WM Caprice, flat battery, manual key doesn't work.

[TPatS]

Thanks for the advice guys. Got the NRMA guy out again. He crawled under, undid the engine aero panel and hooked the jump wires to the starter motor. It was enough juice to unlock the doors remotely and then it was simply a matter of getting the car jumpstarted and going for a bit of a drive.

 

[lout]

excellent outcome
lower the windows and then practice with the door barrel lock to get it loose
maybe look into skylarking's trailer plug

 

[Skylarking]

ok, I just did some testing on my car (07 Caprice with bi xenons). I opened the drivers window and opened and closed the door. I then turned the headlights on. They didn't turn off after 20 minutes.

I then opened and closed the door (to activate the door switch) and left the car for 15 minutes. Again, they didn't turn off.

I then locked the car, bu they still didn't turn off. (?)

So I opened the door, sat in the car, started it, stopped it, got out and locked it (with the headlights on all the time) and they turned off after a few seconds.

So it would appear that your lights are working ok. :-(

Interesting.

I haven’t tested the BCM’s power down capabilities at different headlamp switch positions when the vehicle is locked. But you’d think whatever position the headlamp switch is in, one would and should expect that the BCM will shut things down after a given time so as to preserve the battery charge. Anything less on a 2013+ vehicle is just so mid last century and completely unacceptable. Heck, Holden makes you go through silly steps to sit outside the car and listen to the radio…. cause it keeps shutting down…

Out of curiosity I’ll have to check my 2017 commie cause it may have later BCM firmware which improves on your findings.

Regardless, having direct and easy access to the battery from outside the vehicle is rather important on these electrically complex vehicles. This is especially true if they aren’t driven every day as a sulfated lead acid battery is a definite possibility. Thats why I used the electric brake wire on the trailer plug (since I’ll never tow anything other than a small box trailer).

 

[lout]

if you turn headlamps/park lamps on after shutdown, the bcm assumes you know what you are doing
and will allow battery to discharge to nothing