After my car sits for 3-4 days, the first time I start it up it cranks over much slower than before. Do you think there's any correlation between the weakened cranking power and a new power amp install? I haven't made any other changes to my electrical system and I don't sit in the car listening to tunes without the engine running so it's not like I'm dis-charging the battery. I know the size of the battery is pretty wimpy anyway so is there any reason I need to worry?

 

Is this behavior on the same tank of gas?

 

Yes I guess, I haven't filled up in about 2 weeks. What does the fuel have to do with the condition of the battery?

 

A quick check is to measure your voltage with the car off...it should be somewhere around 12V. Next turn your car on and measure again, you should see 13.8V to 14.2V. If you aren't you may have alternator problems.

How big is your amplifier and what load (are you running a 1, 2 or 4 ohm load) on it?

Also, I could be wrong about this, but I believe the batteries are not maintenance free on the S, you may have to check the electrolyte level.

Hope this helps.

 

He has a 4ohm load.

The car shouldn't have any electrical problems per se. I figure you got a bad tank of gas, or something else is wrong. A slow start seems odd.

 

I just installed a new sony headunit/amp/speakers and DCU direct wire ala S2Kman. My car sat for about 2 weeks during some snow. When I went out to fire it up, it was dead as a door nail. So I'm thinking, did I leave a dome light on or is some component of my new install drawing off the battery. Checked and re-checked everything, charged the battery and drove the car for an afternoon....let the car set for the remainder of the week, go out the next weekend...dead again. I take it into the shop and they test the load my stereo/amp is putting on the electrical system and say that it is in acceptable limits. They indicate it is a bad battery and replace it.

So, I'm thinking....does honda just put in crappy batteries? My S2K has 2000 miles....same thing on my wifes civic several months ago. The other thing....even though they replaced the battery, I notice the car seems slower to turn over....kinda like it does not have enough cranking power in the battery. I don't get it.

 

OK, I did some voltage checking as suggested, before the car is started the battery is at 11.5V. Once the engine is running it waivers between 13.9V and 14.1 while I'm on the freeway but what is strange is that in town, either driving or idling, the voltage dips to 12.5V for maybe 20 seconds before jumping back to 14.1V. This occurs constantly and has no connection with apparent load on the system so it's not like the electric fan kicking in when it dips to 12.5V. Does the alternator only charge in spurts and not continuously?

I am running 75Wx4 into a 4 ohm load. I also have a Sony unit with the dash controls.

 

Can anyone else without an aftermarket stereo do the same testing, I would but I won't have my car for a couple of weeks yet .

BTW KaCee, check your door pins. I had a problem there once that slowly drained my battery.

 

That is the normal charging cycle for the alternator.

How did you wire the lead from the amplifier labeled "REMOTE+"?

 

So when I see the 12.5V dip, that's normal cycling? Cool. One less thing to worry about.

My amp remote (+) is wired directly to the headunit's amp turn-on lead.

One thing I did notice, previously when I would disconnect the (-) battery terminal and when I reconnected, it would just go on. Now that I've wired in the power amp, when I reconnect the (-) terminal, I get a fairly good spark and kind of a burnt smell at the terminal. But I've had no burnt fuses and everything has turned on OK everytime. If it matters I am running 4 guage wire to the poweramp and my ground is near the amp.