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| Thread ID: 138543 | 2014-12-15 06:41:00 | Calcium car battery problems | rny (6943) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 1390265 | 2014-12-16 03:53:00 | ..........everything shut down. I was able to coast to the side of the road, brakes and power steering still worked just. Able to re-start fine. i have my doubts that the battery is the problem. possibly a bad connection/corrosion on the feed to the fuse box or ecu. what can happen is if ecu voltage dips to low it shuts off. it may just have enough power to run until a sudden load comes on. i would have thought that if it was the battery you wouldn't be able to restart. |
tweak'e (69) | ||
| 1390266 | 2014-12-16 06:16:00 | i have my doubts that the battery is the problem. possibly a bad connection/corrosion on the feed to the fuse box or ecu. what can happen is if ecu voltage dips to low it shuts off. it may just have enough power to run until a sudden load comes on. i would have thought that if it was the battery you wouldn't be able to restart. Yeah kind of agree a faulty battery unlikely to restart, so possibly a voltage regulator, relay, ignition/ coil module or electrical load detector not registering properly to allow full current flow. I had idle cut out or very low idle for my Honda Odyssey when engine was warm. Thought it was battery/low current/coil/ign module/charging issues. But replacing the idle air control valve (IAC), which the valve itself was flickering/sticking, fixed the idle. |
kahawai chaser (3545) | ||
| 1390267 | 2014-12-16 07:29:00 | Yeah kind of agree a faulty battery unlikely to restart, so possibly a voltage regulator, relay, ignition/ coil module or electrical load detector not registering properly to allow full current flow. I had idle cut out or very low idle for my Honda Odyssey when engine was warm. Thought it was battery/low current/coil/ign module/charging issues. But replacing the idle air control valve (IAC), which the valve itself was flickering/sticking, fixed the idle. I'm not sure if the alloytec has this problem but the 3.8l buiks/ecotec certainly did. I cleaned mine on my old commodore many times and have once on the current vy commodore. Makes a big difference, just squirt the ***t out of it with an electrical component cleaner. The issues don't sound like the IAC to me though as you can generally "save" it from dying by a quick rev where as it sounds like this is just cutting out. This is far more likely to be a dodgy connection than a battery issue I think. I suggest you park it up idling and give the leads a good wiggle. Would also pay to check that all the engine bay fuses are seated correctly. |
hueybot3000 (3646) | ||
| 1390268 | 2014-12-16 07:51:00 | I'm not sure if the alloytec has this problem but the 3.8l buiks/ecotec certainly did. I cleaned mine on my old commodore many times and have once on the current vy commodore. Makes a big difference, just squirt the ***t out of it with an electrical component cleaner. The issues don't sound like the IAC to me though as you can generally "save" it from dying by a quick rev where as it sounds like this is just cutting out. This is far more likely to be a dodgy connection than a battery issue I think. I suggest you park it up idling and give the leads a good wiggle. Would also pay to check that all the engine bay fuses are seated correctly. You are right, I would prevent idle cutout by stepping and holding on the gas pedal.If sudden idle cutout, that infers lack loss of power or current. Might mean ignition switch contacts in early stages of failure, or dfi module, or elsewhere, but then would think cutout would also occur when driven. But wriggling various connectors at idle as you suggested would be a good start. Maybe doing a scan with code reader/or torque pro app can help. Some codes are stored (pending codes), but take a while before illuminating the CEL, i.e. check engine light. |
kahawai chaser (3545) | ||
| 1390269 | 2014-12-17 04:25:00 | Yep you need to buy a Calcium charger, good one is CTEK Swedish design communist chinese made 5A $150 from Appco/Repco. They have a recondition cycle you should give the battery this recon cycle every 12 months. | prefect (6291) | ||
| 1390270 | 2014-12-17 20:31:00 | When the "power cuts" do all the panel lights and instruments die as well? If not, could it be a fuel pump relay problem? The fact that you can sometimes restart would indicate that it is not a battery problem. |
mzee (3324) | ||
| 1390271 | 2014-12-17 22:04:00 | I’ve had two calcium batteries fail and they just failed, no indication they were on the way out, nothing. The last one wouldn’t turn the car over in a carpark after having started it from cold an hour beforehand. Terminals were fine and with a new battery we were away. So personally I have no faith in them, and the possibility of them going open circuit with the motor running and the Alternator voltage rising and blowing other electronics scares me. |
B.M. (505) | ||
| 1390272 | 2014-12-18 06:07:00 | Nothing wrong with a good quality lead acid battery, I have had them last up to 10 years, and they usually give you fair warning that all is not well. Usually one cell will die making starting difficult but still provide enough power to keep running. | mzee (3324) | ||
| 1390273 | 2014-12-18 18:24:00 | What is with this you must charge the battery stuff? That's what driving the car does. Have had occasion when the battery was flattened, but a tripe round (long) block does the trick. Perhaps it does shorten their life but hey, they seem to last us longer than the car sometimes...... |
pctek (84) | ||
| 1390274 | 2014-12-18 19:26:00 | What is with this you must charge the battery stuff? That's what driving the car does. Have had occasion when the battery was flattened, but a tripe round (long) block does the trick. Perhaps it does shorten their life but hey, they seem to last us longer than the car sometimes...... Talking tripe won't fix it pctek Ken :banana |
kenj (9738) | ||
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