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UK diy (uk.d-i-y) For the discussion of all topics related to diy (do-it-yourself) in the UK. All levels of experience and proficency are welcome to join in to ask questions or offer solutions. |
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#1
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The Morris battery. Again.
Well, I think the battery itself is OK. Went for a run Thursday afternoon to charge the battery, then left it until this morning (Tuesday) with the earth lead disconnected. Reconnected and an easy start, from what felt like a still fully charged battery. To recap, if parked with the battery connected, the battery is almost flat after 48 hours, as in not enough to turn the engine to start. The courtesy light switch(es) were suspect, but same thing happens with them disconnected. I tried Harry's bulb trick again (small MES panel light bulb between -ve battery terminal and earth strap), and nothing. Tried using an ammeter. Nothing. Yet current must be flowing somewhere. -- Graeme |
#2
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The Morris battery. Again.
Graeme wrote:
Well, I think the battery itself is OK. Went for a run Thursday afternoon to charge the battery, then left it until this morning (Tuesday) with the earth lead disconnected. Reconnected and an easy start, from what felt like a still fully charged battery. To recap, if parked with the battery connected, the battery is almost flat after 48 hours, as in not enough to turn the engine to start. The courtesy light switch(es) were suspect, but same thing happens with them disconnected. I tried Harry's bulb trick again (small MES panel light bulb between -ve battery terminal and earth strap), and nothing. Tried using an ammeter. Nothing. Yet current must be flowing somewhere. Suspect dynamo control box. I have a morris 1000 workshop manual somewhere. Send me an email and I'll try and find the relevant info, scan and send it to you. Bob |
#3
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The Morris battery. Again.
On 08/05/18 11:23, Bob Minchin wrote:
Graeme wrote: I tried* Harry's bulb trick again (small MES panel light bulb between -ve battery terminal and earth strap), and nothing.* Tried using an ammeter.* Nothing.* Yet current must be flowing somewhere. If he has disconnected te battery entirely and put a meter in the circuit and no current is flowing, then no current is flowing and the battery cannot be discharging *via any external means*. So: Suspect dynamo control box. Cannot be relevant. I have a morris 1000 workshop manual somewhere. Send me an email and I'll try and find the relevant info, scan and send it to you. Bob My gut feeling is, that te battery is *intermittently* self discharging due to old age and crap in the cells. If its driven about its a toss up as to wehether mechanical vibrations and shock will leave it in a position where it will self discharge or not. As I related earlier, my experience was of a battery that appeared 100% sound one day, and had done for years, and was dead flat the next day. Replacing the battery fixed the problem entirely. My point is that not all batteries fail gracefully. Bits of broken off **** that short them internally, or leaks between cells can happen suddenly -- Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance and the gospel of envy. Its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery. Winston Churchill |
#4
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The Morris battery. Again.
Graeme formulated on Tuesday :
I tried Harry's bulb trick again (small MES panel light bulb between -ve battery terminal and earth strap), and nothing. Tried using an ammeter. Nothing. Yet current must be flowing somewhere. Any discharge, other than internal ones of the battery, much be going out via the battery lead(s). Sometimes extra connections are made directly to the battery, are you sure you have checked all leads for any discharge current? Other than the above, then the most likely issue is the battery, or secondly that you are being fooled by the sometimes poor cranking speed into thinking the battery is near flat.... Poor brushes or connections to the starter motor, or a bad solenoid can sometimes give similar symptoms as a near flat battery. Try cranking the engine over with the lights on, to see how much they dim. If it barely cranks over, yet the lights remain bright, look to a starter motor issue. |
#5
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The Morris battery. Again.
On 08/05/18 11:35, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Graeme formulated on Tuesday : I tried* Harry's bulb trick again (small MES panel light bulb between -ve battery terminal and earth strap), and nothing.* Tried using an ammeter. Nothing.* Yet current must be flowing somewhere. Any discharge, other than internal ones of the battery, much be going out via the battery lead(s). Sometimes extra connections are made directly to the battery, are you sure you have checked all leads for any discharge current? Other than the above, then the most likely issue is the battery, or secondly that you are being fooled by the sometimes poor cranking speed into thinking the battery is near flat.... Poor brushes or connections to the starter motor, or a bad solenoid can sometimes give similar symptoms as a near flat battery. Try cranking the engine over with the lights on, to see how much they dim. If it barely cranks over, yet the lights remain bright, look to a starter motor issue. ...or a bad connection post solenoid -- "Corbyn talks about equality, justice, opportunity, health care, peace, community, compassion, investment, security, housing...." "What kind of person is not interested in those things?" "Jeremy Corbyn?" |
#6
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The Morris battery. Again.
