Battery Problem
08-29-2003, 08:38 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Battery Problem
My Battery wont hold its charge, no matter how much I charge it or run it on the street it wont stay charged. I have to charge it everythime that I have to start up the car... any suggestions?
08-29-2003, 09:10 AM
#3
Thread Starter
I have a new optima battery thats why i'm here asking.. It doesnt make sense for a brand new battery not to work, and I have 2 of them. Soi'm trying to see if anyone has any suggestions on any wires that could be loose or something of that sort... maybe a fuse??
08-29-2003, 09:29 AM
#4
Community Organizer
Check if your alternator is charging the battery. If not then you need to see if it went bad or if a wire is loose/broke along the way.
If it is good then you need to see if there is a light/motor/radio that doesn't turn off when you take the key out that is draining the battery.
If it is good then you need to see if there is a light/motor/radio that doesn't turn off when you take the key out that is draining the battery.
08-29-2003, 09:32 AM
#5
Maybe something is draining the battery overnight. Are there any stereo parts or other custom electronics added to the car that are being powered continuously? Turn everything off and measure the current being drawn from the battery. I would expect 25-75mA tops for the radio memory, ecu, keyless entry/alarm when everything is turned off.
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08-29-2003, 10:52 PM
#8
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Good advice from above. Here's mine. To avoid being taken advantage of by unscrupulous types, go buy yourself a cheap tester that has a 12v scale. You can get them from a hardware store, auto parts store, or Wal Mart. First, set the scale to 12v...doh! Then put the probes on each post of the battery with the engine not running and ignition off. It should read real close to 12 volts...a little above or below is fine. Next, with a cold engine, start the engine. With a cold engine, the idle will be high so this is just what you want. Check the volatage again. It should be above 14 volts now...preferably at least 14.5 volts. If you get this reading, your alternator and voltage regulator are doing their jobs and you can either suspec the battery or a drain from a faulty soruce as mentioned from other posters. You can also go to an auto parts store such as Auto Zone and have them check your electrical system with their analyzer...free of charge. Personally, I like to arm myself with as much information about my car as I can before I involve anyone else....ESPECIALLY the dealership.
08-30-2003, 09:58 PM
#9
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When you say it doesn't hold a charge, I'm assuming you're trying to start your car and it doesn't turn over, or are you measuring it with a voltmeter. I have an Optima battery in my Jeep and it always reads low, as low a 9 VDC if it sits around for a while. But that is still enough for that battery to start the engine.
08-30-2003, 10:40 PM
#10
Are you certain that you got the correct "type" of battery for your application?
If you go to the Optima website, you'll see they have two types - one that is meant for repeated starting of things like cars, etc. and one that is "deep cycle" and not really meant for regular cranking.
Here's a site you can check some things out:
http://www.1st-optima-batteries.com/
If you go to the Optima website, you'll see they have two types - one that is meant for repeated starting of things like cars, etc. and one that is "deep cycle" and not really meant for regular cranking.
Here's a site you can check some things out:
http://www.1st-optima-batteries.com/