DIY Car Maintenance with function over finesse!!

[mickthemaverick]

That all make sense, so what make/model is it?

[mickthemaverick]

I had another little irritating interlude with the Subaru yesterday, we were going out to a birthday lunch so we headed to the car with 5 mins more time than the predicted driving time to meet our Due time. Just as well, got into the car leaving all the doors open for a quick blow through cooling job and then I went to start the car, one and a half turns of the engine, a light cough and then nothing!! Despite being instantly aware that I had a flat battery I still tried it again, as you always do, to get nothing!! Damn it, no time to mess around, cover is on the MX3 so only option is to take SWMBO's car. We did, she drove and I drank!!

On my return I took the Subaru's battery out and into the garage for an overnight charge. On connecting, it went straight to 9amps, not good! This morning I went to put it back in the car to discover it was still drawing 2 amps after 15 hours of charging. Yet again, not good! Nevertheless being a bit skint this month due to the tyre expenses I decided I can't fork out for a new battery just yet. While reconnecting it in the car I noticed it was dated August 2016 so I guess I can't complain, Yuasa are pretty good for sure, so that will be replaced in the not too distant future.

One good thing I noticed after reprogramming all the radio presets, setting date and time etc is that the remote now seems to work with greater range! I do find that odd as one would think that it is the xmit power of the fob that governs range far more than the receiver in the car. Still I'm not complaining as I can now lock and unlock from my lounge seat again!!

PS. Just had a thought maybe it is to do with the immobiliser transponder?

You may remember I promised to sort this out in the near future, this parcel has just arrived:

MTMO

No prizes for guessing what's in there but in view of all the resetting I had to do when I charged the old one, as above, I have decided to try and keep the car live during the battery swap. I intend to use my jump leads and connect the new battery negative to the car main earth and the positive to the leg of the positive battery connector. Then using my best insulating materials (pieces of pond liner) on all the metal work around the positive I plan to remove the positive lead and lay it inside an inner tube still connected to the new battery. Then I'll remove the negative and lift out the old battery and then drop in the new and hold the negative lead on the top of the terminal, remove the jump lead and slide the lead down into position.

The intention is to maintain full contact during the procedure. I will then connect the car's positve lead to the new battery in the same way thus maintaining continuous supply to all the sleeping circuits and save me having to reset the clock and calendar and trip computers and 3 x 6 FM and 2 x 6 AM presets and anything else that I had to reset last time. Sounds a faff but I think writing this has taken me longer than the battery swap will but all the resetting is a right pain as last time I got a few presets wrong for my muscle memory and had to swap some round to get back to the original setup. Watch this space!!

[MattBLancs]

Just an idea Mick, but as the jump leads are pretty bulky and uncooperative, and the car isn't going to draw much current when just sat during the swap -

Might it make sense to use very much thinner gauge cable to keep continuity during the swap? Less bulky and awkward to work with.

Would also, in the event of an error with the insulating pond liner, create a rudimentary fuse if you were to get an accidental short during the swapping. Better for the battery than whatever high amperage the jump leads are capable of feeding.

[mickthemaverick]

Yes good thinking Matt, in fact I had already gone down that path by adopting the use of my pair of croc clip ended leads made up from 2.5mm mains cable and originally used for charging my R/C aircraft batteries.

[mickthemaverick]

Glad you made me think about it again Matt, I've just been out and checked the terminals of the battery and they are too thick for my clips on those leads. So plan B, I'll park the MX3 nose to nose and jump its battery straight to the clamp necks on the battery leads of the Scooby. Then I can simply remove the leads from the old battery swap it out and reconnect the leads to the new battery. The MX3 battery will keep it powered throughout!!

[mickthemaverick]

Battery replacement completed as outlined in my last post. Very pleased to say the car is now cranking over considerably faster than it was on the old battery, so no doubt in my mind that while the nominal voltage was 12.83 before I disconnected it, I had just been out for a 30 mile run, and the new battery was reading 12.62V, the actual capacity of the old battery was well down and hence giving considerably less current than the new one does!! Not much left to renew on this car now so hopefully I'm looking at a trouble free winter!!

[Paul-R]

... hopefully I'm looking at a trouble free winter!!

If ever I saw an invitation to disaster, that's it!

[mickthemaverick]

... hopefully I'm looking at a trouble free winter!!

If ever I saw an invitation to disaster, that's it!

Yes I thought that myself as I hit the submit button!!

[Rp0thejester]

Really struggling now on this moped. Here are a few picks,

Reg

help, found loose spark plug, dodgy fuse and still won't start!!! Fuel is good, it's not flooded.

[mickthemaverick]

Have you got compression? Are the jets clean?

[Rp0thejester]

Yes, and spark

[mickthemaverick]

Is the plug getting wet when you turn it over?

[Rp0thejester]

Not now it's been tightened, up was finger loose before.

[mickthemaverick]

So a sum up, with the plug out it has a spark, when back in you have compression but no firing, fuel is new and engine not flooding, sounds like the fuel is not getting into the cylinder to me, ie a blocked carb jet. Whip the carb off and clean it through with carb cleaner and blow it dry then reassemble and try again. You do have to get it up on the stand and pedal quite a bit to get them running.

[Rp0thejester]

Am I supposed to be able to see in here, I haven't taken anything off it.