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Neil-h

Covid lockdown battery issues

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So this thread is the result of some boredom induced curiosity. I’ve seen a couple of threads on here recently about people with battery related issues (and I bought a charger on the weekend after my car refused to start on Friday). So I’m wondering, how many people on here have had battery related issues since the start of the Covid19 lockdown started?

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I replaced my battery back in November or so when I knew it was getting weak. I've only started my car twice in the last month and driven around 50 miles on the two times I've used the car for work. No problems here. Left it for 16 days before starting a week ago. If your battery isn't lasting okay and is dying in a week or two it's time for a new battery. Modern cars are far more fickle than older cars when it comes to the state of the battery. 

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Interestingly my 86 usually spends more time on charge than my Telsa but recently due to the quite roads I have found myself digging the 86 out of the garage and using it a couple of days a week for my commute. 

However since my 86 is a toy is often spends a long time in the garage, the battery died on me a couple of time. Often when I left the car unlocked (the car uses less power when locked as the electronics go to sleep) I left it unlocked after I read all the storys of people snapping keys. Then I left it locked and it was dead by two weeks in. I replace the battery and its been on a Ctek charger ever since as I often leave it months without use.

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Yep, my stock 48Ah Panasonic battery is on its last legs. I should have a 60Ah Yuasa being delivered tomorrow. I have to drive to work on Friday and don't want to risk it.

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80ah battery on mine and its been fine for over a month before now. Got a cheap Aldi trickle charger ready to step in though if it doesnt have charge when we eventually come out of lockdown.

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Yeah, stock battery died after a couple of weeks of not being used.  Annoyingly my other half has a new PHEV and there was nothing under the bonnet that looks anything like useful for jump-starting, so I'll probably SORN mine until I can use it again and just get a new battery when the time comes.

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I think Toyota replace the original batteries with a bigger one, free of charge. You may have to argue a bit and try different dealers. My car has, since before I bought, had a 65Ah Toyota battery and I left it 2 weeks over winter and it was fine.

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Yeah, stock battery died after a couple of weeks of not being used.  Annoyingly my other half has a new PHEV and there was nothing under the bonnet that looks anything like useful for jump-starting, so I'll probably SORN mine until I can use it again and just get a new battery when the time comes.
Did you try the boot? Sometimes starter batteries are there instead of the bonnet.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

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My old CR-Z hybrid had a small 12V battery to power the electrics but it was started by the hybrid electric motor.  It was uncanny as the engine just started running without any starter motor sounds.  You could still jump start it if you needed, which was handy.

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34 minutes ago, BRZ-123 said:

Did you try the boot? Sometimes starter batteries are there instead of the bonnet.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
 

Didn't spend too much time looking to be honest, at that point I had somewhere I needed to be so when I couldn't see any obvious way to get it jump started I just left it.

My only driving at the moment is an occasional trip to the supermarket when I can't get a delivery slot, and that's about a mile each way so wouldn't be much good for the battery even if it were charged.  I won't bother doing anything until lockdown's lifted now.

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Let's be honest, we should be disconnecting our batteries at this time. The car will sit just fine for a number of weeks. It's just a pain to reconnect when you actually need to go somewhere.

Good time to buy shares in battery charger companies...

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Seeing that comment reminded me of a battery isolator I saw advertised in Max Power many years ago (just a switch with a fused bipass to keep the alarm powered). Only problem being that from what I can tell it’s the alarm that’s the bulk of the problem for the GT86.

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I have been leaving my aldi charger connected to the battery terminals with the charger sat on top of the engine and the lead coming out of the front of the bonnet and I leave the 3 pin plug sat on top of a front wheel. Once a week I run the extension lead out and put it on charge for the day. If I plan to use the car then I charge it the day before and disconnect the charger so I dont drive off over the plug!

Even if the battery gets really flat so the door wont open, I will be able to charge it up (well, thats the theory).

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The problem isn't entirely the battery. It's our cars have a high drain (suspected to be the alarm, regardless if it's armed or not) compared to others. 

Getting a bigger Ah battery just prolongs the problem occurring.

My maths may not be right and too simplistic but if say you have a current drain of 0.1Ah (i suspect the gt86 is higher than that) and a 48Ah battery in perfect condition that could discharge all of its capacity then surely it is going to be completely dead (not even power to keep electronics going) in 480hours or 20days max? Given our batteries under normal use won't be fully charged ever then it will likely be less before it's dead and less again as cranking takes a level of charge higher still. Moving up, a 65Ah battery would be about 27days max but likely less than that.

 

 

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My Optima yellow AGM battery is flat. Suspected it yesterday and confirmed it today. It's on the charger now.

Last started fine about 2-3 weeks ago, done maybe 4 miles in 6 weeks.

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With this thread on and the horror stories, I feared and went to try mine and luckily it started with no hesitation after 3 weeks of being untouched. The battery I have is an OE Panasonic one with 62Ah and 620 CCA. It is the old non sealed battery with top up covers. So tomorrow morning I might take the battery out and check the fluid levels in each cell and top up with distilled water, if necessary. This seems like going back a few years but if we have time , why not.

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Yes, you've probably seen the other thread with my fun from this week.  I realised looking at the date I knew I'd last driven it'd been 7 weeks in the garage aside from taking it out once for a clean.  That brief start up (x 2 as went back in the garage) likely didn't help.  This is with the larger battery Toyota fit.  Re-charged now and trickle charger setup.

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I think my car can go about 2 weeks without usage. Had to recharge the battery twice this year. The first time it was totally dead and the 2nd time it had power but not enough to turn over the engine. Yesterday it barely started having been unused for about 12 days.

 

Not sure if this is due to not using the car for long enough journeys or the battery is on its way out, either way, disappointing. Battery in our 9 year old Dodge is still going strong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I'm surprised how quickly the alarm/immobiliser drains the battery. Using the CTEK charger once a week, it takes a fair old time to move from 4 on to completion each time, even if I've used the car once or twice.

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19 hours ago, Willtl said:

I think my car can go about 2 weeks without usage. Had to recharge the battery twice this year. The first time it was totally dead and the 2nd time it had power but not enough to turn over the engine. Yesterday it barely started having been unused for about 12 days.

 

Not sure if this is due to not using the car for long enough journeys or the battery is on its way out, either way, disappointing. Battery in our 9 year old Dodge is still going strong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That'll be a sign your battery is on the way out I would say. I've left mine for 10 days, no problem though I am a critical worker so generally getting out about three times a week for work stuff which gives a 30 mile round trip each time. 

The GT is fussy with battery health and I think  this is true of many modern cars. The afermarket alarm probably doensn't help though. I'm on my third battery in just over 7 years. 

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Replaced the defective OEM one 3 years and 3 months ago with a Bosch S4025 (60Ah/540A CCA), that gave up on Friday (bad cell). It has been on the way for some time, cranking was taking that fraction longer prior to Covid, apparently driving once a week for 10 miles has broken its spirit. I've decide to raise the game this time and go AGM, LF069 Lucas (75Ah/720A CCA).

260W x 172D x 220H does fit with a good few MMs to spare.

 

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