Headlight and elecrical problems
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
Headlight and elecrical problems
Left my 2001 coupe in winter storage until May 2009. Battery was shot even though on a trickle charger all winter. Replaced battery and all seemed OK until tonight. Left headlights on for over two hours and ran battery down. Let car sit for around 20 minutes and it started. However, the "Check Engine Soon" light came on and the headlights did not work. Got home OK, shut her down and restarted OK, hoever CES light still on and headlights do not work.
Any ideas??
Thanks in Advance.
Any ideas??
Thanks in Advance.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Did you blow a fuse?
Try #6 in the footwell.
If not its a new battery I'd say. With running it down like that the battery may be dead particularly if its an AGM. If it is, you will probably have a bunch of U codes on the DIC
Try #6 in the footwell.
If not its a new battery I'd say. With running it down like that the battery may be dead particularly if its an AGM. If it is, you will probably have a bunch of U codes on the DIC
Last edited by DeeGee; Jun 26, 2009 at 01:23 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 24,310
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From: Canon City Co
St. Jude Donor '11,'13
"I voluntarily took 60 days off from OT"
I hope you meant you had a Battery Tender on it and NOT a trickle charger...A trickle charger will FRY a battery if left on it for an extended period of time, and can cause other electrical problems....
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
I removed Fuse #6 in footwell. It was OK. Put it back in, started car up and, amazingly, headlights came on just fine and the CES light was off. Go figure!! Perhaps a power surge when the car started last evening caused a breaker to trip which reset itself last night. Don't know - just grateful!
As far as the charger I use during the winter, it is an automatic charger which I set at the 2 amp setting - is this OK or is a Battery Tender something different.
Thanks so much for the info.
As far as the charger I use during the winter, it is an automatic charger which I set at the 2 amp setting - is this OK or is a Battery Tender something different.
Thanks so much for the info.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
I removed Fuse #6 in footwell. It was OK. Put it back in, started car up and, amazingly, headlights came on just fine and the CES light was off. Go figure!! Perhaps a power surge when the car started last evening caused a breaker to trip which reset itself last night. Don't know - just grateful!
As far as the charger I use during the winter, it is an automatic charger which I set at the 2 amp setting - is this OK or is a Battery Tender something different.
Thanks so much for the info.
As far as the charger I use during the winter, it is an automatic charger which I set at the 2 amp setting - is this OK or is a Battery Tender something different.
Thanks so much for the info.
WRT to the charger, a trickle charger is designed to recharge a battery overnight. A Battery tender is designed to give a very low rate of charge and is optimized to allow permanent hookup. They are quite different so its important to use the correct type.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 860
Likes: 3
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
Thanks for the replies. I have a regular lead/acid battery. Too cheap to spring for the AGM or Optima bateries. I have been using a Sears Automatic charger to maintain the battery during the winter. I set it at the lowest seting and it cycles as the batery charge goes up/down. I also have a Schumacher charger which goes into a "float" mode when the battery is fully charged. Do I need to get another type of battery mainteiner for the winter? Sorry to be so poorly informed but, as you can obviously trell, not real mechanically inclined.
Thanks Again.
Thanks Again.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 860
Likes: 3
Thanks for the replies. I have a regular lead/acid battery. Too cheap to spring for the AGM or Optima bateries. I have been using a Sears Automatic charger to maintain the battery during the winter. I set it at the lowest seting and it cycles as the batery charge goes up/down. I also have a Schumacher charger which goes into a "float" mode when the battery is fully charged. Do I need to get another type of battery mainteiner for the winter? Sorry to be so poorly informed but, as you can obviously trell, not real mechanically inclined.
Thanks Again.
Thanks Again.
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