Battery Question

[cp993]

Hey all,

with lockdown imy VF battery is dead..so dead that i cant unlock it with the remote.

i have a battery charger, but if i unlock the car with the physical key will the alarm go off? Because i wont be able to turn the alarm off by starting the car cause yeah you guessed it the car is dead

thanks

 

[vc commodore]

If the car battery is dead, the alarm can't go off...It has no battery power to set it off

If has some power in the battery, disconnect it as soon as you can get into the boot

 

[Skylarking]

If you lock your car by pressing the key fob lock button, the content theft deterrent system will be armed. To disarm the theft deterrent system, press the unlock button on the key. Obviously that wont work if the battery is flat (but it may still have juice to set off the horn, i know.... don't ask)...

If you open the door using the physical key when the content theft deterrent system is armed, it will set off the horn and flash the blinkers/headlights.

If you've set off the content theft deterrent system, just press the unlock button on your key and it that doesnt work put the key into the ignition barrel and theur the vehicle ON (dont need to starte the engine). For those with keyless entry, and a flat battery, you'd need to put the key into the center consolde key receptical and then press the start button on the dash without your foot on brake (no need to start the engine)...

In any case, if the battery is flat, you may also need to open the boot using the energency boot pull cord behind the rear seat center armrest opening as the button at the drivers door may notwork Then you can connect your charger

PS: if your battery has been flat for a while, it woud have started to sulfate. If left in flat state for a long time it will eventually kill your battery.

 

[stooge]

Hey all,

with lockdown imy VF battery is dead..so dead that i cant unlock it with the remote.

i have a battery charger, but if i unlock the car with the physical key will the alarm go off? Because i wont be able to turn the alarm off by starting the car cause yeah you guessed it the car is dead

thanks

unlock it manually and if it does go off just attempt to start it and the system should register the fob and stop the alarm.
you might want to look into replacing the battery or at minimum get it tested because letting them go dead flat can cause damage.

if the lockdown continues you might want to look at putting a charger on it once a fortnight or something to top it up.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

With trickle chargers, is it okay to hook it up to better directly in the car or should the battery be taken out ?

 

[wetwork65]

With trickle chargers, is it okay to hook it up to better directly in the car or should the battery be taken out ?

Normally it is OK to leave the battery in car.
Some "experts" say to connect negative to a conductive point on the car body, rather than straight to battery pole. Me, I connect straight to battery, hard to see any difference.
Positive can connect direct to the battery.
Alternatively connect to power posts under the bonnet.
I use a Ctek unit. I am an expert.

 

[RevNev]

Some "experts" say to connect negative to a conductive point on the car body, rather than straight to battery pole. Me, I connect straight to battery, hard to see any difference.

It's like the 4WD (off road) "experts" who fit auxiliary batteries in the rear and run a negative cable to the front of the car. Complete nonsense when they could rightfully earth the battery in the rear of the car with a short strap. The entire body shell is a massive earth circuit directly connected to the negative side of the battery, and I can't see or know of any "valid" reason to earth a battery charger to the body instead of the negative battery pole.

I trickle charge my ute battery from under the bonnet only to save getting behind the passengers seat and messing with the flap of trim covering the battery that distorts and never seems to sit back down properly. It's a painful job changing a ute battery and I tend to look after my battery to avoid changing it too often.

 

[wetwork65]

It's like the 4WD (off road) "experts" who fit auxiliary batteries in the rear and run a negative cable to the front of the car. Complete nonsense when they could rightfully earth the battery in the rear of the car with a short strap. The entire body shell is a massive earth circuit directly connected to the negative side of the battery, and I can't see or know of any "valid" reason to earth a battery charger to the body instead of the negative battery pole.

I trickle charge my ute battery from under the bonnet only to save getting behind the passengers seat and messing with the flap of trim covering the battery that distorts and never seems to sit back down properly. It's a painful job changing a ute battery and I tend to look after my battery to avoid changing it too often.

This makes a lot of sense @RevNev , resistance/capacitance of a battery earth strap should be effectively zero. So I connect straight to battery, since it's easy in a wagon.
Reasons for an extra earth cable are likely:

• incremental sales promotion
• obscure: for a positively earthed car, like my crappy early sixties British sports car. Now that was a head fcuk of a car.

Edit for readability

 

[Ron Burgundy]

It's like the 4WD (off road) "experts" who fit auxiliary batteries in the rear and run a negative cable to the front of the car. Complete nonsense when they could rightfully earth the battery in the rear of the car with a short strap. The entire body shell is a massive earth circuit directly connected to the negative side of the battery, and I can't see or know of any "valid" reason to earth a battery charger to the body instead of the negative battery pole.

I trickle charge my ute battery from under the bonnet only to save getting behind the passengers seat and messing with the flap of trim covering the battery that distorts and never seems to sit back down properly. It's a painful job changing a ute battery and I tend to look after my battery to avoid changing it too often.

This is good idea. Might do the same so my boot does not need to be open.

 

[Redline457]

Just connect the trickle charger to posts under the bonnet, I’ve doing it for years with my other car in storage never had a problem