Battery advice

[Lyle29464]

It's for a car but I believe this is a great place to get the info.

Mother-in-laws 2006 honda sets for 2 to 3 weeks at a time and the battery is not holding up. This will be the second new battery in 2 years. If it starts she will take it for a very good drive ( hour or more) and then return. But 2 weeks later when she can get to the car again it's too low to start. Money is not a problem. I would like to advise her on the best battery that might hold a charge. It does hold some charge so I do not believe she has a short. Just the normal items drawing. Would it help to pull the radio fuse? She does not use it. She is very old and could not manage a boaster etc. No plug in the under building parking lot. Dont think she could handle a charger etc. Just wonder what type of battery might make it and if the radio is part of the problem. Thanks Lyle PS she is 4000 miles from me or I would help out. ( Canada)

 

[jdlough]

Re: Battery advice

Sounds like a charging problem, not a battery problem. Have the alternator/charging system checked. Or battery/ground connections.

Even the crappiest Walmart battery will hold a charge longer than 2 weeks.

I can't imagine the radio drawing enough power to be an issue. With the key off, it only draws the tiniest bit to keep the clock running. About the same as a watch battery.

If they have a Sears up in Canada, I'd tell her to just get the biggest DieHard with the highest CCA they could fit in there.

I bet it's a charging or corroded/loose/crappy connection issue, though.


PS. 4000 miles away? Mine lives next door.

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: Battery advice

is the car parked level or on a hill. it has been know for the hood light to come on when parked on a hill draining the battery

 

[jdlough]

Re: Battery advice

is the car parked level or on a hill. it has been know for the hood light to come on when parked on a hill draining the battery

Yep, I saw on TV they have hills in Canada. That really could be it. Something is sneakily draining the battery (not the radio), the battery's not charging due to alternator/charging issues, or the connections are compromised. With a new battery withing two years, I doubt the battery's the problem.

 

[Brewman61]

Re: Battery advice

Have the thing tested. They can measure any current drain with the car shut off. They can also test the charging system to make sure there is not a problem with that.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Battery advice

Underhood lights, glove box lights, trunk lights, map lights, vanity visor lights, interior lights are all suspect. All of them can have defective switches and remain on without noticing. I periodically hit the map light button on my rear view mirror and during the day you cannot tell the light is on. But then my car has a monitor that turns off power if a drain above a certain amount happens when the key is off.

 

[bassman284]

Re: Battery advice

If you think she can handle pulling a fuse, have her pull the IOD (Ignition Off Draw) fuse when she parks it and put it back in to drive. 2 to 3 weeks of IOD could be enough to pull the battery below start level. Even with the subsequent hour long drive doing this repeatedly over time will shorten battery life. IOD location will be shown in the owners manual and is usually fairly accessible.

All new cars are shipped with the IOD fuse removed to prevent battery discharge and are supposed to be installed by the dealer at sale. Fairly frequent warranty issue when they forget. Vehicle will start and run, but radio, interior lights, remote door locks among other things won't work. There is more than just radio preset drawing power on these things.

 

[Dr_Gonzo]

Re: Battery advice

Something is discharging the battery. A very easy way to tell is pull the negative cable off. Then make sure nothing is drawing power. Doors shut, glove box closed, and if there's a light on with the hood open someone needs to push the switch closed. With everything off using a test light, clamp the alligator to the negative cable and touch the probe to the negative terminal. If the light comes on, something is drawing power. Hope this helps.

 

[Dr_Gonzo]

Re: Battery advice

Crap, just reread and saw she's 4000 miles away. Maybe a neighbor could help out?

 

[rbh]

Re: Battery advice

YUP, parasitic draw.
Low use plus radio, alarm ETC will draw down a battery after awhile and sulfide up the plates.
Call her every Sunday and get her to start the car up and run it for 10-15 minutes or so.

 

[generator12]

Re: Battery advice

If it were mine, I would take two pieces of advice from the posts above.

First, I would check the charging system. She should take it to a reliable place (service center, reputable auto parts store, etc.) and let them do a running check on it - loaded and unloaded. If this proves normal (I suspect it won't), then the test for a parasitic draw when the car is shut down. Same people can do this.

The problem should be uncovered through these methods. You don't need an oversized battery. Any stock battery in operating condition will hold a charge for significantly longer than two weeks, even with the normal draw from radio clock/presets, anti-theft system, etc.

The problem is with the vehicle.

 

[CharlieB]

Re: Battery advice

If no one nearby can figure it out to fix it correctly, consider having someone install a battery shut off switch.

She simply turns it on when she wants, and off when she is finished.

Here are two possibilities, watch out, some can get ridiculous expensive.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-G1432/

http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-battery-cutoff-switch-66789.html