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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Electrical leakage
| Hello, I think, but am not sure, that I have a slight electrical leakage. I usually use the car every day which is OK, but if it stands for more than 48 hours it needs a jump start. So I have taken to hooking up the battery charger. Today I want to sort it out. I tried disconnecting the negative (earth) lead from the battery post and using a test lamp between the lead and the post. With all electrics switched off there presumably shouldn't be any current flowing. But the lamp glows for a moment and then goes out. Does this indicate leakage? If so, what is the next step. Remove all the fuses and re-test? Guy |
| Guy Weller |
| Guy The next step as you say is to remove all the fuses but use an ammeter to measure the current flow between the positive battery terminal and the positive battey not the negative. I'm not sure what the light comming on signified, I could. Find the fuse that takes the largest flow and take it from there. Put back in the fusse that takes the higher current only. It is then a case of looking at what electrical items are connected to that fuse. Disconnecting each item in turn and noting the change in current flow. That should find the guilty party.. Remeber to have the ignition off, the doors closed, radio off, lights off. eddie |
| Eddie Cairns |
| Thanks Eddie, The thing that puzzled me was the light coming on at first and then fading out after about 5 seconds. Almost as if current was flowing through just long enough to equalise something. The test bulb is a 2,8W bulb so that represents very little discharge. I was checking the earth side from the battery post as a start off as I thought it would establish if there is in fact a leakage in the first place. But now I am still not sure that there is! And yes, everything is off, doors etc shut, I even disconnected the radio "memory" wire! I will see if I can get a digital reading, now that I know that it is not enough to burn out my meter. Then go through the fuses in turn. Guy |
| Guy Weller |
| Guy The light bulb test is a good test for voltage (pressure) it does not measure current (flow) To light up the bulb requires differential pressure across the bulb for example if you put a bulb across the poles of a battery it will light because you have a difference in pressure of 12 volts. In this instance momentarily you have the lamp lit so for a short period you will have some voltage that quickly disipates probably through the bulb circuit to earth. This tells you nothing so the best test is first to disconnect the battery over night to see if it is capable of holding a charge over that period. Then you can try to measure the flow (current using a meter in series) across each fuse or disconnect the battery at either plus or minus and place you meter in series using the current scale and connections. Most meters have a fuse in this circuit so check that internal fuse both before and after testing to ensure you results are sound. I suspect the battery maybe faulty. |
| Bob Turbo Midget England |
| Guy I would recommend trying Bill's battery test... http://www.ssnbmasc.byethost32.com/tech.html |
| Dave O'Neill 2 |
| The bulb lighting is probably an effect caused by a new car radio or alarm system. These systems initialize (E.G. the head returns to track zero on a CD player) and then fall into a low power state. Also, this could be the effect of a large capacitor charging, do you have a power amp or anything that requires a smooth power supply (again, could be caps in the radio). The quick and dirty test is to disconnect the battery and leave it for two days. If you have trouble starting then the battery is dead, otherwise you have a leakage problem. |
| Will Munns |
| Thanks. The bulb test was intended to just be the first step. I didn't want to connect up a meter if there was a dead short in some component that would cause my ammeter to burn out! I have now checked between neg post and neg cable with the ammeter. Zero! So maybe my battery is kaput. Next I was planning on doing Bill's Famous Test, but need to charge up the battery a bit more first as it is still a bit low. I don't think it would turn the starter for 15 seconds yet. Maybe this afternoon |
| Guy Weller |
| I would expect the alternator to leak some 10s of mA... A |
| Anthony Cutler |
| If there was a dead short Guy as you describe then either the wiring would have melted or the battery would have exploded. I had a battery explode once, it had been on charge and I think I caused a spark at the terminal putting a big test load onto it when I think the spark ignited the hydrogen gas, man what a bang that was and my whole garage including 2 cars was sprayed with droplets of acid! "never again" I remember saying. |
