Strange issue today...

[DCM]

Went out for a meeting today, parked the car up, with no issue's driving down (except for the slightly binding rear brake.... ahem). Was in the meeting for 2 1/2 hours, came out to find that the car was completely lacking in battery power, dead, nothing, even the radio lost it's programming.

Got a jump start, drove 4 miles to the kids school, car started fine after, and this evening, checked the battery with the engine off, 12.8v, engine@2000rpm, 14v.

So most confuddled!

[gargreen7]

done an alternator test ? how long has the battery been in the car, and how old is the car, engine size ect ect

[DCM]

Battery is no older than 2 years old (replaced it soon after buying the car), not done a load test, but when engine running, the battery is seeing 14v, Chrysler Voyager 2000cc, T Reg.

What worried me is the car was completely flat in 2 1/2 hours of sitting in a carpark, and can't for the life of me work out why.

[gargreen7]

seems a bit strange, some batteries can out last a car, others can last a few months, it its got tits or tyres you'll get hassle.

i work in a halfords and i know they have bosh testers there, they tell you if cells have gone internally ect. unless thats what you've been using anyway.

could it have been something silly like the boot light was on? something like that happened to me before

[metalmickey0]

Originally Posted by DCM

Battery is no older than 2 years old (replaced it soon after buying the car), not done a load test, but when engine running, the battery is seeing 14v, Chrysler Voyager 2000cc, T Reg.

What worried me is the car was completely flat in 2 1/2 hours of sitting in a carpark, and can't for the life of me work out why.

Just to let you know that when the engine is running your not using the battery , its running from your alternator and charging the battery. You need to do a load test with engine off to find out if battery is a bit dodgy

[DCM]

I know how the basic electrics of a car works, and fully understand that whilst the Alternator is working, there is input and not a draw on the battery, if the alternator fails, then the engine will still run, only using the battery to power the electrics. Now if this was the case, after the jump start, the car would of driven a short distance before cutting out due to like of power to the LT and HT side of the ignition. Hence my confusion!

Is it possible that the Alternator had a glitch? I don't know.

Also, since, the car has started without a glitch on three short journeys to.

[MRD]

I would say its a bad earth on the battery. Ive had this before. Check where its conected to the car. It usually gets corroded where the bare metal is. Attatching the jump leads probably disturbed the contact and got it working again.

[DCM]

Thanks for that, will give a good poke around tomorrow in the light!

[AndyF]

My wifes jeep once died whilst she was driving it. It was dark and everything went, engine stopped, lights out nothing. I towed it back, and started to change the battery when spark and lights came on. I was amazed that despite the battery terminals being secure they didn't conduct until I disturbed it with my spanner. No trouble after I cleaned the terminals and fastened them back on.

[fidspeed]

hope youre sorted
ihave been in the motor trade and had two strange occurences

First time a customer (not a particulary nice one!) drove his car to our garage for service parked it up when we went to it half hour later it was dead as a dodo, battery had collapsed while driving it to us . had about 7volts in it wouldnt charge had to be replaced .
Had an interesting "conversation" with owner about replacing battery he claimed "it was alright this morning you must have done something i'm not paying for a new one " I politely advised in that case the no 7 bus would be along in about 10 mins cos that was the only he was getting home !!

2nd time the same thing happened while i was driving the company van
Dave

[DCM]

defo wasn't the battery, or the alternator, as all seems well at the moment, not had a single issue with the battery since, so what managed to drain the battery completely flat in 150 mins, I don't know...

[peetbee]

electricity thieves, been a spate of it around south wales I heard

[fidspeed]

Hi David
just had another recurrence of the grey material .It sounds like a heavy drain to empty your battery in 2 1/2 hours but intermittent. IIRC i had a freelander that would do the same thing occasionally come in to the garage .using an clamp ammeter one day it showed a 10 amp discharge with everything switched off . Eventually traced to a relay which powered an heating element in the inlet manifold to warm the air/fuel mixture when cold . the relay was faulty and occasionally didnt trip out hence a while later flat batttery
jump start car off it went again took ages to suss that one

Dave

[DCM]

Originally Posted by peetbee

electricity thieves, been a spate of it around south wales I heard

Bloody Pikeys!!!

[mark christopher]

Originally Posted by DCM

I know how the basic electrics of a car works, and fully understand that whilst the Alternator is working, there is input and not a draw on the battery, if the alternator fails, then the engine will still run, only using the battery to power the electrics. Now if this was the case, after the jump start, the car would of driven a short distance before cutting out due to like of power to the LT and HT side of the ignition. Hence my confusion!

Is it possible that the Alternator had a glitch? I don't know.

Also, since, the car has started without a glitch on three short journeys to.

quite possible alternaters can cause a big drain if they faulter in the correct state, they can then be knackered or start working again, similar to a stuck relay

Originally Posted by MRD

I would say its a bad earth on the battery. Ive had this before. Check where its conected to the car. It usually gets corroded where the bare metal is. Attatching the jump leads probably disturbed the contact and got it working again.

bad earth would not drain a battery, and it would not allow the battery to charge up on his way to school