battery isn't staying charged?

[miketyler]

Ok, not sure if it's a bad battery yet or what. Its a yellow top I got off of CL a year or more ago and its been great. My car doesn't get driven enough to stay charged normally. However, I find I'm having to charge it more frequently now. I'm not using a battery tender, is that a big deal?

Also, it seems like this started happening around the time I added an Alpine amp and Infinity Basslink powered sub. Although they are wired in to the HU and are only powered up when the HU tells them to come on, there is a hot lead going to both of them thats hot all the time.

Is there a way to tell if they are drawing enough amps when turned off to run my battery down besides disconnecting them? Maybe I should have put them on a switched circuit anyway.     

[pink panther]

have you checked your battery  and alternator with a meter?  you can also check your lead to the amp and see if it is drawing current with everything off.

[GoodysGotaCuda]

Just a thing with optimas, i run one. Once they get low, they really cant hold a charge higher than that. I just returned mine when it got low and got another one.

Second, yes you need to put a ammeter in series with your positive or negative cable and post. See how much current is being drawn. Should be less than about 30ma or so..

[Chryco Psycho]

the yellow wire should be hot all the time but the draw should be minimal , optimas need to be kept chrged either with a trickle charger or a occaisional charge

[miketyler]

Yup, agreed. I only look at the amp and sub because the issue started abut the time I installed them.

So those batter tenders are the way to go with GelCel type bats? Using a conventional charger, the Optima seems to charge up fairly quickly but will barely start the car the next day.

[BruteForce]

Car stereos can definitely draw enough, even when switched off, to run your battery down. I installed battery quick disconnects for when I won't be driving it for a while.

It's also possible that there's a lamp somewhere that is not shutting off when a door is closed. Even those little bulbs can quickly drain away a battery charge. Or you could have a short to ground somewhere (moisture can do this). Two ways to track this down, starting with the wiring diagrams:

• Put an ammeter in series with the circuit
• Use an ohmmeter to test resistance to ground, circuit by circuit. I prefer this approach because it's easier, and there's less chance of accidentally burning wires from shorting them to ground while you fiddle with the ammeter

[MEK-Dangerfield]

I have a red Optima. I'm not sure the yellow deep cycle batteries are made for cars. 

In any event, I disconnect it if I know I won't be driving it for more than a couple of weeks. The original Rally clock is what can drain mine pretty low after a month or so.


  Mike

[74 340 4speed]

I'm having problems with mine too.  I have a red top optima in my 99 SS.  I can let my car sit for one week, and it is extremely sluggish about cranking.  It started this about three weeks ago, and this is my 2nd red top battery.  The battery is about 3 months old.  I don't have an aftermarket stereo, gps, or any other electrical accessory on the car other that what it came with when it was new.  I can drive the car for 20 minutes and turn it off, and it cranks back up like the battery is fully charged.  I wonder what is killing it. 

[jeryst]

I know it's not stock, but I bought one of those battery posts with a knob on it, at a swap meet, for around $3. Best investment I ever made, and now I have them on all of my cars. When you're not driving the car, you just twist the knob a turn, and the battery is completely disconnected. If you unscrew it all the way, and remove the knob, it acts as a simple security device because the car can't be started.

[Chryco Psycho]

I have had my red top for 12 years in my daily driver , the longest i have ever let it sit for was 2 weeks , I had it tested a few months ago & it still tests good , leaving them to sit is what kills them , I lost 3 red tops last year in vehicles that sat 

[Moparal]

Chryco, I dont believe I have seen your car yet. What do you drive?

[Chryco Psycho]

ummm I drive a poor old 89 Ram Cummins
 I have a 70 Chall R/T SE & a 71 Charger Parked , I always end up too busy in the Summer to drive them & refuse to drive them during the 11 month winters [ok 8 month ]

[Super Blue 72]

I know it's not stock, but I bought one of those battery posts with a knob on it, at a swap meet, for around $3. Best investment I ever made, and now I have them on all of my cars. When you're not driving the car, you just twist the knob a turn, and the battery is completely disconnected. If you unscrew it all the way, and remove the knob, it acts as a simple security device because the car can't be started.

I have one of those too and I believe that's why my El Cheapo battery has been alive for the past 5+ years. 

[matt63]

I use one of the Moroso negative post disconnects.  Doesn't Optima make a special trickle charger for their batteries?

[Chryco Psycho]

Princess Auto has the battery disconnects for around $4