Getting closer to finishing my radio install and decided to change the console bulbs with LED.

I kept the starter in the second position so the climate and heated seat buttons would light up. That way, I could see if the bulbs were in the correct direction while installing.

Of course I had the radio on as well to enjoy some tunes. Then my neighbor popped over and I talked to him for a bit. While talking, the radio suddenly turned off and the emergency flashers started. And DSC Fault came up on the dash. Glove box light still worked fine.

I immediately thought it was due to draining the battery too low. I opened the garage door and the car started just fine. Maybe a half second tug longer than normal. It ran fine for 20-30 minutes.

The switch pack for the DSC button wasn’t installed but plugged in. As far as I know it wasn’t engaged.

Total battery run time was probably an hour before this episode. It was fully charged on a trickle before I started.

I’ve had the CE light on for a while so I don’t know yet if there are new codes.

I’m hoping the forum can tell me I just drained the battery too low and all will be fine.

 

I would chase the check engine light as something is wrong. What is the resting voltage of your battery after the car has sat all night?
You might just need to replace the battery.
You did not say how old the battery is?
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Great questions, and I’ll work on them.

I acquired the car in November, so I’m unsure of the battery age. It’s on a trickle charger, but I’ll disconnect to see how low it drains in a typical evening.

I forgot to mention that the same thing happened a second time after I’d run the car for 20-30 minutes. I was still working on lighting and after about 45 more minutes of just the auxiliary on, the radio shut off and the hazards began blinking.

Has anyone else seen this series of actions from their car when they actively let the battery drain too low?

It feels like it’s a warning indicator of sorts. Like the car is saying, “hey, you’ve been running the battery for a while and it’s getting low, so we’re going to shut everything down and throw the hazards on, before it completely drains so you can start it and charge it back up”

 

These cars indeed do random strange things when the battery begins to fail or drops too low. My wife's 2006 XK8 has actually popped the trunk open a couple of times when the battery begins to fail....

There is a four-digit code on your battery, usually a sticker on the casing and sometimes embossed into the top of one of the terminals. The first two digits indicate the month, and the last two digits indicate the year. That will tell you exactly how old your battery is....

 

Continuing with this battery thing, as posted previouly I have had random messages popping up at random times such as dsc fault/abs related, check bulbs/no cruise control, and also inability to manually shift (along with the Sport Mode not working). In all cases these are gone the next time I start the car. Since the battery is 7 years old I suspect this is the issue and I have one of those nifty voltage indicators that plug into the cigarette lighter. When I turn the key on (but not to the start engine position) the voltage typically reads just below 12 (in the 11.7 to 11.8 range) and upon starting and driving it immediately kicks up to 14.4 or 14.5 which I assume is the alternator. I have managed to lessen the occurrence of messages somewhat by turning the key part way and waiting for the System Check message to disappear and then start the vehicle. I still can't figure out why a message will randomly pop up while finally driving but I am guessing that it still could be that the battery itself is still causing this.

Obviously it is time to replace the battery but was just wondering if my conclusions about why the messages are randomly thrown really just come down to the battery state.

 

A functioning 7-year old battery is a unicorn. Replace the battery, clear any fault codes, and don’t worry, be happy!

 

How long did you have the ignition in position 2 so that the dashboard lights were on? Obviously you don't need the ignition to be in that position just to keep the radio alive. I would not leave the ignition in position 2 for more than 5 minutes without a charger attached.

Richard

 

Yes, the car was in position 2 for about an hour. I needed the dash buttons lit up while I replaced the bulbs.

I knew I was pushing the limits of the battery, and it sounds like I may have pushed it too hard.

 

Good grief! An hour with the ignition and radio on and no charger connected. I'm a bit gobsmacked as I've never heard of anyone trying that before.

If the battery is 7 years old, I would replace it without a second thought. Even if it charges up again, I'm not sure that it could ever be trusted.

Richard

 

FYI, you can get the dash bulbs with the polarity marked on them. That eliminates the possibility of putting them in backwards, and no need to leave the key on…..

https://a.co/d/1iNDo20