How long do you expect a battery to last?
Discussion
Have had three yrs out of my last one and on occasion have had the charger on it when not in use for longer than 2 weeks. I run the car at least once a week to keep everything going or at most once a fortnight, but found the battery is going really flat now. Do you guys put a larger battery than std in there to get more life out of them ?
Kylie
89 Carbed Turbo
Kylie
89 Carbed Turbo
wedg1e said:
In a ladies' handbag toy, maybe an hour? 
In a car, depends on use. They don't like sitting around idle, they don't like cold, they don't like being over-charged...
Yeah its just interesting to see how they vary from car to car. I guess if you drive it every day it would last as long as any other car? Anyway must call in on way home from work tom and pick another battery up. 5-6 years.
A limited guarantee usually comes with the battery to last the stated number of months. Ususally in between 60-72 months. If the battery fails you take it back, they scan the barcode and find out how long since the purchase date and pro-rate the difference and apply that amount to a new battery.
Not a big deal. The new owner of my car still has the same battery that I put in 4 years ago and has 2 years left on it. The car is stored in the winter for about 5 months a year and is hooked up to a battery maintainer while stored.
A limited guarantee usually comes with the battery to last the stated number of months. Ususally in between 60-72 months. If the battery fails you take it back, they scan the barcode and find out how long since the purchase date and pro-rate the difference and apply that amount to a new battery.
Not a big deal. The new owner of my car still has the same battery that I put in 4 years ago and has 2 years left on it. The car is stored in the winter for about 5 months a year and is hooked up to a battery maintainer while stored.
The Esprit is a Battery Killing Machine. I have my motor off, key out current drain down to about 50-75 milliamps now, but that is still a lot. My battery would die in about 10 days when new (after I tracked down and disconnected some drains like the questionable alarm system). 2 years later, it would die in 5 days. I put a battery tender on it now when I get home and I haven't had any more problems. Here's a writeup:
http://home.flash.net/~hess/crystal_p
I currently (pun) suspect that the existing drain may be related to the numerous relays we have. Some of them have power on all the time. I recall someone having a problem where their headlight pods would come up by themselves after the key was off, and this tracked down to a relay. If a diode or capacitor goes leaky in one of these things, that could cause a drain. Just haven't gotten around to tracking the last 50 mils down. A little of it will be the stereo and computer memory keep-alive, but I bet that is under 10.
Dr.Hess
http://home.flash.net/~hess/crystal_p
I currently (pun) suspect that the existing drain may be related to the numerous relays we have. Some of them have power on all the time. I recall someone having a problem where their headlight pods would come up by themselves after the key was off, and this tracked down to a relay. If a diode or capacitor goes leaky in one of these things, that could cause a drain. Just haven't gotten around to tracking the last 50 mils down. A little of it will be the stereo and computer memory keep-alive, but I bet that is under 10.
Dr.Hess
Dr.Hess said:
A little of it will be the stereo and computer memory keep-alive, but I bet that is under 10.
Dr.Hess
The stereo is a major suspect and been tempted to take it out. When I put the charger on the stereo comes on, so I have to keep turning it off. Thought that is rather odd as theres nothing different about the way its wired up or has it been wired up incorrectly?kylie said:
A little of it will be the stereo and computer memory keep-alive, but I bet that is under 10.
Dr.Hess
Hmmm... sounds like your stereo may be main lined to the battery with (I should hope) a buss fuse and a relay in line? Easy installation... bad for battery life. Can you turn it on without the key in 1st position?
Drive topless!!!
Cameron
Yes, that stereo installation does sound suspect. I have an Alpine CDA-9811 in mine which is very similar to the later cars, wired up typical. A switched line powers the unit with an unswitched line (always on) for the computer keep-alive. It won't come on unless the switched line has power. There are other arrangements that require the main power feed (switched in my case) to go directly to the battery, and the switched line only lets the system turn on/off. This is for the more high power type installations.
However, I would say that if your car keeps a charge (you can start it) after sitting for a week, but not much longer, it is fine. In other words "They all do that, 'maam."
Dr.Hess
However, I would say that if your car keeps a charge (you can start it) after sitting for a week, but not much longer, it is fine. In other words "They all do that, 'maam."
Dr.Hess
Autocross7 said:
A little of it will be the stereo and computer memory keep-alive, but I bet that is under 10.
Dr.Hess
Can you turn it on without the key in 1st position?
Drive topless!!!
Cameron
Ummmm cripes I will check and get back.
Dr.Hess said:
However, I would say that if your car keeps a charge (you can start it) after sitting for a week, but not much longer, it is fine. In other words "They all do that, 'maam."
Dr.Hess
Had a funny feeling you might say that 
I also have to convince the other half to have a look see as well and consider all good advice. Thanks.
currently, i use a solar charger, which isn't convenient for days i'm parked in a covered garage. today, i test wired a peltier cooler in the engine bay, and it trickle charges the battery with 300mv current at 5V. with some big alluminum fins i should be able to get more wattage, and step that up to 12 volts. i would need to make it switchable so i could both either passive charge the battery, or active cool the engine bay.
An amazing 7 years on one battery for me! I do disconnect the battery if I won't be driving the car for a few weeks (usually wintertime).
There's a device you can connect to your battery cable which has a knob allowing you to disconnect the battery with just a twist on the knob.
-Dave
There's a device you can connect to your battery cable which has a knob allowing you to disconnect the battery with just a twist on the knob.
-Dave
mr50bmg said:
An amazing 7 years on one battery for me! I do disconnect the battery if I won't be driving the car for a few weeks (usually wintertime).
There's a device you can connect to your battery cable which has a knob allowing you to disconnect the battery with just a twist on the knob.
-Dave
OMG thats great! What's this device thingy, can you remember what its brand name is so I can look it up?
Here's a website for the switch:
www.autoanything.com/products/product_sp.aspx?p_id=1720&se=battery_disconnect_switch
I just have the switch, not the fuse attachement.
-Dave
www.autoanything.com/products/product_sp.aspx?p_id=1720&se=battery_disconnect_switch
I just have the switch, not the fuse attachement.
-Dave
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