Worlasshasansti

My battery lasted 3 days on the drive this time lol, I should have known, had to be at the garage short notice had 5 mins to get there for mot, ran in the house grabbed the key pressed the doofer and bang......nowt not even enough juice to open the door!!

It jumped off my work van and then passed mot with flying colours so happy ending at least

Mick

submentalbass

Mick fully charge your battery via the mains and you are going to have to carry out and drain test or get a garage to do one have a look at my drain figures been told they are ok 150ma for 6 hours and 20ma when all shut down after six hours almost certain my problem is my tracker and would not suprise me if yours is also the tracker

Worlasshasansti

Well the problem I've got is going off the crack on here its got a lot to do with the tracker, amongs other little things, but if the battery is draining and there's nothing you can do about it, then pretty much all I can do is use a c tek conditioner or similar.

I'll just have to hope one of the local doylems doesn't see the wires on my drive and interfere with them lol.

I was thinking of just charging the battery, then disconnecting the battery when I'm not using the car but obviously the alarm won't function then and there's a chance a thief would be smart enough to pop the bonnet and connect the battery back up.

Cheers

Mick

marshall332bhp

i still dont understand hows its just started mick as i say the car stood for 2 weeks every month while i was offshore always started first turn when i got home.

Worlasshasansti

Alreet chris, how's the new motor treating ya?

I'll look into it properly when I get a minute then I suppose, I've put a new battery on and its draining it in about 3-5 days lol.

I just hope its not the flux capacitor!

Mick

Worlasshasansti

Alreet chris, how's the new motor treating ya?

I'll look into it properly when I get a minute then I suppose, I've put a new battery on and its draining it in about 3-5 days lol.

I just hope its not the flux capacitor!

Mick

marshall332bhp

still loving it mate. feels like am going backwards like compared to the impreza but i wont get bored of the blokes staring in envy at it then looking confused when i get out of it.

if its the flux capaciter ya fooked unless ya can predict a lightning strike!

marshall332bhp

still loving it mate. feels like am going backwards like compared to the impreza but i wont get bored of the blokes staring in envy at it then looking confused when i get out of it.

if its the flux capacitor ya fooked unless ya can predict a lightning strike!

marshall332bhp

i need to change my avitar it doesnt belong to me anymore ;(

Paul silver sti

There is nothing wrong with anybody's tracker, battery or alternator!

Had a problem with flat battery on my 03 sti, I changed the alternator and the battery but made no difference.

I did some research.................. newage cars have smart charge!

Smart charge is the third wire from the alternator which goes to the ecu, that makes it smart, does it ****!

When there is no load on the alternator it stops charging, when a load greater than the ignition, radio etc appears the alternator starts charging so you need the side lights or heater fan on to make it charge.

Check it for yourself, put a meter on the battery and start the engine, 14 volts wait 15 seconds it drops to battery voltage 12.5 volts, turn the sidelights on and hey presto 14 volts! So if you only drive during the day without lights etc the battery will go flat.

I have tried to find a solution as I don't want to run lights or fan just to keep the battery charged but so far to no avail. If there are any Subaru technicians, proper ones not armchair experts or guessers, then a definitive answer would be appreciated.

Worlasshasansti

How is this relevant though buddy??

Everyone knows they have smart charge, I always have radio and sidelights on when using the car so whether I like to have the lights on or not my alternator should always be putting out a charge.

The problem is when the car is not used for a few day it drains the battery flat, which would point to the tracker as many have stated.

I would say the tracker amongst other things is causing a problem......it's wearing my fooking jump leads out!!

Mick

Worlasshasansti

Yes you do lol.

I wish I could work out how to make one of them there fancy avatars on this friggin iPad!!

Mick

Paul silver sti

Fair comment, check the battery drain, 0.15A is not unheard of considering alarm, tracker, radio etc so a 60A/h battery would theoretically last 16 days until flat so should easily start a car if left for a week.

Worlasshasansti

My biggest problem is I still haven't bothered to buy a charger of any sort lol.

The extra money I've spent on petrol to keep the battery charged could have bought ten chargers!

Mick

Da Matser

Assuming the battery is fully charged in the first place.

Many of us use these as weekend toys and a couple of hours driving on the weekend is not cutting the mustard. I too have a drain of around 150mA but it went flat after 3 days - and I'm not using the car cam (with parking mode) at the moment!

I think you're OK with a brand new decent battery (as I have been up until a couple of months ago), but once it gets middle-aged, it needs more runtime.

As a mains trickle charger is out of the question for me (being three storeys up), I'm getting the 4.8W solar charger from Maplin. I will be using the accessory socket, so will be modding this to be permanently powered (from radio feed) tomorrow.

Here's hoping...

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Holy thread revival, Batman!

Linus27

Not sure this is just limited to the STi as I am on my 2nd new age Blob WRX and both have had issues with batteries slowly losing charge. It's not as quick a 3 or so days but a week or so and it does not like it and over time the battery just gets worse and won't start. I know of another two WRX new age owners who have had exactly the same battery issues.

bloomydj

iTrader: (1)

let us know how you get on with the solar charger mate... very interested in this..

RussStiTypeuk

I was awoken last night at 4.00am with my 05 plate STi Type UK alarm going off !!

Tried silencing with the remote but no good, lots of clicking notice as previously mentioned, then I realised I had left both interior map reading light on grrrrr, had to disconnect the battery quickly and will be off to somewhere today to buy a new battery !!

What's the best to go for ?

Russ

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

http://www.autosessive.com/products/...mozxoCUonw_wcB

Over £100 at Halfords, you get 5% discount as well on the above.

Da Matser

Sorry it's taken a while to come back with the results, but 6 months on and we're still going strong with the Maplins solar charger. I wired the auxiliary socket to a permanent feed which I took from the back of the audio unit.
I can't remember the exact readings I got, but I think they peaked at about 180mA (in bright sunlight) which offsets the drain. It is well documented that trickle chargers (or battery maintainers) also extend battery life, so a good investment.
And finally, the minor faff of remembering to place it on the dashboard and plug it in each time offsets the when you find you can't turn your engine over!!

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Interesting. Thanks.