Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[feeutfo]

some of you may remember me posting about this a month or so ago. The Alarm only ever goes off on start up. Usually after a couple of days lay up.

 The Alarm went off again today on start up. Car been sat since friday evening and i changed the oil today. Moved the car for access and left it running for 5 mins to warm the oil, then changed it. Started again to pump the oil round and let it settle to re measure the level. Bit more oil in started again and the alarm went off. Couldnt cancel via the blipper and it continued to sound while the engine was running.

As posted last time, i think the low battery may be setting the Alarm off, rather than a failing power sounder, (although certainly not ruling that out), as it only ever goes off on start up, as said, after a lay up.

Tested the battery with a meter, its showing 12.4 with everything off, and 11.8 when the lights are turned on/ignition off. From Kevins guide, would suggest breaked/dieing battery? Certainly suspect it with previous, ie ignition lights going dim on start up in the winter and Alarm going off again. It would appear to be the original battery.

Anyone hurd of low battery setting the alarm off, like the car thinks is being disconnected?

[Kevin Wood]

Could well be the battery. Did you check the charging volts when the engine is running though? just in case it's not charging adequately...

Is the connection at the battery positive terminal sound and not getting hot when running?

Kevin

[feeutfo]

Could well be the battery. Did you check the charging volts when the engine is running though? just in case it's not charging adequately...

Is the connection at the battery positive terminal sound and not getting hot when running?

Kevin

No sign of any heat on the connections and they are solid, at the battery....
 But didnt check the charging voltage i must admit. A job for tomorrow.

Are those "Go" batterys any good?

[iainb]

Does your car when the alarm is going also set off the climate at 23c and loose the radio code. Like what mine does

You need to get ahold of a mid-tronics battery tester and they are very expensive for what they do ...........but good.

[feeutfo]

Does your car when the alarm is going also set off the climate at 23c and loose the radio code. Like what mine does

You need to get ahold of a mid-tronics battery tester and they are very expensive for what they do ...........but good.

No it doesnt, what the hell would cause that? Iirc, didnt you remove your sounder?

[feeutfo]

right done the charge readings finally, engine running shows 13.9 to 14.0.

dropped to 13.6 when self levelling kicked in.

dropped again to 12.8 with lights on.

but reterned to to roughly 13.9/8 both times.


should also add, did my usual trick of working on the car and not disconnecting the battery, with the plenum and inlet removed i didnt want to turn on the ignition and set off a hat full of errror codes before pulling the lead so i pulled the lead off anyway hoping the alarm would just go off once....

Wrong   went off for 30 seconds repeatedly, well twice anyway, third time i put the lead back on and removed the sounder, thatll shut it up i thought...

Wrong   bloody thing was still going when rolled up in a towel stuffed in a bucket and shut in a cupboard at the back of the garage

[Kevin Wood]

You can silence the power sounder by turning on the ignition and removing power from it within 15 seconds IIRC.. Or wrap it in a towel, stuff it in a bucket....

I remember now - your battery went a bit dim during a Tech 2 session a while back. TBH, the charging voltage is dropping a little more than I would expect under load. :-/ Does it recover when the engine revs are raised to 2k or so? (or is this what you meant by returning to 13.9?).

If the battery is the original I guess its' number is probably up, but worth making sure the charging is up to scratch.

A good way to rule out the battery is to charge it on the bench overnight and then see if it holds up the volts for a few minutes with the headlights on.

Kevin

[feeutfo]

all done at tickover, bit last minute before i took it to bits to start lpg install. Amps just dipped for a couple of seconds when stuff kicked in and rose to within .1 of the original tickover reading again.
Tbh i was happy to blame the battery at that.  :-/

With the car apart the battery can go on charge and ill add a proper test to the list of jobs. :-)