Will Caliban start on Monday morning?

[Rolfe]

Will Caliban start on Monday morning? Place your bets.

So here I am in a hotel car park and my friend went in to sort everything out. She paid for five nights in advance (she got a good discount) but we can't take the car out during that time. I'm on 20% battery and concerned that the 12v won't be topped up. While she was negotiating the deal I was thinking about taking Caliban to a nearby charger tomorrow just to be on the safe side, but now that's scuppered.

Do you think it's likely to last or should I make plans in case it doesn't? Any thoughts? I've got plenty to get me out and to a charger  if the car starts, but will it? I'm in a city, it's midweek, presumably I could find somewhere to buy a jump starter pack if I had to. But what are my chances?

 

[Seaton91]

I BELIEVE IN CALIBAN

 

[Wizard of Oz]

You can't take the car out?

What is it, the Hotel California?

 

[Rolfe]

The parking has been paid for five nights at a discount rate which apparently evaporates if the car is taken out. I suspect if I took it out tomorrow we'd lose four days parking.

There is a Halford's 20 minutes walk away...

 

[Lovemyev]

Buying a booster now is probably reactive, a better plan would have been proactive and have one already ?.
They are not stupid expensive, so having one is always a good idea.
It may sit in the car for months on end, but when that day comes, you're knackered without one.

 

[Rolfe]

Can I borrow your time machine?

 

[dsimpkins]

No need for a time machine.

Find the nearest Lidl, they have two different booster packs on sale from Sunday.
Ultimate Speed Portable Jump Starter with Power Bank
There is a more expensive model with an air compressor built in.

I carry something similar in my car. I've only ever used it on other people's cars.

 

[redwood98]

The parking has been paid for five nights at a discount rate which apparently evaporates if the car is taken out. I suspect if I took it out tomorrow we'd lose four days parking.

There is a Halford's 20 minutes walk away...

explain the situation to them, they should understand and if not maybe don't book with them again and run a granny cable and charge it off the hotels power. (maybe ignore that last part)

 

[Rolfe]

I've had another thought. What if I simply went and sat in the car for a bit? Wouldn't that let the 12v charge?

So that's two possible plans. Ignore the whole thing until Monday and if the car won't wake up then walk to Halford's and buy a jump starter battery. Or go and sit in the car for a bit, maybe a couple of times, to force the 12v to charge. I wonder how long I should sit for?

 

[ReintjeWA]

Sitting in the car and putting it in ready mode should definitely top up the 12V. Wasn’t there a thing about cars in (underground) parking garages draining the 12V trying to contact the SAIC servers? Not sure if that was ever proven beyond a doubt though.

I recently put a booster pack and 10mm spanner in the car, I don’t know if I’ll need them anytime soon but didn’t want to be telling people on here they should have that stuff without me having it myself.

 

[decrep]

Can you check battery voltage with the app?

 

[MG Clive]

I don't think there's anything to worry about Rolfe, I bet on Monday morning, the car is exactly the same as you left it last night, and you'll just get in it and drive off into the sunset (well, sunrise).

 

[decrep]

Of course the other alternative is do the 10mm spanner trick

 

[Rolfe]

Can you check battery voltage with the app?

It was 12.5v last night. I don't want to keep waking the car up though, in case that drains it.

It does seem daft that a 12v that as far as I know is perfectly healthy wouldn't survive five nights without being topped up. ICE car batteries survive a lot more.

If I did sit in the car in Ready mode, I wonder how long I should do it for?

 

[decrep]

If I did sit in the car in Ready mode, I wonder how long I should do it for?

That's where the app could tell you, 14.5v I think is the full charge target, while it's charging.

 

[Everest]

What makes you think there would be an issue with the 12V battery - surely EV's are left for weeks on end without being topped up (e.g. airport car park etc,.) - I'm sure I've gone over a week without driving mine at all.

 

[m4rmite]

Unsure if an mg5 pfl sr tops the 12v battery up when left, but I've left mine numerous times for 14-15 days at a time when on holiday.
I bought a booster pack just in case, the most action its seen is when the grandkids use the torch function as though their in a rave.

Oh and when I jumped a diesel van at work because it had a flat battery

 

[tsedge]

That's where the app could tell you, 14.5v I think is the full charge target, while it's charging.

The voltage is also displayed on the TPMS screen in the car IIRC. Anything over 13.5V means it is being charged.

 

[Edd Beesley]

I've had another thought. What if I simply went and sat in the car for a bit? Wouldn't that let the 12v charge?

So that's two possible plans. Ignore the whole thing until Monday and if the car won't wake up then walk to Halford's and buy a jump starter battery. Or go and sit in the car for a bit, maybe a couple of times, to force the 12v to charge. I wonder how long I should sit for?

This was my first thought, and i'd say 15 minutes would be enough to make a difference.

Also, I do very low miles in my MG, it's 18 months old and only covered 3k miles. it's often left for many days or sometimes over a week without being driven, and it starts fine every time.

 

[decrep]

What makes you think there would be an issue with the 12V battery - surely EV's are left for weeks on end without being topped up (e.g. airport car park etc,.) - I'm sure I've gone over a week without driving mine at all.

There is the feeling that being left in an underground car park, is a problem, apparently the car will try and contact MG, not being able too, it flattens the battery with repeated attempts.