Jump Starting Battery

[Merlin5]

Hello chaps. I left my lights and the hazard warning lights on last night as I was unloading some stuff and completely forgot to turn them off. A few hours later everything is dead. I tried jump starting with the help of a neighbour but it seems to be completely dead, no turnover sound. When his leads were connected, my headlights came on and then went off randomly even though I'd turned the lights off. That's a bit weird isn't it? The only thing lit on the dash was the Battery icon. It's a Varta D47 60 Ah 540A sealed Battery that I bought new last summer, 2020 I think. I presume it can be jump started or recharged and shouldn't be completely dead and thrown, right? 

 

I'm wondering if it's do with an immobiliser? I notice there's a small round red light flashing every second under a label called' SECURITY', it's next to the passenger airbag message thing under where the heater controls are. Could that security light be an immobiliser? Maybe I should disconnect both Battery terminals for a few minutes and that might allow the engine to turnover?

 

[yossarian247]

The immobiliser won't prevent the engine from turning over, it just prevents it from starting. 

I think the issue might be that your Battery is so totally and utterly flat that even with another Battery connected via jump leads the voltage isn't high enough to crank the car over. Try fully charging the Battery and hopefully it will be OK, although lead acid batteries really don't like being left fully discharged. I once totally killed a car battery by leaving the lights on for 24 hours. 

[Red_Corolla]

Just give it 5-10 minutes with the jump leads hooked up to the donor car and raise the revs slightly so that some energy can transfer to your flat Battery. After a few minutes, then you can attempt to start it. Do the process a favour and make sure everything is turned OFF until you're ready to give it a try.

Once you've got it going, either put it on a proper Battery charger or drive it for at least 30 minutes without stopping. It needs time to recharge or else it could go flat again overnight.

[rajivrattna]

I would start by charging the Battery with a good charger like ctek charger that can even charge batteries with very low charge remaining. Not all chargers are built the same. If and when you succeed in rescuing the Battery and starting the car, buy a rechargeable jump start thingy that you can keep in a trunk. Costs only a few quid from eBay or Amazon.  It will hold charge for almost a year and can jump start your car multiple times from one charge. Now that is necessary because you almost destroyed your Battery by letting it drain to bottom charge. The battery will never be the same again and can give you problem in future. Winter is bad time for batteries.

[Merlin5]

Thanks for the replies Nick, Stuart and Rajiv. I can't get the neighbour to try jump starting me again. I rejoined Start Rescue yesterday and I can use them 24 hours after joining which is 3.40pm this afternoon. They'll no doubt bring a heavy duty jump starter to get me going. And then I'm happy to keep it running for half an hour. 

When I joined Start Rescue I was asked if there were any faults and I said no. Do you think I can call them today after 3.40pm without it looking suspicious or should I wait until tomorrow?

[Roy124]

I don't think you can avoid suspicion. 

Don't just keep it running for half an hour, drive it for half and hour.  Idle RPM will not necessarily give you a full charge. 

[Catlover]

Hi Lee, you made a good choice with Start Rescue. We had our two cars with them approx 11 years, and have used them. Main one was for a starter motor on the wife’s C1 some years ago. They sent out a truck, put the car on the load bed and took the car to our nominated garage, just about 100 yds from home, so two jobs in one.             
As Roy said above, take the car for a drive once started, turn all features off ie heater, air con, stereo, just let the Battery recharge. Half hour drive should be ok, but if cold weather is due, or you will be standing the car for couple days after the charge I would be tempted to do more then 30 minutes drive.

[Merlin5]

Thanks Roy and Joe.  The tank is very low on fuel. The reserve light was on the last time it was driven, but I'm pretty sure it said 17 miles of fuel remaining so I should  have enough to drive it for 30 minutes, maybe more. 

Yep Joe, I was with Start Rescue last year last year and didn't get round to renewing it a few months ago.  I called them out once last year and was very pleased with the service.  Roadside, homestart and nationwide recovery for £58.85 Is a bargain considering the likes of the AA and RAC cost about three times that. Of course its sod's law that this time I wasn't covered when the car needed help!

[Catlover]

£58.85 is just over £1 per week, stick a £1 in a piggy bank every week then you can be sure you can do it every year. Next year you may get it a bit cheaper. For our two cars it is just under £80. The newer Prius is less then the 2010 Auris hybrid. I guess that works on the basis a newer car is less liable to breakdown.

[Merlin5]

Quite right Joe. Well Start Rescue came and got me going within a minute or so with his briefcase looking power pack and jump leads.  He said the jump leads I borrowed weren't right and that I'd have needed heavy duty ones, around £20 to £30.

He said I should run the car for an hour to guarantee proper charging.  It actually stalled three times in the first 15 minutes of driving but fortunately it started again each time!  After about half an hour the engine idle settled. I had to fill up with unleaded and I asked him if it was safe with the engine running and he said it's fine so I did that. And I turned the engine off after an hour of running.