Flat battery

[keith]

After near on 18 months of boasting about how I could leave my car weeks or even months at a time, and it always started, I have got my comeuppance!
Today, apart from leaving it idle for ten minutes two weeks ago whilst I paired a new phone, after four weeks I went to unlock the car, and nothing!! I had to manually unlock it, and as there was no power the window couldn't lower, which caught the chrome trim above the door leaving, a albeit, tiny mark on the inner edge as the top of the window touched it.
RAC courtesy of Maserati Assistance arrived in less than 40 minutes, and measured the battery which was down to 5V!
The technician was good enough to attach a Ctek lead and plug to the terminals for future battery maintenance with my Ctek charger, and after connecting his van and a booster pack the car eventually started.
I am thinking though at 5 volts whether the battery might have suffered any permanent loss of charge capacity.

 

[spkennyuk]

The ctek can breath new life into an old or even fully discharged battery. You will probably have to leave it plugged in for a couple of days to let it work its magic. If the battery can be saved and brought back to full health then the ctek will do it.

Hopefully all will be well again aftet a session on the ctek to condition the battery.

 

[jluis]

Depends on how old your battery is but deep discharges significantly decrease the life span of a lead acid battery.
If the battery is less than 2 or 3 years old you will probably get away with it

 

[P R]

This is similar to what mine suffered, though after only 3 or 4 days without use. My battery was down to 7V IIRC. That happened in Sept and have had no ill effects since. The RAC man I had explained to me that these new type of batteries they fit to cars with stop / start are far more tolerant to being flattened than the old style ones.

 

[zagatoes30]

Mine has been sat for 4 weeks and triggered the alarm on Saturday night, always a sign that the battery is flat. Stuck it on the Ctek overnight and then took it for a good thrash yesterday. All is good again

 

[Michael]

After near on 18 months of boasting about how I could leave my car weeks or even months at a time, and it always started, I have got my comeuppance!
Today, apart from leaving it idle for ten minutes two weeks ago whilst I paired a new phone, after four weeks I went to unlock the car, and nothing!! I had to manually unlock it, and as there was no power the window couldn't lower, which caught the chrome trim above the door leaving, a albeit, tiny mark on the inner edge as the top of the window touched it.
RAC courtesy of Maserati Assistance arrived in less than 40 minutes, and measured the battery which was down to 5V!
The technician was good enough to attach a Ctek lead and plug to the terminals for future battery maintenance with my Ctek charger, and after connecting his van and a booster pack the car eventually started.
I am thinking though at 5 volts whether the battery might have suffered any permanent loss of charge capacity.

Keith,

Sorry to hear that you're having battery issues. Have Maserati offered any idea of what the problem is?

Michael

 

[conaero]

I hear it all the time with the Ctek chargers, that they just don't work very well. 2 Maseratis that were on Cteks would not start at the SM xmas doo.

My advice is leave a proper battery charger attached and just flick it on the night before you need the car.

I have an old charger that I bought years ago from a garage for £8 and its never let me down.

 

[keith]

Many thanks for the responses. I have ordered a Ctek extension lead and will mount the charger on the wall of the garage. Does anyone think I should be concerned at shutting the 12v lead in the boot? I have been told the rubber seal has enough give.
Also, although a much discussed topic on many forums, does anyone think manufacturers are being let off the hook a little bit regarding how long you can leave a modern car before battery problems. Porsche, 'despite their legendary German engineering' I was told, say two weeks would be sufficient to cause the battery to go Flat. What do you do as many have said if you leave your car whilst on holiday at the airport for example.
My car was left for four weeks, and in the past as I have said, I have left it for considerably longer, and it would start. The cold weather we had, coupled with starting it and leaving it idle for ten minutes a couple of weeks ago may have contributed given the nature of the electronic modules that remain on for a while even after you switch off and lock the car. But I do wonder if more could be done to improve things, rather than the usual stock answer that car makers refer back to.

 

[P R]

One of my teams Nissan gtr lasts a week then it's flat as a pancake

 

[Steve GS]

Why not disconnect the battery wile not in use. Let's face it if a car alarm goes of no one takes notice of it.

 

[CatmanV2]

12v cable is fine being shut in the boot. It's exactly what I do.

Quiescent current on these cars is supposed to be 35mA. I reckon there's something failed on most of them.....

C

 

[JonW]

Many thanks for the responses. I have ordered a Ctek extension lead and will mount the charger on the wall of the garage. Does anyone think I should be concerned at shutting the 12v lead in the boot? I have been told the rubber seal has enough give.

No - I wouldn't be concerned at all. I've bought a slightly larger CTEK charger and have the charger stuck on the back wall of my garage, with a comfort / extension lead permanently attached onto the battery on my car...

 

[P R]

Just use them all the time.. simples

 

[redsonnylee]

No - I wouldn't be concerned at all. I've bought a slightly larger CTEK charger and have the charger stuck on the back wall of my garage, with a comfort / extension lead permanently attached onto the battery on my car...

I do exactly the same with my ctek.