The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 08/05/18 11:23, Bob Minchin wrote: Graeme wrote: I tried Harry's bulb trick again (small MES panel light bulb between -ve battery terminal and earth strap), and nothing. Tried using an ammeter. Nothing. Yet current must be flowing somewhere. If he has disconnected te battery entirely and put a meter in the circuit and no current is flowing, then no current is flowing and the battery cannot be discharging *via any external means*. So: Suspect dynamo control box. Cannot be relevant. I have a morris 1000 workshop manual somewhere. Send me an email and I'll try and find the relevant info, scan and send it to you. Bob My gut feeling is, that te battery is *intermittently* self discharging due to old age and crap in the cells. If its driven about its a toss up as to wehether mechanical vibrations and shock will leave it in a position where it will self discharge or not. As I related earlier, my experience was of a battery that appeared 100% sound one day, and had done for years, and was dead flat the next day. Replacing the battery fixed the problem entirely. My point is that not all batteries fail gracefully. Bits of broken off **** that short them internally, or leaks between cells can happen suddenly Nowhere in the question does the op say "If he has disconnected te battery entirely and put a meter in the circuit and no current is flowing, then no current is flowing and the battery cannot be discharging *via any external means*. " |
#7
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The Morris battery. Again.
On 08/05/18 12:03, Bob Minchin wrote:
The Natural Philosopher wrote: On 08/05/18 11:23, Bob Minchin wrote: Graeme wrote: I tried* Harry's bulb trick again (small MES panel light bulb between -ve battery terminal and earth strap), and nothing.* Tried using an ammeter.* Nothing.* Yet current must be flowing somewhere. If he has disconnected te battery entirely and put a meter in the circuit and no current is flowing, then no current is flowing and the battery cannot be discharging *via any external means*. So: Suspect dynamo control box. Cannot be relevant. I have a morris 1000 workshop manual somewhere. Send me an email and I'll try and find the relevant info, scan and send it to you. Bob My gut feeling is, that te battery is *intermittently* self discharging due to old age and crap in the cells. If its driven about its a toss up as to wehether mechanical vibrations and shock will leave it in a position where it will self discharge or not. As I related earlier, my experience was of a battery that appeared 100% sound one day, and had done for years,* and was dead flat the next day. Replacing the battery fixed the problem entirely. My point is that not all batteries fail gracefully. Bits of broken off **** that short them internally, or leaks between cells can happen suddenly Nowhere in the question does the op say "If he has disconnected te battery entirely and put a meter in the circuit and no current is flowing, then no current is flowing and the battery cannot be discharging *via any external means*. " Well actually he did -- Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. Groucho Marx |
#8
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The Morris battery. Again.
On 08/05/2018 10:41, Graeme wrote:
Well, I think the battery itself is OK.* Went for a run Thursday afternoon to charge the battery, then left it until this morning (Tuesday) with the earth lead disconnected.* Reconnected and an easy start, from what felt like a still fully charged battery. To recap, if parked with the battery connected, the battery is almost flat after 48 hours, as in not enough to turn the engine to start.* The courtesy light switch(es) were suspect, but same thing happens with them disconnected. I tried* Harry's bulb trick again (small MES panel light bulb between -ve battery terminal and earth strap), and nothing.* Tried using an ammeter.* Nothing.* Yet current must be flowing somewhere. Fit one of these https://preview.tinyurl.com/yd6xxunr Its a good theft deterrent as well. Mike |
#9
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The Morris battery. Again.
