Auto Electrician/Tester

[Pagey]

I've swapped the single Din CD player in my car for a double Din Sony DVD player with Tom Tom GPS module. I've added a relay to save running a wire to my handbrake connector other than that I used the existing connections.

My battery keeps going flat. Where can I test whether the battery is dud and needs replacing or is my DVD player or something else drawing from the battery when the car is not in use (most of the week).

I've Googled the current battery and it's supposed to be a good one, FB Gold and it's less than 2.5 years old. It has an indicator on it that is supposed to show green, white or red for the condition of the battery but looks black to me! The car has only been used a couple of times per month.

[STEVE G]

If you can't find a way of measuring load on the battery, just drive the car for a bit to make sure it's charged and then disconnect the battery for the time you're not using the car and see if it's still gone flat when you reconnect it in a couple of days.

[Nereus]

The car has only been used a couple of times per month..............and it's less than 2.5 years old

Both of those points could well mean that the battery is finished. What is the previous history? Do you just use it for a short run after standing around for 2 weeks? If you can take it out of the car and take it to a battery place they will test it for free, but just be aware that they MAY just tell you it is stuffed regardless. 2 years out of a battery here is about thhe norm.

In a dark place at night you could carefully remove the positive lead and look for a small spark. But as the car probably has some sort of alarm system, to be sure it would be necessary to measure th actual current, which should only be in the order of a few millamps.

[Pagey]

Thanks Steve, that's something I can try. After not using it for nearly a week the battery was flat so I jump started the car and drove to Cha Am three times in two days, with it starting first time for the other journeys. Then I never used it for over a week when the latest non start occurred.

The car has only been used a couple of times per month..............and it's less than 2.5 years old

Both of those points could well mean that the battery is finished. What is the previous history? Do you just use it for a short run after standing around for 2 weeks? If you can take it out of the car and take it to a battery place they will test it for free, but just be aware that they MAY just tell you it is stuffed regardless. 2 years out of a battery here is about the norm.

I've been here just over 4 years and never owned a car, don't really need one, so I wasn't sure how long a battery would last. I don't know much of it's history, I've only had it 6 weeks! The family that owned it since new hardly used it, it's averaged less than 2,000 Km's a year and I will probably do no more than that. So it will be stood around more than it will be used, probably just used once a week or so. I agree that I don't think the battery will be tested, just told a new one is needed, and I didn't want to flatten a new one if it's my cack handed DVD player installation that's causing the problem. But if 2 years is the norm for a battery then I will try Steve's suggestion first then take it to a garage for a replacement.

Can't say I've noticed battery sellers around here, where's the place to go ? It's only a small battery in a Jap imported car.

Thanks.

[STEVE G]

As you're heading from the centre of town to the north, there are a couple of places on the left before the Esso service station that do batteries, one has a Bosch sign outside.

[Gregjam]

Sounds like a smart charger would be a good investment. You can get them from Lazada and they have a quick connector you can permanently install so all you have to do is plug it in before you go away and unplug it just before you use the car at the weekend. Mine is a CTEK brand and is good. You will need a smart charger as this will cycle the battery rather than just charge it and possibly create a memory effect. Go to www dot CTEK dot com and if you do get be make sure it is compatible with the type of battery in your car.

[Ginjaninja]

Not running your car much is the worse thing for your car/bike batteries. I've had to replace all three batteries in all three of my bikes recently because they were sitting around for months without use.
Agree with Gregjam - an Optimate-style charger is what you need going forward.
http://accumate.co.uk/optimate%206.htm
Mine came with a lead so you can hard-wire to the bike and the receptacle is handy so I can just plug it in without exposing the battery when not using that particular bike.

GN.

Edit: I've kinda just repeated what Gj has said above.

[Pagey]

I brought a B & D jump start with me when I came here which had only been used once so I used that to jump start it then bought a basic charger last week. Never heard of a smart charger.

I do realise not using it much is not good for the battery as I understand they discharge slowly and not running the car doesn't put the charge back in.

[PeteC]

I would think starting the engine and letting it run until up to normal temperature, about 15 minutes, every 2-3 days would keep the battery in good shape. Anyone think that idea is not beneficial? Pete

[georgy]

I would think starting the engine and letting it run until up to normal temperature, about 15 minutes, every 2-3 days would keep the battery in good shape. Anyone think that idea is not beneficial? Pete

Idling the engine is useless pollution. The generator does not generate enough power to charge the battery.
In this climate batteries can die fast, 3 years can be enough already.

[Nereus]

I would think starting the engine and letting it run until up to normal temperature, about 15 minutes, every 2-3 days would keep the battery in good shape. Anyone think that idea is not beneficial? Pete

Does more damage to an engine than a battery will ever cost. It takes around 10 to 15 Kms to both get an engine up to an even operating temperature, and, depending on how well the engines start, whether it is petrol or diesel, to replace the energy used by the battery starting it.

The best solution is as posted, a "smart" battery charger that will manage the battery, or just be prepared to buy a new one every couple of years.

[VincentD]

If the battery is around two years there's a good chance the battery is shot. Also if you can't read the battery state indicator it probably means you need a new one. (You need to look from directly above, not from the side). It's the heat in the engine bay that kills the batteries.
You can also do a parasitic battery drain test if you have an ammeter and are so inclined, here is a website I used to use when I owned a SAAB 900 SE turbo and did a lot of the maintenance myself - http://www.swedishwrench.com/battery.htm (Mods please delete if you feel it is inappropriate, don't know how to link)

My battery would last just over a year even with an insulation jacket (fiberglass!) as the turbo gets quite hot. I also used to get expensive batteries - Puma silver calcium (not lead acid) and these came with an 18 month guarantee. My battery would typically die before that so I'd get a replacement for THAT battery (Yes, in Thailand!)

Get a replacement sealed maintenance-free battery as it saves you a lot of hassles.

[Pagey]

Thanks guys.

Yes, I've realised I need a new battery which I will get next time I go out, either this afternoon or after the weekend.

My hesitation was that the car had started first time every time I used it, admittedly only a handful of times in the short time I have had it, although I did have a run out to Bang Saphan with no problems.

I decided to change the CD player for a double din DVD player with USB connection and GPS module etc. After fitting it I spent a bit of time making sure everything worked, DVD, USB connected to ipod, bluetooth telephone connecton, tuning the radio and playing with the GPS maps etc. Then when I tried to start it there was no power, not even enough to close the windows. That's why I wondered if the DVD player or something else, was drawing on the battery. It's probably just that the battery was on it's last legs and an hour or so of using the DVD without the engine running finally killed it.

So I will look for the places that sell batteries that Steve mentioned, I've seen tyre places up there so maybe the same places sell batteries.

[STEVE G]

So I will look for the places that sell batteries that Steve mentioned, I've seen tyre places up there so maybe the same places sell batteries.

There's a tyre place called Cockpit and the main place that sells batteries is just past it, if I remember correctly. I'm sure plenty of other shops have them but there is at least one shop there that just does batteries, chargers and auto electrics.

[Nereus]

I've swapped the single Din CD player in my car for a double Din Sony DVD player with Tom Tom GPS module. I've added a relay to save running a wire to my handbrake connector other than that I used the existing connections.

Not sure that I follow your reasoning with this? What has a relay got to do with the handbrake connector?

Replace the battery by all means, but take the car to the shop and ask them to test both the alternator charging, and the current draw with the engine off and the key out. As posted previously, the current drawn from the battery with the engine stopped should only be in the order of milliamps, around 30 or 40 Ma. (0.030 / 0.040 amps.)