Flat battery and alarm system

CruizingComet wrote:Both our sockets in our Boxer go off with the ignition as well, find this really annoying as the sat nav switches off as soon as you turn the key (think you can change this in the TomTom menu) but also find it a pain when using my tyre compressor as you have to have the key on the first notch of the ignition...

I don't plug my satnav into the cig lighter, I bought a double extension (like Ebay Item No 300584619701, but the wires are longer on mine) chopped off the plug and wired it to a spare fuse in the fusebox. The sockets are tucked out of the way in that cubby hole under the ashtray.

I plug my satnav into one and can plug my phone, ipod or kindle charger into the other. I use the "proper" faglighter socket for the tyre compressor as I only have a low rated fuse in the auxiliary ones.

Frank

Why didn't I think of that Frank? I have a 12v extension lead with a socket on one end so guess what I'm doing this weekend? How easy is it to get behind the fuses?

I don't know what year your Symbol is Bert, so I don't know if your fusebox is the same as mine. My Symphony's a '95 and the fusebox is at the front of the glove compartment "floor". I just removed the lid undid the two screws (one at each end) and wriggled the whole lot upwards until I could get to the terminals at the back/bottom.

Frank

It's a 2003 Symbol Frank and the fuses are spread all over the cab as far as I can see. There are fuses behind screwed covers either side of the cab, under the dash. I think there are even some in the engine bay. A good look in the drivers manual is called for methinks.
This may take longer than I thought. I have looked in the handbook and the fuse numbers on the diagrams don't bear any relationship to the list of fuses. On the diagram there are several fuses with the same number but different colours (rating?) I'm hoping when I get the fuse box open there will be some more clues.
If I get stuck I will start another thread, having highjacked this one!

Hi Jim

The next time you lift your (+) terminal why don’t you connect a meter in series and measure the current drain when everything is switched off, doors closed, etc.

Now repeat, but this time first disconnect the supply to your alarm (remove the fuse).

You are now in a position to compare these two quiescent currents and to see if the alarm system is providing a significant drain to what the normal drain would be.

Before purchasing my Peugeot AS I tested a number of late model Fiat Ducato’s (same as Peugeot Boxer) all fitted with alarms. In each case the alarm systems could all be confused and gave problems.

I prefer alarm stickers, deadlocks and an immobiliser.

Keith

This will not take into account the internal resistance of the battery which increases with a decline in temperature, add that to the current drain of the alarm system, plus add in other functions connected to the vehicle wiring through the canbus system. 6 weeks is about the max you will get with a good battery.

The current drain due to the alarm system has nothing to do with the increasing internal resistance of the battery as the temperature decreases.

What I am suggesting is that he can assess whether the current drawn by the alarm system is playing a significant part in relation to his battery drain when compared under the same conditions.

Other factors are going to contribute to battery drain such as temperature, time, state of charge, etc. but what is needed is a methodical process of elimination starting with an add-on system such as his alarm.

Keith

This may not apply to the problems you are having, but I kept suffering from a flat battery on the Range-rover if left for a week or so, checked everything, but zilch!
It eventually turned out to be the reciever for the remote locking system, the main ECU 'sleeps' whilst idle drawing only miliamps, but when the remote is pressed, part of the command 'wakes' the ECU in rediness to complete the unlock request,then it draws an amp or so. Nowthen , ALL car remotes operate on very similar frequencies, its just the code thats different.
So, if for instance a car is left is an airport carpark for week or so, it can get 'woken' hundreds of times by the users around it & the poor old ECU can remain lit up almost constantly!!
In my particular case, my wireless door-bell, electric gates etc, was doing the damage, A modified in-car reciever fixed the problem, no trouble at all since.
(That and a 1000AhCC battery)

Is it possible that your Central locking is constantly picking up spurious signals?

Quiet correct model man, its a FACT most healthy conventional batteries will lose between 2 and 7 percent of their charge every day! due to things like Central Locking that works from your vehicle key, which needs a working “receiver” to know when you press the button. Then there are burglar alarms, and radio/CD/Cassette memories on modern car audio systems, clocks, and anti theft immobilisers, even the vehicles computerised fuel injection all take power all of the time and Canbus wiring system monitors never mind false wake ups !
Hence its not really a matter of will a motorhome dishcharge the answer we already know is 101% yes and industry figures on average say after 5 weeks esp in winter the battery probably drop low enough so it wont crank over the engine.
Bottom line over winter motorhomes need batteries conditioned starting the vehicle is ok but that causes mositure build up in the exhaust system which causes them to rot early :( . A battery monitor/charger is the best but if you have not electric near the MH then I would have a solar panel to keep things right.
I'm an electro mechanical engineer by trade and even with that its hard to work on the new vehicles wiring :(

I go along with the comments about 5-6 weeks is too long to trust a battery to start the MH, I had in mind the OP was speaking of 2-3 weeks. Also if you are going to start the engine every so often it needs to be run for quite a while. Better still go for a drive round. That will get the whole outfit warmed up and discs and drums dried of any condensation. Starting is going to take a fair load off the battery and idling the engine for 20 minutes or so is probably going to make things worse.