In article , Bob Minchin
writes The Natural Philosopher wrote: On 08/05/18 11:23, Bob Minchin wrote: Graeme wrote: I tried Harry's bulb trick again (small MES panel light bulb between -ve battery terminal and earth strap), and nothing. Tried using an ammeter. Nothing. Yet current must be flowing somewhere. If he has disconnected te battery entirely and put a meter in the circuit and no current is flowing, then no current is flowing and the battery cannot be discharging *via any external means*. So: Suspect dynamo control box. Cannot be relevant. I have a morris 1000 workshop manual somewhere. Send me an email and I'll try and find the relevant info, scan and send it to you. Bob My gut feeling is, that te battery is *intermittently* self discharging due to old age and crap in the cells. If its driven about its a toss up as to wehether mechanical vibrations and shock will leave it in a position where it will self discharge or not. As I related earlier, my experience was of a battery that appeared 100% sound one day, and had done for years, and was dead flat the next day. Replacing the battery fixed the problem entirely. My point is that not all batteries fail gracefully. Bits of broken off **** that short them internally, or leaks between cells can happen suddenly Nowhere in the question does the op say "If he has disconnected te battery entirely and put a meter in the circuit and no current is flowing, then no current is flowing and the battery cannot be discharging *via any external means*. " He actually said he had disconnected the earth lead. Personally for this type of fault I would first ensure good earth connections. Is it linked to the engine block via the chassis? -- bert |
#10
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The Morris battery. Again.
In message , Bob Minchin
writes I have a morris 1000 workshop manual somewhere. Send me an email and I'll try and find the relevant info, scan and send it to you. Thanks Bob. I do have both Haines and proper BMC workshop manuals, but have always been wary of fiddling with the control box. For twenty quid, or thereabouts, fitting a reconditioned unit could be worth a try. -- Graeme |
#11
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The Morris battery. Again.
On Tue, 08 May 2018 13:56:34 +0100, Muddymike wrote:
On 08/05/2018 10:41, Graeme wrote: Well, I think the battery itself is OK.* Went for a run Thursday afternoon to charge the battery, then left it until this morning (Tuesday) with the earth lead disconnected.* Reconnected and an easy start, from what felt like a still fully charged battery. To recap, if parked with the battery connected, the battery is almost flat after 48 hours, as in not enough to turn the engine to start.* The courtesy light switch(es) were suspect, but same thing happens with them disconnected. I tried* Harry's bulb trick again (small MES panel light bulb between -ve battery terminal and earth strap), and nothing.* Tried using an ammeter.* Nothing.* Yet current must be flowing somewhere. Fit one of these https://preview.tinyurl.com/yd6xxunr Its a good theft deterrent as well. It would have been even more effective as a theft deterrent if they'd used a self healing (poly)fuse instead. All the symptoms of a completely knackered battery, fixed at the turn of knob. Of course, its effectiveness as an anti-theft device relies completely on the would be thief not being able crack the bonnet (hood) open to discover this ruse. -- Johnny B Good |
#12
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The Morris battery. Again.
On 08/05/2018 12:03, Bob Minchin wrote:
The Natural Philosopher wrote: On 08/05/18 11:23, Bob Minchin wrote: Graeme wrote: I tried* Harry's bulb trick again (small MES panel light bulb between -ve battery terminal and earth strap), and nothing.* Tried using an ammeter.* Nothing.* Yet current must be flowing somewhere. If he has disconnected te battery entirely and put a meter in the circuit and no current is flowing, then no current is flowing and the battery cannot be discharging *via any external means*. So: Suspect dynamo control box. Cannot be relevant. I have a morris 1000 workshop manual somewhere. Send me an email and I'll try and find the relevant info, scan and send it to you. Bob My gut feeling is, that te battery is *intermittently* self discharging due to old age and crap in the cells. If its driven about its a toss up as to wehether mechanical vibrations and shock will leave it in a position where it will self discharge or not. As I related earlier, my experience was of a battery that appeared 100% sound one day, and had done for years,* and was dead flat the next day. Replacing the battery fixed the problem entirely. My point is that not all batteries fail gracefully. Bits of broken off **** that short them internally, or leaks between cells can happen suddenly Nowhere in the question does the op say "If he has disconnected te battery entirely and put a meter in the circuit and no current is flowing, then no current is flowing and the battery cannot be discharging *via any external means*. " A heavy discharge meter is your friend (but not your batteries, if it is on the way out, it may expedite its demise). |
#13
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The Morris battery. Again.
