More Battery Related Questions

[Doug&Julie]

Had a 40k mile service done a couple of weeks ago, including a new battery (overdue for replacement). I've only driven it once since then (for an average errand...i.e. not a long drive). Got in the car to run another this morning and the car wouldn't start..."dead" battery.

I kept the old battery on a Porsche battery maintainer (plugs into the cig lighter)...I'm guessing I should be doing the same, even with the new battery? Do these cars really drain batteries that fast? ..does this sound normal?

If I keep it on the maintainer, should I have any worries if I then take it on an overnight trip to, say...the coast (about an hour away)?

This not driving much is very new to me. I work from home, so I simply don't need to get out and drive very frequently, so I'm guessing this is just going to be the norm?

Thanks..

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Doug&Julie

Had a 40k mile service done a couple of weeks ago, including a new battery (overdue for replacement). I've only driven it once since then (for an average errand...i.e. not a long drive). Got in the car to run another this morning and the car wouldn't start..."dead" battery.

I kept the old battery on a Porsche battery maintainer (plugs into the cig lighter)...I'm guessing I should be doing the same, even with the new battery? Do these cars really drain batteries that fast? ..does this sound normal?

If I keep it on the maintainer, should I have any worries if I then take it on an overnight trip to, say...the coast (about an hour away)?

This not driving much is very new to me. I work from home, so I simply don't need to get out and drive very frequently, so I'm guessing this is just going to be the norm?

Thanks..

Because of the constant parasitic drains on the electrical system, these cars can kill a brand new battery in anywhere from a couple of weeks to a few days. The only way to prevent this from happening is to either use a quality maintainer, or disconnect the battery with all the associated problems that incurs.

[Doug&Julie]

So have I truly killed this brand new battery already or should it be good as long as I keep it maintained?

Thanks.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by Doug&Julie

So have I truly killed this brand new battery already or should it be good as long as I keep it maintained?

Thanks.

Conventional flooded cell batteries do not take well to being completely discharged, and usually do not recover.

[Doug&Julie]

To be fair, it wasn't completely discharged...I got lights and windows could roll up and down.

Still...

[mikefocke]

A new battery can be bad.

How about tasting the battery under these conditions:
1. When someone else is in the car and pushing the gas pedal to 3k RPM.
2. When the car has just been shut down after the above.
3. 24 hours later

The first gives an idea if the alternator and voltage regulator are working correctly, the second two if there is some drain happening and how severe.

Simple voltage meter tests. Red probe to positive.

[Doug&Julie]

It seems to have recovered okay. I've been driving it occasionally, keeping it plugged in when not. But I'm not having any other signs of battery drainage. So far...

[pdxfj]

Hey Doug,

Could have mentioned this if you ever showed up to B&B...

Are you locking the car when you park it? I noticed in my Cayman that leaving it unlocked and parking it for a while (5-7 days) it will be noticeably slower than normal to crank (sometimes really slow). I read somewhere that locking the car using the fob will put it into low power mode after a certain amount of time.

So I started locking the car even though it's parked in the garage and haven't had any slow cranking issues since.

A PO of my car installed an Autozone AGM battery. I became a believer in AGM's after installing one in my motorcycle and it lasted over 8 years.

[Doug&Julie]

Originally Posted by pdxfj

Hey Doug,

Could have mentioned this if you ever showed up to B&B...

Are you locking the car when you park it? I noticed in my Cayman that leaving it unlocked and parking it for a while (5-7 days) it will be noticeably slower than normal to crank (sometimes really slow). I read somewhere that locking the car using the fob will put it into low power mode after a certain amount of time.

I've heard this as well. I may start doing this, but the battery maintainer is working just fine and my new battery hasn't shown any more issues since then. I drive it so rarely (sadly), I feel more confident keeping it on the maintainer than not. But if I start driving more frequently, I'll lock it up to help with the battery and worry less about keeping on the maintainer.

I'll try to make next month's B&B! Random Doug Trivia...it'll be a day after my 49th birthday. Sheesh I'm old....