| Bob Turbo Midget England |
| Bob, i've had a similar incident; had a battery on fast charge, then didn't let it 'rest' before starting the car, the acid made a right mess of my paintwork. |
| Brad (Sprite IV 1380) |
| Guy wotcha before anyone does the Battery Test they should ideally find out why the battery goes flat as you have been advised Turn off everything and set your multimeter to the 10A scale then remove the earth terminal from the battery. Now you have a totally electrically inert car Put the test leads into the appropriate sockets on the meter, in the case of my meter this has a dedicated 10A socket, most do! Then turn the switch to the 10A scale on the meter and switch the meter on This means that your meter acts as a wire in the circuit when you use it Put your negative clip onto the earth post on the battery put your positive clip onto the earth wire to the car At this point your meter is reading any amperage running out of the battery (never try to start your car with the ammeter connected like this, your starter will draw a damned sight more than the 10amps the meter can take and either blow a fuse or the meter itself if it isn't fused) basic precautions that make sense even if your meter does have the capacity to carry high amperages NOW If the ignition is off and the lights are off too your meter should read the same as mine in the picture A drain will show immediately and it seems to be OK to have a drain of no more than 0.06A though I have seen upto half an amp, usually to feed the retained memory in the stereo or keep an alarm "alive". The drain whatever it is, is where the battery is losing its power As you've been advised you just need to take away fuses until you find the one feeding the "drain" Then methodically check each item fed by that fuse when you find it the meter will revert to a zero reading As an aid, most circuits in the car, lighting or ignition etc use about 3A, very few other than the starter use over that  |
| bill sdgpm |
| Further Guy, with the tests If you don't show a drain and there is a reasonable voltage available it is quite likely to be battery problems The glow then fade could be down to a capacitor some where discharging, maybe in the memory of a stereo or even an alarm |
| bill sdgpm |
| Hi Bill, Thought you would turn up eventually! Thismorning I thought that there was Zero amps leakage. That's what the meter says. Is there such a thing as AC Amps? That is what it appears I have been reading. A capital A with a squiggly version of an = sign after it? Anyway, re-doing the test just now with the leads connected to Common and to the 10A socket, and setting to A rather than A squiggle I got a steady drain of 0.395A. Removed all 4 fuses (I do know I have others, but these are easiest to get at) Reading drops to 0.003A. Replacing each fuse in turn it remains steady until I put fuse #1 back in, when it returns to 0.395A. That's the purple wires fuse so it looks like I have a fault amongst the nest of wires at the back of the dash on the permanently live auxiliary circuits. Dash lights, door lights, footwell lights, radio etc. Now, I wonder which of those! This is not going to be easy to see! Draining at less than 1/2 Amp it presumably isn't a chaffed through wire, so it must be a faulty component. There are 2 pairs of purple wires. One pair are OK so have narrowed it down thus far. Just need to check what isn't working with that pair disconnected. On exploding batteries .... A friend at work some years ago arrived at work, parked her car and came into our office. Moments later there was a loud explosion from outside. The battery on her car had blown up, completely disintegrating and covering the under bonnet in acid. No idea what had triggered that one, but it was a good demonstration and it didn't need a lot of imagination to see why one should avoid making sparks near hydrogen. Guy |
| Guy Weller |
| Don't forget the possibility of a bad diode or two in the alternator. David "brain drain" Lieb |
| David Lieb |
| Guy, have you thought of fitting a battery isolator? |
| Brad (Sprite IV 1380) |
| But then he would have to re-program his radio stations every time he drove the car ;-) David "I gonna pass this quiz" Lieb |
| David Lieb |
