Over the course of winter we didn’t drive the car for about 2-3 months. This car also has a Immobiliser and we need to use a remote switch communicate with the immobiliser before we can start the car. Press the switch then start the car.
Last year we replaced the battery with a brand new battery. and it was all fine. after 3 month of not driving, we realised the battery appears to be dead.
I used the multimeter ((set on 20v) to check the battery voltage, and it only showed as 1.5v.
I do understand a charged battery would need to be around 12.5-12.8, and when on around 14.5.
So next I decided to jump start the car, on my attempt, one i connected the terminals to start the dead car, I was not even able to see any lights upon inserting the car key in. I was not even able to communicate with the Immobiliser.
Basically nothing happened.
I while i had the car receiving charge from the running donor car, I check the voltage on the dead battery but the charge did not look it is increasing, although i did not wait that long and that might be why.
Before i bore you all my questions:
1- Could it be an issue with the Immobiliser draining the battery ?
2- Is it possible to remove the battery and put on charge overnight?
3- Given the battery is only 1.5 yr old, would I be able to revive it and use it, I keep reading about if the batteries are not used, the charge chemicals will turn into larger crystals making it harder to recharge.
Thank you for your patience and assistance in advance.
No telling if your battery is a doorstop now. It can take a 1/2 hour or more to get enough juice into a discharged battery by jump startng itto start the engine. Take the battery back to where you bought it and let them charge and test it.
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after 3 month of not driving, we realised the battery appears to be dead.
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That was the key for me is that it was sitting for 3 months. Batteries will discharge when not use regularly to be charged by the alternator or just being in storage. They say at that 12 week or 3 months that a stored battery should be charged up to keep it charged. It could be savable. As I have had a battery disconnected in storage for 4 months once and was able to revive it. I would put it on the charger. If worried about the battery itself then take it somewhere to have it tested. Also, there is trickle chargers that can be used in the future if it sits for a long time. Trickle chargers can be debatable though.
If you were to run a parasitic draw test… in short, how much current is drawn from the battery when the car is off… I’d bet your immobilizer is adding a lot to the car’s normal draw. This acts like leaving the interior lights on when the car is parked. This will drain a battery much faster and much farther.
A normal car sitting 3 months will need a jump. Yours has absolutely killed your battery. Putting the battery on a charger for 2 or 3 days might bring it back but if it does, its life will be shorter. If you don’t own a charger, buy one. A 10 amp charger is cheap and you can use it to refresh the battery once a month when the car is parked. Or buy a second 1 amp battery tender to keep on the car the entire time if is parked.
In the future, I suggest that you don’t try to jumpstart a battery that’s so dead. That’s hard on the donor car’s electrical system. Use a standalone charger instead.
That is right on, we were told that there is a battery leak in the past (5 years ago i say) this immobiliser been around for as long as I remember, and sure enough it would have contributed to the pulling juice out of the battery and fully discharging it.
yeah I will surely invest in getting battery charger like you suggested .
Thanks heaps. Yeah I am gonna have to do that now that I know jump starting was not the way to do it.
well this is first time I experience such drama, but I guess it is great learning experience as I own a second car so I am not really stuck but would be a bounce to get the lancer going since we can use it again
Yes, but 3 months is typical for the time limit on a sitting vehicle before it needs a battery charge. Even if you disconnect the battery, an automotive lead antimony battery will self discharge to the point that it cannot start the vehicle after 6 to 12 months.
Yes, but you can just as easily leave it in the vehicle.
1.5 years should not be too long, unless the battery was allowed to freeze while discharged. If so, replace it under whatever pro rated warranty it still has.
The real problem here is most likely your jumper cables didn’t make contact. Be sure to wiggle them around until you get a connection. It always takes me at least two tries to get a connection. If you’re using thinner booster cables, the helper vehicle needs to be running to charge up the battery in your vehicle, which must be good enough to take a charge and help start your engine. With proper jumper cables, the helper vehicle doesn’t need to be running, and the battery in your vehicle can be bad and not accept a charge but you’ll still be able to start your car.
The parts store will likely tell you it’s bad if it falls 10% short of a new battery’s performance because they want to sell you a new battery. In fact, I think some cheat to the point that they would tell you a new battery bought the same day is bad.
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