This is my latest story. 2011 is not shaping up to be one of the better years for me and the truck but I hope it improves. You might have read my story about the broken tip of a glow plug costing me thousands and 9 weeks in with Toyota while parts came from Japan. Well, I now have another story.
I have been laid up after a leg operation for a couple of weeks and the truck has not been driven nor started for that time. On Sunday we had to make the trip to Caloundra about 90km north and as I am not allowed to drive (doctor's orders) SWMBO was sitting in the ejector seat while I was lying in the back with my leg up. She turned the key and all we heard was a were, were, were; no go. Now that has never happened before and even with my limited knowledge of auto electronics, a battery should last, hold a charge for longer than 2 weeks if not started.
What is going on here; the battery is barely 2 years old and has shown no sign of going down.
AAAHAA but I have a dual battery system that I had installed by a large 4X4 company only in March that cost quite some dollars just for this occasion.
The bonnet was lifted and the red button was pushed on the DBS; this is the isolator so I've been told.
Back into the car, strapped in again and the key turned. Were, were, were.
What the hell is going on here??? Do I have 2 flat batteries??
A phone call to the RACQ and 30 minutes later the batteries are tested and both are exactly the same voltage of, I think if I can remember: 11.73 volts. Hhhhmmmm.
The RACQ bloke used his jumper leads and gets the car started which it did easily. He uses his gauges and the voltages in the batteries start to come up over 12 and nearly to 13.
"I think there must be a problem with the DBS isolator or with the cabling somewhere but suggest you get back to the people who put the dual battery system in and get them to check it." Glad we were not out the back of Bourke somewhere where we thought this problem should never happen.
"You should have enough charge in the batteries by the time you get to Caloundra to get you home again" which we did.
So I phoned the company yesterday, Monday and took it to their workshop at about 2:00pm for them to check. We waited a few minutes for a quick diagnosis before going home as it was going to take more than just a couple of minutes. I was told it was a problem with the battery.
At 5:00pm we went back to collect the car and was greeted with the keys being held over the counter with the words, "It's right to go now.
Now that wasn't enough for me as I wanted to know what the problem was. "What was wrong and what did you do?".
Oohhoo!! "We had to put a new battery in it and adjust the wiring."
"But I thought that the 2nd battery should be isolated and that both batteries should never go down together."
"Sometimes this happens with batteries but it is all fixed now."
Now as it was already dark, we left the shop and SWMBO drove us back home with me lying on the back seat. I didn't have time to even look at what I could see under the bonnet.
Anyway, I have just looked this morning. I do have a new battery as the old one I had put the date on it with whiteout. I don't notice any difference with the cables as there are so many of them with another isolator on the other side of the engine bay that runs the cable to the Anderson plug that charges the battery in the camper trailer when on the road.
But I do have another box. I don't only have a DBS but behind it I now have an IBS also that is wired into the system.
Does anyone know what all this is??
Yesterday didn't cost anything; sorry about being long winded...
I have been laid up after a leg operation for a couple of weeks and the truck has not been driven nor started for that time. On Sunday we had to make the trip to Caloundra about 90km north and as I am not allowed to drive (doctor's orders) SWMBO was sitting in the ejector seat while I was lying in the back with my leg up. She turned the key and all we heard was a were, were, were; no go. Now that has never happened before and even with my limited knowledge of auto electronics, a battery should last, hold a charge for longer than 2 weeks if not started.
What is going on here; the battery is barely 2 years old and has shown no sign of going down.
AAAHAA but I have a dual battery system that I had installed by a large 4X4 company only in March that cost quite some dollars just for this occasion.
The bonnet was lifted and the red button was pushed on the DBS; this is the isolator so I've been told.
Back into the car, strapped in again and the key turned. Were, were, were.
What the hell is going on here??? Do I have 2 flat batteries??
A phone call to the RACQ and 30 minutes later the batteries are tested and both are exactly the same voltage of, I think if I can remember: 11.73 volts. Hhhhmmmm.
The RACQ bloke used his jumper leads and gets the car started which it did easily. He uses his gauges and the voltages in the batteries start to come up over 12 and nearly to 13.
"I think there must be a problem with the DBS isolator or with the cabling somewhere but suggest you get back to the people who put the dual battery system in and get them to check it." Glad we were not out the back of Bourke somewhere where we thought this problem should never happen.
"You should have enough charge in the batteries by the time you get to Caloundra to get you home again" which we did.
So I phoned the company yesterday, Monday and took it to their workshop at about 2:00pm for them to check. We waited a few minutes for a quick diagnosis before going home as it was going to take more than just a couple of minutes. I was told it was a problem with the battery.
At 5:00pm we went back to collect the car and was greeted with the keys being held over the counter with the words, "It's right to go now.
Now that wasn't enough for me as I wanted to know what the problem was. "What was wrong and what did you do?".
Oohhoo!! "We had to put a new battery in it and adjust the wiring."
"But I thought that the 2nd battery should be isolated and that both batteries should never go down together."
"Sometimes this happens with batteries but it is all fixed now."
Now as it was already dark, we left the shop and SWMBO drove us back home with me lying on the back seat. I didn't have time to even look at what I could see under the bonnet.
Anyway, I have just looked this morning. I do have a new battery as the old one I had put the date on it with whiteout. I don't notice any difference with the cables as there are so many of them with another isolator on the other side of the engine bay that runs the cable to the Anderson plug that charges the battery in the camper trailer when on the road.
But I do have another box. I don't only have a DBS but behind it I now have an IBS also that is wired into the system.
Does anyone know what all this is??
Yesterday didn't cost anything; sorry about being long winded...
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