Hello to all from a newbie,
A business in town here installed a Jensen radio/ tape player about three years ago in my 1985 Chevrolet S-10 pickup. In the past year I have noticed that if I do not drive the truck for a week or two, the battery goes dead. I have traced the draw down to the radio circuit. The draw down is only .11 amp but it seems sufficient. When I unplugged the radio the drain goes away. (BTW, the radio does work, as does the tape)He wired it into a hot wire that is hot even when the truck is off. Is the .11 amp draw an inherent part of the memory in the radio? Could the radio be 'bad' and still play? It is not the diodes in the alternator. I unplugged it and the draw is still there. It is not the dome light as I unplugged it and the draw is still there? It certainly seems to be the radio, but is this normal with the radio turned off?
Thanks for any and all help.
Terry
Replies (5)
swez on 02/2/2006 19:34:31
You are correct... the radio does have a small draw at all times for the Memory circuits. If that is the only draw you have found, look deeper into the health of that BAT.
After a few complete dead drains on most lead/acid car batteries, the battery can be damaged and decline rapidly. If the BAT have seen 3 or more winters, good chance that puppy is on its way out. Have your BAT and ALT checked out by a reputable car electronics tech. Many can do this for free, right in the parking lot and tell you what is working and what is not.
Swez
terpam_1 on 02/2/2006 20:11:03
Swez,
Thanks for the reply. Is the .11 amp drain sufficient to kill a battery in several days if it is in fairly good shape?
Terry
swez on 02/3/2006 06:17:16
Probably not. A healthy battery with even a small CCA raing should hold up for months. Even a dome light that draws several watts of power can go a day or two before draining the battery to a level that will not start the vehicle.
If the BAT is in good shape, check your termination wires for corrosion or a loose fit on both ends of the cables. Also check the charging rate after a cold start and monitor voltage for 10-15 mins. At start up, you will see high voltage numbers (14 volts +) for several minutes, as the ALT is recharging the BAT. After about 10 mins of warm up, the charging voltage should drop to a steady range above 13.5 volts and remain flat after that.
If charging rate remain high for more than 20 mins, the BAT may be in rough shape or the voltage regulator inside the ALT is not doing its job.
Swez
ttocs on 02/4/2006 01:32:57
I know here in phoenix batteries only last a few years due to the summer heat. Car lots remove the batteries and store them inside to prevent damage. Go to autozone and have them test the battery and alternator. A battery problem could be the sign of a deeper issue.
swez on 02/6/2006 07:15:33
Cold winters are also hard on most batteries too. The colder the temps, the lower the available power output we get for starting the vehicle. Under normal conditions, a decent BAT should last 3-5 winters.
However, if a regular lead/acid BAT gets drained severely and needs a jump, BAT life goes down hill fast. This is where the Gel Cell type Deep Cycle BAT's come in handy. They can handle >300 deep discharges and still be usable. The OEM BAT's can take only a few deep discharges before they hit the wall.
Swez
A business in town here installed a Jensen radio/ tape player about three years ago in my 1985 Chevrolet S-10 pickup. In the past year I have noticed that if I do not drive the truck for a week or two, the battery goes dead. I have traced the draw down to the radio circuit. The draw down is only .11 amp but it seems sufficient. When I unplugged the radio the drain goes away. (BTW, the radio does work, as does the tape)He wired it into a hot wire that is hot even when the truck is off. Is the .11 amp draw an inherent part of the memory in the radio? Could the radio be 'bad' and still play? It is not the diodes in the alternator. I unplugged it and the draw is still there. It is not the dome light as I unplugged it and the draw is still there? It certainly seems to be the radio, but is this normal with the radio turned off?
Thanks for any and all help.
Terry
Replies (5)
swez on 02/2/2006 19:34:31
You are correct... the radio does have a small draw at all times for the Memory circuits. If that is the only draw you have found, look deeper into the health of that BAT.
After a few complete dead drains on most lead/acid car batteries, the battery can be damaged and decline rapidly. If the BAT have seen 3 or more winters, good chance that puppy is on its way out. Have your BAT and ALT checked out by a reputable car electronics tech. Many can do this for free, right in the parking lot and tell you what is working and what is not.
Swez
terpam_1 on 02/2/2006 20:11:03
Swez,
Thanks for the reply. Is the .11 amp drain sufficient to kill a battery in several days if it is in fairly good shape?
Terry
swez on 02/3/2006 06:17:16
Probably not. A healthy battery with even a small CCA raing should hold up for months. Even a dome light that draws several watts of power can go a day or two before draining the battery to a level that will not start the vehicle.
If the BAT is in good shape, check your termination wires for corrosion or a loose fit on both ends of the cables. Also check the charging rate after a cold start and monitor voltage for 10-15 mins. At start up, you will see high voltage numbers (14 volts +) for several minutes, as the ALT is recharging the BAT. After about 10 mins of warm up, the charging voltage should drop to a steady range above 13.5 volts and remain flat after that.
If charging rate remain high for more than 20 mins, the BAT may be in rough shape or the voltage regulator inside the ALT is not doing its job.
Swez
ttocs on 02/4/2006 01:32:57
I know here in phoenix batteries only last a few years due to the summer heat. Car lots remove the batteries and store them inside to prevent damage. Go to autozone and have them test the battery and alternator. A battery problem could be the sign of a deeper issue.
swez on 02/6/2006 07:15:33
Cold winters are also hard on most batteries too. The colder the temps, the lower the available power output we get for starting the vehicle. Under normal conditions, a decent BAT should last 3-5 winters.
However, if a regular lead/acid BAT gets drained severely and needs a jump, BAT life goes down hill fast. This is where the Gel Cell type Deep Cycle BAT's come in handy. They can handle >300 deep discharges and still be usable. The OEM BAT's can take only a few deep discharges before they hit the wall.
Swez
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