Tow car battery dead (1 Viewer)

[Spacegazer]

Been towing a pugeot 107 behind Burstner elegance for couple months now without any problems...... Hitched car up to motorhome yesterday, and drove some 40 miles before overnighting in Ayrshire. This morning I went to start car with intention of going supermarket..... Noticed first of all, that central locking wouldn't open doors, then I put key in ignition, 107 battery seems completely dead....... Any ideas guys???..... First time it's done this...... Lights and indicators still work via motorhome...... HELP!!!!!

 

[Badknee]

If there's a glimmer of life left in the battery you could bump start it behind your Moho unless it's an automatic perhaps.
You don't say how long ago it is since you had the car running?

 

[Spacegazer]

Car ran yesterday...... Started no probs to hook up to van

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[Badknee]

Car ran yesterday...... Started no probs to hook up to van

Hmmmm, in that case I would think you left something on that's drained it.

 

[martin1485]

Something left on to drain the battery, a problem with the alternator/drive belt or a knackered battery. Charge and test battery, if that's o.k. then test the charging circuit. Replace battery if necessary.

 

[Spacegazer]

Need to get mate out later with jump leads....... Battery was fine before this am........ Can't think of anything left on..... Quite a simple wee motor...... Radio/ disc was deffo off.......

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[Jaws]

First off just release and retighten the two battery connections.
Amazing how many times that is all it is.

 

[Spacegazer]

Don't think motorhome has something to do with it????....... Can't see how?

 

[Spacegazer]

I'll try that Jaws.... Ta

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[pappajohn]

Used to get it a lot doing breakdowns.
Very occasionally the alternator doesn't shut down properly and tries to turn via the battery thus draining it.
Jump start, 30 minute drive.

 

[Figaro]

@pappajohn

Good to see you back posting as usual

Keep it up, good for the rehab

 

[dealornodeal]

Had the same on my toad and was told rightly or wrongly that I may of had the ingnition key turned to far thus draining the battery whilst being towed but I towed for 4 hours before needing to start car

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[DJA]

Hi

Had a similar problem once with our Aygo. Crossed the Channel and stopped in an Aire which we were in alone. then drove the next day to a Campsite then on again to a Campsite near Perpignan on our way Spain. Found Battery was dead when were in Perpignan and had to replace it.

Ultimately worked out that I had backed the Toad slightly before stopping in the Aire and the first campsite and so it is likely the brake lights were on all the time I was parked as I had not got out of the van. Doohhhh. Never had the problem since as I now always check the brake lights are off as even just braking to a halt in a layby can result in the Brake lights staying on when the Motorhomes lights are off.



Doug

 

[Sheddy]

Had the same on my toad and was told rightly or wrongly that I may of had the ingnition key turned to far thus draining the battery whilst being towed but I towed for 4 hours before needing to start car

Same here, C1 car ignition key left in wrong position battery flat after 5 hours of towing, jumped it and run it for a while the battery was fine and has been for the past three years. Since then I triple check the ignition key before every trip.

 

[xsparks]

Had same problem found that car break lights had been on continually whilst towing ,just needed to readjust overrun break.

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[Larrynwin]

We had a Peugeot 107 toad and did suffer battery drain.
The connecting wiring allowed the toad battery to feed all brake lights which was aggravated by the overrun cable holding the brake pedal down enough for lights to stay on so I fitted a terminal breaker on the toad battery to prevent it happening.
Another issue can be gradual battery drain if no charge link to the toad battery. With a large degree of towing and little driving a flat battery can result.

 

[Spacegazer]

Thanks guys....... Bought battery charger today..... There was a wee bit of life in it before charging it up ....... Ignition lights on 107 all came on, as before it was totally dead, but not quite enuff juice to turn engine over, although it tried....... So not much wrong except flat battery......charger has been on charge for 6 hrs now, will try it about 7.30 pm...... Fingers crossed

 

[Spacegazer]

Right guys...... Took out battery charger, and she kicked over no problem.......one of you were spot on..... Brake lights are on, and the brake pedal is depressed, even although bungee is on....... How do I fix it????..... Sorry, not had tow car before pardon ignorance

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[Larrynwin]

Right guys...... Took out battery charger, and she kicked over no problem.......one of you were spot on..... Brake lights are on, and the brake pedal is depressed, even although bungee is on....... How do I fix it????..... Sorry, not had tow car before pardon ignorance

Lubricate overrun cable, it gets dry and doesn't release even with bungy .

 

[vwalan]

best get it working as the cars brakes could be on .
one car caught fire a few years ago with a badly sorted brake .
think they were members on here if memory is correct.

 

[Spacegazer]

Thanks.... The overrun cable was quite tight, and it appeared to pull the wee clip out at front of car applying brakes...... I managed to get the pin out, and the brake pedal sprung back up, and brake lights now all out...... Problem now is I cannot rejoin the eye on the cable back to the wee clip at front..... About 1/4 out...... The bottle screw is dry, and won't turn to give me more slack...... I've drenched it in wd40... Going by pictures, do I need to loosen nut on screw to get more slack????..... I've no spammers aboard...... Need to wait for B&Q in am...... Any advice would be great....Alan.

