Andy Charleton

iTrader: (1)

Help!!!

My RB320 won't start. I've been unable to drive it for a month due to having a dodgy knee. Tried starting it for the 1st time today and it won't start. Automatic locking works fine. Lights all work. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

Tone Loc

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like it just needs a jump start... then take it for a drive. Flat battery after a month wouldn't be unusual.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Put headlights on and crank engine. If the lights dim a lot, it's the battery, so get it charged.

phil739

iTrader: (30)

be the battery mate
these cars are big lumps and need a full charged battery

Andy Charleton

iTrader: (1)

Ok thanks guys. Will try and jump start it either tonight or tomorrow and will see how it goes. Cheers

Scooby Soon!

be careful when you jump it, mine sounded like a bag of spanners when it started after a month of no use, gave it a few revs and the ECU light came on

Luckily I had an obd2 link to reset it.

Andy Charleton

iTrader: (1)

Jump started it for the 1st time today and it started fine. Only drove it a few miles, left it a couple of hours and it wouldn't start again. Am now charging the battery and will try again this evening.

Question is, will I need a new battery or will this battery once recharged be ok?

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Drive it with the lights on for a good while then see.

dunx

iTrader: (3)

Both my OEM batteries died after what I considered a short life, just invest in a decent one.

dunx

P.S. Most Jap cars only need to last three years due to super-strict "MOT".

mgcvk

Batteries supplied with the cars seem to be cack and can't cope with the extra drain of trackers and alarm. A calcium battery from Halfords for just over £80 solved my problems. Think these batteries come with a four year guarantee as well.

prodriverules

iTrader: (52)

Just get the battery electronicly tested mate as it will tell you if it will hold charge or not

ProdriveSTI

sounds like you will need a new battery - once its goosed - will never holdor keep charge

I would invest in a trickle charger

Beastie

iTrader: (2)

you need a battery maintainer. If the battery has only gone flat over a month it will be fine when it is fully charged again as it hasnt had a chance to sulphate.

Halfords do a very good battery maintainer for 25 quid which i use on my 06 STi and which prevents the same thing happening to me. I work away a lot and my car sits in the garage on the maintainer for long periods.

The tracker unit will flatten the battery in about 2 - 3 weeks and this is your problem.

Luckyscoob

iTrader: (2)

I had exactly the same with my 2006 STI. After a couple of weeks of not being used it was flat. I now have a trickle charger that also reconditions the battery. I left it on for 48 hours and ever since then its been fine, even to the point that I can now leave it a couple of weeks and it wont go flat. As far as I can see its down to my car doing virtually no miles and the tracker draining it.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Car batteries are damaged whenever they are allowed to get discharged (look up sulphation). Sulphation happens whenever the stage of charge drops below 80% (about 12.4volts).

In this state the battery is being damaged, but still has plenty of capacity to start the car. As time progresses the suplation increases and becomes harder and less likely to be dissolved by normal charging. Hard sulphation also bends and warps the plates within the battery, wrecking it and reducing its overall capacity. Charging does remove light suphation if done in time, but batteries left in a low state of charge for long duration will suffer permanent loss of capacity.

The onus is to charge it, and keep it charged. Never let the open circuit voltage drop below 12.4volts.

Also use a proper intelligent four-stage charger like a C-tec or Optimate; most other chargers will "boil" batteries when they reach full charge, which gasses off the electrloyte, again reducing the battery's capacity.

Driving the car will not fully charge a battery; A 60AH Battery will need 10 hours at 6amps to get it up to about 80% (bulk charge) - A 60amp alternator in theory can charge a 60AH battery to 80% in an hour...BUT it will need to be driven at max speed (6000rpm) for an hour to get that - who drives their car at 6000rpm for an hour? (except RA-owners ). Also the car won't be driven long enough to get that last 20% (absorption charge) or remove any light sulphation - the latter stage can take over 24hours, as the battery's ability to accpet current reduces at it becomes charged (unless one raises the charge voltage - which will cause excess gassing)....and who drives their car for 24hours anyway?

Everything you need to know about lead-acid batteries is here: http://www.batteryfaq.org/

Since reading that and getting a proper charge (Optimate), I've never knackered a battery since.

Flaps

iTrader: (1)

Same happened when I didn't drive my WRX for a week. Worse thing was each time it didn't start the bloody alarm set off! It happened when filling up at the petrol station too!
I ended up getting a new battery and it's been fine since.

gallois

The newage impreza also has a rediculous 'smart' charging system, whereby if there is no load on your electrics, i.e. you are driving with no lights, heater on etc, then apart from the first few miles of driving, the alternator does not charge the battery ( i use an OBD2 datamonitor, and can see this happening) what i have found is that if you put your side lights on, or the heater to it's minimum setting, this will be enough to engage the charging system. Having the radio on is not enough.

D1CCY

Tracker uses 50 mA if working correctly. Doing the arithmetic for 4 weeks this totals 33.6 AH so not much left to start car after a month even with a good battery.