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flat battery

Alpine

Member
i've just got back from a 2 week holiday and my battery is flat. I've got it on the trickle charger now but is it normal for a battery to go flat in such a short time ?
 
No, you should be able to last 5 to 8 weeks pretty easy.

However, you are not alone with this problem. The first step is to stick an ampmeter between the positive cable and battery post with the car off and at rest and see what you are drawing to keep the radio memory, alarm, etc. running. You should see somewhere around a 0.050 to 0.075 amp draw. If you are higher you know you have an extra draw somewhere.

Standard procedure is to start pulling fuses and watch when the draw drops and you know what circuit to go after. Common problems are aftermarket sound systems, the alarm, glove box light staying lit due to faulty switch, and the front door switches staying engaged and powering up.

You could also just have a bad or dirty battery. Though dirty isn't as likely with RHD cars. But look at the battery top and see. What happens is you get a halfway decent conductor built out of dirt and salts and it soft shorts between the positive and negative posts. Soft enough not to make sparks but it will drain the battery in a week or two.
 
There was a posting on here simular a few weeks ago. Try and swap the battery with another car. Sounds too simple but at least you would elimate the problem being the battery. Which it often is the case although the battery seems ok with test meters.
 
After having the frustration of difficult starting due to low/flat batteries (caused by insufficient use) I have hopfully solved the problem :-
To keep a decent battery in top condition I have done a double whammy & got a "Dis-Car-Nect" (quick battery disconnector) £9.99 incl. delivery from ww.speeding.co.uk and a Carcoon Battery conditioner (£40!) to keep it (intelligently) fully charged.
Hope this is of use, it should help if your battery is ok.
 
I had an older Clifford alarm, circa 1990, and that bugger sucked a lot of power. Don't know about the more recent versions' amp draw.

After having the alarm lock me out of the car while washing it with keys in ignition for the radio two times, I tore it out and repaired the hack wiring installation job. If you have the Clifford alarm that would be on the top of my list for battery drain.
 
ORIGINAL: Doc
Have similar problems with my cars battery going flat after a few weeks of non use. Has anyone tried solar panel battery chargers? I know we dont get much sun in this country but are they good enough to stop the battery going flat?

I had battery problems with my 944 which was regularly left idle for a week or so.

I tried a solar charger which I found helped to ward off the voltage drop, but not enough current generated by it to maintain the battery at full charge. However, it certainly meant the difference between there being enough charge to start the engine - or not if I didn't use it.

Bear in mind solar chargers will still generate a current in daylight, but not as much as it will in direct sunlight.
 
I had to do exactly the same thing yesterday on my 968, battery is kaput, accumate couldn't save it so the one from the S2 is in instead (I have a race battery for the S2). Both cars will require some amount of climbing into the boot from the one of the doors. The 968 has a cable under the carpet in the back near the lock to make things a tad easier, in 44 probably need to turn the linkage in the middle by the lock by hand. I have done this many times in my S2. Then you find of course that after fitting a battery the alarm goes of as soon as you open a door.

Apparently the 968 CS and some 944's have a cable boot release nearer to the driver, the 968 PET shows this, its something I will likely need on my S2 race car project in the very near future i.e. before access to the rear is made impossible by the cage.
 
Thanks

I did try looking for items related to flat batteries but could not find anything that anwered my question hence the post.

I will have a look in my engine bay tonight

Cheers Simon
 
The key should open the drivers or the passenger door so you might have a broken bit on your door lock.

on pre 87?? cars the boot could also be opened with the key (my oval dash 86 would).

Cars with the electronic boot release with a microswitch (87 on? - why did they change?) have a terminal under the bonnet in the scuttle area on the drivers side near the vacuum resovoir (black cylinder) Unscrew the blue plastic cover and attach a jump lead (+ve) and a negative lead to the engine somewhere you will have plenty of power to open the boot. You can then jump start in the usual way at the battery end - never tried doing it from the front as the cables seem a bit thin but it might be possible.

Tony




 
Said live terminal usually has a blue screw on cap,stick the negative lead on the engine lifting eye,open the boot with the key or button saves crawling through the car mine has non tilting Recaro Club Sports seats so is a major PITA. [&o]
 
Either climb onto the boot from the passenger area, pull back the carpet at the back of the boot & pull the chord to manually open the boot, or if you have another battery connect it to the positive post under the bonnet (look for a blue plastic cover next to the heater inlet on the offside) and a good earth on the shell somewhere.
 
Hi there,you can either climb over the back seat, unpop the press studs along the rear of the hatch and physically pull the bowden cables going from the actuator motor to the catches or if you open the bonnet just next to the off sde of the heater blower you will find a blue hex plastic cap with a thick wire running under it,if you unscrew the blue cap it uncovers a terminal that allows you to connect a positive jump lead,connect the other lead to anything onder the bonnet that will give you a good earth,this will then power your system to release the boot.DO NOT USE THIS CONNECTOR TO JUMP START THE CAR AS ALTHOU THE WIRE IS THICK IT IS NOT THICK ENOUGH TO POWER THE STARTER. Once in the boot you can jump start you car as per normal,hope this helps John.
 
oooooooops forgot to mention its a soft top ..Thanks

i'll get under the bonnet to the 'blue'cap ..many many thanks ..
 
On my 944 Lux 1986 I dont seem to have a button near the bonnet release to open the boot.
i have similar prob that the boot keyhole is frozen and the boot lid stuck down with ice,
Guess I will have to climb through.
Although I didnt kno about the neat idea of using the positive post under the bonnet - do I have that on my Lux?
steve
 
Only later cars which have an electrically operated hatch release (electric at the back of the car, irrespective of whether you have an electric release button in the cabin), have the terminal under the windscreen.

All series two cars should have an electronic hatch release. Its in the right hand side of the cabin though (alongside your right calf), not the left, which is where youll find the bonnet release lever. You car uses cables, so the only way to open the hatch if its all frozen up (although Id warm the car up myself, and wait, using nothing more than a hot key) is to pull the cables found behind the boot carpet along the rear panel.

Simon
 

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