mikeyw

Howdy - just back from my holidays to find my CS400 dead - battery totally drained. Car not driven for about 3 weeks as i'd been using the Spec B. I did have a battery warning from the metasat, but then the metasat stopped responding (going to talk to metasat about that one!!).

Its the second time its occured, the first time the battery was not holding charge as it should and was replaced.

Is it normal for a tracker to drain a battery in this way? - as i'm told that it is....!

If so, can anyone recommend a good solar charger that I could leave charging when the car is left for periods of time?

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

This does seem to be quite common, and 99% of the time it's the Tracker at fault.

The problem is, if it's completely flattened the battery, that will have damaged the battery too, so a new one will be needed.

As for solar chargers, sorry, I can't help, I have no experience of them.

mikeyw

thanks for the help - when you say at fault, would you say that it should NOT be running the battery down, or that its common and usual for it to??

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I'm sorry, I can't say: all I know is what I've picked up on here, that Trackers have been known to run batteries flat.
Trouble is, folk who post about it never come back and say, "Oh it was faulty", or say it happens to them all........

Infected by sti

iTrader: (6)

Had this prob on my 03 blob sti,went away on hols for just over 2 weeks and battery was dead upom return! been sorted since i set the clifford alarm to start it when it knows the battery voltage has dropped to its limit, just thought id mention it, may not be the fix your after but it has certainly stopped the battery from going dead on mine and aint happened since

S3LDM

I have the same problem on my 2007 hawkeye STI, I dont use it that often and after about a week half of no use it drains the battery.

Its the tracker causing this, so when its in the garage now for longer than a week i put the battery charger on the battery on trickle charge.

I know this is no good if its parked up while your away on holidays, solar charger is the way forward on this though i think, and its not that involved putting one in its a question of where do you put the solar panel..!

mikeyw

Thanks - trickle charger it is then - or take the tracker off, but that would be a bit daft and the insurance co would not be happy!!!

S3LDM

Yea best leave it on...

AndyMoody

iTrader: (2)

I use a battery conditioner, safe to leave on and won't overcharge your battery.
I've got this but it does 12 or 24v, plenty of different makes about.

http://www.thegreenreaper.co.uk/Batt...aintainer.html

360ste

iTrader: (1)

The main issue is the Subaru battery is (I think vodka allowing) about a 45 to 50 ampere hour battery. So a 1 amp discharge will drop the battey voltage to end point in 45 to 50 hours. A tracker, radio, clock and alarm might be pulling 0.3 amps so that means the battery will be down to end point voltage in 150 hours, so approx 7 days. I know if I leave my bugeye for 10 days I need to put the battery on charge or jump start if needed quickly. I got a charger from Halfords that fully charges the battery then swithces into maintain mode. We all love to have top line gadgets and ICE. The more you add the shorter time your battery will last. As too deeper discharge can "F" a battery I do have a old battery to fit if left longterm.

Sy5

iTrader: (6)

My bug had a similar problem. Mine was caused by a bad earth on the inlet manifold. All ok now and do lots of short journeys. I just remember to put the side lights on when I drive it. Every little helps.

Terrier167

I have an 06 Hawkeye and suffer from the same problem when its left idle for over a week.
I'm on my hols now and have parked it outside my folks for the duration and the alarm starting going off due to the battery being low, scared them half to death :-(
I have a RAC Tracstar on the car somewhere (anyone know where it might be) but have never paid to have it enabled, would this still use power and cause the battery to drain ?