Battery flat after 2 days of cold weather & car will not ?

[rmlotusexcelsa]

Hi All,
The 3 month old brand new battery 75 from Bush £85 is flat has a pancake only after 2 days of cold weather?
I had all the electrics checked last month after a lot of starting issues everything checked & tested, & fitted a new high torque starter, relays,fan parts,new earth cable etc.deep pockets & she has been starting great.
The alternator was checked charging OK & the battery was charging at 14.
Now volts when turning engine over are dropping below 10 if under 12.9 she does not want to fire.
Last time i drove her on Sat morning cold started fine, she did not want to start when warm or hot i had to floor the pedal & she built up & started after about 10 turns?

P.S. She is a auto should i have a larger battery on her also she lives outside under a thermal all weather cover.

Also i was thinking of fitting some new HT leads anyone know if the red 8mm double silicone motorsport leads are they any good anyone have them fitted ?
£28
Any help & ideas please.
Kind regards
Roger
1987 Excel SA

[Lotus-e-Clan]

• 1) Have you got a remote controlled alarm/imobiliser?
  
  2) have you got water in your relay /fuse box?
  
  3) Are the red lights in the door frames turning off when closed?

For some reason the Excel does flat it's batteries rather quickly.

I've got through 2 long life (4 year warranty) high capacity calcium batteries in 4 years.

Lead acid batteries don't like to be DEEP DISCHARCHARGED and will fail if they are only deep discharged a couple of times even from new. That's why mine failed anyway.

Dry Gel batteries, like the Odyssey racing batteries, can stand a frequent deep discharges and will last longer but are expensive ...I have a tiny one on my Clan and it's brilliant. The Excel will get one next time too.

Now I always have both the Clan and Excel on an "intelligent" trickle charger every time I put it to bed in the garage.

I think the Cobra alarm/central locking remote transmitter drains mine ....they seem to use a lot of juice on standby waiting for a signal from the remote............so hence the need for a trickle charger. If you don't use your car everyday you should consider either disconnecting the battery (get a terminal switch) or use a trickle charger if you have a garage.

But it does sound like your battery has failed ..hence not taking charge.

[amarshall]

Check the switch for the boot light to be sure it is turning off when the lid is closed. It's mounted on the right hand hinge.

[rmlotusexcelsa]

• 1) Have you got a remote controlled alarm/imobiliser?
  
  2) have you got water in your relay /fuse box?
  
  3) Are the red lights in the door frames turning off when closed?

For some reason the Excel does flat it's batteries rather quickly.

I've got through 2 long life (4 year warranty) high capacity calcium batteries in 4 years.

Lead acid batteries don't like to be DEEP DISCHARCHARGED and will fail if they are only deep discharged a couple of times even from new. That's why mine failed anyway.

Dry Gel batteries, like the Odyssey racing batteries, can stand a frequent deep discharges and will last longer but are expensive ...I have a tiny one on my Clan and it's brilliant. The Excel will get one next time too.

Now I always have both the Clan and Excel on an "intelligent" trickle charger every time I put it to bed in the garage.

I think the Cobra alarm/central locking remote transmitter drains mine ....they seem to use a lot of juice on standby waiting for a signal from the remote............so hence the need for a trickle charger. If you don't use your car everyday you should consider either disconnecting the battery (get a terminal switch) or use a trickle charger if you have a garage.

Hi Peter, I have cobra without a remote ,the lights are not staying on checked them,relays & fuses fine replaced & dry under car cover keeps the car dry & unfrozen expensive good cover.The auto spark who checked & did the work last month,said if the battery goes below 12.9 volts it will not start the lotus h/c engine .What voltage reading do you get on your cars?
BTW Who stocks the dry gel batteries & how much ? The battery is under 4 year warranty i could try for money back or exchange ? I think a better battery is needed .I use mine every day it had been working OK charging at 14 volts when driving till Sat then when warm & hot started playing up?& dropping to 12volts. I do not have a garage yet, i have a solar trickle charger on my motorhome which keeps my 2 batteries charged OK i will try that during the daytime. I have a powerpack jump starter which will start her if volts drop below 12.9 volts. Dry cell battery sounds good!
Speak to you soon cheers Peter
Kind regards
Roger
1987 Excel SA

[rmlotusexcelsa]

Check the switch for the boot light to be sure it is turning off when the lid is closed. It's mounted on the right hand hinge.

Hi Angus,
Thanks for that ,i do not have a light in the boot ?
I will check again in the morning.
Cheers Roger

[Lotus-e-Clan]

I use the PC680 on the Clan but for the Excel you would be better off with the larger one PC925...although I have started the Excel with the PC680 no problem.

Knight Batteries for Odyssey CLICK HERE

the other bonus apart from POWER is the light weight....Chapman would approve.

