Electrical help required urgently

JohnnyN

I've been carrying out some tests on the car to find the drain on the battery. I have found a drain on fuse 13 which is the courtesy lights and glove box circuit. All the doors are shut and boot lid down and there is no light bulb in the glove box lamp holder. The drain is 0.15amp on my tester.

Any help appreciated.

63..

blue_se2

is the boot light on Johnny?

JohnnyN

Don't think so??

Funny thing is, i've just checked the Zafira and that's showing 0.30amps on the lighting circuit??? Woss goin on???????????

dodger

It's not the charging circuit for the interior light delay.

vocky

it actually feeds the door pocket lights, maybe a dodgy wire in one of the door shut looms notsure.gif

sorry I missed your call, you should have rang back a little later cheers..

JohnnyN

Noticed tonight that there are traces of battery acid around the top of the battery. The outer top profile of the battery has also distorted in shape. This isn't good for a sealed battery is it?

vocky

don't sound too good

remove the bulbs from the door pocket lights and see if the drain goes, it might be a buggered door switch allowing a slight current through

blue_se2

Leave the fuse out john and see if you still have the same problem could have been the battery not holding the charge?

JohnnyN

great minds! Doing now.

JohnnyN

Right then!

The car has been connected to the battery for 24 hours with the interior light circuit fuse disconnected. The battery is showing 12 volts yet the minute you turn the key the lights on the dash dim and fade and the battery has no power to engage the starter let alone turn the engine.

Would I correct in thinking that this is an amps problem? If so, can someone (Vocky,Daz,Timmee) explain how amps and volts work together to turn the engine??

Daz

http://www.autobatteries.com/basics/crank.asp

Alittle insight john...

JohnnyN

So is it possible to have a good voltage and a buggered cranking amp output? Would this indicate that the battery is unretrievable?

vocky

I would say the battery ain't up to the job, too much current is being drawn and it's fooked the battery dunno..

You need a bigger/ better battery what..

might be worth fitting a standard battery in the boot

JohnnyN

Have a look at this Neil. I have also read on this site that the battery is good for 5.7ltr V8 engines.

http://www.odysseybatteries.com/battery/pc680series.htm

Also have read of this reference to the Metal Jacket/Non Metal Jacket. I have the non metal jacket and my battery has swelled and it is leaking.

http://www.odysseybatteries.com/odyssey101.htm#mj

Jamee

dont sound goo, i would take it as the battery being fubbered, whats Jon said????...is there space for a bigger one to be fitted, or you could the same one, and hope it was just a dodgy odd one.

JohnnyN

I'm going to call Jon tomorrow. He'll know what to do. There are 2 variants of the same battery. On is metal jacket and the other not. I have the non metal jacket which isn't to be exposed to temps. higher than 25`. The heat causes the plastic jacket to expand and buckle thus causing the lead plates to expand leaving the battery ruined. Mark Watts has the same battery but his is secured in the old airbox and is protected from heat.

Jamee

that sounds like the problem then John, temps getting to much for it, try and make up some cover like Mark has done.

vocky

25 degrees !, well thats the problem then, similar to what I was thinking, too much current = gets hot and the cells die

JohnnyN

have you read those links above?

vocky

oh yes, buy a bigger battery and stick it in the boot :lol:

or buy one with a metal jacket to stop fooking them rofl..