Thread: Flat Battery Question - Solved

Hi Strop, did you measure the battery voltages with a multi meter?

No, not yet Tim. Will do with the Optima this morning.

What I did notice though was no lights on dash when I opened the door. Alerted me that there was still battery drain.

Optima Battery 11.1 V

Century Battery currently recharging still. Up to 90% charge, according to C-Tek Battery Monitor.

Next going to charge up Optima.

I had that on my 2016 Disco recently. Warning on dash saying "Battery low, start engine" but as flat as and nothing. Charged it up in vehicle (not sure that should be done though) and drove it to the stealers and they lent me a Disco Sport.
While I was talking to the salesman I'd dealt with (no service open on Saturday) he touched the drivers seat base control and got a big tingle...... anyway they have rerouted the wiring so they say without telling me what was actually wrong but I suspect pinched wires causing a constant drain. Or something like that.
All good now anyway.
AlanH.

Ok, - rookie mistake (how many rookie mistakes are you allowed?)

Cranking battery not holding charge. Lost .5V in 30 minutes just sitting there. It was a NRMA replacement battery (Century AGM) with 24 months warranty. 2 yrs 4 months old. Should have pulled the multi-metre out straight away. You could see it losing power with the multi-metre

Now to the fact that my other battery attached via Traxide system was being drained. Obviously the car battery was draining it as it was losing voltage and did so again whenever I charged the Optima.

Looked again at the dual battery system just to check out drain from it. Small LED on Anderson plug to rear trailer connection. Very small draw but a draw all the same and it is a direct draw from the battery - no voltage cutout switch. Nothing plugged into accessories and everything on the rest of Traxide system comes after the voltage cutoff switch so should not be draining battery unless faulty. Walked around to battery and saw my CTEK battery monitor attached to Optima Battery. Had totally missed that first time around.

Wouldn't have thought that would drain it though. Bit more investigation and found App for battery monitor on phone had Background Refresh turned on. Phone is usually placed in a location not in use / to charge where it can connect with the battery monitor via bluetooth. I am assuming that it has been communicating constantly with the CTEK Battery Status Monitor over a number of days hence draining the battery down to 11.1V. As expected the Traxide system cut off power to the car as it is supposed to when below a certain voltage, hence nothing when I opened the door.

New Varta G14 battery installed (bought more for warranty than anything else). Will monitor for a time.

CTEK battery monitor attached to Varta - no need for monitor on dual battery system due to Traxide system having a flashing light system to show charge status.

Originally Posted by Strop

Small LED on Anderson plug to rear trailer connection.

What is the LED for?

Scott

Originally Posted by Strop

Wouldn't have thought that would drain it though. Bit more investigation and found App for battery monitor on phone had Background Refresh turned on. Phone is usually placed in a location not in use / to charge where it can connect with the battery monitor via bluetooth. I am assuming that it has been communicating constantly with the CTEK Battery Status Monitor over a number of days hence draining the battery down to 11.1V. As expected the Traxide system cut off power to the car as it is supposed to when below a certain voltage, hence nothing when I opened the door.

Same thing can happen when using a GAPIID Tool via bluetooth connection to a mobile phone. GAPIID warn against leaving the tool connected to the OBDII port. The reason they do is because of battery drain if you don't stop and disconnect the bluetooth app on your phone. It's the same issue of the tool looking for the phone if the app isn't disconnected. I have left my GAPIID in the OBDII port (via a flat cable extension) since purchase and not had an issue by disconnecting the phone every time I finish using it which is almost always lowering the car to bump stops to help swmbo into and out of the car. I found out about this from a thread on here when I was deciding whether to go LLAMS or GAPIID - sorry I can't remember who it was who did the original post.

Martin

Originally Posted by LRD414

What is the LED for?

Scott

To let you know that the plug has power to it, Much the same as many 240v extension leads have an LED at the end of them.