PC680 £90 and it's Motorbike size and weight...hence a popular race battery

PC925 is not cheap though!!! £135

[hodders]

Another source of battery-flattening is the interior light (two of them in my model), obviously operated by the door courtesy-light switches, and also the red warning lights in the ends of the doors (operated by...? pixies I guess).

One of the partly-annoying aspects of the Cobra alarm I have is that if the voltage diminishes to just a few volts, the alarm goes off periodically, maybe because it's being interpreted as a break-in. There's no response from the key fob at this point so I have to disconnect the battery to shut the alarm off. (I should get one of those battery quick-disconnect keys).
But at least I now know that the battery has been draining.

[Ozzy_UK]

i have this exact same issue...

taken all the bulbs out of doors/boot and in the end just fitted a battery cut off switch which i just turn off when i park up...
thats not really a solution i admit but it works.

Oz.

[amarshall]

i have this exact same issue...

taken all the bulbs out of doors/boot and in the end just fitted a battery cut off switch which i just turn off when i park up...
thats not really a solution i admit but it works.

Oz.

But it did identify the cause and treated it (almost) rather than just dealing with the symptom.

[rmlotusexcelsa]

Another source of battery-flattening is the interior light (two of them in my model), obviously operated by the door courtesy-light switches, and also the red warning lights in the ends of the doors (operated by...? pixies I guess).

One of the partly-annoying aspects of the Cobra alarm I have is that if the voltage diminishes to just a few volts, the alarm goes off periodically, maybe because it's being interpreted as a break-in. There's no response from the key fob at this point so I have to disconnect the battery to shut the alarm off. (I should get one of those battery quick-disconnect keys).
But at least I now know that the battery has been draining.

Hi Hodders,
I have checked the interior lights ,I do not use them switch to off position both.
Door lights turn off after 10 secs OK.
I have disconnected the boot light wires.
I have have the battery changed today by the garage who supplied it fully charged ,reads over 12 on the dash voltage gauge.
Still will not start,will not turn over now?
Only click on the starter,problem with starter ? It could be stuck?
It is only 3 weeks old brand new hight torque gear redution starter motor.
Any ideas what to check next?
Cheers Roger

[rmlotusexcelsa]

i have this exact same issue...

taken all the bulbs out of doors/boot and in the end just fitted a battery cut off switch which i just turn off when i park up...
thats not really a solution i admit but it works.

Oz.

But it did identify the cause and treated it (almost) rather than just dealing with the symptom.

Hi Angus ,
I have a machanic calling round after 6.30 tonight to see it he can get her going?
Checked the lights,disconected boot light wires.
Brand new battery from garage today,still will not start & now will not turn over now.
Click on starter motor it is a high torque starter brand new 3 weeks ago could it be stuck? .
Any further ideas please Angus.
Cheers Roger

[rmlotusexcelsa]

i have this exact same issue...

taken all the bulbs out of doors/boot and in the end just fitted a battery cut off switch which i just turn off when i park up...
thats not really a solution i admit but it works.

Oz.

Hi OZ,
Many thanks for that.
Still will not start or even turn over now?
Cheers Roger

[Danny]

Hi Roger, Check your power connections and Check your earths are good, if you have a poor earth, low current items will still work, but things that draw high amps will not. Have you tried a booster pack with the connections made to the at the front of the car in the engine bay with a direct earth clamped onto the block?

[rmlotusexcelsa]

Hi Roger, Check your power connections and Check your earths are good, if you have a poor earth, low current items will still work, but things that draw high amps will not. Have you tried a booster pack with the connections made to the at the front of the car in the engine bay with a direct earth clamped onto the block?

Hi Danny,
Found the problem ,starter was sicking a little & so we turned the key to start & wiggled it forward .
New battery checked charge is OK & not discharging anywhere.
Lost power by turning & turning & not firing up.
The main problem on firing engine up are the plugs wet with petrol & the airbox total wet with petrol.Plugs do not fire unless cleaned up 1st
To much fuel going through ,need carb set up,but no one i know yet does carbs in Hull.
I have asked around tonight with classic owners around here,poss only one with the kit to do carbs & one who i have been leaving messages about tuning ,but do not return my calls in East Yorkshire 35 mile away ,but they do not work at weekends on their advert? I,only have the excel has transport for work at he moment.
Now got her started but need to have the carbs set up right ASAP otherwise i will have the problems again.
I know you can buy kits ,but my knowledge & lack of experience i would not like to set up carbs!
Kind regards Roger

[rmlotusexcelsa]

I use the PC680 on the Clan but for the Excel you would be better off with the larger one PC925...although I have started the Excel with the PC680 no problem.

Knight Batteries for Odyssey CLICK HERE

the other bonus apart from POWER is the light weight....Chapman would approve.

PC680 £90 and it's Motorbike size and weight...hence a popular race battery

PC925 is not cheap though!!! £135

Hi Peter,Many thanks for that link.
Problems with carbs too much fuel the air box is wet through with petrol.
Plugs wet with petrol.
Starter had stuck
.Cheers Roger