In message , Bob Minchin
writes Nowhere in the question does the op say "If he has disconnected te battery entirely and put a meter in the circuit and no current is flowing, then no current is flowing and the battery cannot be discharging *via any external means*. " Just to be clear, if I park the car for a couple of days, with the battery connected, the battery goes almost flat, but left 4 1/2 days with the battery disconnected (earth lead removed from battery terminal), the battery remains fully charged. This morning, battery fully charged, I put an ammeter between the battery terminal and earth lead. No movement. Repeating, with a door open and courtesy light therefore in circuit, then I can see the ammeter needle move. Not much, but enough to know it is working. Ammeter is a standard car 2 inch circular 30-0-30. Repeated but with a small 12v MES bulb between the battery terminal and earth lead. No light until door opened. -- Graeme |
#15
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The Morris battery. Again.
On 08/05/2018 16:07, Graeme wrote:
In message , Bob Minchin writes Nowhere in the question does the op say "If he has disconnected te battery entirely and put a meter in the circuit and no current is flowing, then no current is flowing and the battery cannot be discharging *via any external means*. " Just to be clear, if I park the car for a couple of days, with the battery connected, the battery goes almost flat, but left 4 1/2 days with the battery disconnected (earth lead removed from battery terminal), the battery remains fully charged. This morning, battery fully charged, I put an ammeter between the battery terminal and earth lead.* No movement.* Repeating, with a door open and courtesy light therefore in circuit, then I can see the ammeter needle move.* Not much, but enough to know it is working.* Ammeter is a standard car 2 inch circular 30-0-30. Repeated but with a small 12v MES bulb between the battery terminal and earth lead.* No light until door opened. Just a thought.... If you have a voltmeter of some sort - connect it across the 12v mes bulb in the above setup. Naturally, there'll be a voltage drop across the bulb when the door is opened, but is there any volt-drop across the bulb when the door is closed..? If there is, that indicates that there's a small current 'leaking' through the interior light, via the door-switch. Car batteries are designed to provide lots of current for a short period of time, to start the engine. They're not good at long-term supply of smallish currents... - and the car ammeter won't indicate accurately down at that level... Come to that - can you put a test meter across the in-car ammeter? With everything off there should be no voltage. A sensitive voltmeter will tell you if there's a small current being drawn from the battery, even when everything on the car is 'officially' off.. |
#16
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The Morris battery. Again.
On 08/05/18 16:07, Graeme wrote:
In message , Bob Minchin writes Nowhere in the question does the op say "If he has disconnected te battery entirely and put a meter in the circuit and no current is flowing, then no current is flowing and the battery cannot be discharging *via any external means*. " Just to be clear, if I park the car for a couple of days, with the battery connected, the battery goes almost flat, but left 4 1/2 days with the battery disconnected (earth lead removed from battery terminal), the battery remains fully charged. No. You parked the car for a couole ofd days with te battery connected and it did go flat and you parked it with it disconnected and it didnt. Coincidence is not causation This morning, battery fully charged, I put an ammeter between the battery terminal and earth lead.* No movement.* Repeating, with a door open and courtesy light therefore in circuit, then I can see the ammeter needle move.* Not much, but enough to know it is working.* Ammeter is a standard car 2 inch circular 30-0-30. You are looking for milliamps not amps Repeated but with a small 12v MES bulb between the battery terminal and earth lead.* No light until door opened. To flatten in 48 hours needs about an amp. Your meter says you are not drawing an amp. Ergo its not being flattened by the car. -- But what a weak barrier is truth when it stands in the way of an hypothesis! Mary Wollstonecraft |
#17
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The Morris battery. Again.
"Harry Bloomfield" wrote in message news Graeme formulated on Tuesday : I tried Harry's bulb trick again (small MES panel light bulb between -ve battery terminal and earth strap), and nothing. Tried using an ammeter. Nothing. Yet current must be flowing somewhere. Other than the above, then the most likely issue is the battery, or secondly that you are being fooled by the sometimes poor cranking speed into thinking the battery is near flat.... Poor brushes or connections to the starter motor, or a bad solenoid can sometimes give similar symptoms as a near flat battery. Try cranking the engine over with the lights on, to see how much they dim. If it barely cranks over, yet the lights remain bright, look to a starter motor issue. Had this on my daughters car once Sometimes it would hardly turn over SIL fitted two new batterys as he was Positive it Must be a faulty battery replacement started motor fixed it - |
#18
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The Morris battery. Again.
