[QUOTE]Originally posted by jalford:
[B]Yes, my alarm was armed the entire time.

 

Might also want to consider an "Battery Buddy", there are a couple people who make these items. This one is from Crutchfield.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jalford:
[B]I'm sure I didn't leave the headlights on.

 

Batteries will go dead to the point they cannot start a vehicle without an extended recharge. Sometimes that won't bring them back if a cell gets damaged. Here's a scary story...
The biker group was on a Sat ride. We pulled into a roadside park to go swimming. I turn off my bike. We decide to go on down the road to a better place so I try and start again. Dead. Won't even bring up the LCD display. Push start was no help either. Had to replace it on the roadside. OK so here's the scary part. Another bike in the group also had a problem at the same time. His bike blew the main fuse. Two bikes, two massive electrical malfunctions. To this day, I won't pull into that park.

 

Battery story which might explain your story. The fiance was driving to work in Chicago's first winter storm (first or second week of Dec.). All of a sudden on the on ramp, the car died. She had a full tank of gas.

I thought the distributor or ignitor had crapped out at the most in-opportune time. I go to pick her up and send her on her way in my car. The tow truck takes the Civic and me to my mechanic's. The mechanic hooks up the battery to this huge recharger. The battery shows dead. He jumps starts the car and then checks the alternator, it's working to peak effeciency.

After a full recharge, the battery fires the car up and we've had no problems since. The mechanics explanation is that the cold weather and immediate use of high voltage items cause the battery to paralyze for a minute. Using the rear defogger, front heater/defogger, radio, headlights, brakes, steering, and wipers while the car hasn't sufficiently warmed up can cause the paralysis.

The kicker was the car had already been driven enough to warm up, only thing on was the headlights, heater, and wipers. Oh yeah, and the battery/car is only a year old.

My guess is this is just an inherent trait with these smaller batteries, I've got the larger Honda battery in my Prelude since '96 and haven't needed to replace it yet. Mind you it drives a number of high draw electronics (sound system, after market alarms, door poppers, high intesity lighting, etc.).

Urmil
Luder94

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jalford:
[B]My battery is dead after spending six consecutive days undriven in below-freezing temps.

 

My eight week old car has spent TWO 17-18 day periods without being started and with the stock alarm armed. It starts fine. I doubt that leaving the car parked for a week with the stock alarm armed should draw down the battery.

I've never heard of electrons getting paralyzed. I think that answer was b---s---.

 

This winter we replaced two original batteries, one in my wife's 96 Cadi and the other in my son's 94 civic, that is after 90,000 miles and six Canadian winters - very demanding conditions with no problems... so I don't think Honda smaller battery is worst than others. Probably am optimum engineering design, as are most of the original S2k components.

 

Winters are harsh on batteries but more likely your problem was a short to ground or moisture somewhere. Where any accessories installed (i.e. radar detectot or moded stereo)?

 

Nothing but dealer-installed options.