Back From Vegas And The Problems Start

[jason_l]

After getting back from 2 weeks in Vegas the car is now dead, no charge in the Battery at all.

Took it out and charged it all day and put it back into the car, still no charge!!!! im certain the Battery charger is ok and its the Battery that has gone.

Only thing is its a relatively new Battery, only bought it in January, its a optima orange top (now discontinued). Have spoke to the company and they are going to have a closer look at it.

only problem is now i have no battrey in the car so have been down to lexus hedgend and bought a new one, £55 with a three year warrenty.

I think there might be something up with the wiring in my car

Should a Battery be completely dead after not being used for two weeks?????

Would it make any difference at all if i bought a grounding kit for the engine, been thinking about this anyway????

thanks all in advance,

Jason :P

[Monster-Mat]

grounding kit would be a waste of time.

regards the drained Battery, if you have additional electrical items fitted it could be one of those items thats causing the drain

[jason_l]

grounding kit would be a waste of time.

regards the drained battery, if you have additional electrical items fitted it could be one of those items thats causing the drain

hmmmm.

Sound system (several amps etc), electric drivers seat, thats about the only other things i have wired in.

Seats only have power going to them when the they are being used and the same with the audio system.

If there was a dodgey conection then the fuse would go surely, and i don't think they have power to them when the car is off?!?!?

I can see this being one of those little ongoing problems that takes years and ££££ to get sorted

Is there any benefit in a grounding kit at all??? or just mainly cosmetic than anything, i know people say they work but always been a bit sceptical

Jason :P

[Monster-Mat]

sure on the amps....

normally they have a triggerd signal to turn them on and off, if there perm on they will drain power, i take it the seats are wired through switched power of the ignition then

the grounding kits are mostly cosmetic, some say they notice a difference on automatics.....but like you im sceptical

[sparkystav]

I have one on my car and i certainly don't see any harm in getting one,

The theory is to restore any worn/bad earth created over time/distance to Battery.

Stav

[jason_l]

sure on the amps....

normally they have a triggerd signal to turn them on and off, if there perm on they will drain power, i take it the seats are wired through switched power of the ignition then

the grounding kits are mostly cosmetic, some say they notice a difference on automatics.....but like you im sceptical

Amps are triggered on/off via the headunit. i think they turn off, they should do. they are supplied through a power cap and this turns off after the car has been stopped so the amps should also be off

The electric seats are connected straight to the Battery (with in line fuse) but the cercuit is only complete when the seat buttons are pushed

I have one on my car and i certainly don't see any harm in getting one,

The theory is to restore any worn/bad earth created over time/distance to battery.

Stav

contemplating buying the one you have and is on eBay at the moment, £40 seams a fair price but still not 100% certain.

[Monster-Mat]

The electric seats are connected straight to the battery (with in line fuse) but the cercuit is only complete when the seat buttons are pushed

the seats should be wired through a relay

[jason_l]

The electric seats are connected straight to the battery (with in line fuse) but the cercuit is only complete when the seat buttons are pushed

the seats should be wired through a relay

Thats probably it then mate! or at least i hope

any idea on what sort of relay and any idea of wiring one up, i have limited electrics knowledge as you can probably tell..........or im sure you will know stav

Might disconect the feed for the moment then, seat is in the correct place and it stops Sarah driving the car if she can't move the seat to the position she has it in

Jason :P

[sparkystav]

The electric seats are connected straight to the battery (with in line fuse) but the cercuit is only complete when the seat buttons are pushed

contemplating buying the one you have and is on ebay at the moment, £40 seams a fair price but still not 100% certain.

Firstly, must agree with mat,

The seats should be through a relay, not sure what current the heaters pull but i'm willing to bet its more than that little switch can handle.

Secondly the one on Ebay's the one i helped create. (its my car in the pics).

I can't say i've noticed a power increase from the kit but i had a few things put on at once, but i certainly haven't had any losses with it.

Stav

[jason_l]

The electric seats are connected straight to the battery (with in line fuse) but the cercuit is only complete when the seat buttons are pushed

contemplating buying the one you have and is on ebay at the moment, £40 seams a fair price but still not 100% certain.