| Brad, Yes, I keep thinking about it. ;-) I think it is New Battery time. I am not convinced that the 0.395A leakage is the real problem on a regularly driven car. The battery has been on charge much of the day. I got enough in it to start it at dinner time and drive down to the shops. When I got back I put it back on charge and other than testing the leakage at around 5pm it has been on the charger all afternoon. But it still only reads 10.something volts and there isn't enough in it to spin on the starter for 15 seconds. I tried and volts dropped to 6 ish after 4 seconds. It died completely at 7 seconds New battery? So what are the odds on getting Halfrauds to replace it! Label on the battery says 3 year guarantee. Sticker on it says 01.08 which I think means it was new in January 2 years ago. Seems about right from memory but of course I don't have the receipt. Who keeps receipts for this sort of thing anyway? Might have a credit card statement. Guy |
| Guy Weller |
| Why do you need a radio anyway, your never hear it unless your parked. My fav station DHLA45 @ 7.5K |
| Brad (Sprite IV 1380) |
| I have a radio, but don't often listen to it. Only on rare occasions when driving in slow traffic. |
| Guy Weller |
| Guy. Have you been running your car for short journeys in the recent and still with us cold weather? It's a real battery killer and when they get a bit weak they become unable to retain a charge for very long. I've had batteries that have died within the guarantee period. If you think you're ready for a new one try it on with Halfords or buy one and see if the problem persists. At least that will eliminate one avenue. Bernie. |
| b higginson |
| The battery is approx an amp hour rating of 40Ahrs. It is being drained at .4 of an amp per hour. Thats 10 amps a day. After two days it is down to half charge at best. The battery is two years old and appears to be past its best. Two problems here. A duff battery A fauty component in the car that needs found and repaired. Eddie |
| Eddie Cairns |
| Guy, The 10.x volt reading tells you that one cell (of the six) is bad. Yes, this means you need a new battery. Unfortunately, this does NOT mean that you have found the problem. Many automotive batteries do not react well to being run down. The Mopar battery that came in my 1987 Plymouth Duster, for example, would consistently "lose" a cell ANY time it got run down. I left the headlights on one time and came back to find it dead. Turned the lights off, waited half an hour, it recovered enough to be able to push-start it. After an hour's drive it seemed ok, but one cell was just bad enough that it would turn the engine over ONCE and then it was down to 10.x VDC. Shame on me that I repeated this scenario 3 times (prorated batteries are cheaper) before buying a GOOD brand of battery. This is why it pays to buy a reputable brand of battery like the Interstate here in the USA. No idea who the good ones are over there... So, what I am saying is that the battery might have been fine before the leakage started and the repeated draining did in the battery. Or the battery died and the leak is irrelevant. Hard to pinpoint causality from here. David "Just because you found A problem does not mean you found the ONLY problem" Lieb |
| David Lieb |
| I wasn't saying that the leakage I have identified was not a fault. That still needs locating and fixing. I was saying that the immediate problem to sort out first is that the battery itself is now apparently shot. I did get a reading across the posts of 12.78 after a morning's charging which suggests that all cells are still "alive", but the rapid fall off under starting load means it is certainly not in decent condition. Its out of the car and on the charger overnight and I will test it again in the morning. I have been doing less mileage lately which may not help. The last decent run was to see Mark just before he left for Auz - that was around 160. Since then not very much; a couple of days at 100 miles and a few more around 30 - 40 miles. Maybe just 500 in the last month. It still gets used most days but often that is just a short trip of 5 or 6 miles. |
| Guy Weller |
| Guy Checking the battery voltage immediately after charging will tend to give you a 'good' reading. Let it sit for an hour after charging before checking the voltage and see how it looks then. |
| Dave O'Neill 2 |
| Another battery horror story - trying to charge a duff battery for an extended period. When I was rebuilding my car I needed a battery for circuit testing - had one that had been lying about my workshop for about a year - topped it up and charged it. Still only about 9/10 volts so left it on the bench for half a day - came back - acid boiling out all over the bench - battery overheated - glad it was not in my just resprayed shell ! On the sail boats many of the alternator charge controllers have a temp sensing lead that is put against the battery case for this reason. R. |
| richard boobier |
