[ChrisSB]

Drove the R-S today for the first time since the last breakfast club. Went to open the boot to disconnect the CTEK, wouldn't open. Had to use the emergency key to open it. CTEK showing a red light. After about 20 minutes of trying I finally managed to get it started, but when I got to breakfast club I noticed the rear door locks are locking, thus the alarm isn't setting.

I know why the battery was flat I think, I had left it for a few days after I last used it without connecting the CTEK, I thought just plugging it in would be OK but it's never happy unless you plug it in immediately (if not driving it for a few days).

Battery is only been fitted for a couple of months, I'm fairly sure that's OK. The dashcam runs 24/7 but should power down when the battery voltage gets too low.

Apart from the rear doors not locking it's back to normal operation. Back home now and they still won't lock. MOT in a few weeks so I'll ask E&E to take a look.

 

[D3GGY]

How’s the battery today? I assume you have had it on charge as well as the run to Breakfast Club

 

[ChrisSB]

How’s the battery today? I assume you have had it on charge as well as the run to Breakfast Club

I’ve not looked. It is currently on charge.


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[NewcyBlue]

You were just firing up to leave when I saw you. I would have come over to say hello otherwise.

I noticed after the long drive down I was still getting the low battery warning. The battery in it is fairly new, so I imagine it will the small stop/start one.

Funny beasts these cars.

 

[ChrisSB]

You were just firing up to leave when I saw you. I would have come over to say hello otherwise.

I noticed after the long drive down I was still getting the low battery warning. The battery in it is fairly new, so I imagine it will the small stop/start one.

Funny beasts these cars.

Sorry I didn’t realise you were there. Next time!

Mine one has a single battery thankfully.


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[PeteA]

...Funny beasts these cars.

😀

 

[ChrisSB]

So I was a bit wrong with my initial symptoms. The rear passenger door appears to work fine. It's just the drivers rear door and automatic mirror folding that do not appear to work. I've plugged SDD in and there were 3 recent DTCs, driver's door module (DDM), passenger door module (PDM) and something about the steering column. But all of those work fine, unless the rear doors connect to the front door modules?

Anyway, booking my car in for it's MOT, and getting E&E to look at this at the same time.

 

[FCS]

Don't rely on CTEC's They are very poorly made. I had 2 for repair last week from my Son in Law, couldn't believe the components and placement. They are built to fail. Who puts an 85 degree electrolitic up against a heat sink in a switched mode PSU. Hard to believe.

 

[ChrisSB]

Don't rely on CTEC's They are very poorly made. I had 2 for repair last week from my Son in Law, couldn't believe the components and placement. They are built to fail. Who puts an 85 degree electrolitic up against a heat sink in a switched mode PSU. Hard to believe.

I’ve had two for years now and found them very reliable. They are popular for a reason. The Ctek isn’t the issue here though.


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[FCS]

I know Chris, hopefully yours are fine. When I looked if other enginears had issues, it was alarming. Simple mods made them more reliable. I make my own with quality components. Costs more but they work and keep working.
They are popular due to advertising which is good for business, but quality usually suffers due to advertising costs.
A really good product sells itself. American logic is , spend 90 percent on advertising and 10 percent on product and you will make lots of cash. I know it is not American but when I look at the components I am disgusted.
I designed a complex charging system for a battery P/A system for schools and colleges also sports centers. Made many hundreds of them, never one failed over 20 years and they were on 24/7. Had to be reliable through summer holidays.
So if I can do it why can't they. They could if they used good components. Joe public does not realize that capacitors (which fail most) have a life span determined by cost, cheap equals short life expectancy.

 

[FCS]

Just a thought.
I didn't mean to say not to use CETEC they are good to do what they are supposed to do, but just to keep an eye on the charge over a period of time with a test meter.

 

[PeteA]

Funnily enough Fred, you have just reminded me that my first CTEK failed me one weekend for no good or known reason, the XF main battery was generally 'topped up' every 3-4 weeks on a Saturday or Sunday and one weekend I realised that it had only charged the battery for about an hour even though it had been connected for 10 hours or so when I checked the voltage history afterwards with the Bluetooth voltage checker bolted to the battery.. binned that CTEK as untrustworthy, and bought another..

I know why the battery was flat I think, I had left it for a few days after I last used it without connecting the CTEK, I thought just plugging it in would be OK but it's never happy unless you plug it in immediately (if not driving it for a few days).

Thinking further on this after the prompt from Fred, Chris.. I just plugged mine in anything from that night to 10 days later with no problems.. apart from that one time I had a problem...

 

[cutlea01]

The smart charger I bought from Lidl for under £20 has been perfect for the 3 years I've had it, plus has a voltage display too. It's now a standby as I have a 5A CTEK which I received as a Christmas present. Which, as coincidences be, I just connected and turned on for the XKR.

 

[JakeBlade]

What did you buy to replace it Pete?

 

[PeteA]

What did you buy to replace it Pete?

A Peugeot...

 

[ChrisSB]

Just a thought.
I didn't mean to say not to use CETEC they are good to do what they are supposed to do, but just to keep an eye on the charge over a period of time with a test meter.

Funnily enough Fred, you have just reminded me that my first CTEK failed me one weekend for no good or known reason, the XF main battery was generally 'topped up' every 3-4 weeks on a Saturday or Sunday and one weekend I realised that it had only charged the battery for about an hour even though it had been connected for 10 hours or so when I checked the voltage history afterwards with the Bluetooth voltage checker bolted to the battery.. binned that CTEK as untrustworthy, and bought another..


Thinking further on this after the prompt from Fred, Chris.. I just plugged mine in anything from that night to 10 days later with no problems.. apart from that one time I had a problem...

Difference is I have my dashcam running 24/7, so after a few days of not using it, the battery goes down. That's all.

 

[PeteA]

Difference is I have my dashcam running 24/7, so after a few days of not using it, the battery goes down. That's all.

'IF' that's all it is.. then your dashcam or it's settings are at fault. However.. you said that: "I thought just plugging it in would be OK but it's never happy unless you plug it in immediately (if not driving it for a few days). "...

 

[JakeBlade]

Are you having to lock the rear doors from the inside at the moment then Chris?

My driver’s door lock is going in for replacement next week. Looking forward to that.

 

[ChrisSB]

'IF' that's all it is.. then your dashcam or it's settings are at fault. However.. you said that: "I thought just plugging it in would be OK but it's never happy unless you plug it in immediately (if not driving it for a few days). "...

I know that's what is draining the battery, but that's not the issue this post is about.

 

[ChrisSB]

Are you having to lock the rear doors from the inside at the moment then Chris?

My driver’s door lock is going in for replacement next week. Looking forward to that.

Nope. As it's locked in the garage.