How long should a parked S1's battery last?

[jamiey]

Motor had been parked for 12 days, went to use it yesterday and the usual Weegg click, click, click not enough charge to start shenanigans happened.

It had a new battery in Jan and I've been using it, the last run was about an hour so it should have charged the battery...

There's still some charge left so I hope to save it (except it's parked nose to the curb so I have to hope that the car next moves so I can get the Bee Emm into jumping position)

It seems to be lunching batteries at a scary rate, I'm sure it didn't wasn't quite so battery hungry, does this seem excessive?

[roadboy]

2 weeks is about right. Especially at this time of year.

Dan

[jamiey]

Cheers, I need to up my "Darling, I need to go a run in the Elise, else the batery will run out" rate.

Getting to the right end of the year for it too

[Rich H]

Trickle charger? Mine lasts about that long too. Goes flat at 3 am and the alarm goes off. Fortunately I have the old Cobra with the override key

[robin]

If you don't turn on the alarm (the immobiliser will cut in anyway) then it will last longer, though maybe only another week or so.

You can also invest in a battery isolator if you need to leave it parked on the street and cannot connect it to a trickle charger. That way you can just hit the isolator when you're going to leave it parked up for a while, then rearm when you're ready to drive it next.

A 1 hour run might not fully re-charge the battery from near flat, but won't be far off it - probably charge at 50A, battery is 50-100Ah IIRC, so a one hour run at 50A charge rate should get you close. You might already have killed the battery, or the alternator might not be working properly.

Cheers,
Robin

P.S. Or, you might find that there is some other cabling issue with earth straps or battery terminals ...

[Corranga]

Mine was in the bodyshop for about 4 weeks without running before the infamous alarm going off moment (it's heated through the week in there mind).
Unplugged and left for another month or so, then charged enough to get it going. Left for another week and it started up easy enough.

The fan freaked them all out when it kicked in as the bearings are stuffed. It's a noisy little bugger

Fingers crossed yours should be the same. Reckon you want to slow charge it if you can rather than trying to jump start or fast charge it.

Chris

[Rich H]

Wouldn't isolating the batt set the alarm off???

[robin]

No, provided the alarm is disabled when the battery is isolated it will remain disabled. This is precisely so that you can safely disconnect and leave disconnected the battery ...

Cheers,
Robin

[ed]

Ive just fitted one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Battery-Disconnec ... 35a7243d04

Great if you have no spanners or your garage is dark!

[Mikie711]

My Exige lasted 9 weeks before it gave up the ghost. But I think the battery is so deeply discharged it might not recover. Will know more in the morning.

[mwmackenzie]

Mine sometimes goes a month or more outside without starting and seems OK.... I make sure everything is off before cranking over. Oh that is without the alarm set, 2 weeks odds with alarm on.... My main problem is the RS14's binding to the discs all round after a week or so standing still

hic

[robin]

Switching everything off while cranking is not all that relevant - cranking current ~200A, fuel pump, injectors, coils & ECU ~20A, everything else (excluding headlights), 10A?

Cheers,
Robin

[jamiey]

It was two weeks just on immobiliser...

Haven't been able to jump start it as a 4X4 has been parked next to it for the last few days...

I'm off down south tomorrow so I'm going to have to disconnect the battery as I don't have time to sort it tonight.

Silly Q the alarm won't go off if I disconnect when on immobiliser only will it? *Ignore this I see Robin has already answered this above... RTBP Jamie

[robin]

I always arm and then disarm the alarm just before removing the battery lead; that said, if you've allowed the system to auto-arm the immob (and left the alarm off) then I think it will be OK ... by now you've probably found out.

Cheers,
Robin

[Shug]

I always arm and then disarm the alarm just before removing the battery lead; that said, if you've allowed the system to auto-arm the immob (and left the alarm off) then I think it will be OK ... by now you've probably found out.

Cheers,
Robin

Nope - if the immob is on, mine always goes batsh*t when you try and disconnect the battery. To the point that I now loosen the clamp, arm/disarm, then take off, just to be sure it's not immobilised while I've been at the battery clamp.