dead battery

[ian1966 0]

hi i seem to have a problem starting my motor. if i dont use my motor for about 5days my battery is almost flat. any ideas

cheers

[Devildub_06 0]

Best way to start checking is fully charge your battery, connect it back up to the car, then with a multimeter across the positive and negative, remove your fuses 1 by 1 until you notice a slight rise in voltage, by doing this you will isolate a circuit that is grounding out (when you've pulled the fuse that makes the voltage raise). *note by doing this you may need to dial in your radio code again if you have one and/or reset your alarm. If it hasn't worked for the fuses, do the same with the relays. and if that yields no results you will find it is an internal short of your alternator or starter motor. I know that there are systems that rely on battery power to sustain themselves i.e the radio memory, alarm function and ecu memory, but none of these should cause such a drop.

[VR6_Absy 0]

give the battery a good 24 hour charge or just get yourself along to a garage or battery centre and get them to test the battery.

Sounds like your not doing many miles, if so, the battery is getting a pounding without any charging which is not good

[Phat VR6 3]

Best way to start checking is fully charge your battery' date=' connect it back up to the car, then with a multimeter across the positive and negative, remove your fuses 1 by 1 until you notice a slight rise in voltage, by doing this you will isolate a circuit that is grounding out (when you've pulled the fuse that makes the voltage raise). *note by doing this you may need to dial in your radio code again if you have one and/or reset your alarm. If it hasn't worked for the fuses, do the same with the relays. and if that yields no results you will find it is an internal short of your alternator or starter motor. I know that there are systems that rely on battery power to sustain themselves i.e the radio memory, alarm function and ecu memory, but none of these should cause such a drop.

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Fair play.... I like that.. Learn somthink new every day. So it it was your alternator/ starter would you disconect these and it would show on your muitmeter like the fues's?

[Devildub_06 0]

Yep, though it may only affect part of the winding, you can check the alternator by whipping the belt off (with your multimeter across the battery terminals), and rotating slowly by hand noting any variations in voltage. This should be minimal, although there will always be an internal resistance. You can then disconnect this out of the circuit altogether and again check for the raise in voltage, again should be minimal. With the starter motor, there is no physical connection to the battery circuit until you energise the solenoid, so if you do get a voltage drop from the starter motor, it will be the solenoid partially sticking on. Though if you suspect the starter motor windings, you can remove it and put the multimeter across the terminals of the motor, this time set to resistance, and measure the differences as you rotate the motor.

The really old school method to winding checks is by using something called an armature growler which would involve stripping the motor, setting the armature in the growler and rotating slowly until the name suggest, it growls! This tells you that you have a short across the windings. But for all the fuss and hassle I don't think this is common practice anymore (I have used this method myself), as for all the labour this would require it is more cost effective to just fit up a new motor.

[vr6madmike 0]

hi i seem to have a problem starting my motor. if i dont use my motor for about 5days my battery is almost flat. any ideas

cheers

I had this problem, just bought a new battery, problem solved for me!

[ian1966 0]

cheers for the info . cant be battery its brand new. i forgot to mention that when its juiced up i seem to have to move the steering wheel to start the car . havnt got alarm but have immobaliser..does this narrow anything down?

[Devildub_06 0]

In what way do you "have to move" the steering wheel to get it to start?

[ian1966 0]

side to side mate.

dunno wether this does anything but car seems to start

[xyber 1]

Dodgy ignition barrel contacts? They can ware out over time or if like alot of people you have every key you own hanging out of it jingling around whilst driving

Might be past its best and not letting the accessory position click out fully when removing the keys, so things will be left powered, draining the battery

[Devildub_06 0]

What he said...

[ian1966 0]

is it an easy fix?

[Devildub_06 0]

I wouldn't say easy, but do-able. Can only say my experience is linked to one I changed on a 1.6 mark 3, but can't see them being a lot different. All I will say is be careful!

[ian1966 0]

cheers mate ill try that first .

[xyber 1]

mine sticks every now and then, give good old wd40 a go first in and around the ignition area and make sure the black plastic that surrounds the key hole isnt fouling it and stopping it pop back out fully