Admittedly my LS doesn't get driven all that often as I don't have my licence but dad does take her out and often for decent length cruises. Lately we've found she needs a charge up every few days. I guess my question is... is this perfectly normal for a Lucas Alternator and battery setup when not used all the time? or should I be visiting old mate who works for battery world out at tempe?

not normal as far as im concerned. I drive elmo not that often, and his battery is always fine.

however if a battery is not holdiong its charge (as happens with old age) then maybe its time for a new one

OR you have a slow drain somewhere, i remember something dodgy happened with your radio a while back is it all good there

Sometimes crap settles in the bottom of the battery and shorts the plates out slowly. IS htere an alarm or clock or radio that runs constantly?

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Are all the cells still full of water?

No water = No charge

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Cheap, Fast, Reliable. Choose two.

New radios with memory and clocks are deadly for old cars like minis especially if the two power wires are the wrong way around. One is for the memory and draws very little power and the over is for the radio itself and draws lots of power even if the radio appears off.

Get a autoleccy to do a load test on the battery and then you know for sure if its battery of a leak.

currently no amp, no stereo attached. two extra gauges but one is electrical the other is mechanical. All the stereo wires are properly terminated.

Only thing left on all the time is my voltmetre but surely that would suck the life out of the battery that isn't that old maybe a year to 14 months.


edit:


looks like i'll have to go see old mate at battery world.....he'll at least be able to sus out whether its the battery or the car wiring system