First time I have done this, but I left my keys in the ignition (Position "0") and had the tail-gate open for about 3 hours. I was doing a garage clear-out at the week-end and hence the back of the car became a refuse bin.
Anyway, I went to start the car and I got a couple of very sick grunts from the engine bay which signified pistons moving at a snails pace. Battery was as good as dead
I've tried searching the forums for info on this as I'm sure I've seen it mentioned over the past couple of years - however, a search for "battery and charge" reveals hundreds of posts.
Why has my battery died after about 3 hours of only interior lights and a sat-nav screen being on
Booster cables from SWMBO's car solved the problem and after only 4 miles the car was starting again......The older I get, the more I realise that people confuse wrinkles for wisdom
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10th Sep 2007 4:18 pm
Bodsy Site Sponsor
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Something about drawing 20 amps with the ignition on, results in flat battery in about 3-1/2 hours.....Bodsys Brake Bible
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10th Sep 2007 4:24 pm
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26700
Yes, its happened to me a few times. Usually whilst doing the same as you! It sometimes seems to trigger a bout of park brake woes also, so listen out for some PB screamers 8)
I think the battery really needs to be bench charged with the correct charger to fully replenish it. The car will surface charge it only. I'm sure someone with better in depth knowledge will be along soon.
Never use it Gareth so I won't be hearing it..... 8)
Gareth wrote:
I think the battery really needs to be bench charged with the correct charger to fully replenish it. The car will surface charge it only.
I've heard this a number of times but I wonder if my standard 12v charger (overnight) will be enough to make things significantly better or if it will make matters worse The older I get, the more I realise that people confuse wrinkles for wisdom
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10th Sep 2007 4:44 pm
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
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Sorry but I don't know for sure, but I think it needs a charger with a higher output than that.
10th Sep 2007 4:49 pm
craig
Member Since: 08 Aug 2006
Location: Home of LR.
Posts: 2545
Seem to remember Mossy mentioning something about battery chargers here and TFC's reply might be of interest
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Location: Patching, Sussex
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I've just ordered a CTEK7000 for £73.66 delivered, normally iro £100. I've bought it for the caravan battery (a carbon plated leisure one) but looking at the blurb I assume it does Ca ones. They talk about sulphation which I assume is the issue in proper recharging of the battery.DS3 TDV6 HSE - Silver with Alpaca (old one) Gone
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10th Sep 2007 5:15 pm
Hijack
Member Since: 19 Jul 2006
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 381
Bodsy wrote:
Something about drawing 20 amps with the ignition on, results in flat battery in about 3-1/2 hours.....
To be honest I think that D3 could do with lots of improvements in the interior lighting area (after having a car for 6 months):
- why when the tail gate is open all interior light are on - even those in the foot wells and doors??? In my old Zafira interior lighst were dimmed very quickly with tailgate open with boot light on...
- why when the doors are open for a long time the lights are not dimmed/switched off after few minutes to conserve the battery? Especially when there is so may of them and there is external light sensor so during the day this could be done even faster...
Every time I want to keep doors open for long time I try to remember and switch interior lights off using middle button switch above front seats...D3 XS Manual - gone
10th Sep 2007 9:40 pm
xtc
Member Since: 27 Mar 2007
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 1072
It's not the lights that are the problem, even with all the interior lights etc on it only totals 50w max.. 4 amps. The battery could sustain this for several hours and still start the vehicle. The problem is that if the car is 'alive' ie the ignition on etc then all the electronics & processors are running and these draw 10's of amps in total. You could leave the interior lights on over night and still be OK but 3-4 hours with the ignition on and you are
10th Sep 2007 10:14 pm
Bodsy Site Sponsor
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My lights go off if I've left the tailgate open for about 10 or 20 minutes (never timed it...) but I know they switch themselves off, but there again, I didn't have the ignition on.Bodsys Brake Bible
As I said at the beginning, the keys were in but it was at position "0"...The older I get, the more I realise that people confuse wrinkles for wisdom
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I seem to recall that leaving the keys in is enough to keep a lot of the systems ticking over. The car will also be charging the key battery, although the current will be tiny.I know it's not considered "kind" to say no these days, but no. Just no, ok? And if it's not ok, still no.
11th Sep 2007 10:47 am
drivesafe
Member Since: 23 Feb 2006
Location: Gold Coast, Australia
Posts: 867
If you have been driving the D3 and turned the key to the “0†position, the D3 will still have a number of devices powered up.
The steering column locking system is still energised and a number of other systems are still powered.
After driving a D3, you need to remove the key before the D3’s electronics completely shut down.
If you just put the key into the ignition but don’t turn it from the “0†position, you will not be using any additional power.
As for charging the battery properly, JMC, use your battery charger and once you have enough charge in the battery to start the D3, take it for a good drive. The D3’s charging system ( unlike any other vehicle ) is actually set up to optimise the charging of the battery.
Half the problems people have with their batteries going flat, whether it be in a D3 or some other vehicle, is not because the vehicle can never charge the battery properly but that the charging system is not given a chance to charge the battery properly.
It comes back to the Shopping Trolley Syndrome, where a vehicle is only driven for a short time each time the motor is started. You start the vehicle and drive to the shops, turn off the motor, do your shopping, start the motor again and do a short run home and turn the motor off again. Then to make matters worse, the vehicle may not be driven again for some time so the problem is compounded.
If you continually only make short trip in your D3, you need to give the D3 at least a one hour drive once a week to keep the battery in a good charged state.2008 TDV8 RR Lux + 2009 D4 2.7
12th Sep 2007 11:41 pm
Renny
Member Since: 30 May 2006
Location: Fife, Scotland
Posts: 292
I thought you still had the Tdi van for the trips to the tip?
Or have you sold it without offering it to me ?Renny Thomson
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