Car wont start after 3 weeks

[Beachbum]

So I need some help with a prob I've never seen of before

Car has been off the road for 5 weeks, except for a 20min drive about 3 weeks ago
Went to start the car this morning and loud clicking noise and all the internal lights flash. Console, Hi-Fi and courtesy light. Dont know about the exterior lights, couldnt see them

So obvious Q, any idea what it might be ?
I'm hoping someone will just say its a dying battery and time to replace it. However f someone knows better, could they let me know.

Its a 54 plate 111R, just in case that has any relevance

Thanks

[Philygumbo]

its a dying battery and time to replace it.

Feel better now?


I would start with the battery, it is the first thing to suffer when left standing. Why have you not got a battery saver.
I hope it is just that.

Edited by Philygumbo on Saturday 21st August 10:42

[Gfun]

Yep dead battery - you need a trickle charger and a note on the windscrean to remind you to unplug before driving off!

[Justin S]

get a battery conditioner and see if it brings the battery back. Most causes of flat batteries is alarms etc still working and being a smallish battery does not last long. When you don't use the car, always use a conditioner if only used at weekends etc.

[Philygumbo]

Yep cheap as chips from Halfords, I drove off with my first one still attached, now I leave the box it came in on the drivers seat.

Edited by Philygumbo on Sunday 22 August 09:18

[anonymous-user]

I use an Accumate now but in the past when the car was kept outside without access to power used a solar panel from Maplins that did the job just fine.

[bordseye]

my 111R does exactly the same thing and its not the battery. there is some current drain - I suspect the immobiliser but I just use an optimate instead of trying to find what it is.

A common cause is accidentally leaving the interior light on.

[jondude]

bordseye said:

my 111R does exactly the same thing and its not the battery. there is some current drain - I suspect the immobiliser but I just use an optimate instead of trying to find what it is.

A common cause is accidentally leaving the interior light on.

True - things can also get compounded when a dying/not so strong battery also has to cope with the alarm (and immobiliser) activated.

Best and only real cure is a new battery, charge it fully with the Optimate or like, bung it in......connect Optimate any time you know the car is out of action for more than 5 days.

[Scuffers]

bordseye said:

my 111R does exactly the same thing and its not the battery. there is some current drain - I suspect the immobiliser

nope, I used to think the same...

Lotus (in their infinite wisdom) leave quite a few things on all the time, like the dash/ECU etc.

[Grinnders]

2 weeks used to be the limit on the S1 battery. Guaranteed flat after 2 weeks. Changed to a bosch (plus Eliseparts brackets) and never suffered again on the basic rule of never leave undriven for more than 2 weeks,

[Beachbum]

Car is hardly ever idle this long. Its my daily driver. Just a secondment to Hong Kong at the last minute caused this I hope. Thanks for the replies.

OK, so new battery time.
Whats the best battery to go for, seems as ever that Lotus's option is not the best ?

Edited by Beachbum on Thursday 26th August 10:37

[Scuffers]

Beachbum said:

Car is hardly ever idle this long. Its my daily driver. Just a secondment to Hong Kong at the last minute caused this I hope. Thanks for the replies.

OK, so new battery time.
Whats the best battery to go for, seems as ever that Lotus's option is not the best ?

you need either an 063 or 076 sized battery...

Highest capacity I can find with a quick search are:

063 BOSCH SILVER PLUS Car Battery 12V 52Ah

http://www.boschbatteries.co.uk/Products/BOSCH-SIL...

C6 / 063 VARTA SILVER Dynamic Car Battery 12V 52Ah

http://www.maxautoparts.co.uk/car/c6-063-varta-sil...

at 52AH they are almost double the std Lotus fit ones capacity, only real downside is that higher capacity = more weight.

[vetteheadracer]

Trickle charger is your friend, if you leave any vehicle for more than a couiple of weeks the battery will start to deteriorate.
I would start by charging your existing battery up overnight and then see if it will start.
If the battery is fk'd then a replacement should solve the problem.

[Twinpipe]

Beachbum - Drive your car more!!!!!!!

[Beachbum]

Twinpipe said:

Beachbum - Drive your car more!!!!!!!

I do, lots.......just work got in the way for 5 weeks and is about to agaon for another 3.

[eos]

Hi - I've had similar problem on my Elise S2 for couple of years now.
If I left the car for a couple of weeks I would have the same scenario requiring the battery to be re-charged.
I wasn't altogether convinced that it was a battery issue as this would even happen after I swapped it over for another.
With this in mind I put it into the garage and was assured that I did not have an issue with battery drain / earthing etc and that I needed a new battery.
However even with a new battery fitted the same thing happened after I had to go away for work for 3 weeks and the car was unused during this time.
When I phoned to question the problem (?) I was then advised that it is quite normal on an Elise for the battery to be flat if unused for 2-3 weeks.
I am not altogether convinced if this is the case or not but as I travel with work on a regular basis I have now fitted quick release battery terminals and taken to
disconnecting the battery if the car is left unused for any period. Obviously this is not ideal as a/ its a pain in the backside and b/ it means the car is not alarmed.
I would be interested to know if others experience this issue as fitting a new battery made little difference in my case.

[Scuffers]

the cars will kill the std battery quite quickly if left, it;s down to the number of things that are left powered when the key is out - S2's are worse, and the current yota engined ones worse still.

done a little work on this and I estimate you need ~10AH of battery per week it's standing.

this means with best of the battery's available, your looking at 4-5 weeks max.

[MadProf]

I only get to use my Lotus every now and then as it is'nt used as my daily commute,best advice I was given if this is the case,is to just remove the battery terminal.My first battery lasted less than a year because the blessed thing was run down constantly by the alarm soaking up it's life.

Of course if you're using it daily then obviously it's a pain to do this,but for us weekend users the trick works a treat.

[AlexS]

My CTek charger has eyelets which allows permanent connection in the car and then a simple push fit to the charger itself. Is it okay to attach these to the +ve and -ve terminals on the battery or should I attach the -ve from the charger to an earthing point in the car.

[zasker]

I've got mine connected directly to the battery terminals and touch wood haven't had any problems so far.