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  • Author Author: mcb1
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Electronic Diet

mcb1

Okay so the title is a bit misleading.image

I'm not planning on consumming electronics, or removing electronics from my diet (no I don't eat parts) image

image

source https://favim.com/image/474959/

 

 

I have a spare car that has an older model alarm system fitted just to provide remote lock/unlock.

The car has central locking and uses a transponder key, so it's not that easy to steal, but the flashing LED right next to the ignition barrel does suggest it might make noises if you break in.

 

The unit was fitted when we first got it, and it allowed my wife to open the doors from the footpath and get the kids into the rear in safety.

I've seen too many children out on the road getting into and out of cars .... not sure what the parents are thinking (or more likely not thinking).

 

Anyway now that it is a spare car used in winter and for towing, it sits around and the battery gets drained by the alarm system.

I've made a couple of blogs

Jumper Cables

and when I last repaired the immobiliser

Vehicle Immobiliser Repair

 

The other day I had the same problem, get into it to shift it and the battery was way down.

"Jump Start?"

source https://www.cartoonstock.com/cartoonview.asp?catref=dwtn172

 

So I have a plan.

 

1. Check the current consumption of the unit.

2. Check to see if it can easily be reduced, and by how much.

3. Either fix it or replace it.

 

Each of these steps requires a bit of work

Step 1 is easy enough as I have a spare unit

Step 2 is only easy if you have the circuit diagram, and luckily I do (somewhere) since I use to fix them for the importer.

Step 3 replacement .... is relatively easy but will require checking the current consumption of a replacement.

I do have one that I purchased for another vehicle, and I should be able to interface it to this vehicle.

 

 

So in the next article I will find all the bits and do some checking

https://www.element14.com/community/people/mcb1/blog/2018/03/23/electronic-diet-part-2

Part 3 here Electronic Diet - Engineering a Solution

 

 

 

Mark

Parents

  • Hello,

     

    Just a few ideas to think about:

    • is the car battery in a good condition?
    • do you plan to build a circuit to estimate the capacity of the battery?
    • is the car parked somewhere near a power outlet, so you could equip it with a permanent charger that will take care of the battery? or maybe add some solar panel to just cover the consumption of the alarm?

     

    The thing with car batteries is, that most of the people don't know about the condition (oxidized contacts, acid level, lead plates state) and the perception of the battery is different than in a cell phone / laptop / torch light etc. The car will start with any capacity let's say from 10 % to 100 % (if it provides enough current) and will recharge the battery (assuming the alternator is OK) during the drive. This really masks the real condition and I personally experienced a situation twice, when I started the car one day, drove 100 km, slept overnight and the next day was the battery dead. There was never a user observable indication that this would happen.

     

    David

  • in reply to koudelad

    Worthwhile questions ....

    Just a few ideas to think about:

    • is the car battery in a good condition?

    Yes it's a new normal Lead acid battery and is a large one since it's a diesel 4WD.

    The problem isn't related to the battery, but the constant drain over a month or more, plus some of the self draining effect.

     

    • do you plan to build a circuit to estimate the capacity of the battery?

    No there is no reason to do this.

     

    • is the car parked somewhere near a power outlet, so you could equip it with a permanent charger that will take care of the battery? or maybe add some solar panel to just cover the consumption of the alarm?

    We live in the country and it gets parked in varying places. A power cord can be fed to it, but that is a pain, and likely to get run over, chopped or lost in the long grass.

    At the moment I have run a power cord out and the charger is bringing the battery up.

     

    I have thought about the solar panel, and it's something to consider if the alternatives aren't going to work out.

    Part 2 will highlight the issue, and has provide the answers.

     

    recharge the battery (assuming the alternator is OK) during the drive

    That is what people think, but if you do the math, you really aren't going to charge a fully discharged battery with a single drive.

     

    To add to this the newer calcium batteries require a much higher charge cycle when they are fully discharged.

    They can happily sit for a year without self discharging, but need one of the newer chargers to reactivate the chemical reaction when they go flat.

     

    I started the car one day, drove 100 km, slept overnight and the next day was the battery dead

    Had a worse one than that ... I knew the battery was getting old but started it at work, went to the parts store for something else, and it was DEAD when I came back out.

    Had to buy a battery and a set of spanners to be able to fit it.

     

    Cheers

    Mark

Comment
  • in reply to koudelad

    Worthwhile questions ....

    Just a few ideas to think about:

    • is the car battery in a good condition?

    Yes it's a new normal Lead acid battery and is a large one since it's a diesel 4WD.

    The problem isn't related to the battery, but the constant drain over a month or more, plus some of the self draining effect.

     

    • do you plan to build a circuit to estimate the capacity of the battery?

    No there is no reason to do this.

     

    • is the car parked somewhere near a power outlet, so you could equip it with a permanent charger that will take care of the battery? or maybe add some solar panel to just cover the consumption of the alarm?

    We live in the country and it gets parked in varying places. A power cord can be fed to it, but that is a pain, and likely to get run over, chopped or lost in the long grass.

    At the moment I have run a power cord out and the charger is bringing the battery up.

     

    I have thought about the solar panel, and it's something to consider if the alternatives aren't going to work out.

    Part 2 will highlight the issue, and has provide the answers.

     

    recharge the battery (assuming the alternator is OK) during the drive

    That is what people think, but if you do the math, you really aren't going to charge a fully discharged battery with a single drive.

     

    To add to this the newer calcium batteries require a much higher charge cycle when they are fully discharged.

    They can happily sit for a year without self discharging, but need one of the newer chargers to reactivate the chemical reaction when they go flat.

     

    I started the car one day, drove 100 km, slept overnight and the next day was the battery dead

    Had a worse one than that ... I knew the battery was getting old but started it at work, went to the parts store for something else, and it was DEAD when I came back out.

    Had to buy a battery and a set of spanners to be able to fit it.

     

    Cheers

    Mark

Children
  • in reply to mcb1

    Thank you for all the answers image

     

    What I actually find silly are the maintenance plans for cars. In Europe (but I believe it might be the same on other continents, as well), the plan is put together to have as low maintenance cost as possible in the first 3 years (so the companies can get rid of the cars before doing a bigger maintenance) and some parts (like the battery) are not mentioned at all. Of course it has a different lifespan if parked in Siberia or in a warm garage, but after 5 years it is good to be suspicious about the battery state.

     

    It is probably a "not a big problem".