Flat Battery consequences

  1. My model of MX-5 is: __NC3 2.0
  2. I’m based near: __ Newcastle
  3. I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: __ Battery recovery

My car is usually off the road (on SORN) over the winter during which time it is plugged into a C-TEK battery conditioner. This year I couldn’t get it ready for MoT until early May following which it stayed ready to use and not plugged into the C-TEK. Now for the juicy bit: on 21 May I took my bike out to cycle to the coast and that is the last thing I remember until I woke up in ITU in a nearby hospital in early August suffering from a fractured skull, deafness in one ear, four broken ribs, three fractures in a shoulder, multiple lacerations, bleeding ulcers, kidney damage, recurrent infections and heart complications. A tracheostomy was needed to help me breathe. When aspiration pneumonia followed, I was fed through a tube into my stomach. It seems I had been comprehensively knocked off my bike while crossing a main road near home.

Finally sent home for intensive physio to recover more comprehensively I didn’t think of my lonely car until last week and an utterly flat battery which today gas achieved and impressive 13.6v thanks to its loving C-TEK

So now my question is, what surprises may the earlier running flat now produce? Might this be equivalent to removing the battery such as radio codes and confused computers?

All thoughts gratefully received

Bloody Hell HareLaw, you’ve certainly been through it! Sounds like you need some MX-5 therapy!

If your battery is totally flat it may now have a limited life, be prepared to change it. (Now that you’ve charged it, disconnect one side and leave it over night and then take a volt reading.)Yes it is likely that you will need the radio code but only if the radio has been coded in the first place. From memory it’s up to the owner to code the system so that may have not been done.

You may have to reset the steering parameters, just turn the steering from lock to lock, if you can drive the car slowly or put a piece of mat or cardboard under the front tyres when doing this, it will avoid tearing at the tyre rubber.

You may also have to let the tick over find its self, this can be done by driving it or let the engine run. Either seems to work.

Mean while I wish you all the Be5t with your recovery. :+1: Richard.

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Crikey, thats some accident consequences! Glad to read you are improving. Here’s to you driving your MX-5 again soon.

Get well soon.

If you do need a new battery then tayna.co.uk are great on price and service.

Sorry I can’t help with a technical answer to your question, glad to hear you are on the mend and wishing you a full and speedy recovery :folded_hands: :crossed_fingers:

Thank you all for you kind remarks and suggestions - I’m not expecting to be fit (allowed) to drive until the New Year so I am enjoying dreaming of new adventures

Sorry to hear of your accident, hope you make a full recovery and are able to enjoy your car again.

I think your car battery will recover too, it’s the cold weather that depletes them never to really fully recover. Keep it on the Ctex going into winter and it should be ok.