Firstly, must agree with mat,

The seats should be through a relay, not sure what current the heaters pull but i'm willing to bet its more than that little switch can handle.

Secondly the one on Ebay's the one i helped create. (its my car in the pics).

I can't say i've noticed a power increase from the kit but i had a few things put on at once, but i certainly haven't had any losses with it.

Stav

Thanks Stav.

i knew that was the kit you helped create and if im going to get any kit it will be that one and for that reason, i have been thinking about getting one for a while and when that one was developed i have been wanting one even more as its car specific, so should be easy for a dumba$$ for me to fit

I don't have the heaters wired up on the seats yet its just the electric movement part, but i asume this will also need a relay!

Jason :P

[sparkystav]

Just a standard 4 pin car relay (available from Halfords, etc) though not sure what rating but the higher the better i suppose (say 30A?)

yeah basically the motors need to go:

Battery - fuse - Relay switch - motor - Earth.

Then the switch: Battery - smaller fuse - button - relay coil - earth.

So basically when you turn the switch on, it pulls the coil on the relay. turns the other switch on which gives power to the motor.

If you want a wiring diagram drawing or anything drop me a pm with your email and i'll whip one up.

Stav

Edit; edited now i realise your on about the motors not heaters.

[Monster-Mat]

same thing, the relay should be triggered from the ignition, when the acc is live the relay is energised, allowing current to the seat motors, the trigger can go to a second relay for the seat heaters

[jason_l]

Thanks Mat and Stav.

Its got to be that then, i have disconnected the feed for the moment until i get the relay etc.

Good to know there are people on the forum that know what they are doing as i sure as hell don't

[sparkystav]

but that would stop the seat moving when the powers off.

I'm sure mine move always?

Stav

[jason_l]

but that would stop the seat moving when the powers off.

I'm sure mine move always?

Stav

I have a S model with the seats fitted at a later date, thats why the seats are connected direct to the Battery with no relay!

Jason :P

[aztecbandit1]

but that would stop the seat moving when the powers off.

I'm sure mine move always?

Stav

My seat moves too mate when the powers off, i've just been in the car messing again and had to move them

[Monster-Mat]

thats correct, but were talking an OEM wired car, and a car that has had the electrics installed afterwards

[Monster-Mat]

if you come up, ill wire it for you

[sparkystav]

Jas, you have email.

Stav

[yemgi]

I changed my Battery for an Optima Yellow few years ago, it last 1 month before getting dead, I got it replaced by a new one under warranty, same issue. I finally installed a cheap one from a place like Halfords and no problems since then. I did not have any ICE or fancy electric stuff, the car was still almost standard.

[TigerFish]

I can see that it may be better practice to wire the seats through a relay, but at the end of the day if no switches are being pressed, it isn't drawing any power. So it shouldn't be having any effect on the Battery.

[ibby]

Really to find a fault like this..

You need time..

Ie charge the battrey up

Plug a multimeter in.. or a load meter,

Look at home much current you are loosing,

then one by one .. unplug the fuses from the circuit box..

Once the drain has stopped on the battrey you have found te fault..

[ibby]

Lets try to help you out..

and Earthing kit isnt going to help you,... If you had a "bad earth" you would be having other problems as well,

Ie car turning off intermitantly..

1- Amps are on ignition live,

Verify that with a multimeter, or look at the on/off leds

2- Electrical seats ruled out ..

They are on a switch

What else have you added?

Any additional LEDS, to interiors?

What about the BOOT light..? on my old avensis it only had two options

ON or OFF .. (dont knw if the S has a boot light)

We can most likley rule out the alarm.. / imobliser (unless it has been trigger lots of time, which could kill the batt)

[TigerFish]

Has the Battery got caps that can be removed to check the electrolyte level? If it is low the Battery won't hold a charge well.

[jason_l]

Has the battery got caps that can be removed to check the electrolyte level? If it is low the battery won't hold a charge well.

The Battery that has run flat is a sealed gell Battery, so no way of topping it up or opening it up.

I didn't think that the seats would draw power when not in use as like you have said, its only completing the circuit when being used!

This is going to be a long process i feel

Jason :P