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VE HSV clubsport R8 battery issue

LoopHole0011

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Hey everyone

I recently went away for 6 weeks, and forgot to d/c the battery cables and i came back to find my car wont start and the remote wouldn't even work.

Anyway i hooked up my portable jump starter and turned on the car, and then d/c the jump starter after 10-15m while the engine was running on idle and then took the car around the block for a drive and while the alternator sign was coming up on the computer the car would then go in power saving mode and then switch off. This happened twice, until i left the portable battery starter attached and then drove it back home.

The battery is hooked up to a charger now and going to let it charge for 3-4 hours and then try again

So if it is a alternator issue, is that a expensive fix? or what do you guys reckon
 

stooge

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I would replace the battery first.
lead acid batteries don't like to be fully discharged, depending on the age of your battery fully discharging it might have killed it or degraded its lifespan.

if a new battery does not solve the problem I would then move onto getting the alternator tested by an auto electrician.
 

LoopHole0011

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I would replace the battery first.
lead acid batteries don't like to be fully discharged, depending on the age of your battery fully discharging it might have killed it or degraded its lifespan.

if a new battery does not solve the problem I would then move onto getting the alternator tested by an auto electrician.

im hoping to avoid keep buying thigs to see if it solves the problem or not and end up spending 1000's of dollars at the end.........i want to try and pinpoint the problem as best i can

I'm letting it charge now and then try it out and see once i drive it if the charge will hold or not.......if not then get the battery tested at a professional place and see what happens

Before this there was never any battery issue of any kind

After an hour or so of puttng the battery on charger the charge level went up from 10 to 12 and when i put the key in ignition all the electronics work fine, ill wait another couple of hours and take the charger off and see how she goes
 

ducker85

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A new battery will cost you $200 where the alternator is mounted low on these engine and is almost an engine out job to replace. So I'll try a new battery IF your problem isn't fixed with a full charge. Also try getting the fault read with a tech 2 by a mechanic so you know why the warning light is coming up on the dash.
 

LoopHole0011

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A new battery will cost you $200 where the alternator is mounted low on these engine and is almost an engine out job to replace. So I'll try a new battery IF your problem isn't fixed with a full charge. Also try getting the fault read with a tech 2 by a mechanic so you know why the warning light is coming up on the dash.

UPDATE!!

After charging the battery the car turned on fine, but the Alternator warning came up.

After letting the car stay switched on on idle for about 10 minutes, battery power came down from 12 to 9, meaning its not charging.

iv been reading stories about people with the same issue changing the alternator only to find the issue still exists, so is it possible it can be something els?

worse comes to worse, how much does it cost to change the alternator and is it a difficult DIY job for a experienced person?
 

Smitty

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.. battery
change that first... no use trying to stuff voltage into a battery with some dead cells

ps.. beg or borrow a separate voltmeter and check it out with this first
 

ducker85

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As Smitty said.

You do realise a battery with dead cell will cause a fault and the alternator won't be able to charge it causing the same fault. No point in changing the alternator only to have the same issue because it was the battery all along. Auto shops like autopro, repco etc should be able to test your battery for dead cells.

How old is your battery? It's probably due to be change anyway.
 

stooge

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If it was my car i would replace the battery if it is over 5 years old at the first sign of an electrical charging issue.

as I said before normal lead acid batteries can be damaged if they are drained of charge totally, this is why they make "agm" and "deep cycle" batteries because these types of batteries are designed to be drained and charged etc.

before going out and throwing money at a new alternator you can take your alternator out and go to your local auto electrician and for like $30 or so they can test your alternator and tell you if it is not working.
if you want to keep your old battery... like others have said you can get that tested too.

but to be honest if you had no issues before and all that happened is you let the battery drain for 6weeks and now you have a problem with the battery charging you can be pretty sure that the battery is cactus.

if your battery is close to 10 years old just change it even if it tests ok.
 

Sabbath'

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Test the battery. Not just by sticking a multimeter across it, or reading off the dash. You need to have it load tested. If you dont know how, pay to have it done.
 

Benboy

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If you are reluctant to buy a new battery (and I gather you are) take car to an Auto Electrician and ask for a load test or if a member of an Auto Club (RACV, RACG, NRMA etc - you haven't stated where in Aust, you live !!) call them and get them to check. No cost as such. My money is on you having a dead battery (or more specifically - dead cells). Good luck.
 
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