Need your help guys. Had my bugeye for about 10 months, no probs so far till now! Keep getting a flat battery. Now I don't drive it in the week, works van etc. But I take her out every 2 days for a run on the motorway. Bought a new battery, ok for two weeks or so then the same thing. No lights are on interior boot etc. Even left the alarm off but no good. When the engine is running the volt Reading is 14v. Am a service engineer so I know the basics of batteries. Any ideas guys. All help big or small is much appreciated!

I've had the tracker on the car since i bought it. Only seems to have happend in the last couple of months.

In the last 7 days, i've had the car out Thurs Nite, Friday, Sat, Sun, and Monday. Went to start it tonight, Nothing. I thought it sounds like the Alternator, but with 14v charging it, it can't be can it! Any ideas what test on the Alternator i can do or something else.

If need be I'll take it Taylor Motors in Stockport. Maybe Rick might know what it is. Most of you on here know Rick, Has a Black Scooby himself. Straight guy, never cons you or out.

But if it's something and nothing, i'll have ago first!

Cheer's Craig!


SORRY, PUT IT ON WRONG THREAD BEFORE Am An ****!!!

 

use it more craig proberly a drain somewhere

 

Has to be mate. But surely not in 48hrs, bet it's something really simple and stupid.

 

You got an audio amp or a cd changer in it mate? - try disconnecting them if you have - had a few amps over the years that have misbehaved and had a cd changer go faulty in my old mans motor a few months back that drained an optima red-top in less than 24 hours!

 

Have you been running the car with any diagnostic tools or logging?

 

have you got smaller pulleys? i thought i heard somewhere that the small pulleys don't charge batteries so efficiently. If its a new battery it might never have had a deep charge. you might be getting 14v but not enough current, or something.

 

Remove the battery +ve terminal, if you have a multimeter put this in series, i.e. one lead on the battery, and one on the cable that went to the battery, see what current is being drawn, make sure ignition is off as most meters will only measure to 10 amps.
This should give you an indiction of current drain.

 

If you then divide the battery AH figure with the current reading you get it will let you know how many hours the batter should last.

eg 0.25amp battery drain on a 70ah battery = 280 hours (or 11 - 12 days)

Tel

 

No mate nothing. Just the Bog standard head unit! I know what you though.

 

Nothing pal. i haven't got anything like that! I just service and repair Pallet Trucks and Electric Ones.

 

As far as i know there just the standard ones. Strange thing is out off all the Mods i have done, nothing has changed as in Electrical or under the Bonnet.

Just some small Chrome covers and a Strut Brace. Been fine for about 8 months, just seems to be the last 2-3 months She's playing up

 

Cheer's bud, i'll try that and let you know whats what. Bloody things flat at the moment. Again

 

Thanks mate, better get the Calculator out for this one. **** at maths

 

I had the same issues, mine lasting 3 days max. Was told if the battery for the tracker is knackered then it constantly draws from the car battery, i have replaced the tracker so will see. I also have just purchased a trickle charger so if it keeps happening then trickle charger it is.

 

i have exactly the same issues, i only use mine at the weekends and always have a flat battery.

i've got myslef a trickle charger from the bay and leave it plugged in on my driveway. seems to help (at least with the alarm) only cost around £12 ans is solar powered.

 

Check the current drain, by lifting the lead from the positive, place the meter in series and measure ampage. I would if thought the current drawn would be a few milliamps. You can then go pulling fuses out to see which circiut is causing the problem.

Note. During cold weather battery performance is affected. I use a battery tender all the time I'm not using my car.

 

Thanks guys for all your help and advice, nice to know there's people out there when you need em



Quick up date. Did a volt reading on my battery today. 10.8v. Had afew words but got a new Battery anyway. The guy in the shop told me to call back with the car so he could test the charge on the Car. (won't swap the battery again he said otherwise)

Got there, turned everything on, All lights, heaters, aircon, wipers all on full etc. Tests it out and the battery was reading only 12.6v. Some reason the Alternator wasn't charging it. (can't get another battery now)

Rang rick (Taylor Motors, Stockport, SMACS GUY) said bring it round but it sounds like the Alterntor. Going in the morning before work. Fingers Crosed something easy and cheap A loose wire or fuse etc.

