Hey guys,

I pulled apart the dash of my magna (1996 exec) for the first time last week :D
I am pretty sure I put it all back in the right place. But this morning I woke up and my battery is flat :(
I haven't touched it in 7 days. I'm just wondering could it be something I have done wrong (put a wire out of place) or is it something simple like left the door open (though i doubt it could run battery flat)

cheers
-Lclarke

If you had the interior light on it could definitely run the battery flat in a week! Not sure of the power draw of the dashlight, it would be very small but it is still a draw - if you battery wasn't in the best of shape or if it was one of those imported batteries, most of which are crap, then it could well have!

Have you checked the fluid level of the battery? even those 'sealed' batteries need water eventually, as they aren't really sealed. Instead of having screw tops they just have a plate on top which can be hard to get off. Fill the battery only to the bottom of the plastic shute on the side, and only fill with destilled/demineralised water. The principle behind the sealed batteries is by the time the battery runs dry its probably been 2 yearts or so and a good time to buy a new battery... A good battery will last up to 5 years. If you do decide to buy a new battery its well worth shopping around, the same battery can vary significantly in price, and there are some crap batteries which are actually quite expensive. Here in SA the RAA batteries are very dear, are imported, and only as good as a battery half their price.

The reason why I suggested check the fluid levels is if you jump start the car, and the cells are dry/near dry, its just going to not start again the next time you turn it off. Worse still, it may even conk out whilst driving!

A boot light staying on will flatten an older battery overnight . . . enough for a "no start" situation. Same for brake lights that stay on because the brake pedal switch is kaktus. An old battery can be "dead" for no reason if not used for a week.

Normally batteries use very little water. Replaced a 6 year old battery last week, never been topped up, was still above minimum level, but wouldn't start the car after leaving headlights on for 5 minutes (to test its capacity). I always buy batteries from the cheapest place possible, which is "Parts boys" in Elizabeth, north of Adelaide. Magna battery = $50 (1 year warranty, usually fade away after 3 to 4 years), the last I bought was $85 but that was a midget battery rated at 330 CCA for the wife's 2004 Lancer, 2 year warranty. I wouldn't buy a RAA battery from a mobile van, even if I was a member, way overpriced, easier/cheaper to buy a spare battery locally and put it on a charger once a month to keep it fresh.

I'd personally only buy a Century or Exide battery, not only because they are made in Australia, but the cheaper ones just aren't reliable. Quality now isn't as good as it was even 5 years ago, with more cheap brands coming through etc., the newer cheap batteries would be lucky to last 4 years! If you take your car along corrugated roads that can literally destroy those imported batteries which aren't designed for rough roads. At least with a Century or Exide battery its guaranteed to be a quality battery, I usually go to Motormate when I need car parts, and you can sign up for another 5 percent when you present the free membership card.

Are exide still made in australia? I know century are still made in australia!

I think 3-4 years is quite reasonable for a low cost, low tech lead-acid battery. My record is 9 years on a 12V VW battery, under the rear seat seems to be a good place to keep a battery lol