A friend of mine has a 2002 Honda Accord coupe w/V6. She replaced the battery with a new one from Honda in Sept 2011. She doesn't drive the car regularly since she also has a company car. Anyway, the battery discharges to around 0.3v after sitting for a few weeks. I jumped the car today to get it started and the alternator puts out around 13.7 -13.9v. She doesn't have any aftermarket accessories that could be draining power when it sits. Anything else to check before going back to the dealer to check out the battery?
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Charging system q uestion for the car guys
- Thread starter joslar15
- Start date
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Not sure why you posted in this section.
But i had this issue w/ a old alarm/auto start on my F250 7.3
Once i hit the autostart, if the 7.3 failed to fire up, even though it never tried to start it again, it wouldnt fully kill the power to the accessories, it was simply wired wrong by the original installer when i bought the truck used off the lot, even though the dome light shutoff, i never thought about it, but it would drain the battery in a matter of hours as one battery was toast anyways.
So there is an example, may not help you, but i would look in that direction or her addon accessories, if she did any, as well as shorts in the system.
But i had this issue w/ a old alarm/auto start on my F250 7.3
Once i hit the autostart, if the 7.3 failed to fire up, even though it never tried to start it again, it wouldnt fully kill the power to the accessories, it was simply wired wrong by the original installer when i bought the truck used off the lot, even though the dome light shutoff, i never thought about it, but it would drain the battery in a matter of hours as one battery was toast anyways.
So there is an example, may not help you, but i would look in that direction or her addon accessories, if she did any, as well as shorts in the system.
Any car that sets for a period will run down the battery. The clocks, radio memory, ECU system are a constant drain on the battery. Old school cars did not have these devices so they could set for a while.
Before my dad passed he had an 02 Chevy custom van that after mom passed he just did not drive. I told him to start it at least once a week to get some heat in the systems but he was so tight he looked at this as a waste of gas. It sat for a while as I stopped turning it over and the battery went totally flat. Warranty replacement and again, sat. Battery failed again and he was blaming the battery's. Sears asked how often he drove it and he said never really. They did not warrant anymore battery's after that.
You have got to start them occasionally.
Before my dad passed he had an 02 Chevy custom van that after mom passed he just did not drive. I told him to start it at least once a week to get some heat in the systems but he was so tight he looked at this as a waste of gas. It sat for a while as I stopped turning it over and the battery went totally flat. Warranty replacement and again, sat. Battery failed again and he was blaming the battery's. Sears asked how often he drove it and he said never really. They did not warrant anymore battery's after that.
You have got to start them occasionally.
This.
Drive it every few days if you can. Even brand-new cars will go dead after a few days parked. (I'm an auto mechanic at a new-car dealer...ask me how I know!)
If you cannot drive it every few days purchase and use a battery tender:
Amazon.com: battery tender
The good news is there is not likely any real problem with the car!
-Paul
It would be interesting to see how fast it's losing its charge. I'm no expert but if you check the voltage daily for a week, it should remain right at 12v +/- unless something's draining it or the battery is bad. Most of the time I've had batteries going bad, they either just completely fail to start one day or over night, they'll lose several volts of charge.
Sorry! Was browsing here earlier, came back and thought I was back in break room. Feel free to move.
It has mostly been covered I will only add one thing .
some car owners will leave the key in the ignition if the car is kept in a locked garage,this will "wake up" certain modules and cause the battery to discharge even faster.
We had a dentist do this with a suburban a few years back and it would be dead in 2 weeks, after he learned to take the key out the problem was solved.
some car owners will leave the key in the ignition if the car is kept in a locked garage,this will "wake up" certain modules and cause the battery to discharge even faster.
We had a dentist do this with a suburban a few years back and it would be dead in 2 weeks, after he learned to take the key out the problem was solved.
Interesting. I'd never heard of that before but it does make sense.
A car new or oldshould holdenough charge for at least a month. You have a parasitic drain possibly so check glove box light, hood lightetc.
do not discount the battery being bad as well, it is 2 years old. See if te battery has removeable tops and add distilled water if low to cells. Drive long enoughto fully carge battery or better yet fully charge the battery by a charger or long term trickle charger.check the battery terminals for good contact!!! And no corrosion!!!
when charged, pull off battery neg cable when stored, if after sitting you reattach and it starts you have a parasitic draw.
From forums....
How to Find a Parasitic Battery Drain
When your car battery goes dead overnight, usually either the battery is at the end of its life span, or you left something on, such as a light. Occasionally something is drawing power that’s not of your doing. This is a parasitic draw, and it can cause the same result as leaving the headlights on: a dead battery in the morning.
Steps [edit]Remove the negative side battery cable from the negative battery terminal.
Attach a 12-volt test light between the negative cable and the negative battery post. wait a few seconds to several minutes for the car to go into sleep mode. i.e. when you make the contact with the test light the cars computer systems "wake up" after a bit of time they will go to "sleep".
If the test light is burning brightly, something is using too much battery power.
Go to the fuse panel(s) and remove fuses, one at a time. Pull the main fuses (higher amp ratings)last.
