car batt died :-(

[blue_quartz]

My C3's battery died without warning yesterday morning... No prior warnings on Thursday night, first sign of failure was only when I could not start the car, and it showed the "economy active" message... I'm not in a big rush to get it fixed on a Sunday, but will it be a troublesome and lengthy option if I really want to consider it? I'm assuming if I report this fault on a Sunday, all they will do is just to tow it to some workshop and then work on it on Monday?

[voyager]

i am sorry to learn about the inconvenience you are experiencing, blue_quartz.

i am by no means an authority on the matter, but i believe AA can come and fix it for you (if you are not an AA member you pay a higher fee i think).

this would save you the problem of getting it to CnC to fix it.

i am sure others reading your post would chip in with better advice than mine.

it's always a pain to have things fail on a weekend - CnC will not fix it on a Sunday, you are correct in surmising that.

i have gotten AA to change my battery before. call your Sales-person and ask him or her if there be any special procedure to observe before changing the battery. for mine, for example, there is some weird procedure about having to wait a few minutes after ignition off before allowing the AA uncle to touch anything, and then after the battery has been replaced, to wait a few minutes, or something like that.

sorry i cannot be more specific, i do apologize.

[voyager]

PROCEDURE FOR BATTERY DIS-CONNECTION (The 3 Minute Rule)
Whenever a vehicle battery has to be disconnected, switch off all equipment,
interior lights etc, close the doors leaving the driver?s window open.
Switch off the ignition and remove the key and any DIAG equipment.

Wait a full 3 minutes before disconnecting the battery.

The BSi must be allowed to go to SLEEP i.e. into "power save mode". Do not
operate any equipment on the vehicle during this time. Remember, even
opening the bonnet will wake the BSi on a vehicle fitted with alarm.

If the battery is under the bonnet, open the bonnet first and leave it up.

ALWAYS disconnect any DIAG equipment and do not operate any plips from
other vehicles during the 3 minute waiting period.


PROCEDURE FOR BATTERY RECONNECTION
Unless otherwise instructed by Product Service, you must always
carry out the following procedure, often referred to as a "soft re-boot", to
minimise the possibility of the BSi corrupting its own software when
reconnecting the vehicles battery supply.
Ensure the procedure for battery disconnection has been adhered to and
importantly all BSi functions were switched off with the driver?s window left
down.
1 Close all doors
2 Remove ignition key if left in ignition
3 Reconnect battery. DO NOT open any doors
4 Wait 10 seconds
5 Switch on headlights through the driver?s window (you will hear a "bong")
6 Switch on ignition then start the vehicle and check system functions

NOTE: Upon reconnection, if any vehicle function controlled by the Bsi, i.e .
interior light, is switched on the internal operation of the BSi has the potential
to spike or corrupt its configuration and software program.

[raid]

Voyager, wat's bsi?

[voyager]

hello raid,

the acronym stands for Built-in Systems Interface. i also found this, which is similar to the thing about replacing one's battery (this time, it's about how to reset the BSI)

Put the driver's window down, lift the bonnet and ensure all equipment is switched off.

Ensure all doors are closed and remove key from the ignition.

Wait for 3 minutes, disconnect the vehicle battery and wait 15 seconds.

Reconnect the vehicle battery, wait a further 10 seconds (do not open doors.).

Switch on the side lights through the driver's window.

Switch on the ignition and check system's functionality.

Hold lock button on key down for 10 seconds.

Remove key open & close door test central locking system.

Start the engine and complete the system's check.

Failure to follow this procedure could result in incorrect operation of many BSI related items.

[raid]

Gosh... Replacing the batteries reminds me of the procedures the astronauts had to perform on Apollo 13.

BTW, I recall there's another step? Something abt flooring the accelerator?

[voyager]

indeed.

(and someone's been watching cable TV re-runs recently? :-) )

i haven't come across anything on flooring it, it might seem counter to the general spirit of things :-)

[bravooc10]

You can try calling Eric at 90475436 or 96537518 mr chia to get a quote. Both provide house call battery changes.

[blue_quartz]

i am sorry to learn about the inconvenience you are experiencing, blue_quartz.

i am by no means an authority on the matter, but i believe AA can come and fix it for you (if you are not an AA member you pay a higher fee i think).

this would save you the problem of getting it to CnC to fix it.

i am sure others reading your post would chip in with better advice than mine.

it's always a pain to have things fail on a weekend - CnC will not fix it on a Sunday, you are correct in surmising that.

i have gotten AA to change my battery before. call your Sales-person and ask him or her if there be any special procedure to observe before changing the battery. for mine, for example, there is some weird procedure about having to wait a few minutes after ignition off before allowing the AA uncle to touch anything, and then after the battery has been replaced, to wait a few minutes, or something like that.

sorry i cannot be more specific, i do apologize.

Wow, thanks for all the advice!

I called CnC's 24-hour helpline and they sent AA... there was no mention of any "special procedures" and I simply let the AA uncle do his stuff... my C3 is functioning fine now. :)

[blue_quartz]

Just curious, how long on average will the car battery last?

For my daily commute, I always keep Bluetooth paired with my phone and radio is usually on. I keep the aircon at low speeds, slightly high temps (23 degrees, I know drivers who prefer to go much lower) as I can't tolerate very cold temperatures. I guess getting just under 13 months is right about average for the battery?

[voyager]

it's difficult to judge the expected battery life in Singapore for a C3, since the electrical load is likely a little less than that of a Grand C4 Picasso (for which we seem to have the most sources of data) :-)

if you use our forum's search engine you'll see that there have been quite a few posts on battery life.

so far, our batteries seem to last for about one-and-a-half-years. yours may have expired sooner maybe because you don't do a lot of long-distance driving?

as for the AA uncle, technically speaking he would have undergone some kind of familiarization with the correct procedure, but he may have (for whatever reason) not observed it.

i would truly recommend that you oblige the next uncle to follow the procedure, during your next battery change. it's not worth spoiling your car simply because you trust the uncle :-)

[Forest_gum]

My Alfa stock batt, lasted me 8 months, free replacement from agent. Current batt don't expect more than 24 months. Especially conti cars current demand is much more higher than Japs cars. Unless you want to relocate your battery to your boot, sure be able to last more than 2yrs. Heat is also another factor to shorter battery life.

[blue_quartz]

i would truly recommend that you oblige the next uncle to follow the procedure, during your next battery change. it's not worth spoiling your car simply because you trust the uncle :-)

Let's hope I can still remember this thread a year from now, heheh...

[voyager]

i copied and pasted it as a note in my phone :-)

[WhiteC4HB]

Hey, me too! Thanks for the info, BTW.

[voyager]

happy to be able to help, WhiteC4HB :-)

[auto_emocion]

voyager,

I don't know about Citroens, but I have done many battery swaps on my previous cars, with Engine Running (prevent acc memory loss and ECU adaptive readings)

[flee19]

My car required a second crank today, before the engine started. First time I had to do two cranks. Checked my voltage stabiliser. Reading was 13.4V, which should be good.

Running normal load, and battery is just over a year old. Should I be kiasu and change it, as my servicing is due next week. I really hate the inconvenience of a flat battery.

Any GPs' batteries went kaput at one year mark?