Dashboard n wipers gone after battery went flat

[Beautdriver]

Hi this is my friends Commodore. Battery went flat when I listened to the radio for 20 mins with engine off. NRMA recharged it, however now the radio has stopped (just no lights), dashboard lights don't work, and windscreen wipers also gone)

I've phoned a couple of mechanics, they're suggesting that reprogramming may be needed. Would this effect wipers also?

Help appreciated!!!!! Does anyone know what might be going on? Thanks

 

[lmoengnr]

Might be time for a new battery and get the charging system checked.

 

[Beautdriver]

Might be time for a new battery and get the charging system checked.

Hi I've heard something about needing to reprogramme the radio? I wouldn't have thought the wipers would go too though. The car's running again, so there's life in the battery

 

[krusing]

As above no ^^^ a new battery,

Depending on the age of the alternator, and k/s it’s done, it may need to be reconditioned, or replaced,
Nothing last for ever.

 

[Beautdriver]

As above no ^^^ a new battery,

Depending on the age of the alternator, and k/s it’s done, it may need to reconditioned, or replaced,
Nothing last for ever.

So the battery going flat, may have lead to all these other parts failing? It all happened immediately following the battery getting recharged

 

[Skylarking]

You don’t mention your friends model but modern cars like VE and VF need really good batteries else odd faults can occur…

And what we are saying is that the battery may be at end of life… It may still give 12.6v but can no longer store large enough amounts of energy which results in voltage drop when load is applied.

For example, during cranking, a good fully charged battery will still provide 10v or so but this isn’t a great way to determine battery condition. Instead, I’d remove the battery and get it load tested using a modern battery tester. I‘d also get the charging circuit tested to ensure it will correctly charge the battery. This removes issues around battery and charging circuits being the cause of problems (which modern cars need else odd problems occur)…

As to why you have problems with radio, wiper and dash, who knows but if the battery tested OK maybe all will work after reconnecting the battery to the car… Sort of a cold reboot…

If you still have issues after disconnecting testing and reconnecting the battery, I’d check all fuses. It may be that some fuses blew when NRMA recharged the battery if their charger pumped high current into the battery and/or their equipment was faulty (but it’s unlikely).

If the battery load tests ok and the charging circuit tests ok and all fuses are ok and you’ve disconnected the battery waited 10 minutes and reconnected the battery to cold reboot the car, and the faults still exist, then we need more info about vehicle model and the vehicle behaviour (whether it start, drives, what happens when in key is in acc, when key is in run but not started, etc, etc, etc).

 

[Beautdriver]

You don’t mention your friends model but modern cars like VE and VF need really good batteries else odd faults can occur…

And what we are saying is that the battery may be at end of life… It may still give 12.6v but can no longer store large enough amounts of energy which results in voltage drop when load is applied.

For example, during cranking, a good fully charged battery will still provide 10v or so but this isn’t a great way to determine battery condition. Instead, I’d remove the battery and get it load tested using a modern battery tester. I‘d also get the charging circuit tested to ensure it will correctly charge the battery. This removes issues around battery and charging circuits being the cause of problems (which modern cars need else odd problems occur)…

As to why you have problems with radio, wiper and dash, who knows but if the battery tested OK maybe all will work after reconnecting the battery to the car… Sort of a cold reboot…

If you still have issues after disconnecting testing and reconnecting the battery, I’d check all fuses. It may be that some fuses blew when NRMA recharged the battery if their charger pumped high current into the battery and/or their equipment was faulty (but it’s unlikely).

If the battery load tests ok and the charging circuit tests ok and all fuses are ok and you’ve disconnected the battery waited 10 minutes and reconnected the battery to cold reboot the car, and the faults still exist, then we need more info about vehicle model and the vehicle behaviour (whether it start, drives, what happens when in key is in acc, when key is in run but not started, etc, etc, etc).

You don’t mention your friends model but modern cars like VE and VF need really good batteries else odd faults can occur…

And what we are saying is that the battery may be at end of life… It may still give 12.6v but can no longer store large enough amounts of energy which results in voltage drop when load is applied.

For example, during cranking, a good fully charged battery will still provide 10v or so but this isn’t a great way to determine battery condition. Instead, I’d remove the battery and get it load tested using a modern battery tester. I‘d also get the charging circuit tested to ensure it will correctly charge the battery. This removes issues around battery and charging circuits being the cause of problems (which modern cars need else odd problems occur)…

As to why you have problems with radio, wiper and dash, who knows but if the battery tested OK maybe all will work after reconnecting the battery to the car… Sort of a cold reboot…

If you still have issues after disconnecting testing and reconnecting the battery, I’d check all fuses. It may be that some fuses blew when NRMA recharged the battery if their charger pumped high current into the battery and/or their equipment was faulty (but it’s unlikely).

If the battery load tests ok and the charging circuit tests ok and all fuses are ok and you’ve disconnected the battery waited 10 minutes and reconnected the battery to cold reboot the car, and the faults still exist, then we need more info about vehicle model and the vehicle behaviour (whether it start, drives, what happens when in key is in acc, when key is in run but not started, etc, etc, etc).

Hi thanks so much for the detailed reply, I'm relieved to find a helpful forum like this! The model is 2012 VE 06 D OMEGAs. It was serviced in Feb and the battery reading was: SPEC 610CCA -/ reading 590CCA - so seems pretty close to full capacity? I'll contact the garage and get the fuss checked/ cold boot radio.

I'm curious nobody has yet mentioned Radio Programme because that's what they're saying here (Goulburn NSW), without looking at it. Are they on the right track also, could reprogramming be needed? Thanks again

 

[lmoengnr]

Hi thanks so much for the detailed reply, I'm relieved to find a helpful forum like this! The model is 2012 VE 06 D OMEGAs. It was serviced in Feb and the battery reading was: SPEC 610CCA -/ reading 590CCA - so seems pretty close to full capacity? I'll contact the garage and get the fuss checked/ cold boot radio.

I'm curious nobody has yet mentioned Radio Programme because that's what they're saying here (Goulburn NSW), without looking at it. Are they on the right track also, could reprogramming be needed? Thanks again

The IQ wont lose programming with a flat battery, only your favorites and the time base.

 

[Skylarking]

I'm curious nobody has yet mentioned Radio Programme because that's what they're saying here (Goulburn NSW), without looking at it. Are they on the right track also, could reprogramming be needed? Thanks again

In much older cars that required a code be manually entered into the radio after the battery was disconnected, if the wrong code was entered 3 times the radio doesnt turn on... In such cases these old radios need reporgraming to unlock them but that's not your case.

IIUC, the VE radio is VIN locked and doesn't require any unlock codes or reprograming for it to turn on after the battery has been disconnected. It should simply turn on when power is supplied and after it goes through it's internal checks successfully.

The only time a modern VIN locked radio may need to be reprogramed is if it was bought second hand (to replace a faulty radio) and the donor radio installed in your vehicle. In such cases, when powering on, the internal self check routines will compare radios stored VIN against the VIN stored in the other module(s) and if such checks show a mismatched VIN you get a message like "security lockout active" and the radio wont play...

But that's not your problem... your problem is tha=e radio simply doesnt seem to have power.

PS: batteries can die rather quickly if they are flat and left that way for a few weeks. They sulphate and sulpation is a bitch

 

[lmoengnr]

Standard thing is to check fuses and relays.
Next, disconnect the battery for 30 minutes.
When battery is reconnected, turn ignition to 'on', do not crank, let the electronics do their start up self checks.
See if the IQ and the other systems return to normal.