Combating Battery discharge

S

spectrum 418

New Member

Posts

97

• Dec 15, 2005

• #1

Hi all,

My disco is a weekend toy, 1998 300tdi es auto. The problem is battery discharge. I have bought one of them 2W soloar panel trickle chargers which is left in situ all week. Come the weekend and there's just not enough juice to fire the glow plugs and turn the engine.

Question :

Do you think I should change the battery as it's not lasting the week ?

Any other methods used to keep weekend vehicles happy ?

Thanks all

Mark

 

S

slob

Well-Known Member

Posts

22,488

Location

Harrogate or London

• Dec 16, 2005

• #2

you need to find where the drain is ...is the battery nackered..or have you got a fault in yer lectrics... start by checking yer battery

 

S

spectrum 418

New Member

Posts

97

• Dec 16, 2005

• #3

I think the drain is just down to the alarm and immobiliser flashing lights to be honest, then the operation of the central locking when I open the doors, then the glow plug drain.

Combine all the above - hence my problems !

 

S

slob

Well-Known Member

Posts

22,488

Location

Harrogate or London

• Dec 16, 2005

• #4

i find that hard to believe.....the alarm don't draw much unless it going whoooooo wheee whooooo. the immobiliser probelly don't draw owt and central locking well .................unless all the above are operating by them selves they wont draw much certainly not enought to flatted a battery over a week..i've left cars sitting for a month or so and they start no problem so i'd have to say you have a fault somewhere...

 

S

sam

New Member

Posts

46

• Dec 16, 2005

• #5

have you checked the condition of the batt. if it is still the original factory item it will be near the end of its life. You should get about 13.5 v form the batt if fully charged. To test for batt drain. Connect amp meter in series (in + lead ) from batt. Take a reading then disconnect the larger items fuses one at a time until drain drops (ie heated rear window). Hope this helps

Sam

 

S

slob

Well-Known Member

Posts

22,488

Location

Harrogate or London

• Dec 16, 2005

• #6

most vehicle multi meters don"t have the capability to read more than a few mamps so if you connect one to your vehicle it will just get the ship blown out of it..if there is any current draw worth mentioning... and the cost of a good ampmeter is a bit too much to justify unless you have a lot of use for it.