ranithds

I want to install a battery cut off switch which is controlled from a switch inside the car. That way I can disengage the battery without having to leave the bonnet open to access the battery directly. Any suggestions?

extanker

jeggs or summit racing ....the ones required for the track are big and ugly .....good luck mounting it in the car

Macster

Why do you want to install a battery cut-off switch? Track car?

For a street car switching off the battery is not really a good idea.

With battery switched off the windows won't drop when the doors are opened. Once the door is open the window may drop when you flip on power. Maybe.

You should probably reset the window limits after switching on the battery power.

Also, the E-gas should probably be calibrated.

The DME will lose all its learned fuel trims which means the engine could run a bit rough until the DME has had a chance to relearn the correct fueling.

Readiness monitors will be set to incomplete so if you have to go through a smog test with the car you probably should avoid turning off the battery power right before a smog test.

There is the initial surge of current that the system experiences when the battery is switched on. Normally the car's electrical system awakens in stages, powers up in stages so there is less a surge of electricity through the car's electrical system. Often if an electrical component is going to fail it does so at power on. The initial surge is the straw that broke the camel's back.

ranithds

Hi Macster,
I only drive the car every couple of weeks and recently the battery has been dying. I replaced the battery but it died again. My garage have suggested that I disconnect the battery if the car is only being sporadically driven hence the question.

Is this the wrong thing to do?

Schnell Gelb

1. You need a better mechanic.
2. The standard procedure by the experts here & Porsche (!) is to use a Cteck MUS4.3.Connect to cigarette lighter socket per Porsche.
Does your car have a parasitic drain problem ?

ranithds

I don't have an easy way to connect to the mains to power the trickle charger that's why I thought the battery disconnect would be a good option.

The car is drawing on the battery at 5 Amps every 45 mins! I've posted a different thread for advice on that.

Macster

Yes.

The right thing to do is find the reason why the battery is dying and address that.

I know you have another thread about a phantom current draw spike.

Absent that for a dying battery one that dies because of lack of use or insufficient use of the car a battery maintainer is needed.

That is unless one is prepared to throw in a new battery every once in a while.

Just to make this clear: After an engine start the car should be driven long enough to recharge the battery, to replenish the charge the battery lost when starting the engine and has lost as the car has sat unused. While in a normal behaving car the electircal load with the car properly closed up and locked is low there is an electrical load nonetheless and this runs down the battery over time.

A short trip after an engine start is very hard on the battery and while new a battery can tolerate this for a while it really shortens the batterys' life.

Like I said above, if one is unable to drive the car/use the car for some time after an engine start then a battery maintainer is needed unless one is prepared to throw a replacement battery in the car periodically.

ranithds

Thanks all - I'll see if I can find the drain first and solve the root cause!

Cheers,