Team-BHP - Battery goin dead... again and again...

Every time I leave my Gypsy all covered for a week, the battery is going dead. Atleast thats what i think has happened again today: i was trying to take him out for a spin and he just wouldnt crank. All the other electrical systems are working fine.

I last took him out on Friday for a 20 km drive (Kalyani Nagar and back) and he has been under the covers since. Surely the battery shouldnt be drained out so fast?

is the autocop system the culprit that is draining the battery?

Quote:

Originally Posted by COUGAR (Post 1410789)

there has to be a leakage of current some where, had you altered any electrical system recently?, and yes the central locking does take a constant supply from the battery, but not so much that the Battery gets drained, also go to a battery dealer and try to check the battery/ starter / and alternator

disconnect battery when not in use.

But first get the alternator checked.

Also go to any battery dealer who will use a voltmeter to take readings.
When engine off.
when engine on and idling
When engine on and under acceleration.

There are specific voltages that expected for each of the conditions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bblost (Post 1410822)

disconnect battery when not in use.

This can cause problems in itself. If you are to leave your car for a week this may be ok but any longer and you should really invest in a battery maintainer.

The battery on our Tata 407 engine generator used to be a complete pain so we just attached an automatic trickle charger to the battery. This keeps the battery in excellent condition and not had a problem so far even after trying the battery after several months of non use. It draws very little current so not too costly to keep hooked up all the time either. Going to attach a few of these to the batteries on our inverters to stop the batteries failing.

Looks like your battery has gone kaput which is why it is not starting. It could also indicate a problem with the alternator. How old is the battery?

If you are leaving the car idle for a week, this should not happen (even if you leave the security system on) so it is best you get it checked as bblost has mentioned.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigman (Post 1410929)

This can cause problems in itself. If you are to leave your car for a week this may be ok but any longer and you should really invest in a battery maintainer.

I agree a trickle charger is the best thing for storing battery for long durations of time.

but will you not need to remove the battery itself and fix it to the charger.
Or can you connect the charger to the battery, while the battery is still in its place under the bonnet.

I would consider the latter as a bad choice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bblost (Post 1410949)

but will you not need to remove the battery itself and fix it to the charger.
Or can you connect the charger to the battery, while the battery is still in its place under the bonnet.

Yes you are rightr you should really remove the battery and then put on trickle charge but I know one guy who has some old relic and he leaves the battery in the car and puts the trickle charger on and has not had a problem with it for years.

How old is the battery? If more than 24 months old, it may be signs of battery age.

It may be that the battery is not giving enough current / power for cranking (automotive batteries are designed to maximum power for short bursts). Sometimes, removing the battery and charging on a slow current over 48 hours (sometimes more), may help.

Would anyone you know have a spare battery ( in good working condition)? If yes, it might make sense to swap the batteries, and see how things work. Sounds more of an alternator issue from your description.
Also try cleaning out the terminals well. Most people use Pepsi/Coke to clean it, and then connect the wires back on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by COUGAR (Post 1410789)

Every time I leave my Gypsy all covered for a week, the battery is going dead. Atleast thats what i think has happened again today: i was trying to take him out for a spin and he just wouldnt crank. All the other electrical systems are working fine.

I last took him out on Friday for a 20 km drive (Kalyani Nagar and back) and he has been under the covers since. Surely the battery shouldnt be drained out so fast?

is the autocop system the culprit that is draining the battery?

you refer to your gypsy as "HE"??

alternator is not working to full capacity to charge your gypsy's battery!

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigman (Post 1410929)

Where can one buy these chargers/trickle chargers? Any idea about cost? We really have aproblem with the automobile batteries due to varying and often infrequent use.

However, if the car is not used even for 7 - 10 days, it still starts up. Don't know how much the battery drains in that period (I intend to check on that soon) but at the car starts without issue. Battery is definitely over 2 years old... and the battery also has the Silicon Systems burglar alarm to support.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parm (Post 1411158)

you refer to your gypsy as "HE"??

yeah its either that or "drag queen"! a gypsy is too "male" to be referred to as she aint it?

I doubt that it is an alternator problem 'cos the last time this happened (4 months back), i had got the battery recharged externally and have taken it on numerous drives (400kms+ each time) and obviously the battery is getting recharged?

The battery is as old as the car: ie around 3 years old.

Quote:

Originally Posted by whitemm550 (Post 1410817)

there has to be a leakage of current some where, had you altered any electrical system recently?,

well yes. i took out the old Sony CD player and replaced it with a newer JVC head unit and also put in a cigarrette lighter socket.

Someone was suggesting to me that instead of splicing wires at the battery end to get new power outs, i should consider buying some kind of a switch that plugs into the battery and provides power outlets for all the devices. Any gyaan on this?