W124 E280 battery? ignition?

[The Big E]

Hi all.
I have a little poser for you. It's a 1995 E280 Estate 104 942 engine. First off I have replaced the dreaded engine loom,£££££'s. anyway this problem was hapening before although I always thought it was battery drain. Went to start the car today...don't use it that often, switched on and the dash warning lights glowed very dim..turned the key...nothing!. Checked the battery..11+ volts So switched on again to try and hear any noises anywhere..the dash lights seemed a little brighter. Turned off & on a few times, lights a little brighter still, tried to start and the started now tried to engage. A few more on/offs and the engine turned but didn't start. On/off a few more times and she fire up no problem. What's that all about!! I.R. remotes both work the central locking although the 'comfort' part dosen't i.e. windows etc will not work without the ignition being switched on.
Any thought would be appreciated.

 

[Dec]

...don't use it that often

11.7 volts is a dead battery, surprised it started at all.
Charge the battery and use the car more often or put it on a trickle charge.

Dec

 

[Doug1234]

Check the voltage regulator in the back of the alternator.

My other half's 89 300d had no glow light or any warning lamps other than Abs and battery.

The regulator was shot and only one brush making contact,much fiddling around checking the electrical part of the ignition switch and substituting another made no headway until I let the engine crank albeit very slow which let the alternator turn and the worn brush re settle.

So ,ignition on and only the Abs and battery lamp lit brightly,turn key and they both dim and nearly go out.
Fiddle around checking parts and then let the engine creep over a touch and all of a sudden all back to normal.

Removed regulator and fitted a new one and all sorted.

 

[The Big E]

Thanks Dec
Sure the battery was a touch low, but why does the starting power come up enough to start spinning the engine as would a full battery. It was only left 3-4 days-no alarm-unlocked in a locked garage. The battery has been tested and declared fit.

 

[The Big E]

Cheers Doug1234
I'll give it a good look over during the next few days and let you know. Can't miss the wedding though!:lol::lol:
Thanks again.

 

[television]

The loading of the starter can bring the battery up to a little life, but this still needs charging before anything else

 

[Dec]

Every time you turned on the ignition you took some power from the battery, this heated up the battery and improved it a bit, enough to get you started… don’t ask me how that works, I was once told to turn on the headlights for a few seconds before trying to start a car with a flat battery, it does seem to improve things.

The question is, was the battery fully charged when it was put into the garage 3-4 days ago? Infrequent use usually leads to issues like this that’s why I was suggesting a trickle charger.

This is a very hand thing to have when you need to check how your battery is preforming on a regular basice… http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ring-Automo...4PVG/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1303211189&sr=8-5

You could, as Doug says above, have an alternator fault, charging the battery fully first to see how it behaves over the next few days will tell the tale.

Dec

 

[The Big E]

Thanks Malcom & Dec.
Thanks for the interest.
Funny how taking from the battery improves it, but hey-ho, stranger things have happened. I'm going to have a look at the alternator to-day. The car was driven for around 30mins after a jump start prior to being put away. I've trickle charged the battery many times because I was thinking along the lines of 'battery drain' and still am to tell the truth. I use my diesel as my daily driver so the 280 is more for best. I have left my diesel at heathrow for over three weeks before now and it's started first time on my return, so I do expext the 280 to do a little better. I'll be treating myself to one of those Powering Car Battery Testers and see if it helps me.
I'm not in my comfort zone with auto electrics but I'll have a go and pointers from you guys really does help.
The car has the infer red factory fitted remote type alarm. Anyone know how to disconnect it, I've got a feeling in my water it could be doing someting it shouldn't.
Thanks again guys.

 

[Dec]

What sort of keys/remote type fob do you have, you might have a round key for turning the alarm system off?

Dec

 

[The Big E]

Hi Dec
Mine is the flip out key 1994. I have the round key on my diesel, no such thing on the 280
Cheers

 

[Dec]

If the car isn’t to be used regularly then it needs to be on trickle charge, the alarm would be drawing maybe 20ma so that power needs to be put back into the battery, that’s why you need the trickle charge.

Even if the car is unlocked, the alarm is still drawing power as it is on stand by mode, that’s why you should have some means of turning off the alarm as you do in your other car.

The infrared is needed for the central locking and the immobiliser so you can’t turn that off.

Dec

 

[The Big E]

Granted, but I don't fancy leaving it on trickle charge in a locked garage (FIRE risk)
Just how much power does it pull on stand-by?
My diesel, which has a 'Scorpian alarm' will go three weeks plus on stand-by and still spin the engine as normal, the 280 struggles with three days!
Are you saying if the alarm is switched off the immobiliser kicks in?
Eric

 

[Dec]

I believe if you have the correct trickle charger then its not a fire risk, I believe many people use them for the same reasons as yourself, to keep a battery in good condition because of infrequent use.

It all depends how an alarm is wired up, for example, my alarm can be turned off and it doesn’t effect the immobiliser, it’s a Scorpion, you could probably do the same to your other car as it has a key for the purpose of switching it off.

I know it pulls about 20ma (milliamps) when it is armed, don’t know what it draws when disarmed but it will consume some power when on stand by. Remember, an alarm is never off, (unless it can be switched off) it is just disarmed or on stand by.


The issue here is that your battery, we are assuming, wasn’t fully charged, if, like your other car it was fully charged then it too should last for about 3? weeks.

Dec

 

[The Big E]

Dec
My idea of a trickle charge is a proper battery charger set to 'low' for a day or so. I do have a solar panel that plugs into the cigar socket....that appeared to dis-charge the battery, so have not used it since, although it's OK on the diesel. Can't turn the 280 alarm off, with the diesel I lock the car with the key for long periods and the alarm does not arm.((it's got the alarm (Scorpian) and I leave switched on via the round key)) Lock the 280 with the key and the car arms itself.

 

[television]

The alarm draws less current when armed than unlocked.

You do need a multimeter so that you can check that there is about 13.8 volt with the engine running, you could also use the meter in the current range to check the consumption when all locked, there are no wake up circuits on your car, there is also little to drain the battery on you car.

The C tec chargers are perfectly safe and used all over the world, the top up and switch off and then just cycle

 

[Dec]

Your two cars are an example of the different ways that a car alarm can be wired up.

As above, CTEK are supposed to be very good, the are mentioned on here a lot for trickle charging requirements like yourself…
http://www.ctekchargers.co.uk/?gclid=CLDrj8T1wagCFQRP4Qod8jfKpw

http://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/...facturerId=4&gclid=CIW9xLClkZgCFQ4i3godwn1yng

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHSI_qHOI4U

Dec

 

[The Big E]

Thanks Malcom

The alarm draws less current when armed than unlocked.

Nice to know, will that be the same on my diesel (Scorpion)?

My multimeter shows 12.38v all off & 14.15v tick over. Seems good to me!

How do I?

check the consumption when all locked

Never heard of them before so I will have to get myself a 'Tek charger'

Eric

 

[The Big E]

Hi guys
Just watched the youtube link Dec posted....wow...technology must have overtaken me at warp speed!:-(

 

[television]

To check the current, you have to put the battery in series with one of the battery leads, you can start off by switching the meter to the highest current rating first and turn the knob back to get a sensible reading.

Your charging is just fine

 

[The Big E]

Thanks television, got sidetracked with a fluid leak, will do a current reading over the weekend. With the car locked (bonnet button held down) what might the ball park figure be for the current? Give me a piece of timber and a saw...no problem! Electrics are something else to me:x
Thanks everyone for your interest and assistance. This is 'one magic forum'.