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[Teuchter]

Thanks.... The overrun cable was quite tight, and it appeared to pull the wee clip out at front of car applying brakes...... I managed to get the pin out, and the brake pedal sprung back up, and brake lights now all out...... Problem now is I cannot rejoin the eye on the cable back to the wee clip at front..... About 1/4 out...... The bottle screw is dry, and won't turn to give me more slack...... I've drenched it in wd40... Going by pictures, do I need to loosen nut on screw to get more slack????..... I've no spammers aboard...... Need to wait for B&Q in am...... Any advice would be great....Alan.

As a TEMPORARY fix connect the cable eye to the holding clip using a piece of wire - then when you have spanners ditch the wire and adjust the turnbuckle accordingly - simples

 

[Spacegazer]

think this van is haunted...... Lol...... Last night, the cable eye was about 1/4 to 1/2 inch short of the wee clip on front of car....... Left cable lying on ground overnight..... This morning I went out, and eye reached the clip...... Weird or what????....... Anyway connected up up this am, and gave bottlescrew a wee bit slack out...... wire was hanging down a little bit........ Headed south from Kilmarnock, and 2 miles out, I pulled into layby to check ......... Guess what???....... Brake lights on, and wire and bottlescrew tight....... Managed to release it again, and wire was 1/2 inch short of eye again....... Not enuff slack in bottlescrew, came out as run out of thread. Eventually, I did as last poster suggested...... Jury rigged it using wire for eye to reach clip. I'm gonna have to either get a longer wire, or a bigger bottlescrew, so it reaches no problem......... This problem hasn't happened before...... Don't understand it at all.......

 

[Spacegazer]

It's a tow-a-car a frame.

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[xsparks]

Check to see if the cable that pulls on brake pedal is not trapped under carpet in the foot well this will affect its length.

 

[Charlie]

On some cars there is a tiny drain on the battery when the ignition switch is in position 1 the position you need to unlock the steering for towing. On the Toyota IQ for example the tiny display panel next to the speedo stays backlit. The drain is tiny but its there ! Add to this the fact these wee cars have a very small battery and the result is predictable.

I wired an extra wire into the cable from the MH to the car so the battery gets charged by the MH as we drive. Easy job to do and not expensive to have done by an auto electrician ...

 

[Charlie]

Think about this.

You pull up at the kerb and your overun compresses bring the brakes on and the brake lights on.

This may convince you the brake lights are stuck on. They are NOT.

Try this.

Pull up as normal. You brake lights will come on and the overun compress . Brake lights will come on and stay on.

Now just gently ease the outfit forward.

This will uncompress the overun and your brake lights will go off.

This is just the way the system works ! You very likely have NO problems with your system other than a tiny drain as I described above.

The multiple helpful answers above are unfortunately confusing to say the least.

Read the above and its obvious I hope and you will understand exactly what is happening.

In short you brakes are Not sticking on !

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[Charlie]

think this van is haunted...... Lol...... Last night, the cable eye was about 1/4 to 1/2 inch short of the wee clip on front of car....... Left cable lying on ground overnight..... This morning I went out, and eye reached the clip...... Weird or what????....... Anyway connected up up this am, and gave bottlescrew a wee bit slack out...... wire was hanging down a little bit........ Headed south from Kilmarnock, and 2 miles out, I pulled into layby to check ......... Guess what???....... Brake lights on, and wire and bottlescrew tight....... Managed to release it again, and wire was 1/2 inch short of eye again....... Not enuff slack in bottlescrew, came out as run out of thread. Eventually, I did as last poster suggested...... Jury rigged it using wire for eye to reach clip. I'm gonna have to either get a longer wire, or a bigger bottlescrew, so it reaches no problem......... This problem hasn't happened before...... Don't understand it at all.......

It is the overun as I said above. To release the brakes on a system with an overun you must pull forward . Even 12 inches will do it !

If you have adjusted the tension on your cable please re adjust it or your brakes on the tow car may not come on fully ! PlEASE TELL ME you have read this as you may have inadvertently reduced your braking operation on your tow car ! This could be dangerous !

PM me your phone number if you like and I will ring you and explain fully what is happening and how to retention your brakes so they work fully and properly ..

 

[Spacegazer]

Yep, read it and understand re brakes..... Dunno how wee eye reached the clip on front of car the following am, when night before bottle screw was tight and wire short of clip by 1/2 inch.......?????

 

[Spacegazer]

Thanks Charlie ....... The wire an bottlescrew were both tight...... When I set it up, there was wee sag between bottlescrew and wire...... Been thinking about it, and upon leaving car park I went over a speed hump...... My thinking was that van got over hump before car started going over it..... When car started climbing over it, would it have pulled cable tight an set on brakes?????

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