| Sorry Guy but had to laugh Do we have AC Amps LOL. Why I smiled was that when we know our subject we tend to take so much for granted and then someone brings us down to earth!! Never for one moment expected anyone to put the dial at the sine wave, or in your decription the squiggly thing, LOL Do I need to explain Electricity generation? no it gets too boring and I had to endure it endlessly when at Uni, were they good old days? I don't think so!! :) By the way set the dial at amps DC. |
| Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo |
| :-) 0.395A lets call it 0.4A to be polite and a battery that won't keep its charge the drain is almost certain to be radio memory retention but seems a bit high, sums arent even close to wot I does Try leaving the radio disconnected (both wires, I bet there're two power leads on it) Also try disconnecting the alternator plug and retest That pulse of lecktrickery before? how about the coil dewotsiting, hysteresis or summat isnt it? As the magnetic field in the coil drains away without making a spark... I suspct that the battery is buggered! Take it back to Halfords and ask them nicely, if there's a date on it they will probably be OK about it, they have seen it before, after all. Tell them you will be able to get the relevant dates off your credit card slips (can you, it would help if you hadnt paid in real money) if they get 'orrible about it, usually helps them to back off if they think you could if you needed to |
| bill sdgpm |
| Bob, Glad I made you laugh, but it wasn't intentional! ;-) The squiggle sign looks like an = sign, but with the lower bar a tilde ~ It appears on the dial, but also on the screen. There doesn't appear to be a dial setting for Amps DC. I did find if I set the Dial to A squiggle, I can then use the select button to cycle between A, mA and A squiggle. Amps, milliamps and ....? Some of the other dial labels are also a mystery to me! What are the other symbols next to the ohms setting?  |
| Guy Weller |
| Next to the ohms you have diode test next to that could be decibels (or if it was my Ipaq it would indicate I/R transmission) some of those symbols translate to read Guy's meter is considerably posher than Bill's :-) |
| bill sdgpm |
| Guy, The first dial position is Off The second position is voltage; the meter automatically determines whether it is AC or DC as well as where to put the decimal point. The third position is resistance. The symbol next to the Ohm is the schematic symbol for a diode, indicating that it is useful for diode testing, especially because it has a tone (the other symbol) when the resistance is low enough to indicate a good diode. The fourth position is Capacitance, useful for finding out that the bulging electrolytic in your hand is truly bad. The fifth position is Hertz for displaying frequency. The sixth position is milliAmps for small current loads. The seventh position is Amps for larger current loads. Please note that you should use the first lead position for the Amps and the third lead position for milliAmps. Also that these are read by putting the meter in series with the flow, as opposed to the parallel usage for volts. Finally observe that the first lead position is labelled "10A", letting you know that the meter will blow a fuse (or burn up in your hand) if you try to measure current flow greater than 10 amps. David "not a bad little meter" Lieb |
| David Lieb |
| Such a drain is commonly a result of the boot lamp staying ON, if you have one of those. The little switch bracket gets bent. It's just like the refrigerator - If the lid is closed, is the light still on? See if a lot of light pours out when you open it! Does light beer come from keeping it in a fridge with a bad switch? FRM |
| Fletcher R Millmore |
| No boot light, Fletcher. But the wiring is there, only taped off, so I will check that the insulation is still intact. It is on a purple wire circuit so you could be right. Thanks for the explanation David. That's useful. Some I knew, at least the ones I am likely to know enough about to use! Don't laugh, I do understand some of this! Guy |
| Guy Weller |
| Yes David is spot on, must be some electrical training in him :) the symbol on your meter Guy is a straight line indicating DC and under it is a squiggle this is a sign wave indicating AC because of the way these are printed it suggests to us in the know that the position self selects AC or DC. Guy it is not a cut wire if it was you would have a huge current flow that would melt the cable. The drain is from some device, the boot light was a good suggestion bearing in mind the colour of the wire but unfortunately like me you don't have one. :) I would simply disconnect the 2 live feeds to the radio and see the result. I assume you gave the radio 2 feeds? When I wire in new radios I always connect he 2 feeds together on the non switched fuse, then the radio can be used while parked up! The instructions suggest hat one of the feeds be connected to always on (Memory) and the second to switched power for use of the radio in the auxiliary posiion on he ignition switch, not sure we have one on our early cars :) |
| Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo |
| Well my cheapo stereo from Aldi will drain the battery to the point it is reluctant to start after just a few days. Its the only downside to £40 for MP3s from SD cards ;-) Did the same when I replaced the battery last year. I get so much interference on the radio that I only ever listen to the solid state MP3 so will probably move the permanent memory feed to ignition fed this year. |
| Dean Smith ('73 RWA) |
| Is the symbol to the right of the diode not 'continuity'? Normally gives a beep/tweet sound. |
| Dave O'Neill 2 |
| Complain to head halfords if they don't - they are usually really good, especially if it's got their brand on - or perhaps it's coz I'm female and can play the I know nothing card! Even everyday for just a few miles should keep it charged up to a starting level and mine sat out in the snow for weeks and recharged ok - it's defo a dud, but claim ignorance - it always works :) |
| rachmacb |
| Update: Took the battery off the car to recharge overnight. Replaced the battery and let it settle for about an hour. Then did the cranking test: Before cranking 12.73v Crank for 15 seconds during which time it dropped to between 9.4 (lowest seen), and 10.0v After cranking it returned to 12.3v initially, but this rose to 12.64v after about 10 minutes. Bill's test procedure says it mustn't drop below 9.9v so I guess as mine did, the battery is at least on it's way out. Somewhat confusingly (sorry Bill) he implies that down about 10v would be OK, but then also says it must not drop more than 0.4v. That would mean that from a start reading of the minimum stated 12.2v, then any drop to below 11.8 would be a fail? Unless I am doing this test wrong! I found my Halfords CC payment. £42.99 on 12 March 2008. I think I will take it to Halfords, ask them to test the battery(which they say they do FOC) and hopefully then claim a new one. |
| Guy Weller |
| Guy I got confused about the 0.4v as well. It is actually the difference between the highest and lowest voltage during cranking. In your case 0.6v |
| Dave O'Neill 2 |
| Guy, what Rach and Dave say "rach-its defo a dud" "dave-In your case 0.6v" After charging you should have the lights on for a while to remove any surface high charge and get to battery base voltage(two or three minutes ought to do, it's all I ever used to do) the total cranking drop was more than the specified 0.4 so sadly, poorly battery is the "AA diagnosis" Why not just take the battery and receipt along and say "it has failed the AA battery test, but the patrol couldnt come with me to your shop..." Isnt false is it? By the way, a patrol would probably have a new battery to replace yours with, if it failed for him he could do this without a qualm but it would not be a Halfords battery 'cos they carry Unipart Batteries onboard... Info you could impart in a shop if a shop bloke (I nearly said a shop guy) was reluctant to swap At under two years it should be plain sailing, just demand a replacement battery. £43 blimey I just paid £25ish for a type 062 at Unipart/Partco, trade... Mine was nine years old, didn't owe me a penny. |
| bill sdgpm |
| Thanks Dave, I had misunderstood that! So I just went and tried the test again, to watch more closely Pre cranking volts was 12.53 Cranking was around 9.9 to 10.0 but dropped to low 9s quite a lot. Lowest was 9.16. Cranking was also already slowing down a lot, with only 2 X 15 seconds lots of cranking today from what should have been a full recharged and rested battery. Then started the car. On tickover with running alternator I get 13.67v which seems about right. I think that my "leakage", which today measure 0.285v is indeed the radio memory. I thought I had disconnected the memory feed but I hadn't. I think with a health battery and a regularly run car this really wouldn't matter. Guy PS just seen Bill's post. Yes, thanks for advice. I was already convinced that the test had failed, but like to be sure of my facts before heading off to do battle with Halfords! |
| Guy Weller |
