OT: starting hassle.

Austin Shackles · 2008-02-14T17:39:34+00:00

OK, so the other day it was bloody cold, and the LDV declined to start withapparently sick battery. Got it a new one, although the old one not apparently dud, otherwise.Today, late morning, battery low and no startee.It's drawing about 0.15A in various things-that-aren't-off (like the tacho(which has a clock) and the immobiliser no doubt and so on. But 0.15A forabout, oh, 18 hours, shouldn't drain the battery, and besides, it's not doneso before. Measured between battery post and + terminal.It seems to be charging - 14.25V on the battery once running, put jump leadson and it fires up easily. Having run it for a bit, the battery seems to betaking about 5A from the alternator, which doesn't sound silly.Now, it could be that the alternator is ONLY producing 5A or a bit more, Isuppose. But it's still over 14V at idle with the headlamps on.All the high-current connections are solid and none are hot after starting,Starter is a possibility for poor starting, but why would that leave a lowbattery? Jump leads on (to the battery terminals, not the block) and itfires up pronto, starter apparently normal. That seems to eliminate a verybad connection anywhere.Anyone think of anything else? I've charged the battery today and we'll see what happens tomorrow morning.

Feb 14, 2008 21 Replies

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Dave Liquorice 18 years ago

But in that month a constant low drain could suck the battery down suffciently for it not to have enough umph to start. Particulary with short runs in the cold with lights heaters etc on.

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Austin Shackles 18 years ago

On or around Mon, 18 Feb 2008 14:19:45 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Liquorice" enlightened us thusly:

In general it doesn't get short runs. The occasion when it first failed to start it'd not been run for several days.

since then it started fine this morning, despite arriving back yesterday evening after running home with headlights and blowers on.

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