battery loses power when idle for more than 1-2 weeks

[pjstock]

Mine is probably not a James Cook issue exactly, but this group has been so helpful I thought I would try here first.

If I leave my JC unused for more than .... 10 days, when i come back to try it, it will not start.
the battery is low and I have to jump start it off another car each time

I am going to start using a Battery Tender to keep the battery charged up while I am absent.
But I am trying to understand why it would lose power when nothing is really operating.
My garage tested the battery and told me it was "healthy" (and the previous owner says it was replaced just last April and has barely been used since.)
It has been a cold winter here (and I had to leave the JC outdoors)

Last night after the jump start I drove it for .... 20 minutes
this morning the battery read 11.77v

though interestingly too, it apparently did not lose battery power during the 14 days it took to ship it across the Atlantic. It must have started on arrival in Canada so they could get it off the ship and into the parking area.

any ideas or similar experience?

[woodz]

Servus pjstock,

11,7V sind zu wenig für einen sicheren Start. Wenn eine Werkstatt eine Batterie für gut befindet, wäre meine erste Frage, wie die das dort festgestellt haben.

Wenn Sie dem Problem auf den Grund gehen möchten, empfehle ich einen Zangenstrommesser mit Langzeit-Datenlogger mit externer (eigener) Stromversorgung (wenigstens für 10 Tage Aufzeichnungskapazität) direkt an der Plus oder Minusleitung der Starterbatterie im Motorraum.

Wenn da im Schnitt oder dauerhaft bei Stillstand mehr als 10mA abfließen, dann sollte der Grund dafür festgestellt werden. Es kann ggf. normal sein, wenn beispielsweise entsprechende Verbraucher für Sicherheitstechnik an Board verbaut sind. Bei einem solchen Strom würde ich bei einer 100Ah Batterie bei -20°C wenigstens 30 Tage Durchhaltevermögen veranschlagen,

Falls ein kleinerer Strom (oder kein messbarer) abfließt, dann würde ich eine neue Starterbatterie einbauen und sehen, ob sich der Zustand verbessert.

Bei laufendem Motor bzw. während der Fahrt sollte geprüft werden, ob ein angemessener Strom von der Lichtmaschine in die Starterbatterie geladen wird. Hier würde ich unmittelbar nach dem Start mindestens 10A veranschlagen, vermutlich deutlich höher.
Falls nur wenig oder kein Strom in die Batterie fließt, ist der Fehler bei der Lichtmaschine und deren Verkabelung zu suchen.

Grüße woodz

[pjstock]

good suggestions.
I hadn't heard of battery monitoring

and it is true that my local garage here in Canada was a bit mystified by the starter battery. it wasn't labelled like anything they had seen and so they had to make some assumptions in order to conclude that it was "healthy"

Peter

[woodz]

Zur Info: habe noch einen Absatz in meiner obigen Antwort eingefügt.

Grüße woodz

[Lincoln]

Starterbatterie plötzlich leer
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic? ... source=app

Have seen this post? Same topic…

[AndiP]

Hello Peter,
please tell us the Battery-Voltage when the Engine is running.
Probably the generator doesn't work properly

11,77V means some 30% capacity remaining - no deep discharge
So 70% = 70Ah were cunsumed in 10 days or 240h. Leaking current was some 300mA or 3,5W.

As @woodz wrote:
- check no-load current with no electrical consumer switched on.
- if you measure some current, pull fuses, one after the other. So you can find the current-consumer.
- pinch off battery, if the car install a battery switch like this

It must have started on arrival in Canada so they could get it off the ship and into the parking area.

Shure, that battery was not pinched off on board? I don't know.

Did you sawp the Radio? Does Rodio switch off when ignition off? Or is there no reaction when ignition of/off? Some types of radio don't like it if Pin 15 an 30 are on same level - then they consume a lot of current, i.e. 300mA if ignition is switched

Good luck
Andy

[pjstock]

I just came back to where the JC is parked today.
after 24 hours idle, the battery reading is 11.70V
but she started fine. no jump or boost required

with the engine running the battery reads 14.15V

curiously it was delivered to Antwerp port about Nov 22 (I believe)
and was not collected from Halifax Canada until about Dec 12th.
so for almost three weeks
and it must have started for the two port staff without any boost each time

the only change I made after picking it up was to turn ON the auxiliary power system (with the red key under the kitchen counter) and I had left that ON all the time it as been it has been parked here in Canada

I have now turned that OFF
but I have also connected a Battery Minder device.

when I am back here for a longer period, I will experiment with trying to pinpoint the power drain.

Ahhh, and the radio seemed to also be ACTIVE while parked (because each time I start the van the radio slides out of it's holding position and sets up.)

I have now powered the radio OFF as well

[pjstock]

I'm back with the JC after... 5 days

I left a Battery Minder / Tender connected and on our return last night the starter battery was reading 12.80V (which seems like a healthy number)
She started immediately (of course)

this morning (so 15 hours later, with the Battery Tender DISCONNECTED) the starter battery read 12.18V