| Returned from a trip to Halfords. Not very satisfying! They made me wait for half an hour to stabilise the battery, then "tested" it and declared it to be in good condition! Their test appeared to be nothing more than testing the volts across the battery under no load at all! The device they had used thin wires with clips on the battery post so clearly wasn't designed to impose a load on the battery. He set a dial to the designed "cranking amps" of the battery - 265 amps. The screen showed 12.7 v and the condition as "Good". He said that if it had failed they would then do a print-out of this screen to send away with the faulty battery. He didn't require me to provide proof of purchase as it was clearly a date-marked Halfords battery. I explained that the battery had failed the AA standard cranking test and asked why they don't test the battery under load. I think at this stage I lost him - he didn't seem to understand that all he had done was read the quiescent voltage of a recently recharged battery. Problem was it was the Manager's day off and without a "Failed" print out he couldn't - or wouldn't - exchange the battery. :-( Guy |
| Guy Weller |
| I wondered what criteria the AA used for determining the condition of a battery, now I know :) I think the AA test is very stringent and a lot of batteries would fail that test, although I must say if a battery does fail that test it is not up to it's best so if a new battery was aquired then fine. :) In defence of the AA test generally once a battery starts to be less than perfect deteriation can be quite brisk.. I had to buy a battery in France a couple of years ago when it totally failed whilst touring in my MGA, I had had an incline things weren't too clever for a few days a the begining of the trip. By all means keep trying to get a new battery but even with a perfect battery my radio memory kills my midget within a couple of days. I am the same as Dean and have the cheap Aldi job :) I would like you to try the holding a charge test, charge the battery up for a good day and then leave it for a couple of days and then see if it will start the car, if it does not then it is totally "not too good" if it does start the car then whilst it may not be the best battery in town it will not be the worst. In my car I have an isolator switch that kills my radio and everything else otherwise after a week the battery will be flat. A year or so ago I wrote a little piece on using a Multimeter and understanding the results, after reading your comments above I now realise that I have missed out a number of important points that seem so simple when you know how but are totally confusing to the uninitiated. I will need to review the article, here it is before update http://www.mgcars.org.uk/mgcc/midgetreg/workshop.shtml Then click on how to use a multimeter. ) |
| Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo |
| Guy, If you have to buy a new battery this is the place I got mine from. http://www.tayna.co.uk/Type-068-Varta-Asia-Car-Battery-P3212.html It JUST fits into the battery box - I think its the biggest battery you can get in Midget. Its 70 Ah and 630 Cold Cranking Amps. The same site has a Battery Wizard - you can put your max dimensions in and it will report back all batteries that will fit. I have been very pleased with it and its next day delivery. |
| David Banks |
| Hi Bob, Yes I had seen your how to use a multimeter notes. Despite my comments earlier I do understand enough to use the meter correctly. The two areas that cause doubts are: some of the symbols on the selector dial on my particular meter - therefore the squiggle comment! David kindly ran through the list of setting positions on the dial for me. The Diode and tone symbols I didn't know and wouldn't need anyway. Capacitance and Frequency I understand but cannot think I would need them on the car. The second area that causes doubt is sometimes interpreting the readings I get. e.g. was the background reading of 0.003amps a real measure, or is such a low figure a parameter of the meter itself? Theoretically the car loom itself will have characteristics resulting from length of cables, number and condition of connectors etc. Would they impact on what I am trying to read? These are the things that sometimes get me wondering if they are significant. I use the meter most frequently for checking voltages and for continuity testing - determining which switch or relay terminals are live and so on. On the car I will often use a test lamp first because it is easy to see and cheap to replace! The water pipe analogy is a common one used to explain amps, volts and resistance. Personally I don't find it really adds much understanding. For notes on how to use a multimeter I think that some examples of what and how to test some sample components would be more useful. My favourite electrical wonder is still the magic wipers that go on working after you have switched off the power to them! ;-) Guy |
