[rojo]

I had my i30 serviced on 13Th July for its second year service, I have since had a flat battery on two occasions. The only thing that was done other than  the service was to setup/actuate the halo automatic locking system, might this be causing the flat batteries?

[asathorny]

Hi Roy.

This only happened to me once, and I have to give credit where it's due the dealership came to the rescue, after some deliberation.  Not to mention help and guidance from the good folks here.  It transpired that I hadn't shut the tail gate properly <blush>.

Clearly that knowledge is of little, or no use to you but I wanted to get it off my chest  ..

When you park up just check the binnacle to be sure nothing is left on to drain the battery.

Good luck...

[AlanHo]

Just to make asa feel better and me feel worse - you will find that i posted here a few months ago a flat battery (twice) because the rear hatch was not closing fully and I had to screw in the rubber adjusters to cure it.

I am now paranoid when I lock the car to make sure the indicators flash to indicate it is locked. If the tailgate or any door is not fully closed the indicators do not flash.

[rojo]

Thanks folks I will check the doors indicator and flashing lights on locking.

[eye30]

Wonder if they had the battery off or some earthing point had been loosened or the battery had been discharged whilst at the garage i.e. door/hatch left open and requires fully charging

May be worth checking connections are tight.

[Dazzler]

Modern Batteries can often not be fully re-charged by the alternator (once they have gone flat) so I would suggest you recharge it if you have a suitable charger or get it recharged somewhere (after you have checked all possible causes)

[Phil №❶]

I always check through the rear window when closing the hatch & look at the instrument cluster. If it still blue, there's a door open somewhere. 

[Doggie 1]

Geez, you lot are paranoid  (as he goes out to check if the hatch is properly closed... )

[Phil №❶]

OCD 

[Doggie 1]

OCD 

Old Codgers Disease 

(or obsessive compulsive disorder)

[rojo]

I have now taken the bulb out of the boot light and will see if this cures it.

[eye30]

Check the light in the glove box.

I've found that on my new i30 the on/off switch is behind the back panel and it may not be seated correctly and go off when you close the glove box.

[asathorny]

I have now taken the bulb out of the boot light and will see if this cures it.

Oh cripes Roy, you'll driving round with no internal lights at this rate....   Still the dark nights are coming on apace so more chance of noticing a lamp light flickering away when ya park the car up.

I have to confess though that like Alan I am totally paranoid about coming to the car on a WORK morning and the damned thing won't start, I mean, being self employed and all.   Fingers crossed we're good to go for now.

I must say tho that I don't find the light in the tailgate space to be of much use to be honest...   

[Talking Hoarse]

If you have a multi metre (multimeter?) you can check the charge of the battery - I reckon that it should be 12.4 volts or more without engine running (feel free to correct me if I am a bit wrong).
I have had doubts of my own car battery - when my i30 was 6 months old I flattened the battery whilst using a low wattage radio (akin to a taxi radio set) whilst marshalling at a car rally for most of the day.  I have never suffered this before even with very much older batteries.  What concerned me most, however, was that with a selection of healthy car batteries & jump leads I was unable to start the car (it still would not turn over fast enough).  It took a breakdown crew's starter pack to get the car going. 
Of course the dealer could not fault the battery.  And touch wood - the battery has been OK since then - but lets face it cars start so easily these days that car batteries have to produce a sharp burst of current to get the car started and then have little to do thereafter.
Ed