Watch for the 12V test light to go out. The fuse that shuts off the light is the draw. Consult the owners' manual or service manual to find what circuits are on that fuse.
Check each device (circuit) on that fuse. Stop each lamp, heater, etc. to find the drain.
Repeat steps 1&2 to test your repair. The test lamp should be dark or very dim when battery draw is acceptable.
Tips [edit]A parasitic drain is when an electrical device is using battery power when the car is closed, and the ignition key removed. Therefore, when doing this test make sure that the dome light, under hood light, trunk light, etc. are off.
Warnings [edit]Don't forget to check inside cigarette lighter and power sockets. Sometimes coins can fall in and cause shorts.
Some after-market alarm systems may make this test too long or loud to be worth the effort. If that's the case, seek professional help.
Be careful working around the battery in a car.
Things You'll Need [edit]A 12-volt test light.
A fuse puller.
Any tools needed to access battery and fuse panel(s).
An owners' manual or maintenance manual showing electrical circuits.
thats my 2 cents
do not discount the battery being bad as well, it is 2 years old. See if te battery has removeable tops and add distilled water if low to cells. Drive long enoughto fully carge battery or better yet fully charge the battery by a charger or long term trickle charger.check the battery terminals for good contact!!! And no corrosion!!!
when charged, pull off battery neg cable when stored, if after sitting you reattach and it starts you have a parasitic draw.
From forums....
How to Find a Parasitic Battery Drain
When your car battery goes dead overnight, usually either the battery is at the end of its life span, or you left something on, such as a light. Occasionally something is drawing power that’s not of your doing. This is a parasitic draw, and it can cause the same result as leaving the headlights on: a dead battery in the morning.
Steps [edit]Remove the negative side battery cable from the negative battery terminal.
Attach a 12-volt test light between the negative cable and the negative battery post. wait a few seconds to several minutes for the car to go into sleep mode. i.e. when you make the contact with the test light the cars computer systems "wake up" after a bit of time they will go to "sleep".
If the test light is burning brightly, something is using too much battery power.
Go to the fuse panel(s) and remove fuses, one at a time. Pull the main fuses (higher amp ratings)last.
Watch for the 12V test light to go out. The fuse that shuts off the light is the draw. Consult the owners' manual or service manual to find what circuits are on that fuse.
Check each device (circuit) on that fuse. Stop each lamp, heater, etc. to find the drain.
Repeat steps 1&2 to test your repair. The test lamp should be dark or very dim when battery draw is acceptable.
Tips [edit]A parasitic drain is when an electrical device is using battery power when the car is closed, and the ignition key removed. Therefore, when doing this test make sure that the dome light, under hood light, trunk light, etc. are off.
Warnings [edit]Don't forget to check inside cigarette lighter and power sockets. Sometimes coins can fall in and cause shorts.
Some after-market alarm systems may make this test too long or loud to be worth the effort. If that's the case, seek professional help.
Be careful working around the battery in a car.
Things You'll Need [edit]A 12-volt test light.
A fuse puller.
Any tools needed to access battery and fuse panel(s).
An owners' manual or maintenance manual showing electrical circuits.
thats my 2 cents
Can you check the voltage daily? If so, do it. If it's dropping below more than a few tenths a day, id recommend searching for a problem. If it dies within a week or two, there's an issue. Mine can sit for a couple of months and not die.
In thinking back....my wifes Yukon had a make-up mirror on the passenger side visor that had lights in it. When you would flip open the cover it would light up. If you did not close the little cover and the truck sat for a week it would be dead. A real challenge to find as she drove it daily. Left on vacation with the truck in the long term at the airport and DOA when we returned 8 days later. Jumped, drove home. Next morning it fired up and ran solid until it sat again. These things can be hair pullers.
Good ideas in the thread.
How long does it sit on average. If less than 2 weeks it has an issue.
Good ideas in the thread.
How long does it sit on average. If less than 2 weeks it has an issue.
saleen4971
Sharpshooter
how long does it sit between startups? any car with a computer draws power. after 3 months (with a tiny battery like hondas have) it coudl die.
the low charging voltage is most likely due to the battery being dead. have the battery laod tested, and alternator output tested (although i highly doubt its bad) - if it sits for more than a week regularly, get a trickle charger. most likely there is nothing wrong.
if you need to jump it after a week (with a good battery) then there is a draw, at which point it takes a little bit to figure out where its ocming from.
btw - a battery that is dead to the point of jumping is damaged. every time you kill a lead-acid batteyr, its is damaged. and the longer it sits, the more damage is done
the low charging voltage is most likely due to the battery being dead. have the battery laod tested, and alternator output tested (although i highly doubt its bad) - if it sits for more than a week regularly, get a trickle charger. most likely there is nothing wrong.
if you need to jump it after a week (with a good battery) then there is a draw, at which point it takes a little bit to figure out where its ocming from.
btw - a battery that is dead to the point of jumping is damaged. every time you kill a lead-acid batteyr, its is damaged. and the longer it sits, the more damage is done
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