Graeme wrote:
Well, I think the battery itself is OK. Went for a run Thursday afternoon to charge the battery, then left it until this morning (Tuesday) with the earth lead disconnected. Reconnected and an easy start, from what felt like a still fully charged battery. To recap, if parked with the battery connected, the battery is almost flat after 48 hours, as in not enough to turn the engine to start. The courtesy light switch(es) were suspect, but same thing happens with them disconnected. I tried Harry's bulb trick again (small MES panel light bulb between -ve battery terminal and earth strap), and nothing. Tried using an ammeter. Nothing. Yet current must be flowing somewhere. Can't really help, but an online friend had a similar problem. AA said battery. Halfords thought the same but did not try to sell him a new battery.............. hmmm. It seems that stuff can come apart in a battery and flatten it. I did not know this. He bit the bullet, bought a new battery and all has been fine for weeks. |
#19
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The Morris battery. Again.
In message , Mark writes
Had this on my daughters car once Sometimes it would hardly turn over SIL fitted two new batterys as he was Positive it Must be a faulty battery replacement started motor fixed it grin Well, yes, I haven't really discounted anything! -- Graeme |
#20
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The Morris battery. Again.
In message , The Natural Philosopher
writes On 08/05/18 16:07, Graeme wrote: Just to be clear, if I park the car for a couple of days, with the battery connected, the battery goes almost flat, but left 4 1/2 days with the battery disconnected (earth lead removed from battery terminal), the battery remains fully charged. No. You parked the car for a couole ofd days with te battery connected and it did go flat and you parked it with it disconnected and it didnt. Coincidence is not causation OK, point taken. Ammeter is a standard car 2 inch circular 30-0-30. You are looking for milliamps not amps OK To flatten in 48 hours needs about an amp. Your meter says you are not drawing an amp. Ergo its not being flattened by the car. Hear what you're saying, but reluctant to throw 60+ quid at a new battery unless I'm fairly sure. -- Graeme |
#21
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The Morris battery. Again.
In message , Brian Gaff
writes Brian, anything is possible. All I will say is that I remove the battery fairly regularly, and the terminals are smeared with Vaseline, which normally keeps them clean. The only other thing is a high resistance somewhere which is intermittent making the battery not have much guts on a high current. Could you, by disconnecting the earth have managed to clean the connection perhaps? -- Graeme |
#22
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The Morris battery. Again.
In message , Mr Pounder Esquire
writes Can't really help, but an online friend had a similar problem. AA said battery. Halfords thought the same but did not try to sell him a new battery.............. hmmm. It seems that stuff can come apart in a battery and flatten it. I did not know this. He bit the bullet, bought a new battery and all has been fine for weeks. I think a new battery is the answer, but I'm really only guessing. I'm no electrician (auto or otherwise), and apart from some logic and basic testing, I just don't know. -- Graeme |
#23
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The Morris battery. Again.
In message , Adrian Brentnall
writes Just a thought.... If you have a voltmeter of some sort - connect it across the 12v mes bulb in the above setup. Naturally, there'll be a voltage drop across the bulb when the door is opened, but is there any volt-drop across the bulb when the door is closed..? If there is, that indicates that there's a small current 'leaking' through the interior light, via the door-switch. OK, good idea. My multimeter is an ancient Eagle analogue, which is great for current is/is not there, but difficult to detect minor (ha!) variations, particularly as the closest scale is 0-50v. I'll have a go, though. Car batteries are designed to provide lots of current for a short period of time, to start the engine. They're not good at long-term supply of smallish currents... - and the car ammeter won't indicate accurately down at that level... I know you're right. I'm sure I have an analogue 5amp meter somewhere, but even that will probably not detect a small drain. Will try anyway. Come to that - can you put a test meter across the in-car ammeter? With everything off there should be no voltage. A sensitive voltmeter will tell you if there's a small current being drawn from the battery, even when everything on the car is 'officially' off.. Say that again. Assume I have the ammeter (which is not fitted in the car) between the battery -ve terminal, and the earth lead. Where do I connect the volt meter? -- Graeme |
#24
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The Morris battery. Again.
