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[Murph]

Figuratively speaking   

While I was busy looking for my water leak yesterday I thought I'd better check the condition of my powersounder.
It looked OK but I removed it anyway.

The plug was very tight in it's socket so I gave it a little wiggle and out it popped.... or at least some of it did.

The rest stayed in the socket and looked very melted/burnt.


Am I right in thinking this was a time bomb about to blow?

[05omegav6]

Best buy a lottery ticket

[zirk]

Bit of scraping with a screwdriver and some switch cleaner be good as new, ready to back in the car.

[Murph]

Oh right, nice one!

I'll get right on that then...   

[tidla]

Mine is still sitting on the fence in the garden..

[YZ250]

Mine is still sitting on the fence in the garden..

Seperate it, chuck the inners away, poke the taped up connector through the connector hole and hey presto, it's visually back to Thatcham spec................. or you could fit a new one like I did. 

[Andy B]

.................. or you could fit a new one like I did. 

Likewise. I took the cover off one end & discovered it was fully encapsulated with a black rubber. After a very quick dig to see if it'd easily come out (it wasn't  )  the whole thing went into the wheelie bin. 

[Murph]

I have already found a later type one from an 02 Vectra, but it looks like I'll need to go back and get the plug - I forgot that bit!   

[dbug]

I have already found a later type one from an 02 Vectra, but it looks like I'll need to go back and get the plug - I forgot that bit!   

Wouldn't trust a 2nd hand one mate - our Omega is on 03 plates and the original powersounder "died" and had to be removed

[05omegav6]

Wouldn't trust a 'new'one either, without confirming that it has been made in the last year or so

[Dave DND]

Wouldn't trust a 'new'one either, without confirming that it has been made in the last year or so

Research seems to indicate that its the constant charging/discharging of these that causes the batteries to swell and burst their seals - whilst its not impossible for a new one to be faulty, its unlikely to suffer initially from the same type of fault as the leaking cells.

[Murph]

Noted - cheers fella's!

[Marks DTM Calib]

Major issue with them is that they dont actualy have a 'charge' circuit (of any level of quality) and hence they get pretty heavily over charged

[Dave DND]

Major issue with them is that they dont actualy have a 'charge' circuit (of any level of quality) and hence they get pretty heavily over charged

And heavily discharged when the main battery dips a little low in voltage - its the extremes of supply voltages that causes these internal batteries to sweat a little and eventually leak.

A thought?
I wonder if some form of voltage limiter / stabilser could be put in line to ensure that the powersounder does not replicate the extremes of voltage of the main battery. The sounder is there to detect 12V and nothing more, so if something were put in place to smooth it out a little, and maintain the correct voltage, it may just prevent the powersounders from failing ?

 

[Murph]

Sounds like a good idea.
With a new set of batteries soldered in it should then last much longer.

Didnt someone convert to an external R/C car type battery?