Any diy car mechanics here?

[DoctorStrangelove]

My long long long gone Zodiac MkIV had a similar problem: turn the key & sometimes it would show a 45 amp drain.

Turn the key again & it would start.

Changed the starter motor & all was well.

Pre engaged starter motors weren't very common back then.

By the by, it really makes a horrid noise if you start it with the engine running.

[woody1]

By the by, it really makes a horrid noise if you start it with the engine running.

I suspect it may not let you in modern cars but I'm not about to test that.

[woody1]

Presumably, just cranking the engine a couple of times every day, when I'm not using the car, wouldn't be very good for it?

What about, when I get back home after a drive, cranking it half a dozen times?

[northernladuk]

Presumably, just cranking the engine a couple of times every day, when I'm not using the car, wouldn't be very good for it?

What about, when I get back home after a drive, cranking it half a dozen times?

It will make zero difference. All it is doing is turning the crank over which is what is was designed to do. Modern cars have start stop so will crank every time they come to traffic lights and there is no issue there.

You could argue oil not at temperature and around the engine on a cold start but after that you are good. I short period of a crazy of number starts really isn't a problem.

[sadkingbilly]

I short period of a crazy of number starts really isn't a problem.

whit?? - is this in mankiespeak?

[WTFH]

Presumably, just cranking the engine a couple of times every day, when I'm not using the car, wouldn't be very good for it?

Well, it would be a quick way to drain the battery.

[woody1]

Well, it would be a quick way to drain the battery.

I've got it permanently on a trickle charger, so should be ok.

What drains the battery on my car is not cranking it but the parasitic drain, which I've measured at around 130mA (~3Ah/day), hence the trickle charger.

[WTFH]

I've got it permanently on a trickle charger, so should be ok.

What drains the battery on my car is not cranking it but the parasitic drain, which I've measured at around 130mA (~3Ah/day), hence the trickle charger.

What trickle charger are you using?

Parasitic drain:
1. Dashcam
2. ICE
3. Any cable plugged in to a USB port
4. Anything in the cigarette lighter socket
5. Car Alarm
6. Keyless entry

Which of those do you have?

[woody1]

What trickle charger are you using?

Parasitic drain:
1. Dashcam
2. ICE
3. Any cable plugged in to a USB port
4. Anything in the cigarette lighter socket
5. Car Alarm
6. Keyless entry

Which of those do you have?

An old CTEK one.

What's ICE? Of the others, only alarm/immobiliser.

I've had this parasitic drain pretty much since I got the car 14 years ago, and I've just learned to live with it. If I used the car more regularly I doubt I'd even be aware of it.

It's ok if I leave the car off the trickle charger for a week, but much longer than 10 days and I'll probably have trouble starting it. And of course it's not good to let lead acid batteries run down.

[ladymuck]

ICE in this context would be "in-car entertainment"

It's quite common for an old stereo to develop a cabling issue over time and generate a low level drain.