Battery Drain While Car Not in Use
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,705
Likes: 30
From: Chesapeake Beach Maryland
2015 C5 of Year Finalist
Battery Drain While Car Not in Use
After we bought my wife a new Xterra last October, I stopped driving the Vette on a daily basis. It may sit all week or sometimes two between trips or jaunts. It has been sitting for about four weeks now while I'm waiting on my new seats. My question has to do with the battery. I have had to charge it up several times over the past six months, wheras when I was driving it every day I never had a problem.
I'm using a Champion battery I bought at Sam's Club about a 1.5 years ago.
Do you guys think this is normal from not driving the car? Is the battery shot? If the car is putting a drain on the battery while sitting, how do I find the source? or if this is normal do you recomend a battery tender?
Any help appreciated
:confused:
I'm using a Champion battery I bought at Sam's Club about a 1.5 years ago.
Do you guys think this is normal from not driving the car? Is the battery shot? If the car is putting a drain on the battery while sitting, how do I find the source? or if this is normal do you recomend a battery tender?
Any help appreciated
:confused:
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,488
Likes: 4
From: Frostburg MD
Re: Battery Drain While Car Not in Use (biggrizzly)
I have a Battery Tender on mine, without it the battery is too weak to start the car within 2 weeks. Have a battery disconnect for winter storage.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 474
Likes: 0
From: Land Of Lincoln
Re: Battery Drain While Car Not in Use (biggrizzly)
When the car sits for a period it will drain the battery, disconnect the negative side especially in storage.
Looking at the battery there 4 years ago I bought that battery at Sam's club for my van. Last September it went out. I mean dead. I took it back to Sam's and they checked it and told me that they have had a lot of problems with it. They exchanged it and I paid about 20 something for a new one of a different brand and a full warranty on that one. The one by us doesn't carry Champion anymore.
Looking at the battery there 4 years ago I bought that battery at Sam's club for my van. Last September it went out. I mean dead. I took it back to Sam's and they checked it and told me that they have had a lot of problems with it. They exchanged it and I paid about 20 something for a new one of a different brand and a full warranty on that one. The one by us doesn't carry Champion anymore.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 7,836
Likes: 1
From: Global Warming My Butt
Re: Battery Drain While Car Not in Use (DarkRed95)
You can also look for little silly things in the car like bulbs left on and switches not turning things off.
This winter, I had a tender on my car, and noticed the trickle light was coming on more than usual...one of the times I was sitting in the car running it because I missed it...noticed the lighted passenger side vanity mirror was on! Real easy one to miss...and it does drain the battery.
Same goes for the lights under the hood...with battery in...look around the car in the dark to see if you see anything "glowing"...you may just have an "oops" going on...
This winter, I had a tender on my car, and noticed the trickle light was coming on more than usual...one of the times I was sitting in the car running it because I missed it...noticed the lighted passenger side vanity mirror was on! Real easy one to miss...and it does drain the battery.
Same goes for the lights under the hood...with battery in...look around the car in the dark to see if you see anything "glowing"...you may just have an "oops" going on...
