Battery removal

[PICKLES69]

This is a better safe than sorry question, "If I remove the cars Battery to charge it, will the Metal Key still lock and unlock the car doors".

Also, something is draining my Battery but I can't track it down. I was dumb enough to think that in these days of pain in the a*%e electronic ignitions etc an alert would sound if I'd left something switched on. Or is that just wishful thinking?

[olddriver]

Have you checked that the light in the boot is off?

[oldcodger]

Hi,

Have not tried the locks when I've had the Battery disconnected, but you would expect the key to lock the door/s.

How old is the Battery ?

Have you checked the alternator charging voltage is about 14.2v DC when the engine is running around 1500 - 3000rpm ?

Have you got a current meter to measure how much is being drawn with everything switched off ?

Expect you are aware that disconnecting the Battery for some time will probably Reset the ECU so on replacing the battery it will go into Learning mode for a while and tickover etc will be very erratic for 5 -15 miles or so.

 

[PICKLES69]

Thanks for the Heads up, only had the car 6 weeks so don't know how old the Battery is.😯 As for checking the alternator I wouldn't know where to start. And finally I had no idea about the ECU (whatever that is) being reset. Will it eventually reset itself?

[Biomecanoid]

2 hours ago, PICKLES69 said:

This is a better safe than sorry question, "If I remove the cars battery to charge it, will the Metal Key still lock and unlock the car doors".

Also, something is draining my battery but I can't track it down. I was dumb enough to think that in these days of pain in the a*%e electronic ignitions etc an alert would sound if I'd left something switched on. Or is that just wishful thinking?

When the Battery is dead or removed only the door with the keyhole will unlock and you can open the other doors from the inside.

Measure the drain with a multimeter and start removing fuses when the drain stops you have found the circuit that is responsible for the drain

 

[oldcodger]

11 hours ago, PICKLES69 said:

Thanks for the Heads up, only had the car 6 weeks so don't know how old the battery is.😯 As for checking the alternator I wouldn't know where to start. And finally I had no idea about the ECU (whatever that is) being reset. Will it eventually reset itself?

Can you say exactly whats happening, something like the Battery is going flat, but how long after recharging does it last ?

Sounds as if you do not have or know how to use a multimeter, in which case you really need to use a garage who can test the condition of the Battery and check the charging rate.

While your problem could be a current drain, if all the lights are off , like to boot light etc that @olddriver mentions, and you do not have loads of extra electrical stuff like boom boxes /amplifiers etc. I would suspect its the Battery and or the alternator.  Batteries only have a limited life of around  5years.

Both can be checked with a  basic multimenter, but if its not your thing, a good garage  is the way to go.

Cheapo meters to do simple testing, under £10

https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-mas830b-digital-multimeter-600v/75337#product_additional_details_container

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Digital-Multimeter-Voltmeter-Ammeter-AC-DC-OHM-Current-Circuit-Tester-Buzzer-LCD/223624197322?_trkparms=aid%3D1110009%26algo%3DSPLICE.COMPLISTINGS%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D228189%26meid%3Da8358cc1a3364e8eafdae5337a1be404%26pid%3D100008%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D293646035211%26itm%3D223624197322%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DItemStripV101WithBbeV1Filter%26brand%3DUnbranded&_trksid=p2047675.c100008.m2219