Flashing dash cluster, won't start

[SLY-031]

Hey guys,

When I picked up my Legnum yesterday, the battery was flat. When I got it home, I pulled the battery out and charged it. I put the battery back in this morning and went to start the car.

When the key is switched to the "ON" position, the dash cluster flashes on and off, and there is a distinct sound of a relay turning on and off.

Is there something I need to reset or is there a factory immobiliser that I must switch off. From my knowledge at Mr Iron Chef, the car IS NOT fitted with an aftermarket immobiliser.

This is your moment to shine fellas, what is wrong with my baby?

 

[Sydo]

Sounds like your battery is dead. Dead dead dead.

 

[SiliconAngel]

Yea Joel, do you have another battery in another car you can test it with? You might find either the battery isn't accepting a charge, or your charger isn't working (which is fairly common, lots of cheap 240V - 12V chargers don't last very long).

 

[SLY-031]

When it was flat yesterday, it never flickered the dash, just engaged the starter motor and when dead.

I charged the battery outside the car last night, then this morning it started the flashing. Hence my thought of an immobiliser...

EDIT: I can pull the battery from another car, will have to try that tonight when I get home from work. Otherwise I'll call the RAA and say HHEEEELLLPPP!!!!!

 

[Peter_D]

Voltage on your battery might be enough to light up the cluster but your cranking amps are to low. Most likely a dead cell. Replace the battery and hopefully you should be right. Call NRMA/RACQ or whoever and get them to test it. They got a great little device which shows voltage and CCA at the same time. I'd love to get my hands on one.

 

[SLY-031]

Thanks guys. Looks like RAA it is.

 

[Guest]

I have seen this before on a 4A-GE Corolla. The battery was dead so I charged it overnight. Gave it 4 hours or so the next day so it stopped bubbling, the dash was bright, interior lights were really bright, but turn the key and you could hear was "click click" of the relay for the starter motor. There just wasn't enough juice in the battery to turn the engine over.

Try another battery and see how you go. Wouldn't surprise me if that battery is totally cactus.

 

[Guest]

your battiers stuffed, get a new one, and all will be well....

probabilly best to change the battery on any import as soon as you get it...
most of them would be getting close to if not older than 10 years,

i know mine came with the original jap battery,
it would go flat within a couple of days when it wasnt driven,
and it just got worse. been replaced with a nice new big one.

id recommend at least 450-ish CCA for the 6a13,
ive got a 1000cca exide orbital deep cycle in mine

 

[Outlanded]

yeah definatly be the battery!

did you charge it while sitting on a concrete slab? that can pose negative effects on batterys.....

 

[SiliconAngel]

Brent what ya been smokin??

The funny thing is the battery Mitsubishi recommend is rated for 520 CCAs, but the terminals they've equipped the cars with will only attach to tiny Japanese batteries with half that rating...

Carsten 1000 CCAs is MASSIVE! What'd it cost you? I found this on the Exide Australia website, but that one's only rated to 750 CCAs...

Does anyone know what the dimensions of the VR4 battery compartment are? LxWxH in mm?

 

[Guest]

yep thats what i have, but a couple of years ago they were spec'd at 1000cca
also this is the about the maximum size you will fit in the factory tray.
and you have to buy a wider/bigger battery clamp/tie down

the battery that came in mine was tiny and had small terminals aswell...
but it was 450cca and maintainence free, they must have better built batterys over in japan

 

[Outlanded]

ya telling me you have never heard about that?

if you leave a battery on charge/or just sitting on a concrete slab it can drain them.... i know a few auto lec's who say never to do it....

 

[SiliconAngel]

Nope never heard of it! From cold affecting the cells? Or from electromagnetic induction / earthing?

 

[Peter_D]

yeah definatly be the battery!

did you charge it while sitting on a concrete slab? that can pose negative effects on batterys.....

Brent,

I very much doubt it. The battery is isolated by it's casing from the concrete slab. And I'm pretty sure that the slab it self is non conductive. Now if the charge on the battery is extremely low the battery can be recharged in the opposite polarity. But I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[Peter_D]

Nope never heard of it! From cold affecting the cells? Or from electromagnetic induction / earthing?

I'm confused are you saying that you've never heard of the cold effecting a lead acid battery. Generally if the battery is in good condition the cold wont do a thing but if the battery is a little sus it will cause a cell to drop out quick smart. Hence the reason why more lead acid batteries are sold in winter in the colder regions.

Q. how many people check the electrolyte level in the battery when they check the water and other fluids.

cheers

 

[Outlanded]

hmm interesting.... guees it dont matter then. you learn something everyday proves true again!

 

[SiliconAngel]

No Pete I know cold can affect a battery, I've just never heard of a concrete slab affecting one!

I haven't owned a servicable battery in more than a decade, so no I don't check the acid levels

 

[SLY-031]

Battery had two dead cells in it. Replaced with a 450CCA Century unit, with a bigger clamp and bigger terminals. Runs beautifully now

 

[Guest]

Nice work Joel, another win for the keyboard warriors

Just while I'm thinking of it, when my battery above died it refused to be jump started too, didn't even crank once. It was really strange, I thought something was really stuffed. I was using a jump starter that you plug into a wall socket too, so it had plenty of juice behind it.

 

[SiliconAngel]

Connor if your battery is completely out of juice its quite normal that jumping it won't get you anywhere - in fact if the cells are totally screwed the battery will actually act as an INSULATOR!

Good to hear you had success with it, Joel