Rob
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Post by Rob on Aug 15, 2022 21:10:46 GMT
BMWs of course have the battery somewhere in the boot with a positive terminal and earthing point under the bonnet. Earthing point usually looks like a bolt.
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Post by EspadaIII on Aug 16, 2022 3:39:56 GMT
The Ioniq 5 has a very easily accessible 12v battery under the bonnet, exactly where you expect it to be. To get into the car with a flat battery is similar to the others, the fob has a hidden blade. Hopefully I won't need it.
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bpg
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Post by bpg on Aug 16, 2022 4:34:27 GMT
My 330e did not have keyless entry but did have keyless start (they all do). The key fob on BMWs have a hidden key blade inside so you just pop off a cap covering the keyhole, open with the key and then press it against the steering column to turn off the alarm and start the car. How does that work if the 12v battery is flat ? Most alarms have their own battery backup and work independent of the 12v system if it's dead. |
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Aug 16, 2022 10:17:28 GMT
The fact there is a hidden key, i meant you could get in. Yes if the battery in the car was flat you'd need to pop the bonnet and jump start it or charge it. But at least you can get in.
The example I gave but didn't fully explain was if the key fob battery has gone, you can get in and start the car.
Must admit I never tried it.
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bpg
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Post by bpg on Aug 16, 2022 11:25:32 GMT
The reason I asked was because I've had the 12v battery die in my S60, use the blade to open the car to get in and pop the bonnet to charge, for the alarm siren to go off from the backup and not be able to stop it due to the 12v system not recognising the fob signal.
Don't do it in the middle of the night in a residential area would be my advice.
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Post by EspadaIII on Aug 16, 2022 11:50:17 GMT
I bought my son one of those battery packs that looks like a large power bank but you use it to jump a car. You can charge it whilst driving and use it as a power bank for phones. But it may give the system a rapid boost to stop the alarm quickly once the bonnet is open?
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bpg
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Post by bpg on Aug 16, 2022 12:10:54 GMT
Depends where you're starting from.
If the flat battery is below 9v then it probably won't work as connecting the booster to the flat battery levels out the available charge across the two batteries. If that level is too low then not starty.
I bought a booster pack a few years ago to charge from mains, I have used it so infrequently I'm not sure it can do the job now.
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Aug 16, 2022 13:42:41 GMT
My wife's Seicento would often run flat and I'd just jump it off my car. Because I was going to give mine back I bought a Li-Ion jump pack and it seemed to work. Then I let it get too flat and the jump pack would not work so jump start it was. I perhaps should have bought a bigger one but the Seicento is only a 1.1 litre.
I've driven her car a fair bit since and it's so far not had a problem starting although the jump pack is in the boot. When we went away for two weeks in April I disconnected the battery to avoid it being too flat when we got back.
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Post by dixinormus on Aug 16, 2022 20:11:59 GMT
May just be time for a new battery Rob?
SWMBO’s Outlander only gets started once every 6 weeks or so these days, usually only for a short run. Am expecting the battery not to last many years! At least the car is stored in a dry warm garage, if that makes the starting process less arduous. (It does for the driver at least!)
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Aug 16, 2022 21:25:24 GMT
The battery was new last year. Not the battery. And the alternator produces 14v so it's not that. I had wondered if it was the alternator. Indeed that might have been the drain when the car was off.
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bpg
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Post by bpg on Aug 17, 2022 19:45:28 GMT
You've got a parasitic drain, good luck tracing that with Italian electrics.
Just pull the radio* and interior light fuses and you're probably done.
*Provided you still have the radio code from that era.
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Aug 17, 2022 19:52:27 GMT
I know there is probably a drain and before I lost the booster car I tried working out what it was.... Connected my multi-meter in series to find it and no drain. I was ready to see a drain and pull fuses to find the culprit but no drain showed. Then I thought I should have waited more than 5 minutes.
But something I did do at this point as well was turn off the internal light, i.e. it was off and not set to come on when the door was opened. Radio needs a removable front connected to work so I know it's not that.
Of course there is no radio code (or I knew it) because the battery has been replaced several times in 20 years of ownership. And last week I replaced a tyre I was sure must have been replaced before now (many punctures) but realised it was from 2003! Plenty of tread still on it. The Pirelli had to be replaced by a Nankam! I went for the more premium option.
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Post by dixinormus on Aug 17, 2022 20:09:04 GMT
It’s always a bit frustrating spending money on a car that you aren’t using! But you are keeping it in fine fettle for when you do need it. Or that’s what I tell myself 😂
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Aug 17, 2022 21:18:18 GMT
Apart from a few years when the speedometer was not working on the Seicento (and therefore no increase in mileage) it has done about 33,000 miles approx in our keep in 20 years. Still drives well.
Now it will fail the MOT next month. I've doomed it.
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bpg
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Post by bpg on Aug 17, 2022 21:36:30 GMT
Have they changed the MOT rules yet regarding tyre age? I know caravans and trailers have rules.
Took my motorbike for its MOT equivalent in May, they noted the tyres were 2018 when I last had them changed. Think the rule here is 6 or 7 years max now.
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