Flat Batteries

[judydarryl]

Hi Everyone
We are after some help and advice. We have just arrived home after leaving our Navara duel cab ute for a week to a flat battery. We can not open the car as ther is no key opening and the remote will not work. We rang roadside service ad they sent the NRMA out. Aften 11/2 hrs, nothing could be done. They are going to send a locksmith out this morning but there is no key opening so they will not be able to doing a thing. The NRMA said it can not be towed as it is parked in the carport, pareken in Park with the hand brake on and tyres turned so it will not be dragged. The only way we can see in is to break a window. Has anyone had this problem or knows an answer. The other problem we have had is that after leaving our car for a few days- 3/4, the water coolant blows out from the overflow bottle and the water hoses pressurise. If you try to take the cap off the overflow tank, water blows everywhere. We have had no other problems with the temp, or water. It is just that when the car is left for a few days this happens. Once againg, has anyone had this problem

 

[Old.Tony]

If your car is a recent model, check the front passenger door. There should be a small removable flap at the rear of the handle, take this off (there is a slot underneath so that you can put a small flat-bladed screwdriver in) and it should reveal your one and only keyhole.

I should add, welcome aboard!

The battery will die like that if it's near the end of its life - sulphation being the likely cause, which is a result of extended undercharging (perhaps several short trips or extensive use of the accessories while the engine is stopped). Sulphation will cause the battery to drain all by itself.

 

[SOLID D22]

Welcome to the forum.
Can you pop open the bonnet from underneath the front of the car, or even can you see the main positive cable that leads to the starter because you can just connect a 12v batt charger one to the car (earth) and the positive to that cable because it runs to the direct to the battery and hopefully it will have power to make the central locking work.

 

[Old.Tony]

Just to address the other point about the water - I've never heard of that happening. If the vehicle is not running, there should be no pressure at all in the cooling system. The pressure is provided by the pump and the heating of the water. If the engine isn't running, neither source is there - so how is the water being pressurised?

I could be reading things wrongly ... apologies if I have.

 

[judydarryl]

If your car is a recent model, check the front passenger door. There should be a small removable flap at the rear of the handle, take this off (there is a slot underneath so that you can put a small flat-bladed screwdriver in) and it should reveal your one and only keyhole.

I should add, welcome aboard!

The battery will die like that if it's near the end of its life - sulphation being the likely cause, which is a result of extended undercharging (perhaps several short trips or extensive use of the accessories while the engine is stopped). Sulphation will cause the battery to drain all by itself.

Thanks Tony
We rang bellbowrie at Coffs Harbour and they told us about the hidden hole for the lock. It's a pity roadside assist did not know that. The battery is less than 12mths old and it's about the 3rd time it has done it. We have an 06 duel cab STX and Darryl is almost over it.

 

[Old.Tony]

If the battery is that new, take it back.

Do you have a large number of driving lights, or accessories, that run in the vehicle? Do you drive at all times with your lights on? Do you drive for more than 10 minutes before turning off the engine, or do you frequently drive for 3-5 minutes then shut it down?

Hopefully we'll find the reason for the problem. I'm not saying that the battery can't be at fault because it very easily could be, but there might be other issues that can make a poor performer much worse.

My wife's car is similar. The reason (in her car) that we have a problem is that we've had an auto electrician change the thermal fans from "intermittent" operation to non-stop, and we're frequently just driving the vehicle for short hops. To make matters worse, in her car at idle, the alternator doesn't put out enough power to overcome the drain, so even with the engine running it's losing the race.

You're not alone. Let's see if we can find out why, so the problems can at least be understood and hopefully avoided!

 

[judydarryl]

Just to address the other point about the water - I've never heard of that happening. If the vehicle is not running, there should be no pressure at all in the cooling system. The pressure is provided by the pump and the heating of the water. If the engine isn't running, neither source is there - so how is the water being pressurised?

I could be reading things wrongly ... apologies if I have.

