Dead battery after 3 weeks of no driving

[Dshavers]

Ok so this is the second time this has happened to me. I go on vacation for 2-3 weeks and I come back to a dead battery. The first time I left my radar plugged in, and the second time nothing was left on. I have the shaker system installed in the car as well as the guidepoint system similar to lowjack. I've left the car for three weeks three times and the first time I left came back and the car was fine. The past two times dead. The only thing that had changed was installing the a pulley and tune but that shouldn't be causing it. Anyone experience this? I've read in some other forums that the Shaker system actually stays on after turning the car off but not sure.

 

[03 DSG Snake]

I've had it before. I put a charger on it overnight when it gets too low to start, and it runs fine after the battery charges up again.

Or I'll stick the charger on it when it's been sitting a while just in case. Cheap insurance.

 

[spincobra03]

What I find even stranger is that your were gone a vaction for 3 weeks?? You lucky bastard!. Do you have any job applications?

 

[09Troublemaker]

Ok so this is the second time this has happened to me. I go on vacation for 2-3 weeks and I come back to a dead battery. The first time I left my radar plugged in, and the second time nothing was left on. I have the shaker system installed in the car as well as the guidepoint system similar to lowjack. I've left the car for three weeks three times and the first time I left came back and the car was fine. The past two times dead. The only thing that had changed was installing the a pulley and tune but that shouldn't be causing it. Anyone experience this? I've read in some other forums that the Shaker system actually stays on after turning the car off but not sure.

sounds like something is drawing juice>? Or, I guess if it's really cold
you would see some drop off

 

[UniqueSVT]

Mine did that after not starting it for 3-4 weeks but it's cold as hell here and I noticed you are in CA... that's definitely not your issue there.

 

[ac427cobra]

Ok so this is the second time this has happened to me. I go on vacation for 2-3 weeks and I come back to a dead battery. The first time I left my radar plugged in, and the second time nothing was left on. I have the shaker system installed in the car as well as the guidepoint system similar to lowjack. I've left the car for three weeks three times and the first time I left came back and the car was fine. The past two times dead. The only thing that had changed was installing the a pulley and tune but that shouldn't be causing it. Anyone experience this? I've read in some other forums that the Shaker system actually stays on after turning the car off but not sure.

All S-197 vehicles have an inherent issue with the program that runs the power.

For instance, if you reach into the car through the open driver's window and turn the key on, to unlock the steering wheel or whatever, when you turn the key off, the radio remains on until the battery goes dead! Stupid? Yes!

Now, open the door and close it after the key is turned off and the radio shuts off. It's a crazy quirk! I pull the key out, turn the radio off, open and close the door and it's not a problem.

OTOH, modern day cars draw a lot of power and it is possible for it to suck even a good battery down in 3 weeks. If a car is going to be sitting that long put a battery tender on it.

FWIW

:thumbsup::coolman::beer:

 

[Willie2]

from my experience, once a battery goes dead its gonna keep going dead soon after recharging

buy a new battery

 

[Shaker1]

Put an ammeter on the battery and check the mA draw. Anything over 50mA is suspicious. One very common thread in such cases is an aftermarket system, generally an alarm or LoJack. Less than 50 mA you have a defective battery, over 50mA, start pulling fuses until you find the parasitic circuit and go from there.

Also, a "smart" charger is a good solution if you plan on letting it sit for weeks at a time.

 

[mullens]

That's why I put a battery charger on it whenever I load a tune.

 

[evasive]

High temps in the summer can damage a battery with symptoms showing up when it gets cold so being in a warm climate does not mean you are without concern.

One drain on a good battery should not kill it but the only way to check is to get a read from each cell if it is not a sealed battery.

I usually just replace batteries with an Optima battery from the get go. Haven't done that yet on this car but will when I return in a few months. If you are gone quite a bit, get a Yellow top (deep cycle) otherwise a Red top should do just fine. Factory batteries are usually junk.

 

[c6vette]

I always set the alarm. I leave a tender on it or it's dead in less than 2 weeks. My C6 Vette was good for 7-10 days with the alarm set or maybe 2 weeks without.

