Kazuma Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I bought a battery from Toyota back in Sept 2010, and currently the battery is now flat. Granted the car isn't driven everyday but and more of a weekend car.. But I can't see what would drain it.. I thought that the alternator was not charging it but something must be draining it.. Maybe in conjunction with the alternator.. I also have a Sigma S series alarm and immobiliser, not sure if this could be draining it? But got a local technician to come round and check that out.. Not sure how much he can do though with the battery pretty much shagged.. Grrr Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 My alarm kills my battery. It has the microwave sensor thing on it which seems to enjoy sapping the power. After a full charge my car will happily sit for a couple of weeks, but after only moderate use for a few months a week or so will kill it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kazuma Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 Yeah this has a proximity sensor(s). They're not currently working but by the sounds of it, most likely drawing power. Will see tomorrow what the technician has to say... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SupraDan24 Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Mine used to do that all the time, i had a dodgy Amp wired into my boot which was draining all the power as it wasnt switching off. So i bought a new one, a new battery ad problem solved. A decent autoelectrician should be able to find the source of the drain i would have thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Make sure you update the thread with the outcome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kazuma Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 Will do, can't explain how frustrating it is.. Going to buy a battery charger from halfords tomorrow I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Will do, can't explain how frustrating it is.. Going to buy a battery charger from halfords tomorrow I think. /QUOTE] That has been my solution. I've got the £25 one that switches between maintenence and charging mode automatically. Designed for prolonged use etc. It comes with 2 different connectors, one of which can be permanently added to the battery for a quick attach/release. I have mine setup that way already, I just need to find a neat place to locate it properly rather than it just dangling in there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr two Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 My car alarm manages to drain my battery too. If i don't use the car for a couple of weeks the battery hasn't enough power left to turn the engine over so have to keep it charged regular. It is a fairly new battery too. I think this will be your problem coupled with the very cold weather which will lower the battery's power too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KamaSupra Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Another one here with an alarm which loves to drain the battery I use my Supe as a weekend/Summer car, but even during the summer the battery becomes flat. Mechanic found my alarm/immobiliser is faulty so drains the battery fast. So I just put her on trickle charger so she's ready whatever time of the year I want to rag her Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SupraDan24 Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Will do, can't explain how frustrating it is.. Going to buy a battery charger from halfords tomorrow I think. /QUOTE] Make sure you get one thats compatible with a 3L. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kazuma Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 I'll confirm before I buy anything. Just a side note. My next door neighbour has a battery charger thing that acts like a battery itself. We managed to connect it and I was able to turn the engine over first time... Battery is flat though as I tired starting the supe without the extra help and it just would try! Though the terminals were a little loose... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Make sure you get one thats compatible with a 3L. A 12v battery is a 12v battery. Any charger will do the job. Sales pitch 1.0l = £20 charger 3.0l = £40 charger lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SupraDan24 Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 A 12v battery is a 12v battery. Any charger will do the job. Sales pitch 1.0l = £20 charger 3.0l = £40 charger lol Lol i was wondering if that was true as i wrote it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellonman Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 A 12v battery is a 12v battery. Any charger will do the job. Sales pitch 1.0l = £20 charger 3.0l = £40 charger lol Yes the charger would still charge the battery, but a 12v battery is not just a 12v battery as the amps that they can carry changes, think of a tazer very high voltage from a small unit but no amps, car battery small voltage high amps volts and amps are very much like bhp and torque a small battery will not have the amps(torque) behind it to turn a larger engine. this is why lorries have 24v and 2 large batterys conected. but as you say a charger is a charger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMPEROR Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I have a friend, that was experiencing the same problem... it was wrong connected head unit. One of the 12V lines was connected directly to the battery instead of key-through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellonman Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Q:what is the best immobilizer that wont drain my battery? A: disconnect your battery. once charged they have a good shelf life and would not discharge for a long time if there was not drain on them as it is your weekend car and might not get used for months i think maybe this is your best route bit of a pain. i have a proximerty alarm too and have to start her every week other wise its a jump start and a good run! which i dont mind one bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie_b Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Yes the charger would still charge the battery, but a 12v battery is not just a 12v battery as the amps that they can carry changes, but as you say a charger is a charger I don't know much about chargers but Scott might have a point. The batteries themselves are different: a big engine needs a battery that can deliver enough current to turn the engine over. But a battery