dead battery on 2004 with 900 miles on it
10-20-2004, 01:27 PM
#1
Instructor
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dead battery on 2004 with 900 miles on it
i need input on a occurant problem with a battery going dead after 21 days of no use. been to the dealer three times, changes battery first time, second trip changed module under dash, said i had a parasite draw, third time i was told that they(dealer) couldn't find the problem. just wondering if anybody else have had a problem similsr problem thanks
10-20-2004, 01:32 PM
#2
Le Mans Master
If they can't find the cause then it's time to use the lemon law, any half witted mechanic should be able to narrow down parisitic battery drain 
10-20-2004, 05:55 PM
#4
Racer
Originally Posted by carpe dm
C5s have a sizeable "dark" current and will drain any battery over time. Get a Battery Tender, and use it when not driving the car for several days. 
10-20-2004, 07:43 PM
#5
Melting Slicks
I saw something on speed in the last couple of week and they too were recommending a Battery Tender as most of the new cars have so many electronic devices they will drain your battery at an acellerated rate if not driven often. I don't get a chance to drive my Z every week and I'm thinking that should be the way to go.
10-20-2004, 11:32 PM
#6
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Ditto on instrument panel switch
I had the battery issue on a new 2004 as well. It was the instrument panel switch in the full bright detent. Since I was checking this during the day I did not notice that the dash lights were not turning off. I hit the detent on while cleaning the dash... 
10-20-2004, 11:41 PM
#7
Safety Car
Battery Tender is a great idea when our cars are in semi-storage during the Winter months. Sadly, the garage I use doesn't have an electric outlet. It's an older garage but the price is right. I try and get down to it every couple of weeks. No problems last Winter.
10-21-2004, 07:21 AM
#8
Drifting
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A little info that may help
In automotive terms, a parasitic drain is an electrical load that draws current from the battery when the ignition is turned off. Some devices, such as the PCM and the radio memory are intended to draw a very small amount continuously. These draws are measured in milliamps (mA).
In normal use, parasitic drains aren't usually cause for concern, because the battery is replenished each time the vehicle is driven. But, in long-term parking situations, parasitic drains may discharge the battery enough to cause a no-start condition. New vehicles in dealer stock and airport long-term parking are two such situations.
An abnormal parasitic drain could be a glovebox or luggage compartment light that remains on but undetected. Or an electronic component may malfunction and cause a parasitic drain that is larger than normal specification.
Parasitic Drains and On-the-Lot Battery Discharge
Important
In most cases of discharged batteries in low-age, low-mileage vehicles, proper charging procedures with approved charging equipment is the only repair necessary.
Here are some rules of thumb that might help relate parasitic drains to how long a battery would last on a parked vehicle.
The Reserve Capacity (RC) rating multiplied by 0.6 gives the approximate available ampere-hours (AH) from full charge to complete rundown. Somewhere between full charge and complete rundown, the battery will reach a point at which it can no longer start the engine, although it may still operate some of the electrical accessories.
Using up about 40% of the total available AH will usually take a fully-charged battery to a no-start condition at moderate temperatures of 25°C (77°F). Put another way, for a typical battery in a storage situation, depleting the available AH by 20 to 30 AH will result in a no-start condition.
Important
If the battery begins storage at 90% of full charge, reduce the available AH accordingly.
The recommendation for maximum parasitic drain is around 30 mA (0.030 amp). A typical drain today actually falls into the 7-12 mA range, even though some vehicles do approach the maximum. Multiply the drain (in amps) by the time (in hours) the battery sits without being recharged. The result is the amount of AH consumed by the parasitic drain. The actual drain may be small, but over time the battery grows steadily weaker.
Here's an example: a vehicle with a 30 mA drain and a fully-charged 70 RC battery will last 23 days. But if that battery is at only 65% of full charge (green dot barely visible), it is going to last only 15 days before causing a no-start.
Effects of Temperature on a Standing Battery
The parasitic drain will be fairly constant over a range of temperatures. The important temperature is that of the vehicle at the time a start is attempted. Colder temperature raises the threshold of a no-start by increasing the residual power needed. When the temperature falls to 0°C (32°F), the battery will be able to put out only about 85% of its normally available starting power, and the engine may need as much as 165% of the usual power to start.
