Battery question
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,857
Likes: 0
From: Yakima WA
Battery question
I have an Optima Red Top battery that is less than a year old. Everytime I go away for a week or so, when I come back the battery is dead. It recharges and is fine. Is this common, or do I have a problem?
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 11,671
Likes: 20
From: Lake Wylie SC
Re: Battery question (dbwade36)
How's things at Travis? Here something to try. The next time you go TDY, disconnect the battery. When you get home, reconnect it and see if it still has a charge. If not, buy a good trickle charger. :flag :flag :flag
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 3,842
Likes: 230
From: SANTA CRUZ CA
Re: Battery question (dbwade36)
... Is this common, or do I have a problem?.....
Before getting involved with an electrical system check, pull the batt and have it tested under load.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Re: Battery question (dbwade36)
You have a current drain that is way too high. Connect an ammeter in series with one of the battery cables and wait for the courtesy lights to time out, then reduce the full scale reading of the ammeter and measure the "off" current. It should be less then 50 ma. (milliamps) or something is drawing current. If your battery discharges in 5 days, the current required to do this is about 0.25 amps (250 milliamps). You can pull fuses one at a time while observing the ammeter and one should make the current drop dramatically. That is the circuit that you will have to further investigate to find the leakage current.
