If these conditions are not met, only the POWER ON LED #1 will light on the LED panel" - instruction manual

Given it's connected correctly and plugged in, it appears the 2v rule is what's not allowing it to do more than just light the power on led.

I bought the Optimate for exactly the deeply knackered battery torbo boosting function . . . rather unfortunately it seems mine is soooo discharged that not even the Optimate will bother with it

that has surprised me too, everything you read about them suggests they could/should be able to recover a deep-discharged battery

thanks for the info

[Barreti]

£5 on the nose on horse 1. please.

It'll be fine.
Or it would be in my house - I know the welder->battery=no sulphate trick

[Johno]

spend said:

Quinny said:

Odds on that one please

Depends on the owner

it might be big odds on if it were a certain silly cone chappy

All I'll say to that is that it was put in the garage having just completed 3750 miles through France and Switzerland . . . without anything failing. Bless her, she didn't fail at all. What really happened was I kept breaking her . .

On the Col D'Iseran I may have pulled on the handbrake a little too hard and broken the ratchet, handbrake still works but doesn't stay up . .. still have the rock from Mont Ventoux which was ideally shaped as a wedge for the rear wheel. Managed 1800 miles with that solution. Bit twitchy on the ferry though after cobbling together some coke cans to hold the handbrake up along with the wedge.

I may also have clipped a very high draincover (in fairness a lot of weight in the boot, campinng gear etc and bonehead here didn't raise the rear ride height)leaving the Pont du Gard and ripped off the n/s rear ARB mount and then had remove the rest without a ramp on the forecourt of the post sorting office, good bunch of lads and he liked the Triumph T shirt I was wearing and let me use their wash rooms to clean up. Only had 600 miles or so to go with no ARB, but that's no issue as the early ones didn't even have one (although in fairness the missus did take some convincing it would be fine as I haul out this huge, solid, thick looking lump of metal from under the car) . . . be fine dear . . .. be fine . .

.... and of course, after 7k miles, the rack finally gave again for the 5th time. So going to the same place as Rob this time for a different kind of rebuild, but it lasted the last 1500 miles and it got a proper work out.

Intention is to get the car to the workshop tomorrow night to get on with this little lot before it goes to Plasticman to sort the rear quarter, before it goes to the bodyshop to get a full re-spray, before it gets a re-trim. . .

So stage one of the this winter/spring programme has singulalry failed to get started. Not a good Omen.

[Johno]

2hrs with the full on chrager must have got at least 2v into it as the Optimate is now engaged and has lit up for 'bulk charging' . .. we'll leave that going now for a while and see where we get too . ..

[Number 7]

What's this, the old "working from home today" routine?

At least I've got an excuse.

Anyway, should have bought a Ctek.

Good luck.

7.

[Johno]

Being officially 'field based' allows you a certain latitude. I think putting a battery on to charge would be considered as acceptable.

Stripping the engine would not, for examples sake

Found a job yet ?

[BliarOut]

Johno said:

spend said:

Quinny said:

Odds on that one please

Depends on the owner

it might be big odds on if it were a certain silly cone chappy

All I'll say to that is that it was put in the garage having just completed 3750 miles through France and Switzerland . . . without anything failing. Bless her, she didn't fail at all. What really happened was I kept breaking her . .

On the Col D'Iseran I may have pulled on the handbrake a little too hard and broken the ratchet, handbrake still works but doesn't stay up . .. still have the rock from Mont Ventoux which was ideally shaped as a wedge for the rear wheel. Managed 1800 miles with that solution. Bit twitchy on the ferry though after cobbling together some coke cans to hold the handbrake up along with the wedge.

I may also have clipped a very high draincover (in fairness a lot of weight in the boot, campinng gear etc and bonehead here didn't raise the rear ride height)leaving the Pont du Gard and ripped off the n/s rear ARB mount and then had remove the rest without a ramp on the forecourt of the post sorting office, good bunch of lads and he liked the Triumph T shirt I was wearing and let me use their wash rooms to clean up. Only had 600 miles or so to go with no ARB, but that's no issue as the early ones didn't even have one (although in fairness the missus did take some convincing it would be fine as I haul out this huge, solid, thick looking lump of metal from under the car) . . . be fine dear . . .. be fine . .

.... and of course, after 7k miles, the rack finally gave again for the 5th time. So going to the same place as Rob this time for a different kind of rebuild, but it lasted the last 1500 miles and it got a proper work out.

Intention is to get the car to the workshop tomorrow night to get on with this little lot before it goes to Plasticman to sort the rear quarter, before it goes to the bodyshop to get a full re-spray, before it gets a re-trim. . .

So stage one of the this winter/spring programme has singulalry failed to get started. Not a good Omen.

I have sourced 1/2" inline oil filters in the UK, I'll post up about it when it's installed