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MG MGF Technical - How long without driving ?

Hi !

I came back home after a month away. Unfortunately, the F didn’t like it : the battery was 100% discharged ! there was not even enough power for the clock and of course not enough too to unlock the doors… so finally I had to change the battery (hopefully we can open the front from the trunk).

When asking my car dealer, he told me that the F must be driven at least once every 2 weeks otherwise the battery is down. I’m a bit surprised about this time… does the car and radio alarms use a lot of power ? if so, would it be better if I only press one time the remote control (so I don’t have the volumetric sensors activated) ?

My is a year 2000 and had its original battery.

Thanks

Arnaud
Arnaud

Arnaud,

Change to a Varta Blue Dynamic (they are expensive) but you won't get anything better.
Check www.varta.com

Gaz
Gaz R

Arnaud

I had the same problem with my 'F' every February when we go to Tenerife for three weeks. I expect it will be the same with the TF. An inexpensive battery charger sorts it out in no time.

Cheers

Mike
Michael Williams

Arnaud,

Same happened to me, time after time after time after time. Somewhere, somehow there is something leaking energy and I don't know what. So, as Gaz suggested, I changed to Varta Blue Dynamic (expensive, but superiour) and no problems since.

Peter (no shares in Varta)
Peter Roos

Peter,
if your car is in a garage with electricity, use a trickle charger, no problems any more and the battery lasts longer.
if you want more info, mail me direct

Bob vanM
Bob vanM

Hello Bob van Melzen,

I will use a trickle charger anyway (even with the new Varta battery). If the problems persists, I will mail you directly. Thanks!

Best regards,
Peter
Peter Roos

I use a trickle charger now for 2 years, and no problems at all.

will wait for your mail.

Bob vanM
Bob vanM

Thanks all !

Unfortunately, i have no electrecity in my garage ;(
So the Varta battery may last longer ? any idea how much without driving ?

Also, what if i let the battery discharged and then when i arrive install a second one and charge the first one for the next time ? would this method damage batteries or car ?

Arnaud
Arnaud

Dooh, thanks for your reminder.
I'll disconnect ASAP the battery until July 5th
:( Errr ;)
Dieter Koennecke

2 things I can think of that might help:

1: trickle charger (if you have power available) connected via a timeswitch so you're not charging continuously (I would think you'd be fine charging for an hour a day). Charging continuously is likely to electrolise the water in the sulphuric acid (to hydrogen and oxygen) and as most modern batteries can't be topped up, that'll mean that it doesn't cover the plates any more....

2: if you don't have power, could you use one of those solar powered trickle chargers (via a window, or maybe even mounted outside the garage)? (I wouldn't expect it'd charge more than an hour a day based on the summer we've seen so far :-) )

Neil.
Neil

Arnaud,

<<would it be better if I only press one time the remote control (so I don’t have the volumetric sensors activated) ?>>

The volumetric sensor is always activated if you use the blipper (remote) to lock the car. It doesn't matter how many times you press it. The only way to lock the car without the volumetric sensor activated is to use the key alone.

HTH

Bruce
Bruce Caldwell

>> The only way to lock the car without the volumetric sensor activated is to use the key alone. <<

True.

SF
Scarlet Fever

The swapping battery thing, car batterys are not designed to be run flat so I would not recomend this, but if your going to have two batterys why not mount the other one on the other side and then you will get a whole month! (or more usefully fit a battery cut out switch - available for B&G for racing) to disconnect the battery if your going away.
If you are alright with electrics then the addition of two diodes and another fuse will alow you to fit permenent power to the radio so you dont lose your stations!

Will
Will Munns

>>>>Somewhere, somehow there is something leaking energy and I don't know what.

Quite a lot of power is required to run the 'babe magnet'.
David Bainbridge

This thread was discussed between 14/06/2002 and 17/06/2002

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