Hi Old Tony
Yes You read it right. When we leave the car for 3/4 ays, without being driven, water and coolant are forced out of the overflow tank and the ewater hoses pressurise and get very hard. This is the 3rd time it has happened in 4 weeks. The first time we took it to our mechanic and he said everything looked fine. We ran customer service and they have never heard of problems like that. We thought it might have been one of those one of gliches. We left the car over Christmas and once again it happen. Rang roadside assist and it was taken on a flat bed truck to Bellbowrie at Coffs- local dealer. They said it had an air lock because they didnot service it- even thought the servaice was 4 mths earlier and had done 8,000 kms without a problem. They said it was fixed. We managed to unlock the bonnet this morning and another 2 litres has been blown out with pressure still under the overflow tank. There has been no over heating and temp problems and car seams fine. It is now booked in next Monday to fine our why the battery keeps going flat and we have pressure when the car is left for a few days. So if anyone has any ideas as to what is going on, we'd love to hear them. bellbowrie doesn't seem to know or Nissan.
Thanks
Judy

 

[judydarryl]

If the battery is that new, take it back.

Do you have a large number of driving lights, or accessories, that run in the vehicle? Do you drive at all times with your lights on? Do you drive for more than 10 minutes before turning off the engine, or do you frequently drive for 3-5 minutes then shut it down?

Hopefully we'll find the reason for the problem. I'm not saying that the battery can't be at fault because it very easily could be, but there might be other issues that can make a poor performer much worse.

My wife's car is similar. The reason (in her car) that we have a problem is that we've had an auto electrician change the thermal fans from "intermittent" operation to non-stop, and we're frequently just driving the vehicle for short hops. To make matters worse, in her car at idle, the alternator doesn't put out enough power to overcome the drain, so even with the engine running it's losing the race.

You're not alone. Let's see if we can find out why, so the problems can at least be understood and hopefully avoided!

No driving lights or accessories. It doesn't happen overnight, only when the car has been left and nothing is on. I think I will rename the car pantene- like the shampoo that doesn't happen overnight. Maybe the car has a secret life when we aren't around.

 

[Old.Tony]

No driving lights or accessories. It doesn't happen overnight, only when the car has been left and nothing is on. I think I will rename the car pantene- like the shampoo that doesn't happen overnight. Maybe the car has a secret life when we aren't around.

Haha! If there's sulphation in the battery it'll do that - suplhation basically provides a circuit so that the battery consumes its own power even if it's not connected to anything.

The questions about accessories and driving habits were so that we could possibly identify what might cause the battery to reach that point in the first place - hopefully the service guys will cover that ground with you.

 

[judydarryl]

Hi Tony
Darryl- my husband, just came home and said the battery only goes flat when the car is locked and left for a few days. We can leave the car for a few days when it is unlocked and the battery does not go flat. We only have the problem of a flat battery when the car is locked up.

 

[Old.Tony]

There goes my theory about battery sulphation then.

Do you have an alarm system that may have been inadvertently installed incorrectly, and is consuming large amounts of energy when active?

I can't think of any other difference between locked & unlocked cars that would draw any power from the battery at all.

 

[Jason]

Central locking door solenoid perhaps? Do they have an immobiliser fitted as standard?

 

[SOLID D22]

So when you open this flap with a screwdriver do you still need the car key to open it?

 

[Old.Tony]

Yes, it's a standard key lock. They just hide it under the cover for aesthetics.

 

[Matt76]

I guess there must be a way to test what is drawing current when the car is off?

 

[SOLID D22]

Yes, it's a standard key lock. They just hide it under the cover for aesthetics.

Thats pretty smart then.

 

[Old.Tony]

I guess there must be a way to test what is drawing current when the car is off?

Sure there is.

First, get some heavy plastic sheet (eg a tarp) or some nice dry rags and have them near the battery. If you want to check out inside the car, make sure you turn off the interior lighting.

Using a portable power pack (with the gel battery and jumper cables), connect the negative black cable to the earth (engine metal is best, battery negative is sometimes painted or difficult to clamp to).

Connect the positive red cable to the black lead of an ammeter capable of handling the expected current. It's a good idea to ensure that nobody else enters the car at this point, just so that no accidents can happen like someone turning on the headlights, which would cause 10A just for the headlights to flow, then a further 2-3A for the parker lights front and rear (plus dash lighting at, maybe 3 globes x 4w each).

If the ammeter is turned off, turn it on now. Connect the red lead from the ammeter to the positive battery clamp securely and then remove the positive battery clamp from the battery. The ammeter should now show all the current that is flowing from the portable power pack into the car. You can place this on the plastic sheet or dry rags that you'd prepared earlier in case you wanted to run around the vehicle poking stuff.

Reconnect the battery clamp to the positive battery terminal, remove the portable power pack.

Done like this, you won't lose any trip meter settings and radio pin codes will remain intact.