Battery Longevity - V8 Vantage
Discussion
I have a MY2007 AMV8 Vantage. Unfortunately I do not have it garaged and it gets driven every week or so for a few days.
The battery is struggling to last even that length of time. I travel a lot and as such spend lengthy terms away from it.
I was hoping for suggestions as to how I can maximise battery efficiency whilst parked up. I find it hard to believe that the car is only rated for around 11 days disuse. (why is that?)
It has a tracker that is not used. I would like to know how to disable that for a start. Also I need to figure out how to disable the battery. I havent figured that out yet.
My aim is to get 30 days at least from the battery without use. As a precaution I will be keeping my halfords power pack 200 on standby..
This issue is marring an otherwise fantastic car. Help please!
The battery is struggling to last even that length of time. I travel a lot and as such spend lengthy terms away from it.
I was hoping for suggestions as to how I can maximise battery efficiency whilst parked up. I find it hard to believe that the car is only rated for around 11 days disuse. (why is that?)
It has a tracker that is not used. I would like to know how to disable that for a start. Also I need to figure out how to disable the battery. I havent figured that out yet.
My aim is to get 30 days at least from the battery without use. As a precaution I will be keeping my halfords power pack 200 on standby..
This issue is marring an otherwise fantastic car. Help please!
From memory (as I don't have the handbook with me) I'm sure there is a "power down" option which will give you longer before the battery dies. I'm pretty sure that I read that the length of time it can keep charge is very good, even with a tracker activated. Maybe something is draining the power on yours?
You could do with getting your battery check , as well as the car to make sure the is no drain.
The is a battery off swith in the boot , this shuts the most of the car down , but still leaves the alarm module alive so the battery can still go flat.
The best and easy way is to plug a battery conditioner into it, as this turns itself on and off when needed.
The is a battery off swith in the boot , this shuts the most of the car down , but still leaves the alarm module alive so the battery can still go flat.
The best and easy way is to plug a battery conditioner into it, as this turns itself on and off when needed.
^ I agree
Manual says 10 days with tracker powered and whole car "live"
"upto" 30 days with tracker off and battery disconnect button in use.
This is why AM sell the trickle chargers
Through winter the battery is going to get an even bigger hammering.
Maplin sell some neat solar trickle chargers which might be worth a look if it is parked on the street.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?MenuNo=95037
Other wise plug in a mains trickle charger as the manual suggests.
Manual says 10 days with tracker powered and whole car "live"
"upto" 30 days with tracker off and battery disconnect button in use.
This is why AM sell the trickle chargers
Through winter the battery is going to get an even bigger hammering.
Maplin sell some neat solar trickle chargers which might be worth a look if it is parked on the street.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?MenuNo=95037
Other wise plug in a mains trickle charger as the manual suggests.
There is a button in the rhs flap in the boot where the tyre sealant kit lives.....
To reboot there is a button hidden in the bulkhead behind the drivers seat...
This is all in my 05 model though so may differ in yours.
Only problem is it deletes all your settings in the stereo!
Trickle charger is best if you have one!
To reboot there is a button hidden in the bulkhead behind the drivers seat...
This is all in my 05 model though so may differ in yours.
Only problem is it deletes all your settings in the stereo!
Trickle charger is best if you have one!
If the battery is not lasting more than a week then I suspect a fault somewhere. Either with the battery or with an electrical drain. You can get a battery datalogger that is set up via a PC and then connected over the battery terminals. It measures battery voltage and info gained can usually be sent to Aston who might be able to have a stab at to what the fault is. A dealer or a specialist should be able to set this up for you. The unit has it's own internal battery and so does affect your car when connected and usually lasts about 3 months before it has to be restarted (due to being full of readings).
fluffer said:
Damn. I thought the solar trickle charge was the best idea of the lot.
Unfortunately I have no access to an electrical outlet where I park the car.
The only solution seems to be that I should disconnect the battery each and every time I park the car.
