Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega Electrical and Audio Help => Topic started by: D on 31 December 2011, 17:28:48

Title: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: D on 31 December 2011, 17:28:48
Went to fire up the other car today and it won't even open. The battery has probably died due to inactivity and the cold weather. To make things better I had a look at our breakdown cover and it expired 2 weeks ago. Perfect timing! Well done D!

Options are to pop into Halfords or somewhere similar tomorrow and get a set of jump leads suitable enough for a 3.0L engine. Or buy a battery booster pack. But the better rated booster packs are approx £100+ and I am not sure I really need those given that I usually have breakdown cover and it was sheer forgetfulness on my part to renew this year.

Third option seems to be one of these ciggy socket chargers. Do they work? Something like this:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_179963_langId_-1_categoryId_255204 (http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_179963_langId_-1_categoryId_255204)

Otherwise wait a few days and get breakdown to come out, but I really want to get the other motor out for tomorrow if possible.

Are either of the 2 jump/charging leads safe. I have heard of radios/electronic equipment going tits up after a jump start.
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: TheBoy on 31 December 2011, 17:39:38
Ciggy chargers are pointless on modern cars.

Nobody near you with jumpleads?
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: D on 31 December 2011, 17:41:49
Thats good to know. Wont try them ciggy thingies.

I'll happily buy a jump lead tomorrow, but remember from when I had my beemer being told not to jump start due to the risk of damaging electronic components. I am not in a rush to get her going tonight, just wanted to use the car on a longish trip I was planning to make tomorrow.
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: hotel21 on 31 December 2011, 17:46:26
Would say as long as you ensure the connections have as much distance between them as possible all should be ok. By that I mean positive to pos on batt and neg to metal ground a good bit away such as chassis mount or other underbody metal bit.
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: D on 31 December 2011, 20:30:04
Once I get the car jump started, its very likely I will need a new battery. The current one is about 5 yrs old. Probably get a Halfords calcium one or the Bosch silver version. Anyone in SE London or Kent with a Halfords trade card willing to get a new battery for me?
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: Andy B on 31 December 2011, 20:45:14
Once I get the car jump started, its very likely I will need a new battery. The current one is about 5 yrs old. Probably get a Halfords calcium one or the Bosch silver version. Anyone in SE London or Kent with a Halfords trade card willing to get a new battery for me?

A Vauxhall battery using a Trade Club card (via Autobahnstormers ??) is very good valve for money  :y :y
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: D on 31 December 2011, 20:47:27
Bugger. Further googling reveals it might have something called a smart charge system which cannot be jump started. >:(
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: D on 31 December 2011, 20:48:23
Once I get the car jump started, its very likely I will need a new battery. The current one is about 5 yrs old. Probably get a Halfords calcium one or the Bosch silver version. Anyone in SE London or Kent with a Halfords trade card willing to get a new battery for me?

A Vauxhall battery using a Trade Club card (via Autobahnstormers ??) is very good valve for money  :y :y

Yes, but its not a Vx. Its made by a company called F*** which I dare not mention on here.  ;D
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: hotel21 on 31 December 2011, 20:57:43
Bugger. Further googling reveals it might have something called a smart charge system which cannot be jump started. >:(

Thats why the terminals need to be seperated as far as possible.  Land/Range Rovers have similar (as do BMW, Audi etc etc on newer models) and there will be a common ground or similar on a strut top, bonnet slam panel or similar, a fair distand (couple of feet) from the battery neg terminal.   :y
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: Andy B on 31 December 2011, 21:14:56
....

Yes, but its not a Vx. Its made by a company called F*** which I dare not mention on here.  ;D

As long as your F***'s battery has round terminal posts, it won't car whether the new battery came from Vx or Halfrauds  ;) ;)
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: hotel21 on 31 December 2011, 21:16:55
....

Yes, but its not a Vx. Its made by a company called F*** which I dare not mention on here.  ;D

As long as your F***'s battery has round terminal posts, it won't car whether the new battery came from Vx or Halfrauds  ;) ;)

.... as long as the amps and outside dimensions to fit the hole match up....   :)
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: Andy B on 31 December 2011, 21:19:14
....

Yes, but its not a Vx. Its made by a company called F*** which I dare not mention on here.  ;D

As long as your F***'s battery has round terminal posts, it won't car whether the new battery came from Vx or Halfrauds  ;) ;)

.... as long as the amps and outside dimensions to fit the hole match up....   :)

That too.  :y
The old dear's Rover across the road has a Vauxhall battery fitted courtesy of Vx Trade Club  ;)
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: D on 31 December 2011, 21:47:00
Just read this, not sure I want to fry anything yet:

http://www.bba-reman.com/forums/Topic56772-2-1.aspx (http://www.bba-reman.com/forums/Topic56772-2-1.aspx)

Might have a browse through the user manual. If I can unlock the bloody thing.
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: Andy B on 31 December 2011, 23:35:09
.....
If I can unlock the bloody thing.

Key in door & turn!  ;) It'll be hard to turn with no assistance from the battery but it will turn - NB that the door button won't necessarily pop up, but it will turn.  :y :y :y
A squirt of lub in the lock first won't do any harm though.  ;)
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: fiend61 on 01 January 2012, 10:57:23
Quote
Key in door & turn!

clockwise  :y
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: Kevin Wood on 01 January 2012, 13:48:59
Just read this, not sure I want to fry anything yet:

http://www.bba-reman.com/forums/Topic56772-2-1.aspx (http://www.bba-reman.com/forums/Topic56772-2-1.aspx)

Might have a browse through the user manual. If I can unlock the bloody thing.

Doesn't look anything special to me, just alternator output voltage controlled by the ECU. Plenty of cars do that these days.

Either get a decent mains battery charger and give it an overnight charge or jump leads, IMHO. Most booster packs won't start a car with a properly flat battery IME, so don't rely on one of them.
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: Dave DND on 01 January 2012, 19:17:42
You can usually get to a F*** starter motor +ve connection if you reach from underneath

 ;)
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: Andy B on 01 January 2012, 20:30:23
You can usually get to a F*** starter motor +ve connection if you reach from underneath

 ;)

Same as a V******* then  ;D ;D
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: D on 01 January 2012, 21:37:29
I have to say I chickened out today. Just used the good old Elite instead. I had visions of fried circuits and exploding satnav screens all last night.  :o Might have been due to the wine though!

Will get some jump cables tomorrow and give it a go.

I don't think the Vx batteries are the same size. I need a 075, the Vx's seem to be bigger. Plus Halfords may be the only thing open tomorrow.

Remind me of sequence. Both cars off, recipient + to donor +, donor - to unpainted secure area in the recipient car. Start donor, wait a few mins and then crank up recipient.
After this can I disconnect whilst both cars are running or do I need to shut both down first? And is there an order to disconnect?
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: Kevin Wood on 02 January 2012, 12:28:26
As it doesn't appear to be urgent, I would recommend taking the battery out and giving it an overnight charge on a mains charger. It'll be kinder to the battery than a jump start, but I can't see a problem with jump starting it.
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: D on 02 January 2012, 20:23:42
Checked and the battery was producing 1.5V. Found a neighbour with a hefty booster pack, gave it a go and it fired to life. Thanks for all the advice chaps. I did have jump leads ready incase the booster pack did not work. Maybe time to invest in a battery charger/conditioner.
Title: Re: Arghhh! Need some advice!
Post by: Andy B on 02 January 2012, 20:26:32
Checked and the battery was producing 1.5V. ....

How much?!?!  :o :o