Immobiliser Drains Battery - useful advice
Posted
#1048965
(In Topic #125266)
Settling In
Immobiliser Drains Battery - useful advice
The alarm is an Autowatch 346 RLI BB. It works fine but causes a major problem: I only drive the car once a week or so, and in between times, the immobiliser/alarm drains the battery. I tried not turning it on, and it still drains the battery. And of course as the battery has got older, the problem has got worse.
AutoWatch called me back and were INCREDIBLY helpful. Essentially, they get lots of phone calls every week from people with the same problem, especially camper van owners, who don't drive the vehicle that often, and because they street park, can't use a trickle charger.
There are only two solutions: one is to disconnect the battery when parked (this doesn't de-activate the immobiliser, only the alarm). AutoWatch suggested buying new style battery which doesn't needs spanner, just has taper fit, with a clip that pulls and pushes on and off with a lever.
Or possibly to fit an isolater, which switches off when battery hits around 12.1 V - as I'm no mechanic, I need to look into the costs on this.
Anyone tried the immobiliser solution?
Cheers, spudlet.
Posted
Old Timer
You need to find the wire from the imobiliser (which will be going to the +12v side of a relay) and connect another relay from the ignition, so that the contact from the ignition will turn the 2nd relay on, which will only turn on when the Imobilser is OFF and connected, and the Ignition key is turned.
What you have at the moment, is an Imobiliser that will work (IE Imobilise the vehicle) when the imobiliser is disconnected (breaking the circuit), or the imobilser is turned ON (ie in reverse, breaking the circuit) this works, but has significant drain on the battery.
Same thing as what happened on Pedders Car, I believe.
Its hard to explain with words though, hope you understand
~Madferret
Mk1 1457cc 5door GX '83
Mk1 1457cc 5door GX '83
Posted
Settling In
there around £30 and about the 30cmx15cm just leave it on the parcel shelf,might look a bit naff but better than leaving the alarm off
Posted
Settled In
'81 1.8T
BMW R1200GSA
Caddy 2k 1.8T
BMW R1200GSA
Caddy 2k 1.8T
Posted
Settling In
Solar Charger
Also, good thought re solar charger - I did get one when I first had the car (pre immobiliser) but as I street park in Hackney, it was nicked within the week…might try again though.
Just drove through Suffolk in the sun, after a battery re-charge and a silver valet wash, and it did make it all worth while - never saw another Mark 1 though, a little lonely…
cheers, spudlet
Posted
Old Timer
~Madferret
Mk1 1457cc 5door GX '83
Mk1 1457cc 5door GX '83
Posted
Settling In
Thanks, spudlet
Posted
Old Timer
Anyway its floating about somewhere shouldn't be too much trouble to find, I'll have it done this evening/tomorrow depending on when I finish work
~Madferret
Mk1 1457cc 5door GX '83
Mk1 1457cc 5door GX '83
Posted
Local Hero
Posted
Settled In
Posted
Old Timer
~Madferret
Mk1 1457cc 5door GX '83
Mk1 1457cc 5door GX '83
Posted
Settled In
i fit autowatch alarms and immobilisers and have never had this problem i leave one of my cars for over a month and it still starts.
Posted
Settling In
I know lots of people don't have this problem, it's just down to which model immobiliser you get.
Posted
Old Timer
What a lot of people do is wire a relay so that it is permantly on, so that when the immobiliser is disconnected the circuit breaks and you have an immobilsed car, what people dont realise is that relays suck current like mad, the best way to do it is a two stage break in the circuit, as will show when I remember where I put the circuit diagram last time I was asked this question. :wink:
~Madferret
Mk1 1457cc 5door GX '83
Mk1 1457cc 5door GX '83
Posted
Old Timer
Left is the power sucking version, right is the 'improved' version.
~Madferret
Mk1 1457cc 5door GX '83
Mk1 1457cc 5door GX '83
Posted
Local Hero
Posted
Old Timer
~Madferret
Mk1 1457cc 5door GX '83
Mk1 1457cc 5door GX '83
Posted
Local Hero
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