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[x25xe]

thanks guys, can i ask
IF i have to leave my car for about 7 - 14 days, apart from taking the battery terminals off, is there ANY other way you can leave the car without draining the battery?
how about clicking the key fob once, what does that do apart from just locking the car? i know if you press it twice it does something else?
not quite sure what though?
if i can just lock the car and not have the alarm on, thats no big deal because my car is placed behind 3 cars on the drive anyway

My Omega is not being used at present.  As it is in a secure garden, behind another car, I tend to leave it unlocked so that the alarm is not on.

The second press of the key activates the deadlocks on the doors, boot and fuel cap.  This means that even if a window is smashed, the lock leaver cannot be raised.

I agree whole heartedly with what others have said about your battery issue.  Trickle charge your existing one first and, if all is well then great.  If not, don't mess about with other batteries, get a GM go one.  I use them on both my Vauxhalls and also on me transit vans.  They are excellent units and have the added benefit of looking good in the engine bay.

[Entwood]

thanks guys, can i ask
IF i have to leave my car for about 7 - 14 days, apart from taking the battery terminals off, is there ANY other way you can leave the car without draining the battery?
how about clicking the key fob once, what does that do apart from just locking the car? i know if you press it twice it does something else?
not quite sure what though?
if i can just lock the car and not have the alarm on, thats no big deal because my car is placed behind 3 cars on the drive anyway

The amount of power used by the alarm is negligible, I have regularly left mine for 14-21 days with no problem.

A point I would make .. which flattened mine in 2 days... remember that if you park with the indicator selector NOT in the centre position, it lights the parking lights on the selected side....  I had swung into a parking space and did not notice the indicator had not cancelled .. result 2 days later was crawling in through the boot to unlock a door.. as I always deadlock the car when left

[x25xe]

Good point about the parking lights.

Reason I tend to worry a bit about the alarm is because I only do local trips and the battery never really reaches 100% (according to the green indicator in any case).

[Wayne]

one quick question:
for the last 6 months i have had to lock my car as normal and press the "running man" man to on before i get out, something to do with the ultrasonics i think..
if i dont do the above, then the alarm goes off randomly, i think "The Boy" told me i have a break in the wire on the car somewhere?

would doing any of the above ADD to why the battery drains when the car is left?

i also double press my key fob to securely lock the car fully

[Kevin Wood]

If a car is frequently parked up for long periods it might be worth investing in a trickle charger. Halfords do a little one about the size of a mains adaptor. It can be left on indefinately and will not overcharge the battery, but will replace the charge that is lost to the alarm, etc.

The alarm probably takes enough to flatten the battery in 4 weeks or so - assuming a good, fully charged battery when the car was parked up.

Kevin

[Wayne]

green indicator on the battery did u mean?

[Kevin Wood]

one quick question:
for the last 6 months i have had to lock my car as normal and press the "running man" man to on before i get out, something to do with the ultrasonics i think..
if i dont do the above, then the alarm goes off randomly, i think "The Boy" told me i have a break in the wire on the car somewhere?

would doing any of the above ADD to why the battery drains when the car is left?

i also double press my key fob to securely lock the car fully

Sounds like the power sounder batteries. If the condition of mine when I took it apart is anything to go by, it could result in a drained battery. Acid had leaked out all over the PCB and it was causing leakage between tracks on the board. Not at all unlikely that it could have got between the permanent power connection and negative, causing an extra drain.

I'd remove / disconnect the power sounder.

Kevin

[Wayne]

oh, so that could be it
how do i remove them and where are they located?
is it easy peasy? or should i try and change the batteries?
im sure there was a break in the alarm wire on the rear window on the passenger side, "The Boy" ran a test for me one weekend and it came up on the machine that he has

[PaulyQ]

recently happened to mine as it was draining battery as well.

Behind the plenum on the drivers side is where you'll find it. Remove windscreen wipers, then all the screws (a T20 or T25  :-/ is what I used for screws on the left and right hand sides of the plenum) took out the power to the sounder and no probs ever since.

[Andy B]

.....(Modern batteries and alternators can charge slightly quicker nowadays).

Quicker than what? I reckon it charge on tick-over a whole load better than a dynamo!!  

[TheBoy]

one quick question:
for the last 6 months i have had to lock my car as normal and press the "running man" man to on before i get out, something to do with the ultrasonics i think..
if i dont do the above, then the alarm goes off randomly, i think "The Boy" told me i have a break in the wire on the car somewhere?

would doing any of the above ADD to why the battery drains when the car is left?

i also double press my key fob to securely lock the car fully

Sounds like the power sounder batteries. If the condition of mine when I took it apart is anything to go by, it could result in a drained battery. Acid had leaked out all over the PCB and it was causing leakage between tracks on the board. Not at all unlikely that it could have got between the permanent power connection and negative, causing an extra drain.

I'd remove / disconnect the power sounder.

Kevin

Wayne's car is an estate with the rear window breakage detectors - its one of these that the tech2 found.

Pressing the running man probably helps the power drain slightly, as ultrasonics will not be powered up...

[Minispud]

Hi Wayne,

 If you need to use a Volt meter I've got one you can use, also you could try Maylins ?? in St Thomas street Oxford to get the alternator tested or there is one on "Ferry Hinskey Ind Est" not sure what there are called, but if you PM me I can tell you where there are.  

[Wayne]

Hi mate

just got back from National Tyres after having my new battery fitted
i had to go back and have the new battery that they fitted exchanged because they fitted the WRONG one, i cant blame the guy on the counter as his "company" manual said that the Vauxhall Omega 2.5V6 petrol should use a 12volt 60amp battery..........WRONG!!!!
Vauxhall said that they sell the VX Go Batteries and that they are 65amp!
according to EXIDE and VARTA, the one needed for my car is 72amp

im confused with all this crap, anyway i took my car back and they stuck a 72amp battery, it has better "cranks" or whatever that is!  

should be good to go now!
i deliberately want to leave my car for 14 days just to see IF it will start, ha ha ha ha

maybe i can pop round yours and use this voltmeter to test me Alternator?

or go to the Garages which you mentioned?

[MikeDundee]

oh, so that could be it
how do i remove them and where are they located?
is it easy peasy? or should i try and change the batteries?
im sure there was a break in the alarm wire on the rear window on the passenger side, "The Boy" ran a test for me one weekend and it came up on the machine that he has

Well i found my power sounder under the scuttle drivers side when went to replace the HBV, as you can see from the pics the previous owner must have tacken Sammy sledge to it (must have been a friend of Jaime's ):

[Minispud]

No prob's Wayne, if you want to pop over just PM me and I will tell you where I is