rapid battery drain

[designit]

I don't have aftermarket electronics and leaving the key in the on position for a little bit drains the battery. I don't know how old the battery is but I do know it sat dead for about 1 year +... I charged it up some by driving it around... (and it seemed to hold the charge pretty well - motor fires right up) but I leave the key 'on' for any length of time and ~ draino... So there's enough power to crank the engine right over, but not enough power to have the ignition 'on' for 20 minutes (or less?) seems odd...

How long would I need to leave it on a charger for?
or
How would the key 'on' for 20 minutes drain the battery that fast (radio off, fans off etc) -- other than there not being enough reserve power in the battery?
or
Has the battery sat for too long (dead) and is difficult to fully charge now?


Anyone have some insight along these lines when the ignition is 'on' (motor not running) -- How fast (or slow) would your battery drain?

 

[panda24619]

i would check all your connections on the batt first. if thats all good just get a new battery. its most likely old. whats the year on the battery? just curious cause i still think you should get a new one.

 

[99 Expy]

I would do everything Panda said. How does your amp gauge on your instrument cluster read? It could be that your battery is old and just showing its age. If you have a trickle charger, I would leave that on for a few hours on the lowest setting. If you have a voltmeter, check what your battery voltage. 12.6v is a fully charged battery (2.1 volts per cell and there are 6 cells in a 12 volt battery) 12.06v is 50%, and 10.5v is completely dead. There are also load tests you can do to see if the battery is bad, but I would try charging it from there and see where it gets you.

 

[panda24619]

I would do everything Panda said. How does your amp gauge on your instrument cluster read? It could be that your battery is old and just showing its age. If you have a trickle charger, I would leave that on for a few hours on the lowest setting. If you have a voltmeter, check what your battery voltage. 12.6v is a fully charged battery (2.1 volts per cell and there are 6 cells in a 12 volt battery) 12.06v is 50%, and 10.5v is completely dead. There are also load tests you can do to see if the battery is bad, but I would try charging it from there and see where it gets you.

really? then how come i can start my truck in a low voltage? i think the lowest ive been able to get her to turn over on is like 11V. i think she barely turned and the alt powered the batt which in turn turned the engine which did the alt. you get the point. haha

 

[FtLaudBlkGT]

Take the battery to an autoparts store and get it tested. See if the battery is the issue before thinking it's an electrical problem in the vehicle.

 

[GAINMOB]

also check alt...may be bad and draining your battery...also...once you charge it...you need to run it at 55mph or higher for at least 20 mins...if its still good it'll hold...if it doesnt...you know what the deal is...

 

[FtLaudBlkGT]

also check alt...may be bad and draining your battery...also...once you charge it...you need to run it at 55mph or higher for at least 20 mins...if its still good it'll hold...if it doesnt...you know what the deal is...

Also check your battery terminals, if one is not making good contact it will be the reason your battery is not holding up well... I found my ground terminal loose after the dealership swapped my battery under warranty.

 

[GAINMOB]

good point...make sure the ground is good and the positive is good to go...i replaced both on car yrs ago...and it fixed my probs...

 

[FtLaudBlkGT]

good point...make sure the ground is good and the positive is good to go...i replaced both on car yrs ago...and it fixed my probs...

Lets be honest, those OEM battery connectors are garbage... I haven't gotten around to changing them yet...

 

[designit]

Thanks guys...

I cut off the old terminals & replaced last week, so those are good & tight. I've also had it running (at pretty good speeds) for about a 1hr period.

But I came across some things that could be the issue related to sitting dead for such a long period of time -- "Sulfation" which I guess can prevent a battery from charging properly (or enough)... I'm going to try and recondition the battery by pouring out the water & pouring in a salt solution to remove the crystals & put it back on the charger for a day or two...

 

[ELVATO]

I thought all these battery were pretty much sealed?

Either way, yes, it's bad to leave a discharged battery for long periods of time. It probably just doesn't have the full CCA capacity is used to. There are some battery chargers that do desulfation. Usually takes 24 hours.

I'm pretty sure it's the battery, BTW.

 

[GAINMOB]

When I left for afghanistan my truck was only start'd once a week for 5 mins and it died on me 3x's after being told it was good...gotta die hard...no probs...now I need a fuel pump

 

[ELVATO]

Yea, that's why you're supposed to leave them hooked up to trickle chargers. A lot of the better ones actually monitor battery conditions and trickle charge accordingly.

 

[jjbusa]

A battery tender would be a good ideas for extend stay I got one on my bike still got the original bat form 06

 

[GAINMOB]

That's why I LOVE this site...I didn't know...now I do...trickle charge/charger...I'll get one before my next deployment

 

[walnuts4x4]

battery tenders are great I have one for my boat battery.... but I think my battery is getting old might have to replace it this summer..

 

[panda24619]

my dads got an old charger. it has a 2 amp setting and a 10 amp setting. works good on the jeep. it sits for so long we have to charge it the week before and the night before we go to drive her around. if she hasnt been driven for a while. other wise shes good to go. my expo has sat for about a year when we first got her. she was just fine. no problems. litterly just sat. not driven not touched. my parents each had their own cars at the time so not a big deal.

 

[99 Expy]

I thought all these battery were pretty much sealed?

I'm not sure about the factory batteries, but a lot of replacement batteries are not sealed, at least mine isn't. I am sure your battery is is probably junk anyway, do you have a date on it? If you get a new one spend a little more money to get one with the MOST CCA. You won't regret it. From my time in Iowa and Wyoming, nothing sucks worse than trying to start a vehicle when it is -30 with a low CCA battery. I learned that after replacing the battery in my first truck, she would barely turn over with the lower CCA one I bought compared to the one I had before. Plus it starts easier since it cranks faster.

For the discussion on trickle chargers, they are a must. I hate living on campus, so I can't have one of my own, but I want to get one of those jumper packs to carry with me incase of some random emergency sometime or lack of jumper cables. . . .

 

[panda24619]

i always have jumper cables with me. shit happens so might as well be prepared. but you could always buy about 200 ft of extension cable and runn it to the charger. haha