Another 03STi Battery problem
 

After a few days of not driving the Scoob I went to start it up this morning and was met with the groaning sound of flat battery:(

Knowing this is quite a common problem on the MY03STi and that it will probably happen again I'm wondering what others who have experienced this have done about it. Assuming Subaru don't cover battery replacement under warranty is it best to replace the battery (if so for what model), keep it on charge at weekends or is there anything else people have done to stop this problem.

PS. Cheers to Subaru assistance who had someone out to me in under 10mins this morning:)

Your dealer will replace the battery (well mine did anyway). The replacement seems better & I haven't had a repeat flat yet (Longest period inactive 3 days - the car not me! :D).
Steve

Dealer will replace under warranty - mine fitter a higher powered Varta.

Mark

Cheers Guys:) Will give the dealer a call first thing tomorrow.

This happens far to often for my liking :( I've not had a problem yet with my JDM STi9 SpecC, but it's playing on my mind more and more everytime I see one of these.

How long did you leave it before you started it on this occasion Glenn, was it just a normal routine in the week or had you been away and come back after a while?

Dealer replaced mine with a Varta too. Did you notice the alarm chirping on start-up for a few weeks before the failure?

There are a few theories floating around regarding these problems. One is that the alternator is overcharging the battery, and thus reducing its lifespan (like charging a mobile every day). The other plausible one is that a faulty batch of relays which "leak charge" has been used on this generation of cars. One guy claims to have solved the problem on his by replacing the foglight relay.

Mine went just a week ago, and since having the new battery on, I've left the sidelights on to provide a little drain on the battery, and am having a new fog relay fitted next week. If the alarm starts to chirp again it's going straight back to the dealer before it fails again :mad:

Which dealer do you use Glenn?

Couldn't it just be a faulty batch of OEM batteries?

I've not had any problems since the Varta was fitted 6 months ago.

Mark

While I've not got an STI I have got a MY01 which has similar syptoms. I think the problem is a combination of the tracker/alarm and non-useage.

When I used the car everyday I had no probs. Now that I only use the car at the weekend I frequently get flat batteries. The solutions that I can see are

1. Get a bigger (60Ah) battery - SUK seem ready to do this as a warranty issue
2. Leave the battery with a trickle charger - a bit fiddly
3. Use the car more :)
4. Make sure you park the car on a hill :) ;)

Thank God.....

My MY03 STI has been dead for the last 4 weeks I haven't had the chance to get to the dealer as I broke my ankle so I've been laid up for the last 8 weeks

I was worried the alternator had gone.

When I get back on my feet do you think I should just turn up at the dealers or try and make an appointment?

Phone them up - they can come out to you and get it sorted ;) Just wait until your a couple of days from being ready to drive, so it doesn't go flat again

I had left the car for a week this time. Never had a battery problem before as I use it everyday for a 60 mile commute which helps keep it nicely charged! Did find it strange as I never had this problem with my other Scoobs which were often left for a couple of weeks between drives:confused:

Phoned my local dealer (Adams, Aylesbury) yesterday morning who said they will assess the battery and replace under warranty if required:)

Has anyone who had their battery replaced noticed a real change to the way their car drives afterwards. Even though mine starts ok now it still feels a bit sluggish, especially for the first few miles.

I've got an 03 STI. At 6 months old the OE battery went flat. Dealer replaced with the bigger Varta battery. All been fine for 6 months. However on Tuesday I tried to start the car - flat as a pancake.

Called Subaru assistance who recharged the battery - the guy said that the battery was holding charge and the alternator was charging, so something was definately draining the battery (and fairly quickly as the battery should have been fully charged as the last time I used it was 4 days before thr flat and I did 60+ miles on good run (and I don't use air con etc). The subaru guy also said that a tracker should never drain a battery that quickly - he said you "should" be able to leave a car for at least 3-4 weeks with no probs

Rang garage - car going back in next Thursday.

I'll post the results

Weird this. I've left my MY04 STI stood for 5 days every week for the last 3 months as I use another car for work. Every Saturday morning it fires up instantly having been stood since Sunday night. Mind you its now only done 2700 miles so maybe the battery is still "fresh".

I seem to remember reading on hear to always run with the sidelights on, I DO and have had no problems (MY03 STI UK) for 8.5 months and counting (touch wood ;))

Dave :)

What make is the OE battery? Does anyone know whether JDM cars have the same one (or indeed, the same problem in the first place)? I guess if it's the foglight relay, alarm or tracker, JDM cars should be OK (having none of these!).

After leaving my car for a fortnight at airport carpark it was rather reluctant to start.fortunately it did, however i did hear the alarm chirping whilst cranking the engine over.the car is only 9 months old, should i get a new battery under warranty?

Del

I left my JDM MY03 with a flat battery for a little over 6 weeks before starting it with jump leads. Drove the car around for an hour and the battery seems to be useable again (been using this same battery for 4 weeeks now). I've been meaning to change the battery but it just hasn't died for a second time! :cool: The longest I now leave the car undriven is 3 days and it seems happy with this.

About the power drain, I've got a mobile phone alarm installed (calls 3 set numbers if the car alarm sounds) and I'm sure this drains the power from the battery when it's recharging. So for me best not leave the car undriven for too long!

GROUP BUY ON MOBILE PHONEE ALARMS ANYONE....>

Dont worry ;)
You will acutally find that your battery is different to those on other STi's ;)
Its a high powered lightweight battery (no doubt will cost more to replace) but ive not had any problems with mine :D

Tony:D