Topic: Flat battery (Read 3443 times)

Bo Bo · « **on:** 21 August 2006, 18:56:55 »

Went to get in the car to go to work just now, pressed the remote button & nothing. The doors were already open & don't know for how long! Tried the ignition & only just got the dash lights to glow, it wouldn't even turn over.
It was fine on my home from work on Sat morning.
This happened a few months ago & I left the car at a garage overnight so they could check things out, but they couldn't find anything wrong.
I'll charge the battery tomorrow, but I'm at a loss of what to do now.

STMO123 · « **Reply #1 on:** 21 August 2006, 19:17:35 »

Sorry to state the obvious but it can only be one of four things:
1) Battery not being charged properly
2) Battery not holding charge
3) Charge leaking away to earth somewhere
4)Faulty starter circuit

JasonH · « **Reply #2 on:** 21 August 2006, 21:06:14 »

When the battery's back in measure the voltage aross it when the engine's running. You're looking for around 14V, less than something like 13.8V and the battery's not being charged properly.

If it's draining, then on the saloon, the boot light is worth a visit.

tunnie · « **Reply #3 on:** 21 August 2006, 21:16:46 »

check for drains as said.

First off run a meter across the battery terminals and check for 14 volts ish....

Did you leave a door not shut correctly, or a boot lid not shut right??

How old is the battery?

TheBoy · « **Reply #4 on:** 21 August 2006, 21:41:53 »

I've heard of various things causing this sort of thing - sticky heated rear window relays, central locking motors etc, faulty switches keeping courtesy/boot light on...

Bo Bo · « **Reply #5 on:** 21 August 2006, 22:18:22 »

The battery is a about a year old & it's a heavy duty one.
I checked everything I could think of the last time & the garage could find nothing wrong. Whatever is causing this seems to be intermittent.
I'll change the heated window relay & take it back to where I got the battery from to get things checked when I can get it charged, I had to leave it tonight or I'd have been late for work.

Markjay · « **Reply #6 on:** 21 August 2006, 23:32:28 »

Kids playing with rear curtesy lights leaving them permanently on...?

Interior light left on (the one you switch-on by pulling the lights knob)?

Indicator left enganged? - this causes the parking lights on one side to stay on (standard feature on german cars)

Faulty battery - even though it's almost new?

Poor charging?

And finally, something short-circuiting and draining the battery...

Bo Bo · « **Reply #7 on:** 21 August 2006, 23:59:58 »

There's only been me in the car recently, no interior lights left on.
Indicator is a possiblity, I'll check that when I get up tomorrow, but would have thought I'd notice that as I last left it in the dark. Everything else has been checked out before.

Auto Addict · « **Reply #8 on:** 22 August 2006, 06:28:26 »

Is it a Vx battery? I had a 70amp battery fitted about 12 months ago by the dealer and it lasted about 6 months.

They replaced the battery, and said it was from a faulty batch.

Bo Bo · « **Reply #9 on:** 22 August 2006, 14:40:20 »

Quote

Is it a Vx battery? I had a 70amp battery fitted about 12 months ago by the dealer and it lasted about 6 months.

They replaced the battery, and said it was from a faulty batch.

No it's not a Vx battery, it's a heavy duty one from a local alternator/battery place. It's on charge at the mo, I'll be bringing it back tomorrow to get it & the alternator checked.

wigan pier · « **Reply #10 on:** 23 August 2006, 05:35:42 »

I had exactly the same problem..turned out to be a faulty battery (6 months old) swapped it for a new VX one no problem so far (fingers crossed!)

Auto Addict · « **Reply #11 on:** 23 August 2006, 06:56:34 »

I am convinced that these modern sealed batteries are inferior to the 'Old type' that you could top up with distilled water.

Batteries used to last me 10 years plus, these day's they seem to fail after 4-6 years.

Is it me.....

TheBoy · « **Reply #12 on:** 23 August 2006, 09:59:45 »

Quote

I am convinced that these modern sealed batteries are inferior to the 'Old type' that you could top up with distilled water.

Batteries used to last me 10 years plus, these day's they seem to fail after 4-6 years.

Is it me.....

I think the larger constant drain due to the onboard systems are part of the problem. Also, batteries are so much cheaper now (relatively speaking)

nixoro · « **Reply #13 on:** 23 August 2006, 10:04:15 »

Quote

Quote
I am convinced that these modern sealed batteries are inferior to the 'Old type' that you could top up with distilled water.

Batteries used to last me 10 years plus, these day's they seem to fail after 4-6 years.

Is it me.....
I think the larger constant drain due to the onboard systems are part of the problem. Also, batteries are so much cheaper now (relatively speaking)

I'm guessing this is due to cheaper parts that make up a car battery. Although you probably already know this.