For the money why not try it Unfortunately I have no access to an electrical outlet where I park the car.
The only solution seems to be that I should disconnect the battery each and every time I park the car.
I have a couple of mates who use them on other cars with good results
I use a solar charger on my Range Rover and that works just fine, especially as the RR is famous for leaking battery charge is left alone for only a few days. It's also worth using a conditioner every now and again as it will actually help the battery to retain a stronger charge for longer.
/sorry for the lurk. Not an Aston owner yet, but looking closely
/sorry for the lurk. Not an Aston owner yet, but looking closely
Well the battery died the other day. I had AM assist out to start the car.
Now I have a Emmision Service Required on the dash. Not happy.
I also have a tyre system fault from a recent tyre change.
Car being booked in for MOT this week and they'll get a snag list under my AM Warranty too:
-Boot leaking.
-Door locks (intermittent known problem)
-Tyre sys fault
-Emissions Service
I've also ordered an OBD scanner to check and clear this kind of spurious fault myself in future.
I will probably buy a new battery as part of this too. Rather safe than sorry.
Now I have a Emmision Service Required on the dash. Not happy.
I also have a tyre system fault from a recent tyre change.
Car being booked in for MOT this week and they'll get a snag list under my AM Warranty too:
-Boot leaking.
-Door locks (intermittent known problem)
-Tyre sys fault
-Emissions Service
I've also ordered an OBD scanner to check and clear this kind of spurious fault myself in future.
I will probably buy a new battery as part of this too. Rather safe than sorry.
The boot will have water ingress due to the tailgate drains getting blocked up. The tech's will be able to fix this by blocking up the drain holes on top of the tailgate seal to stop water getting in again in the future. Make sure they measure your battery drain over night. On your car 20-30 milliamps should be about right (later cars are closer to 10 ma). They'll be able to check the tyre sensor for damage so if it was them that changed the tyre they'll have to pay. If was an independent tyre fitter though you may have to do some chasing.
My useage is varied. I do long trips infrequently. For the most part the car is left for a number of days, and when its used it gets driven around 10 miles each way a few hours apart. It is stored outside in a secure carpark, but far from any power outlets.
It would get a decent journey every 2 weeks.
However the longevity of the battery is a major concern as I am about to emigrate, but commute home every 6 weeks. No way the battery will last that long, battery disconnect switch or not.
I had to be jumpstarted by AM assist 4 days ago. I drove home and charged it for around 5 hours on the trickle charger. Left it for 3 days with the battery disconnected. Went to start it tonight. Not an amp of charge in her. I have a booking with a dealer on Tuesday. I reckon its a new battery at least anyway..
Again I am concerned about my ability to drive it after long periods of inactivity in future. This is a serious pain in the 8ss.
It would get a decent journey every 2 weeks.
However the longevity of the battery is a major concern as I am about to emigrate, but commute home every 6 weeks. No way the battery will last that long, battery disconnect switch or not.
I had to be jumpstarted by AM assist 4 days ago. I drove home and charged it for around 5 hours on the trickle charger. Left it for 3 days with the battery disconnected. Went to start it tonight. Not an amp of charge in her. I have a booking with a dealer on Tuesday. I reckon its a new battery at least anyway..
Again I am concerned about my ability to drive it after long periods of inactivity in future. This is a serious pain in the 8ss.
Your type of use is going to kill the battery IMO (and the car!). You're better off not using it at all than using it for 10 miles a time, and not just because of the battery.
Using the battery kill switch will help matters in many ways, and a new battery will quite possibly help for a bit (the current one's probably given up). But unless you can find some way of getting it on a conditioner, you will likely find yourself needing a new battery in short order.
Using the battery kill switch will help matters in many ways, and a new battery will quite possibly help for a bit (the current one's probably given up). But unless you can find some way of getting it on a conditioner, you will likely find yourself needing a new battery in short order.
Edited by Murph7355 on Sunday 14th November 20:26
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