 

[RSH427R]

Somebody else said it....these cars (and almost all new cars) draw power 24/7. The more gadgets the more power it draws to save settings etc. Ford has a TSB but no repair because its normal. Buy a battery tender (not a trickle charger) and put it on when your no going to drive your car for a period of time. (7-10+ days) This will solve your problem.

 

[jcthorne]

All S-197 vehicles have an inherent issue with the program that runs the power.

For instance, if you reach into the car through the open driver's window and turn the key on, to unlock the steering wheel or whatever, when you turn the key off, the radio remains on until the battery goes dead! Stupid? Yes!

FWIW

:thumbsup::coolman::beer:

This is not true. Its a design feature called radio delay and it does shut off after 10 minutes. The trunk and interior lights shut off if you forget them as well. As far as residual loads, yes the factory security system and the remote turn on amplifiers all consume small amounts of power. On a fully optioned GT500 with stock battery, 3 weeks is about all you will get with the security system armed. Drive it or get a battery maintainer. They are available at WallyWorld for about $30 and work well.

 

[ac427cobra]

This is not true. Its a design feature called radio delay and it does shut off after 10 minutes. The trunk and interior lights shut off if you forget them as well. As far as residual loads, yes the factory security system and the remote turn on amplifiers all consume small amounts of power. On a fully optioned GT500 with stock battery, 3 weeks is about all you will get with the security system armed. Drive it or get a battery maintainer. They are available at WallyWorld for about $30 and work well.

I can tell you for FACT that if I reach through the open window, turn on the key, turn off the key without opening and closing the door, the radio will run until the battery is dead! THE RADIO WILL NEVER SHUT OFF! I've heard this complaint from SEVERAL s-197 owners. Not limited to just GT500's.

YMMV

 

[fghtrpilot]

You might want to check the water level in your battery...factory batteries are not sealed and if low will quickly lose their charge. Been there, done that...Optima Red Top now.:beer:

 

[jcthorne]

I can tell you for FACT that if I reach through the open window, turn on the key, turn off the key without opening and closing the door, the radio will run until the battery is dead! THE RADIO WILL NEVER SHUT OFF! I've heard this complaint from SEVERAL s-197 owners. Not limited to just GT500's.

YMMV

Sorry, not true on my 2007 and does not meet with discription of system in Ford service manuals. Verified this morning, shut off after 10 minutes give or take. My wifes 05GT works the same as does my F250 pickup. Its a pretty standard feature on many Fords. If you do open the door, the radio will shut off right away.

 

[ac427cobra]

Sorry, not true on my 2007 and does not meet with discription of system in Ford service manuals. Verified this morning, shut off after 10 minutes give or take. My wifes 05GT works the same as does my F250 pickup. Its a pretty standard feature on many Fords. If you do open the door, the radio will shut off right away.

Ok, we'll agree to disagree on this one! ;-)

 

[CPViolation]

All S-197 vehicles have an inherent issue with the program that runs the power.

For instance, if you reach into the car through the open driver's window and turn the key on, to unlock the steering wheel or whatever, when you turn the key off, the radio remains on until the battery goes dead! Stupid? Yes!

Now, open the door and close it after the key is turned off and the radio shuts off. It's a crazy quirk! I pull the key out, turn the radio off, open and close the door and it's not a problem.

OTOH, modern day cars draw a lot of power and it is possible for it to suck even a good battery down in 3 weeks. If a car is going to be sitting that long put a battery tender on it.

FWIW

:thumbsup::coolman::beer:

Battery tender for the win.
Cars have become more computer dependent, you have to store volatile memory, stereo and so-forth.
That only takes a few milliamps. If your battery is weak, your charging system is questionable, the tiny current draw becomes a major issue if the car is stored or you drive in cold weather.
Jeff

 

[davidhuff]

The Battery Tender works great for storage.

 

[CPViolation]

The Battery Tender works great for storage.

It is also great for cumulative small trips that won't completely charge a battery.
Batteries never recharge to new condition. Every step you take from damaging a battery cell is positive.

Completely discharging a lead battery is very harmful.
Jeff