How long should your battery last with the radio on before it goes flat ?

Working on an SC on a 55 plate
Spent approx 3-4 hours fitting side steps Saturday afternoon. Radio was on (in Low power mode ? keys were not in the ignition) interior light was on every now and then (I did manually switch it off several times).

Finished the steps, came to start it - nothing flat battery (radio was still working). Had to jump start it with the Mrs's X-type.

Car started first time though

Would you have expected the battery to run flat under those conditions

I do 400 + miles a week, so the battery gets a good chance to charge.

Can I test the battery
Any advice on new battery - what should I get

Thanks in advance
ashaw10

IIRC Radio switches off after 20 - 30 mins w/o keys in to prevent flat battery...

What was date of registration ....... any chance in warranty for the dealer to replace?

I have had battery discharge tested before. Call your dealer for replacement model number and £ and phone that spec around if the warranty option doesn't hold out....

Best of luck keep us posted

OK ignore warranty Q - just seen other post ...

That definitely does not sound right. The battery should do more than four hours I think.
And if the radio still plays the car should still start or at least try to start (did you hear the starter?) if it doesn't but the radio (and other electrics, lights for example?) still works, there is something wrong and I fear it is not the battery...  RRS TDV6 HSE, 2006, bonatti grey, ebony interior, rear diff, s/c grille and vents, stormers, privacy, tasmods, iphone integration

Thanks McBunny, that's what I thought, the battery should last more than 4 hours. The radio was still working but I got the impression the battery was almost flat.

After I jump started it last Saturday, I've used the car every day since without any issues.

A few months back I had some rear DVD screens fitted, the fitter had my keys and they were in the ignition, can't be sure electrically what was on during the install but after sat 2.5 hrs same result flat battery.

apart from last Saturday and during the screen install, I've had no issues with starting.

The car is 3 years 3 mths old and I've had it for 7 months. Assuming it's on the original battery (there will be a date on the battery somewhere I haven't checked yet) maybe it's due for a new one.

I just thought I'd mention in the forum in case someone else had had a similar issue.

Think I'll try and get the battery checked, before I plunge for a new one.

Hm, that sounds like a flat battery.

Another car of ours acted similar to yours and when they measured the battery voltage it all seamed normal. But when I wanted to start it again, it didn't, so they measured the voltage while I tried to start and it suddenly dropped as soon as you tried to start the car. It was not possible to load the battery properly again, it wasn't really empty, just old and broken. With a little more than three years on a high-tech car like the RRS I don't think that is highly impossible.
In fact I'm thinking about changing my battery before the next holiday trip (car is 2,5 years old), just to be sure.

So, I'd say with a new battery everything should be well again hopefully!  RRS TDV6 HSE, 2006, bonatti grey, ebony interior, rear diff, s/c grille and vents, stormers, privacy, tasmods, iphone integration

I used the RRS as a torch once when fixing some fencing in the field, it was an emergency and I remember it was freezing cold, the lights were on full whack for some 3 hours......alas the battery was dead, but the radio still worked!!

I left until the morning, came out and she has never misbehaved since  L322 Big Daddy SUPERCHARGED 5.0 Autobiography - Here & Now!

5 series for the miles

RRS S/C factory built HST - Gone

45 others have been and gone!

That's funny so in case of a flat battery if the car won't start you can at least listen to some music to chear you up while waiting for the mechanics. Clever!

But why didn't you leave the engine running? In three hours it will "drink" less than five litres of diesel which is significantly cheaper than a new battery could have been.


edit:
(And leaving the engine running on a standing car for three hours would also drive the green guys mad which is a good thing! ) RRS TDV6 HSE, 2006, bonatti grey, ebony interior, rear diff, s/c grille and vents, stormers, privacy, tasmods, iphone integration

Last edited by McBunny on Thu Dec 11 2008 2:52pm. Edited 2 times in total

McBunny wrote:

That's funny so in case of a flat battery if the car won't start you can at least listen to some music to chear you up while waiting for the mechanics. Clever!

But why didn't you leave the engine running? In three hours it will "drink" less than five litres of diesel which is significantly cheaper than a new battery could have been.

Mine is a supercharged 5 gallons more like and TBH, I was too intent on getting the fencing fixed to worry about a battery. Luckily, it was a temporary falter and all was well again  L322 Big Daddy SUPERCHARGED 5.0 Autobiography - Here & Now!

5 series for the miles

RRS S/C factory built HST - Gone

45 others have been and gone!

If the s/c makes you cry maybe you want to change cars and drive something more economical?

 RRS TDV6 HSE, 2006, bonatti grey, ebony interior, rear diff, s/c grille and vents, stormers, privacy, tasmods, iphone integration

Where would the fun be in that. I would have nothing to moan about....nothing  L322 Big Daddy SUPERCHARGED 5.0 Autobiography - Here & Now!

5 series for the miles

RRS S/C factory built HST - Gone

45 others have been and gone!