Bo Bo · « **Reply #14 on:** 23 August 2006, 14:19:40 »

Well I charged it overnight, took it to get checked earlier & every thing's fine.
It's holding charge, no dead (or failing cells apparently) & the alternator's putting out about 13.7, so the problem seems to be intermittent, it last happened in February.
I remember being told once that when a modern battery dies you get little or no warning, they just go.
With older ones you would notice it struggling to turn over.

Auto Addict · « **Reply #15 on:** 23 August 2006, 14:29:24 »

Quote

I remember being told once that when a modern battery dies you get little or no warning, they just go.
With older ones you would notice it struggling to turn over.

That's my experience as well.

x25xe · « **Reply #16 on:** 23 August 2006, 14:56:48 »

Quote

I remember being told once that when a modern battery dies you get little or no warning, they just go.
With older ones you would notice it struggling to turn over.

This is indeed the case. One of my other vehicles was running and starting perfectly and the next day, when I came to use it, dead. Slight glow from the dash lights but that was it.

I tend to detect a slightly slower starting speed and when this happens I change it straight away.

bob.dent · « **Reply #17 on:** 23 August 2006, 17:13:28 »

Quote

I remember being told once that when a modern battery dies you get little or no warning, they just go.
With older ones you would notice it struggling to turn over.

This would appear to be quite true. This has happened to me twice now - once with my previous car and a couple of weeks ago with the Omega. Get home at night and it's fine - go out to the car the next morning and battery's completely dead

zoltron · « **Reply #18 on:** 23 August 2006, 21:33:04 »

My missus managed to flatten my battery by not closing the flap over the mirror on the sun visor, might be worth checking out.

Martin_1962 · « **Reply #19 on:** 24 August 2006, 12:54:08 »

Quote

My missus managed to flatten my battery by not closing the flap over the mirror on the sun visor, might be worth checking out.

Mine always digs out makeup just as we come up to speed humps/junctions/twisty roads, pulling the mirror down means corner harder

nixoro · « **Reply #20 on:** 24 August 2006, 13:12:03 »

Have you checked the light switch to the doors and the bootlid only if one sticks it can cause the battery to drain.

Worth looking as my other omega I had removed the rear plastic cover and the light switch wasn't making contact and it drained the battery.

HTH

Taxi_Driver · « **Reply #21 on:** 24 August 2006, 18:47:20 »

Doesnt really apply to the problem.....but ive found this....

I had to buy a new battery for my merc some months back....coz it was parked up waiting for some bodywork repairs.....it didnt move or get started for weeks.

I think the prob was the alarm flattened the battery and it was left with a flat battery for some time.

It wouldnt recharge.....well it would....it would start the car once.....then couldnt after you switched off.

I think the answer is...if the car is going to left for sometime (like a couple weeks or more)
if parked outside on driveway and near enuf ..... shove a battery charger on it....set to trickle charge.

Or if left at airport/etc for a period of time.....is to get one of those solar panel trickle chargers.....the ones where you shove the solar panel on the dash board......plug it into the ciggie lighter.....and then hopefully when you come back from abroad all tanned....your car will start and not have a flat battery

Andy B · « **Reply #22 on:** 24 August 2006, 20:29:25 »

Quote

Or if left at airport/etc for a period of time.....is to get one of those solar panel trickle chargers.....the ones where you shove the solar panel on the dash board......plug it into the ciggie lighter.....and then hopefully when you come back from abroad all tanned....your car will start and not have a flat battery

You will if it's plugged into the ciggie lighter on a Vauxhall. :-? It's ignition live!

zoltron · « **Reply #23 on:** 24 August 2006, 22:24:44 »

Quote

Quote
Or if left at airport/etc for a period of time.....is to get one of those solar panel trickle chargers.....the ones where you shove the solar panel on the dash board......plug it into the ciggie lighter.....and then hopefully when you come back from abroad all tanned....your car will start and not have a flat battery
You will if it's plugged into the ciggie lighter on a Vauxhall. :-? It's ignition live!

You get very weird results if you plug stuff into the omega ciggie lighter socket and leave it, ie the alarm keeps going off (had this on both of my omega's Elite & MV6 (Facelift Models)), also if its one of these jump start battery packs in the lighter socket, try plugging one of these babys in before turning the ignition off, then try and turn the ignition off, you get some very, very strange results, ie the engine continues to run, the imobiliser goes mental, the doors won't lock from the fob, and when they do lock they open straight back up.

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Author Topic: Flat battery (Read 3443 times)

STMO123

Martin_1962

Taxi_Driver