| Guy Weller |
| bad luck with Halfords Guy, one day I'll tell you what they just did to me, on Sunday. To$$ers! Anyway if the drain is that high the battery probably will lose power quite quickly, if you don't use the car too often. (Not a surprise, I havent used Lara much either lately, one thing and another...) I know its miles (many) to your nearest Partco, but it may be an idea to try them if you feel you want another battery outside of Halfords influence. It's always a good idea at a Motor Factors to ask the best price he can do it for you at (I was wrong about my new one, it was an 063 not an 062 that I bought in December) say you'd like a "trade price" 'cos you do a few jobs these days, not likely to need an invoice for it. (the thought of spending nigh on eighty quid scares me for a battery, even a Varta) Anyway, just a thought. Are you still running your Metro electronic ignition dizzy? If so be very careful not to test the ignition circuit with a bulb type test lamp as you did on the battery earth circuit, if you induce a current flow through the bulb into the module, you might blow its semiconductor chip. It won't be a problem through the battery terminals but on a live electronic circuit, whooosh---silence. |
| bill sdgpm |
| I was rather surprised that the Halford's test simply measured the static voltage. It rather looks that they won't be honouring their guarantee just yet. I don't think me ailing battery is due to lack of use. Although I have done less mileage than normal it is still over 500 in the last 5 weeks. Maybe with a bit of warmer weather it will last out a bit longer. Bill, we do have a local Partco, and yes, they are very helpful and usually give me a trade price. Thanks for the tip about not using a bulb test with my electronic ignition module connected. I probably wouldn't anyway but it is better to know! Guy |
| Guy Weller |
| Two days standing with the battery disconnected and its flat again! |
| Guy Weller |
| Excellent then you can now confidently say the battery is "Not too good." Now take the battery to Halfords as is and tell them that it was charged up 2 days ago and has been stood on the bench for 2 days and is now flat. In other words the battery is incapable of holding a charge and is therefore useless. Good luck :) |
| Bob Turbo Midget England |
| Only problem is I have no way of getting it to Halfords without putting it in the car and recharging or jump starting it. ? Could take it buy this afternoon's bus I suppose but its a bit of a hassle! |
| Guy Weller |
| Hmmm see your point Guy. Not been in that situation before always have enough cars. :) Although I like the bus idea good proof that battery is useless. :) No point in gettting annoyed with the people in halfords they are simply young people paid basic wage and have not been given training, approached properly I think they will succumb when you arrive from the bus station. :) |
| Bob Turbo Midget England |
| Guy, have received the control box, thanks very much. How was Halfords? |
| Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo |
| The battery may be duff, but a current draw of 0.4A with the ignition off is way too high to be the radio memory retention - 0.4A X 12V = 5W, or thereabouts. Is your glovebox light staying on even when the glovebox lid is closed? Try taking the bulb out and see if that reduces the current draw with the ignition off. |
| Adrian Jones |
| Glovebox? The battery looses charge even when disconnected. Didn't manage to get to Halfords. And then have visitors for the weekend so visit back to Halfords will have to wait. But battery was flat again thismorning. And that was after I drove about 60 miles on Thursday so it was well charged up. Guy |
| Guy Weller |
| Bump! Guy, Did you finally have any joy with Halfords? I only ask as I appear to have very similar problems on about the same age of battery. The problem is I don't think I can't fully test the rest of the charging system if I don't have a "known good" battery as a starting point. My suspicion is duff diodes but I want to check the entire system first. |
| Matt1275 Bucks |
| Guy, If you are still stuck for transport I can pick you and you your battery up and run you round to Kendal Halfrauds any Monday or Tuesday. |
| David Banks |
| Halfrauds Complaints department number at head ofice is 0845 057 9000 If you have to get stroppy the Chief Exec is a bloke called David Wild. The Kendal Branch is currently managerless - no surprise there then! |
| David Banks |
This thread was discussed between 01/03/2010 and 23/03/2010
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