anrw Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 I have a current production Sevel (Peugeot branded Autocruise Pace). When storing for long periods I aim to disconnect the vehicle battery as the alarm draw down destroys the battery charge after about 3 weeks. Unfortunately there is no manual lock to any door except the drivers (which in turn operates the central locking) so it is impossible to lock the van after disconnecting the battery. Any ideas how I can disconnect the battery AND leave the van locked? Regards Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliB Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 I usual lock the cab doors with the keyfob, disconnect the battery and exit through the habitation door which has a manual lock. Or try leaving the driver's door open, lock with the key fob, disconnect the battery, exit through the still open driver's door, then close the drivers door and it should be locked. Re-entry is easy, just use the key inserted into the driver's door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anrw Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 Many thanks AliB but unfortunately my van has no manual locks on the habitation doors (neither rear nor side) nor can I lock with the fob when the driver's door is open - it beeps but does not throw the locks! Any other ideas anybody ANRW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliB Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 I'll have to test this method at the weekend when I go collect the van from storage. Lock doors from inside, disconnect battery, open driver's door, close driver's door and lock from the outside with the key. The theory is based on the fact the central locking will not activate once the battery is disconnected so entry/exit through the driver's door should be possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogP Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Having just had my vehicle battery go south on me you can manually lock and unlock the drivers door even without battery power using the actual key. On that note you would have to lock the passenger and habitation doors from inside before exiting via the drivers door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anrw Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 AliB - thanks again. Why aren't I as bright as you? I reckon your plan will work (ie: lock with the fob or central lock button while staying inside, then disconnect the battery, then manually open the drivers door from the inside then lock it with a key) - brilliant I'm going back now to the storage and I'll check it. Many thanks. I spent ages there this morning trying what I thought were all the permutations! One more related question - do you or anyone else have a view on whether any electronic configurations are lost if a battery is disconnected for a few weeks (eg: central locking control, radio settings, alarm set up etc.)? Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliB Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Nigel, let us know how you get on. If there is no reply we will assume you are locked in your van and we will send a Red Cross parcel. I have not experienced any problems disconnecting the battery on a Fiat based vehicle. Some people say that on a Ford based vehicle the engine management system is unhappy for the first few miles but not having a Ford I am not qualified to comment. As regards radio and alarms, that depends on the make and type. Our radio does not need a code to reset it after a power down. Anyway this is a simple operation and presumably you will not power down on numerous occasions. Alarms may need more consideration, if Trackers are fitted you may have to inform the monitoring company. Not too experienced on all type of alarms so someone else may chip in here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anrw Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 AliB, No luck I'm afraid - I didn't get locked in but having disconnected the battery as soon as I opened the drivers door the alarm went off powered by it's own reserve battery. I gave it 5 minutes but no sign of it giving up! I'm back to square one. I can't believe that this is a new problem that no one else has encountered? Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Not directly connected, but if you have insured the van on the basis it has an alarm, check if it is fully insured by the storage site's insurance. If you do as you propose and the van is vandalised or stolen with the alarm disabled, you could have BIG insurance problems. As an alternative, could a small solar panel reinstate what the alarm takes out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Fit a 80 watt + solar panel and regulator and a bridging fuse or battery master and leave the battery connected. c. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 As the locking mechanism takes very little current, could you run a fly lead from the battery connections (Fused of course) to the taken out battery. Connect the removed battery to the fly lead, lock the doors. Remove connection and tidy up the lead and hide / leave dangling . Walk off with battery reverse procedure to open doors. Just a thought Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 Nigel, This question has been asked recently (maybe in the last 2 or 3 months) so try using the search facility. The answer is that there is a hole in the door edge above the lock that you insert the key in and hook a mechanism. Whoever posted the original reply attached photos of how to do it so it's worth searching. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philjp Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 This appeared on this forum 2008 If you have disconnected your cab battery for any reason this is how to lock the passenger • Open the passenger cab door and locate the access hole, directly above the latch mechanism: • Using the ignition key, insert the metal key length into the hole, at a downwards angle. Within the access hole (not visible) is a small plastic hook, and the objective is to slot the key underneath the hook. • Using the key, lift the plastic hook within the access hole to an upward position. A small “click” will be felt. • Close the passenger the door, as normal. The door should then be locked, and can only be opened for the inside, using the interior handle. Useful if charging battery and have it disconnected Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosbotham Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 All of which is fine, but doesn't address the root issue that if your vehicle battery's going flat after 3 weeks, something's wrong. I can leave mine for (at least) 6 weeks and still start the engine in sub-zero temperatures. Peugeot 2.2 X250, but no reason why the drain should be any different. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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