On 08/05/18 18:07, Graeme wrote:
In message , Adrian Brentnall writes Just a thought.... If you have a voltmeter of some sort - connect it across the 12v mes bulb in the above setup. Naturally, there'll be a voltage drop across the bulb when the door is opened, but is there any volt-drop across the bulb when the door is closed..?* If there is, that indicates that there's a small current 'leaking' through the interior light, via the door-switch. OK, good idea.* My multimeter is an ancient Eagle analogue, which is great for current is/is not there, but difficult to detect minor (ha!) variations, particularly as the closest scale is 0-50v.* I'll have a go, though. Car batteries are designed to provide lots of current for a short period of time, to start the engine. They're not good at long-term supply of smallish currents... - and the car ammeter won't indicate accurately down at that level... I know you're right.* I'm sure I have an analogue 5amp meter somewhere, but even that will probably not detect a small drain.* Will try anyway. Come to that - can you put a test meter across the in-car ammeter? With everything off there should be no voltage. A sensitive voltmeter will tell you if there's a small current being drawn from the battery, even when everything on the car is 'officially' off.. Say that again.* Assume I have the ammeter (which is not fitted in the car) between the battery -ve terminal, and the earth lead.* Where do I connect the volt meter? across the ammeter. But better to get som small load like a bulb and connect that in series with te battery and look at the volts across that esp. if you can go down to mv In fact, just connect a 12v meter in series with the battery. There should be no drain whatsoever. -- "What do you think about Gay Marriage?" "I don't." "Don't what?" "Think about Gay Marriage." |
#25
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The Morris battery. Again.
In article , The Natural Philosopher
scribeth thus On 08/05/18 11:23, Bob Minchin wrote: Graeme wrote: I tried* Harry's bulb trick again (small MES panel light bulb between -ve battery terminal and earth strap), and nothing.* Tried using an ammeter.* Nothing.* Yet current must be flowing somewhere. If he has disconnected te battery entirely and put a meter in the circuit and no current is flowing, then no current is flowing and the battery cannot be discharging *via any external means*. So: Suspect dynamo control box. ISTR years ago now i fitted an Alternator to a Morris summatt or other worked very well... Cannot be relevant. I have a morris 1000 workshop manual somewhere. Send me an email and I'll try and find the relevant info, scan and send it to you. Bob My gut feeling is, that te battery is *intermittently* self discharging due to old age and crap in the cells. If its driven about its a toss up as to wehether mechanical vibrations and shock will leave it in a position where it will self discharge or not. As I related earlier, my experience was of a battery that appeared 100% sound one day, and had done for years, and was dead flat the next day. Replacing the battery fixed the problem entirely. My point is that not all batteries fail gracefully. Bits of broken off **** that short them internally, or leaks between cells can happen suddenly -- Tony Sayer |
#26
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The Morris battery. Again.
On Tue, 8 May 2018 17:59:38 +0100, Graeme
wrote: snip I think a new battery is the answer, but I'm really only guessing. I'm no electrician (auto or otherwise), and apart from some logic and basic testing, I just don't know. Given that the battery requirements of a MM are pretty small, do you have a similarly sized battery in another vehicle that you could swap for a week or so? Assuming it has a cranking handle, even *another* older battery might do, or if you don't need to start it, even a motorbike battery would provide information for your 'is the battery self discharging' test? Have you mentioned how old the battery is yet (in case I missed it). Cheers, T i m |
#27
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The Morris battery. Again.
"Muddymike" wrote in message o.uk... On 08/05/2018 10:41, Graeme wrote: Well, I think the battery itself is OK. Went for a run Thursday afternoon to charge the battery, then left it until this morning (Tuesday) with the earth lead disconnected. Reconnected and an easy start, from what felt like a still fully charged battery. To recap, if parked with the battery connected, the battery is almost flat after 48 hours, as in not enough to turn the engine to start. The courtesy light switch(es) were suspect, but same thing happens with them disconnected. I tried Harry's bulb trick again (small MES panel light bulb between -ve battery terminal and earth strap), and nothing. Tried using an ammeter. Nothing. Yet current must be flowing somewhere. Fit one of these https://preview.tinyurl.com/yd6xxunr Its a good theft deterrent as well. Trouble with those is that after using them you have to put the code back into the radio etc. |
#28
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The Morris battery. Again.
