Anyone fitted a higher ah starter battery for petrol van?

[RobH]

Hi, having issues starting when stood for more than a few days, wondering if anyone has fitted a higher ah battery that fits under the seat that may help.

May rewire stereo to leisure but as that's at the back looking for other solutions. Possibly a battery master.

[linkin582]

how old is your currant battery? have you had it load tested ???

[RobH]

Alternate 2 batteries, one's a year old the other six months, both charge and hold a charge not been load tested though.

[nevill3]

If you have a ZIG unit you could wire the radio to that instead of running a wire all the way back to the engine bay.

[KINGPRAWN]

Hi, having issues starting when stood for more than a few days, wondering if anyone has fitted a higher ah battery that fits under the seat that may help.

May rewire stereo to leisure but as that's at the back looking for other solutions. Possibly a battery master.

An 069 just about fills the battery box... 90ah I think?

[RobH]

No zig leisure under rnr bed runs lights fridge etc. Front only has stereo and clock to drain it, but it does go so there's not enough to start after 6 days or so.

069 seems to be 70ah is that the best that will fit?

Will that make much difference over the standard?

[AdrianC]

Hi, having issues starting when stood for more than a few days, wondering if anyone has fitted a higher ah battery that fits under the seat that may help.

What "issues starting" are you having?

If the battery's a pancake after a few days, then the problem isn't your battery (unless it's f'ked), but whatever's using all the electrickery in it.
If the battery's got charge, but not spinning the van fast enough, then the problem's the starter.
If the starter's spinning fine, but the engine's not starting, then the problem's the engine.

All a bigger Ah battery will do is give you a "bigger tank". More CCA (cold cranking amps) means the battery can deliver the juice faster, but your starter shouldn't need that.

[RobH]

It's like there's not enough charge to get the starter enough spin to set it off.

starter is pretty new and happy enough on a fresh battery, just when there's been a few days without running seems the stereo memory has just about taken enough to stop the can starting.

[AdrianC]

It's like there's not enough charge to get the starter enough spin to set it off.

What happens if you hook jump leads up?

just when there's been a few days without running seems the stereo memory has just about taken enough to stop the can starting.

Do you have a multimeter? Remove one battery lead, put the multimeter onto a current setting, and see how much current's flowing between the terminal and the clamp. It might spike when you first connect it, but it should be a fraction of an amp. If it's more, something's draining it - check across all the fuses, see which circuit it is. If it's not more, then your battery's f'ked.

[Mocki]

Check your battery leads , and the earth strap both ends, and then the gearbox nose earth strap , your symptoms are consistent with bad connections , as well as poorly batteryness .

[Wychall]

I was suffering a similar few days standing being enough to drain the battery. Put the multimeter over all circuits but could not find the culprit. Biggest drain was the radio memory, so I disconnected the radio completely. Had no problem since.
Whether something happens in the radio to increase the drain at times, I do not know.
I'm happy enough to leave the radio disconnected as the exhaust gives me all the music I need.

[RobH]

Drain seems to be less than 0.4 amps it's just the stereo and clock nothing else dooing.

Straps in battery box look well used, not sure about the ones underneath never looked at them and don't know what would look good or bad.

Seen a "battery master" that shares the load between leisure and starter but that may be overkill if I just wire stereo to leisure.

[BOXY]

0.4 amps is a big drain. That sort of current flowing would flatten a 60Ah battery in about 6 days. 0.4 x 24 x 6= 57.6 Amps. In reality the battery will be passed the point of being able to turn your engine over in about 3 or 4 days.

[RobH]

Yeah think I got my decimals wrong 4 milliamps sounds more likely for stereo and clock.

[AdrianC]

Yeah think I got my decimals wrong 4 milliamps sounds more likely for stereo and clock.

Don't guess and auto-correct yourself on the "No, that sounds wrong" theory. Re-measure tomorrow, then remove the stereo/clock fuse and re-check. If it really is 0.4A, something's wrong. Maybe there's a setup option on the stereo which'll reduce the power draw. If it really is 0.004A, then your battery's buggered.