Gutmann pug

Why oh why cant Subaru design a car that you can leave for more than a day or two without the battery going flat? Left it two days in the garage, turn the key, click nothing.........Then have to push it backwards out of the garage egt jump leads and other car to get the junk started.

If I can't rely on the crap I will have to reverse it into the garage as I know it wont start when I want it too. WTF is it all about.

Before this thread is inundated with buy a new battery comments I shouldnt bloody have to. It shouldnt need one and neither should the other 30% of owners who suffer from the same problem.......

Do I trust it to start again at the end of Rally day? god only knows. Expect a give me a jump start please phone call Mr Palmer

Clutter ..........

corradoboy

Do you leave the sidelights on Have you spoken to RAC Trackstar about the circuit board upgrade

As frustrating as it is, they are simply design faults and can be solved with quite simple actions. My 03 battery has been fine since May last year, and the car is often left 3-4 days during the week in winter, and I believe this new-found reliability is simply down to the use of sidelights fooling the smart alternator.

Get a new battery under warranty and try it, and maybe think about ringing RAC-T

GC8

Its probably caused by your RAC Trakstar! They dont go to sleep correctly and drain your battery.....

GaryScoobNCBR

I can leave mine for a month when i ride into work ...and broom..starts first time...

Gutmann pug

No I dont leave the lights on. Dont have RAC trackstar and my warranty went south no long after I bought it

Sorry but I work in an environment where design faults like this would not be tolerated. The shear number of returns under warranty would have meant a re-call and redesign was necessary. Yes you could say it was a battery and battery life is something you cannot garrentee but if you dont spec the right one in the first place you're knackered before you start.

Somebody must be getting all the return battery info from the dealers and ignoring it, great great service NOT


Gary

corradoboy

Just turn the sidelights on and your worries will be over.




Once you've got a new battery that is, that one will be fcuked if it's been drained a few times

Gutmann pug

OK so ley me get this straight, to retain the charge in my battery I have to leave my sidelights on???

Oh and thanks for the fcuked battery comment, I know that, thats why I have the hump


Gary

SirFozzalot

Only while you are driving! Something to do with a 'smart' (not very) alternator that only charges the battery when there is sufficient load on it....allegedly!

Hol

iTrader: (1)

According to my SECS, the Voltage is charging at 14.6, without the sidelights on.

I went away for ten days and mine was completely flat

Its has gone from a Sunday to Saturday with no problesmbefore though.

Im thinking of getting a trckle charger or small solar panel charger for my next holiday.

nunosm

yap....sides on OR vent fan in position 1....same thing...

But the stock battery is a piece of junk. Dont botter to ask for another in warranty. Better go to a bat place and choose a good (and with beter amps and capacity).

450-500 60A/h should do the trick. Stock is less than 53a/h (i think)

corradoboy

Put a tester across the alternator with the engine running and no other electrical devices turned on, 0V. Turn on sidelights, 14.6V. As stated, the alternator is supposedly smart, but not smart enough to realise that even though the battery might not need charge whilst you are driving, that it may need it for some considerable time when stationary. Agree with the better quality/capacity battery too

Gutmann pug

I understand all thats being said but lets be honest we shouldn't have to do anything, the bloody things should start end of story .,grrrrrrrrrrrr


Gary