Airbag light after flat battery

[ErrErrminator]

My Zed has been off the road since November. I had neglected to hook it up to my solar charger for the last six weeks or so and on trying to start it this afternoon I found the battery to be completely flat.

A quick charge and she’s up and running again, but two things have occurred. Firstly the red airbag light has come on and secondly the steering is making a loud creaking noise.

I guess the steering noise could be just lack of use and hopefully it’ll stop once I have covered a few miles. The airbag light is an annoyance, but I’m hoping it is just one of those numerous glitches which seem to crop up when the battery has run low or flat.

Any thoughts? Also is it likely to clear itself after a few cycles if no fault is present and the battery back up to full charge, or will it need a read and reset (with kit that I don’t currently have)?

 

[markplant]

Does everything else work

 

[ErrErrminator]

Does everything else work

Yup, no other apparent problems.

I have had other warning lights come on in the past when the battery has got low, but they have always cleared after three or four fault free cycles.

 

[ph001]

I’m not saying it is guaranteed to sort your problems but your battery will be toast. Even 24hrs at below 11.0V will have badly sulphated the plates up. Even if it now charges and starts the car, it will have very little capacity and high impedance. Time for a new battery.

 

[ErrErrminator]

I’m not saying it is guaranteed to sort your problems but your battery will be toast. Even 24hrs at below 11.0V will have badly sulphated the plates up. Even if it now charges and starts the car, it will have very little capacity and high impedance. Time for a new battery.

That’s not good. Only bought the battery new last summer.

 

[Chris_D]

You could try and re-condition the battery with a CTEK.
They have been known to bring even the limpest of limp batteries back to rude health.

 

[ph001]

I’m not saying it is guaranteed to sort your problems but your battery will be toast. Even 24hrs at below 11.0V will have badly sulphated the plates up. Even if it now charges and starts the car, it will have very little capacity and high impedance. Time for a new battery.

That’s not good. Only bought the battery new last summer.

You could completely and irreversibly kill a brand new battery within 48hrs if you allow it to discharge below 11.0V. The reconditioning programs on things like the Ctek are worth a shot but can usually only recover quite minor sulphation (like maybe one that’s been left at 11.5V for just a few hours). I suspect yours will be much worse than that.

 

[ErrErrminator]

I’m not saying it is guaranteed to sort your problems but your battery will be toast. Even 24hrs at below 11.0V will have badly sulphated the plates up. Even if it now charges and starts the car, it will have very little capacity and high impedance. Time for a new battery.

That’s not good. Only bought the battery new last summer.

You could completely and irreversibly kill a brand new battery within 48hrs if you allow it to discharge below 11.0V. The reconditioning programs on things like the Ctek are worth a shot but can usually only recover quite minor sulphation (like maybe one that’s been left at 11.5V for just a few hours). I suspect yours will be much worse than that.

What makes it even more frustrating if it is indeed toast, is that I have a very good solar charger/conditioner rigged up in the garage. However, as the car was awaiting some work at the front end it was reversed into the garage and the cable wouldn’t reach the boot, so was left disconnected. That’ll teach me!!!

 

[ErrErrminator]

Any thoughts on the airbag light?

 

[colb]

May well be down to the low battery however put a code reader on the car and see what airbag faults show up. Make a note of any codes set then clear them, run the car then read the codes again and monitor the airbag fault light to see if it lights up. If it returns then investigate what the codes point to. May be down to the connections under the seats, have you moved the seats around lately that may have upset the connections?

 

[ErrErrminator]

In addition to the airbag light, another slightly odd occurrence is that the car seems now to be locking itself as I drive off. I understood this to be a function which could be coded in, but other than the battery discharging and being charged nothing has changed.

 

[Brads67]

Happens every time my battery goes flat. It goes out the second time I start the car

Not an issue and should disappear when the battery is charged.

 

[brillomaster]

if it makes you feel any better, my battery was completely flat for about a month last summer as a result of the alternator packing in. gave it a proper charge and touch wood, its been fine since - even with my usual usage profile of only starting the car once every 6 weeks or so. so i wouldn't be rushing out to buy a new battery just yet.

 

[ErrErrminator]

Happens every time my battery goes flat. It goes out the second time I start the car

Not an issue and should disappear when the battery is charged.

Hopefully the case with mine. I'll report back.

 

[ErrErrminator]

if it makes you feel any better, my battery was completely flat for about a month last summer as a result of the alternator packing in. gave it a proper charge and touch wood, its been fine since - even with my usual usage profile of only starting the car once every 6 weeks or so. so i wouldn't be rushing out to buy a new battery just yet.

My fingers are crossed.

 

[oldgitdave]

That’s not good. Only bought the battery new last summer.

You could completely and irreversibly kill a brand new battery within 48hrs if you allow it to discharge below 11.0V. The reconditioning programs on things like the Ctek are worth a shot but can usually only recover quite minor sulphation (like maybe one that’s been left at 11.5V for just a few hours). I suspect yours will be much worse than that.

What makes it even more frustrating if it is indeed toast, is that I have a very good solar charger/conditioner rigged up in the garage. However, as the car was awaiting some work at the front end it was reversed into the garage and the cable wouldn’t reach the boot, so was left disconnected. That’ll teach me!!!

Hi, did you not know there are jump start terminals under the bonnet :? . I use these to charge the battery whilst she's SORN'd.

 

[ErrErrminator]

Hi, did you not know there are jump start terminals under the bonnet :? . I use these to charge the battery whilst she's SORN'd.

I did know this (honest), but managed to completely forget when reversing into the garage. :erm: It usually always driven in and I am so used to hooking up the charger in the boot. Oh well. What will be will be. If the battery is knackered then I've learbed the hard way and hopefully will not forget next time!

 

[oldgitdave]

Funny isn't it! The times I've become so complacent about doing things one way & sometimes it just doesn't register that I could have done it another way . Oh well let's hope your battery survives, a cost you can do without I'm sure .

 

[ErrErrminator]

The battery seems to be doing ok but the airbag light hasn’t gone out. Going to have to find someone local to read the codes, or get myself a reader and have a go at DIY diagnosis.