On 08/05/2018 10:41, Graeme wrote:
Well, I think the battery itself is OK.* Went for a run Thursday afternoon to charge the battery, then left it until this morning (Tuesday) with the earth lead disconnected.* Reconnected and an easy start, from what felt like a still fully charged battery. To recap, if parked with the battery connected, the battery is almost flat after 48 hours, as in not enough to turn the engine to start.* The courtesy light switch(es) were suspect, but same thing happens with them disconnected. I tried* Harry's bulb trick again (small MES panel light bulb between -ve battery terminal and earth strap), and nothing.* Tried using an ammeter.* Nothing.* Yet current must be flowing somewhere. I thought this had a 'generator' with a control box? Some variants didn't cut-out too well, and it was not uncommon for a substantial discharge current pass into the generator. Once battery voltage got below 10V or so the contacts would release. I suggest you get/borrow a DC current clamp meter to measure current without disconnecting the battery. |
#29
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The Morris battery. Again.
Graeme was thinking very hard :
Thanks Bob. I do have both Haines and proper BMC workshop manuals, but have always been wary of fiddling with the control box. For twenty quid, or thereabouts, fitting a reconditioned unit could be worth a try. -- With a half decent meter they are quite easy to set up. With a modern meter, as easy as falling off a log. |
#30
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The Morris battery. Again.
Rod Speed expressed precisely :
Trouble with those is that after using them you have to put the code back into the radio etc. Would an appropriate era of radio in such a car, need a code? |
#31
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The Morris battery. Again.
On Tuesday, 8 May 2018 14:22:12 UTC+1, Graeme wrote:
In message , Bob Minchin writes I have a morris 1000 workshop manual somewhere. Send me an email and I'll try and find the relevant info, scan and send it to you. Thanks Bob. I do have both Haines and proper BMC workshop manuals, but have always been wary of fiddling with the control box. For twenty quid, or thereabouts, fitting a reconditioned unit could be worth a try. Fairly pointless until you know where the problem is. The fault is intermittent and could be anywhere - battery, control box, wiring, or even whatever terminal you undid. If it's not too inconvenient to leave the battery disconnected after each run you'll soon be able to implicate or clear the battery of blame. NT |
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The Morris battery. Again.
On Tuesday, 8 May 2018 21:42:34 UTC+1, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Rod Speed expressed precisely : Trouble with those is that after using them you have to put the code back into the radio etc. Would an appropriate era of radio in such a car, need a code? well you'd need to know what L & M meant NT |
#33
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The Morris battery. Again.
Harry Bloomfield wrote
Rod Speed wrote Trouble with those is that after using them you have to put the code back into the radio etc. Would an appropriate era of radio in such a car, need a code? No,, but I was commenting on his claim that it's a good antitheft device. |
#34
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The Morris battery. Again.
On 08/05/2018 18:07, Graeme wrote:
OK, good idea.* My multimeter is an ancient Eagle analogue, which is great for current is/is not there, but difficult to detect minor (ha!) variations, particularly as the closest scale is 0-50v.* I'll have a go, though. http://cpc.farnell.com/c/test-equipm...ters-hand-held Come now! A tenner! Bill |
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The Morris battery. Again.
You could buy a used one on eBay. Just did a search and quite a few there
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The Morris battery. Again.
In message , Bill Wright
writes http://cpc.farnell.com/c/test-equipm...meters/digital -multimeters-hand-held Come now! A tenner! I know, I know. I should join the 21st century :-) -- Graeme |
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The Morris battery. Again.
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#38
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The Morris battery. Again.
On Wed, 09 May 2018 08:26:21 +0100, Graeme wrote:
In message , writes You could buy a used one on eBay. Just did a search and quite a few there Yes, I just looked at eBay, and there are thousands of digital multimeters, new and used, I bought a nice AVO 8 on there! -- My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub wish to copy them they can pay me £1 a message. Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org *lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor |
#39
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The Morris battery. Again.
In article ,
Graeme wrote: I tried Harry's bulb trick again (small MES panel light bulb between -ve battery terminal and earth strap), and nothing. Tried using an ammeter. Nothing. Yet current must be flowing somewhere. Not been out and bought yourself a DVM, yet, then? Even one for a fiver is better than non at all. -- *Remember not to forget that which you do not need to know.* Dave Plowman London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound. |
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The Morris battery. Again.
In message , Bill Wright
writes http://cpc.farnell.com/c/test-equipm...meters/digital -multimeters-hand-held Come now! A tenner! Bought! -- Graeme |
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