Hey everyone,

Just a quick and simple question I'm assuming you'll possibly have some quick and simple answers to.

Moved to Sydney, drive around once a week, car is fine. Fly back to Perth to visit family, left car in Sydney for three weeks. Don't trust anyone to start it let alone drive it for me while I'm away.

Get back and battery is completely dead.

Start freaking out because I think my Brant is going to be a bitch and make my life hard. Work colleague brings jumper leads to help me jump start the car. Doesn't work, switch the cables and then it starts straight away - Brant was fine.

Let the car run for a while, everything seems fine until I stupidly decide to take the cables off and turn the car off and on again just to make sure it's all good. Just after turning off the car, electrics are on but it doesn't have enough power to click over.

Put the jump starter cables back on and one of them (on my car, negative side) sparks/pops and smoke comes out of the clip thing and battery alarm sounds funny (very faint and makes the *weeooweeoo* sound about twice or three times and then completely shuts up). Try again, no chance. No electrics whatsoever.

After that, all hope was lost, we gave up and went to grab some beers.

Thanks for listening to my life story, now the question is...;

1. The smoke and spark thing from the cable, would that have destroyed the battery or the cable?

Yet to get Roadside Assistance as I don't drive it near enough as what I'd find viable but if I have to I will now. I also have Midas across the road to me and will probably ask them to come over and help me jump start my car if it's just the battery but if the battery is gone that will be an hour wasted from my day if that's the case and I may as well go buy another battery or whatever.

Thoughts?

Not that it matters but the car is an '06 STI.

Much appreciate any help or advice as I'm keen to drive to the shops to do my grocery shopping tomorrow instead of walking 2km's with both my hands full.

Cheers,

Andrew

Sounds like you may have had one of the cables the wrong way around.

Curious: Did the jumper cables you used have a surge protector on it?

Edit: You could eliminate the battery being an issue by trying one from another car.

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[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

I think the cables were the wrong way around before.

Cables did not have a surge protector on then and what sucks is that I didn't bring my tool box with me and know nobody in my apartment block so swapping batteries is not something I can exercise as readily as I could if I was at home.

*bleh* Thinking I might just go and buy a jumpstarter.

$2 spanner?

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Long live the WRC

LOL no spanners either. All good, ended up buying a charger for it.

To be honest, it's been 5 weeks since the battery was left and I'm surprised the Brant was working fine the other day.

Mods can lock the thread, pretty sure car will be fine after a couple of hours of charging. Midas weren't even open today anyway.

Have tried charging and there has been some improvements. The Brant keypad is not lighting up how it randomly does but the immobiliser is not on.

Is just indicative that the Brant is now running on its own backup battery and my battery is well and truly dead? If so, looks like a new battery then but I found it quite off that after half a day of charging, the Brant came back to life and lit back up.

Any thoughts?

Cheers!

i had the same issue... spent 3 months in USA and dad turned the car over for 10 minutes while i was away not knowing he most likely drained it more by not driving it...having amps and subs etc... to put instant load on.

my battery had dried out about half way - i recommend filling it up with water...as well.
my alarm was going all over the show...make sure you have all your interior lights off and disconnect your amp if you have one so ll the jumper lead power goes to your battery and just leave it idle for 30 min or so whilst cables are connected. obviously make sure you ground off on the earth bar in the engine and not the negative terminal on the battery unless u really need too.

try that - my alarm eventually went... dash lit up....15 minutes later i could start the car another 15 minutes later she was good to go.

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Ewrxion87

P-West TMIC / ecutek / HF CAI / Turbosmart / Apexi / Federal / 19psi / bc racing & whiteline / Perrin Performance / Rays

Sounds like your battery is dead. Just experienced this in my old Toyota over the Christmas/New year's break. Topped up the fluid, charged it, all to no avail. In the end, just bought a new battery. after shops were reopened.