The combined effect of these two factors is to reduce the number of days the battery can stand with a parasitic drain. At 0°C (32°F), the battery can stand only half as long as it could at 25°C (77°F). And at -19°C (0°F), the standing days are reduced to one-fourth.
Temperatures above the moderate climate of 25°C (77°F) increase the battery's internal self discharge. If the battery is in a locale where the temperature is averaging 32°C (90°F), an additional 5% to 10% of the available ampere-hours will be lost in a month due to self-discharge within the battery. At temperatures below the moderate range, self-discharge will be low enough to be negligible compared to the parasitic loss.
In automotive terms, a parasitic drain is an electrical load that draws current from the battery when the ignition is turned off. Some devices, such as the PCM and the radio memory are intended to draw a very small amount continuously. These draws are measured in milliamps (mA).
In normal use, parasitic drains aren't usually cause for concern, because the battery is replenished each time the vehicle is driven. But, in long-term parking situations, parasitic drains may discharge the battery enough to cause a no-start condition. New vehicles in dealer stock and airport long-term parking are two such situations.
An abnormal parasitic drain could be a glovebox or luggage compartment light that remains on but undetected. Or an electronic component may malfunction and cause a parasitic drain that is larger than normal specification.
Parasitic Drains and On-the-Lot Battery Discharge
Important
In most cases of discharged batteries in low-age, low-mileage vehicles, proper charging procedures with approved charging equipment is the only repair necessary.
Here are some rules of thumb that might help relate parasitic drains to how long a battery would last on a parked vehicle.
The Reserve Capacity (RC) rating multiplied by 0.6 gives the approximate available ampere-hours (AH) from full charge to complete rundown. Somewhere between full charge and complete rundown, the battery will reach a point at which it can no longer start the engine, although it may still operate some of the electrical accessories.
Using up about 40% of the total available AH will usually take a fully-charged battery to a no-start condition at moderate temperatures of 25°C (77°F). Put another way, for a typical battery in a storage situation, depleting the available AH by 20 to 30 AH will result in a no-start condition.
Important
If the battery begins storage at 90% of full charge, reduce the available AH accordingly.
The recommendation for maximum parasitic drain is around 30 mA (0.030 amp). A typical drain today actually falls into the 7-12 mA range, even though some vehicles do approach the maximum. Multiply the drain (in amps) by the time (in hours) the battery sits without being recharged. The result is the amount of AH consumed by the parasitic drain. The actual drain may be small, but over time the battery grows steadily weaker.
Here's an example: a vehicle with a 30 mA drain and a fully-charged 70 RC battery will last 23 days. But if that battery is at only 65% of full charge (green dot barely visible), it is going to last only 15 days before causing a no-start.
Effects of Temperature on a Standing Battery
The parasitic drain will be fairly constant over a range of temperatures. The important temperature is that of the vehicle at the time a start is attempted. Colder temperature raises the threshold of a no-start by increasing the residual power needed. When the temperature falls to 0°C (32°F), the battery will be able to put out only about 85% of its normally available starting power, and the engine may need as much as 165% of the usual power to start.
The combined effect of these two factors is to reduce the number of days the battery can stand with a parasitic drain. At 0°C (32°F), the battery can stand only half as long as it could at 25°C (77°F). And at -19°C (0°F), the standing days are reduced to one-fourth.
Temperatures above the moderate climate of 25°C (77°F) increase the battery's internal self discharge. If the battery is in a locale where the temperature is averaging 32°C (90°F), an additional 5% to 10% of the available ampere-hours will be lost in a month due to self-discharge within the battery. At temperatures below the moderate range, self-discharge will be low enough to be negligible compared to the parasitic loss.
10-21-2004, 04:55 PM
#11
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No inside lights left on here. When I drive my 04 Z it's usually after dark when I put it in the garage and I always watch to make sure all the lights go out inside before I leave the garage.
Having said that, my battery will drain down too much to start the car in about two weeks.
When I test drove the car at the dealer before I bought it the battery was dead and they had to jump start it. I often go for two weeks or more without driving the car so now I leave a Battery Tender on it and have no problems. 
Having said that, my battery will drain down too much to start the car in about two weeks.
When I test drove the car at the dealer before I bought it the battery was dead and they had to jump start it. I often go for two weeks or more without driving the car so now I leave a Battery Tender on it and have no problems.
