James Fisher Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Hi everyone Now had flat battery on 1.8 k series twice , after only 10 days of no use in between Never had the problem last year Guess most people trickle charge the battery , not an option as no power to garage Question 1 What could the fault / problem be 2 Anyone recommend a good compact battery booster / starter pack I can charge at home & take with me when I get the car out Many Thanks James Ps roll on cold clear frosty blatting mornings! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gingerbread Man Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 What using power while the car stands unused? Immobiliser (can't use much surely!?) If you disconnect the battery, does it still carry charge 10 days on or is the fault with the battery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rattie Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Hi James I know its an answer to a different question, but could you not screw a solar panel to the roof and charge using that? e.g. 12W 1.5W Just a thought. Martyn R300GRR SV on stands waiting to be built Edited by - Rattie on 1 Dec 2009 21:27:09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Hi James I too had this problem shortly after buying my car and it became more than irritating on several occasions when the car barely made it home. Having replaced the battery, thinking it was no longer holding charge and then leaving the battery disconnected whenever I wasn't using the car, I finally bought an Oxford Oximiser charger (great by the way). When fully charged, the car went like a dream but on longer journeys the car would begin to misfire and the ignition light would begin to glow. Ah, I thought it must be the alternator. So £65 later and a reconditioned one from a reputable local motor factor and I thought that would be that. At the beginning of the next year I was running the car during cool weather and all seemed well. Once the weather became hot and after a great trip to the Lakes, the ignition light started to glow on the M6 near Wolverhampton (60 miles from home). It seemed to go out if I blipped the throttle though so wasn't overly concerned. By the time I was home the light was glowing permanently. Bu$$er, I thought. To cut a long story, it turned out that the new alt wasn't right and that the regulator was frying in the heat under the bonnet. An excellent recommendation from BC put me onto Burghfield Starter & Alternator Centre, RG7 3BL - 0118 983 2284, who have been plying their trade since time imemorial. They found that the quality of the first reconditioning was not good and that the fan had been left off the front under the pulley. They reconditioned two for me for £65! No problems this year so, I hope it's problem solved. 'Have you any idea what it's like to have the wind rushing through your hair!' (Quote:Sq Cdr the Lord Flashheart) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 The immobiliser will drain a battery in a few weeks. Is the car run for a decent length of time once started ... it can take quite a few miles to recharge a battery after a cold start. Are the liquid levels ok in all cells of the battery ? Are all cable connections tight - on the battery and the engine/chassis earths ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Plato Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 you could fit a discarnect from svc this isolated the battery and provides security here is my Duratec R .... C7 TOP Taffia AO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Fisher Posted December 5, 2009 Author Share Posted December 5, 2009 Hi Guys Sorry for the delay been working too much Will try all your suggestions tommorrow weather permitting !!! Thanks James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted December 5, 2009 Share Posted December 5, 2009 See also a similar thread running at the moment. Kill all parasitic loads and consider a red-top (Odyssey/Powervamp or similar) battery as they keep their charge much better than conventionals - assuming you've killed the parasitics... 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 Alcester Racing 7s Ecosse™ 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elie boone Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 Just a note if you use a starter pack on a battery with low voltage, if you connect the sarter pack direct to the battery you can bend the lead plates in the battery . The result is loss of capacity. You should connect the negative of the starter pack to the chassis of the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoot Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 I have similar problems to the OP as i don't have power in my garage either. I found that my battery goes flat if i leave for a couple of weeks in the winter. I saw that Maplins were selling the 1.5W solar chargers for £10 so bought one and have just fitted this morning. To combat the elements i've left the solar panel in the plastic tray it came in and applied silicon bathroom sealer where the lead exits. The two halves of the plastic packaging are a snug fit but i stapled these together to keep most of the moisture out. My only concern is that UV light will degrade the clear plastic over time but i'll keep checking to see how it fairs. The whole ensemble is weighted down by a couple of housebricks so won't be going anywhere. Fingers crossed it works Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Golf Juliet Tango Posted December 13, 2009 Area Representative Share Posted December 13, 2009 Hi James. This happens on my 21 which has a K series. Firstly fit an isolator. Quick and simple. If you are not going to use it on track, I would fit this to break the earth to chassis (but don't use it to kill the engine, only after you have powered down). This should mean that your battery is OK when left and sorting out the underlying problem can be done at leisure. In the fullness of time, you can poke around with a clamp meter and find out where current is draining. I have done step 1 but have yet to do step 2. In my case it is not the immobiliser (not used now I have an Emerald) nor is it likely to be the ECU as it happens with both Emerald and with the old MEMS unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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