maintenance charger doesn't carry much current at all: the connecting cable looks like thin telephone wire. Just my 2p worth. Q:what is the best immobilizer that wont drain my battery? A: disconnect your battery. ...if you don't mind your car not being insured for theft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Yes the charger would still charge the battery, but a 12v battery is not just a 12v battery as the amps that they can carry changes, think of a tazer very high voltage from a small unit but no amps, car battery small voltage high amps volts and amps are very much like bhp and torque a small battery will not have the amps(torque) behind it to turn a larger engine. this is why lorries have 24v and 2 large batterys conected. but as you say a charger is a charger That makes absolutely no difference. It's sales shite, trust me. Ok... don't.... I'll explain it... Think of a battery as a container for water. You get different capacity containers but they are all used to store water. In order to fill the battery you have a selection of taps, some taps will flow more water than others hence filling the container at a different rate to other taps. It makes no difference what container you choose or what tap you choose, as long as it is water, the only thing that will change is the amount of time the container takes to fill. 6v battery needs a 6v charger 12v battery needs a 12v charger 24v battery needs a 24v charger It makes no difference the capacity of the battery or the amount of amperes the charger produces, the only thing that will change by changing either is the amount of time the battery will take to charge, and whether or not the charger can be left on for extended periods. Maintenence chargers will normally only charge at around 1.5A, proper chargers are more likely to be 5-8A. The one I have automatically switches between maintenence mode(1.5A) and charging mode(7A) depending on the condition of the battery. Don't confuse this with booster packs though, larger capacity engines that require higher cranking amps to get them started will need larger capacity booster packs. I think this is where a lot of confusion comes into this, and also where manufacturers take advantage of this and spout out a lot of crap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kazuma Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 (edited) Well i've been to halfords and picked up a charger. I did mention about charging a 3l car and the one I had originally chosen would charge the battery, it would just take a lot longer. So went with 1800cc+ & diesel battery charger as it had a fast charge mode! P.s. I already blown the first fuse on the charger by connecting the clamps to the wrong terminals - idiot so much for rushing! Luckily it comes with a second fuse for people like me! Will keep you all posted on what the technician guy says. Edited January 12, 2011 by Kazuma (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 (edited) Well i've been to halfords and picked up a charger. I did mention about charging a 3l car and the one I had originally chosen would charge the battery, it would just take a lot longer. So went with 1800cc+ & diesel battery charger as it had a fast charge mode! P.s. I already blown the first fuse on the charger by connecting the clamps to the wrong terminals - idiot so much for rushing! Luckily it comes with a second fuse for people like me! Will keep you all posted on what the technician guy says. Fingers crossed you didn't blow anything on the cars end. I did that many moons ago and had a nightmare of fault finding after that. You would have been better off getting the maintenance charger as you can leave that on for days on end without having to worry. Halfords only sell 2, that I can remember, where you can do this. One is £25 (the one I have) and the other is called the smart charger, or something like that, and is just over £50 iirc. Mine The other one Edited January 12, 2011 by Scott (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kazuma Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 Yeah mine was £29.99. I took the battery out of the car and brought it in my house to charge... So car should be fine *touch wood* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Yeah mine was £29.99. I took the battery out of the car and brought it in my house to charge... So car should be fine *touch wood* Ahh, nothing to worry about then I thought you were after a charger you could leave plugged in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManwithSupra Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Could it just be a bad earth effecting the charging of the battery? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kazuma Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 No idea, but when I find out, I'll let people know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellonman Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 That makes absolutely no difference. It's sales $#@!e, trust me. Ok... don't.... I'll explain it... Think of a battery as a container for water. You get different capacity containers but they are all used to store water. In order to fill the battery you have a selection of taps, some taps will flow more water than others hence filling the container at a different rate to other taps. It makes no difference what container you choose or what tap you choose, as long as it is water, the only thing that will change is the amount of time the container takes to fill. 6v battery needs a 6v charger 12v battery needs a 12v charger 24v battery needs a 24v charger It makes no difference the capacity of the battery or the amount of amperes the charger produces, the only thing that will change by changing either is the amount of time the battery will take to charge, and whether or not the charger can be left on for extended periods. Maintenence chargers will normally only charge at around 1.5A, proper chargers are more likely to be 5-8A. The one I have automatically switches between maintenence mode(1.5A) and charging mode(7A) depending on the condition of the battery. Don't confuse this with booster packs though, larger capacity engines that require higher cranking amps to get them started will need larger capacity booster packs. I think this is where a lot of confusion comes into this, and also where manufacturers take advantage of this and spout out a lot of crap as i said a charger is a charger , its the batteries that are different Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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