Battery Problems

[Smurf]

Hi,

I have an R33. The battery is completely flat. It does this if I haven't driven for around 3 weeks. Normally I jump start it though this time I can't move the car to a place where the leads reach another car.

I have bought a battery charger. It says I need to take the battery out of the car. So far I am having a lot of difficulty in getting the battery out of the boot.

My questions:

1) Can I jump start the car from the battery or does it have to go through the points in the engine bay?

2) If I can't jump start from the boot and I have to get the battery out, are there any tricks associated with getting the battery out?

Thanks

[dezz]

hey mate

from memory the only thing really holding the battery in is the steel bracket above it, and the terminals themselves.

take the terminals off, and then unscrew the little nut which will be holding the plate down on top of the battery...the steel rod running down the front will come loose and you should be able to move it out of the way and slip the battery out

[Smurf]

i've got the bracket off. I can't unscrew the terminals. they haven't rusted, must just very tight.

[lingeringsoul]

get a new battery, if it keeps going flat then better off iwth a new one, I found out the hard way, getting stranded at the exit of a M2....not pleasant at all.

[Ant97GTR]

Yes you can jump from the battery but it is better to do from the points in the engine bay as they are closer to the engine (less loss).

You can disconnect the battery and charge it while it is in the boot. BTW how big is the battery???...I had a huge battery in there (commo/falcon sized) and had no trouble removing it.

[Craved]

3 weeks without driving it would kill most batteries when the car has a good alarm and some extra electrical add ons..

mines a 550CCA battery, and it'll die (well not enough to crank the car) after about 2 weeks.

jump start from the battery direct is fine too.

[AzzurrA]

the batteries in most modern cars will die if you don't drive them for approx 2 to 3 weeks... the onboard computer modules etc constantly draw a small supply from the battery, and over time that drains it.

I work in a roadside assistance callcentre as a job, and you would not believe how many people call up and wonder why their battery is dead after going on a 3 week holiday etc...

[AzzurrA]

oh, and i'll tell you the same thing that i tell my customers...

if the vehicle is jumpstarted, you need to drive the vehicle for approximately 45 minutes at highway speeds (or at higher revs, anyway) to put some charge back into the battery.

Leaving it idling in your driveway will NOT charge the battery

[R33TOM]

oh, and i'll tell you the same thing that i tell my customers...

if the vehicle is jumpstarted, you need to drive the vehicle for approximately 45 minutes at highway speeds (or at higher revs, anyway) to put some charge back into the battery.

Leaving it idling in your driveway will NOT charge the battery

i found out this out the hard way with my old car, thought i can start it up once every few days and let it sit idling for about 20 mins to re-charge battery, car started up for first few times than 2 weeks later, went to start, car just wont turn over.

[R33TOM]

also i was wandering if you unhook the negative terminal from the battery, how long will the battery hold charge just sitting there? will it hold charge more than 3 weeks?

[AzzurrA]

don't know exactly how long it will last just sitting there, but i do know it would last a hell of a lot longer than if you left it connected

to prove this point, when i was doing some product training on one of the cars we cover the other night (Ferrari F430) they pointed out that this model has a battery isolator switch, which you turn to off if you go on holidays etc, this will stop the battery going flat while you're gone...

[BecBoo]

When my battery in the R33 went it took me over an hour to get it out and then at least another hour fitting the new battery as the new battery is a different size I had to adjust the brackets. Not to mention the time taken to unbolt the amp and subs in the boot to get to the battery.

Approx 3 hours, some blood, (knuckles and fingers from the damn bracket) sweat & tears (I was chopping onions earlier - nah just kidding) the new battery was finally in.

Good Luck

[D-limo]

could be a short from dodgy wiring install...(Battery to boot relocation) If it stilll happens after your new batt may be an idea

[chaos]

I Didnt start my car for 2 weeks and my battery died, just jumped started it and drove it for a while to get the charge back...although mine was easy to jump start cause its in the engine bay.

[heartbrkr]

could be a short from dodgy wiring install...(Battery to boot relocation) If it stilll happens after your new batt may be an idea

R33 have battery in boot as standard.

Wet Standard (Sb/Sb) - High self-discharge rate (depending on the temperature, up to 50%-60% per month)

Wet "Maintenance Free" (Ca/Ca) - Up to 400% less self discharge

Sealed Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) VRLA - Lower self-discharge rate (typically 1%-2% per month)

i'm looking up details for a new battery myself.

same battery that has been in my car since i got it 2.5 yrs ago. doesnt use the breather tube, has filler caps, to is illegal inside trunk.

thing plays up every 6months or so. leaving the headlights on for 15-20 saps enough to stop it cranking.

dont rely on racv, 60-90mins can turn into 2hrs++ as i found out.

racv dude puts negative clamp on the engine. shorter distance. dunno if it makes much difference. only other reason ive read, it to stop arcing near the battery in normal cars, as they battery can leak gas.

not looking forward to replacing cable clamps or battery cage =(