Let you know what he finds out

Cheer's again Guys!

 

Is yours like this Phil:


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

 

yes but you will need the one that clamps to the battery or to rewire the lighter socket to a permenant live so it will charge with the ignition switched off.

 

yes but you will need the one that clamps to the battery or to rewire the lighter socket to a permenant live so it will charge with the ignition switched off.

 

Tried to post up for 2 days, nothing. Seems ok now

Called at Ricks Place yesterday Morning in Stockport over the Battery problems i keep having.

Only took him 10mins to check it over! He couldn't find a fault with it. Said there was 3 things that could cause it.

1: Alternator, that was ok. 14.4v Charging/13.8 with all Lights on Air Con, Heater Controls etc.

2: Battery, that was ok. So far it was reading 12.98v.

3; Discharge, nothing there. With the Engine Running he took the -Negative Terminal off and put his mutli meter on that cable and the Negative on the Battery. Said it was 3.8 or something on those lines.

Even got the guy from next door to get his Meter Out and check it. All ok!



Strange or What

May be i just got a New Dud Battery. Time will tell.

Rick never even Charged me for it. Will sort him out when he Services it next March

JUST WANNA SAY THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR HELP, TIPS AND ADVICE GUYS

Ordered that Solar Charger Phil on E-Bay. £13 with p&p. Just Incase!

Cheer's Craig

 

Can you change these tracker batteries? I had one fitted a few years back and also had to get a trickle charger, on my 3rd battery and it will drop battery charge in a week (wont start, 11 volts). I've got the RAC trackstar jobby....would love to get this fixed, even thinking 2nd battery in boot now.

Anyone got the link to the solar panel charger? I'd be keen to get one as worried when use my motor for hols next year it wont start after being on the beach for couple of days lol.

 

try driving with lights on all time as had a tip on here a while ago that it wont charge battery if it doesnt have something needing it,not sure if it works but wont hurt.hth

 

I found another forum which stated the board was changed on the RAC trackstar which gave sleep mode on tracker of 1 hour instead of 7 hours...at cost to buyer though and was back in 2006. Wonder if can still do it...?

 

Cant say I agree with that one as if you start with low battery or even fully charged, my Volts gauge jumps up to voltage of alternator readings, ie so charge is getting to battery all the time...

 

remember that the newage does not charge the battery unless there is something electrical switched on, a so-called 'intelligent' alternator. i have a data-monitor which provides real-time readouts from the ECU and have looked at this closely. the first few mins of driving the batt will read 14v, the voltage will drop to 12v soon after unless something is switched on and drawing current, i always put the heater on 'min', some people put their side lights on, either way, you need to have a current draw to allow the batt to be charged. imo a really stupid idea.........

i see you are getting conflicting readings when testing your battery. but do it again with no current draw i.e. no interior light, sidelights, heater etc, then do it with the lights or heater on.

 

That really is a daft idea if it does the same thing when battery is low...ie start car (just) charges to 14 for few mins, then drops charge even though battery still not much better than it was before...I'll check mine at next run as not noticed it drop like that, got digital gauge for it so no problem there.

What about other things running, like DCCD, could that draw enough to kick off constant charge?

 

Hi all,

I've phoned RAC trackstar, they confirm the tracker motherboard can be replaced by one with decent sleep timing, means unit goes to sleep must faster once ignition switched off....cost 250 I think it was though, ouch

Need new battery first.

 

Had the standard RAC TrackStar board changed for the 1 hour board on MY 05 STi Type UK & it made no difference.
This was after numerous new batteries fitted under warranty, in approx 18 months.

The RAC tech guy said that the issue is deffinitely not with the tracker, its with Subaru & the charging system used.

Get a CTEK smart charger!

 

I'm still a bit confused here, as I have a trickle charger and I can leave that running, fully top up the battery, disconnect it from charger and it will be flat in a week without running the car - this means something (like the tracker) is drawing loads of amps all the time, yes?

Has anyone found a fix apart from charging from mains, what about when go on hols away for 2 weeks with the motor?