Battery discharge from non-use
03-27-2022, 05:28 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Battery discharge from non-use
Since I moved to Colorado ten years ago, I have had a problem with the battery on my 2001 S 2000 going dead after a few weeks of vehicle non-use. I replaced the battery a year or so ago, and still have this problem. You see, I now live in “snow country” and S 2000s aren’t good in snow, so it is stored in my garage until roads are clear. I have bought a “battery charger/maintainer” which does keep the battery up during these periods. But I continue to wonder why this is a problem with my S 2000, as I have three other vehicles that have much more electronic content, that have no such problems. The only thing I can see is when the S 2000 is not running there is a blinking LED red light on the radio with writing underneath that says “theft alarm”. I don’t know if this means radio theft or car theft. Could this be discharging the battery? And what does this blinking red LED mean?
03-28-2022, 05:13 AM
#2
Assuming you've checked the obvious things like interior or trunk lights being left on...or other visible sources of discharge...
The other three vehicles you have...do you store them under the same condition as the S2000?
And is the battery fully charged before going into storage? Meaning...in the days/weeks coming up to storage, are you using the S2000 to make short start/stop trips? That would mean you're going into storage on an already weakened battery.
Just trying to assess apples to apples.
The other three vehicles you have...do you store them under the same condition as the S2000?
And is the battery fully charged before going into storage? Meaning...in the days/weeks coming up to storage, are you using the S2000 to make short start/stop trips? That would mean you're going into storage on an already weakened battery.
Just trying to assess apples to apples.
03-28-2022, 05:50 AM
#3
Mine will get pretty low after about a month to 6 weeks of sitting in the winter without use if I do not have a tender on it. So does my 4Runner. The S2k has a smaller battery than a lot of cars so I would expect it would take less time to get to a problem level while sitting.
You can perform a parasitic load test on it with an ammeter and see how much current is being drawn just sitting. Connect an ammeter in series with a battery cable and let everything sit for about 5 minutes (doors all closed, lights off) and see what the idle current is. You need to let it sit a few minutes first as the ECU will draw more power when booting up after you connect. Do this, report back what you see and we can see if that appears normal or if you need to take the next step of starting to unplug stuff to see where the issue is.
You can perform a parasitic load test on it with an ammeter and see how much current is being drawn just sitting. Connect an ammeter in series with a battery cable and let everything sit for about 5 minutes (doors all closed, lights off) and see what the idle current is. You need to let it sit a few minutes first as the ECU will draw more power when booting up after you connect. Do this, report back what you see and we can see if that appears normal or if you need to take the next step of starting to unplug stuff to see where the issue is.
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windhund116 (03-28-2022)
03-28-2022, 07:28 AM
#4
Since I moved to Colorado ten years ago, I have had a problem with the battery on my 2001 S 2000 going dead after a few weeks of vehicle non-use. I replaced the battery a year or so ago, and still have this problem. You see, I now live in “snow country” and S 2000s aren’t good in snow, so it is stored in my garage until roads are clear. I have bought a “battery charger/maintainer” which does keep the battery up during these periods. But I continue to wonder why this is a problem with my S 2000, as I have three other vehicles that have much more electronic content, that have no such problems. The only thing I can see is when the S 2000 is not running there is a blinking LED red light on the radio with writing underneath that says “theft alarm”. I don’t know if this means radio theft or car theft. Could this be discharging the battery? And what does this blinking red LED mean?
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dwb993 (03-28-2022)
03-28-2022, 08:56 AM
#5
+1 for Battery Tender
**Edited for "literary genius" moment. Thanks B serious.**
My battery would not hold much of a charge after about 2-3 weeks of storage. My stereo is aftermarket and has an "always on" connection to keep the settings intact. I first thought I had an older battery and replaced it with a new one from Advance Auto. While I have not tested how long it keeps a charge, it appears to be better than the 2-3 weeks I was getting. And I use a Battery Tender!
The battery itself is smaller than other auto batteries. It may just not hold as much charge.
**Edited for "literary genius" moment. Thanks B serious.**
My battery would not hold much of a charge after about 2-3 weeks of storage. My stereo is aftermarket and has an "always on" connection to keep the settings intact. I first thought I had an older battery and replaced it with a new one from Advance Auto. While I have not tested how long it keeps a charge, it appears to be better than the 2-3 weeks I was getting. And I use a Battery Tender!
The battery itself is smaller than other auto batteries. It may just not hold as much charge.
03-28-2022, 10:05 AM
#6
OP has a battery maintainer, you literary geniuses.
They're wondering why their S2000's battery seems to deplete faster than their other cars.
They're wondering why their S2000's battery seems to deplete faster than their other cars.
Last edited by B serious; 03-28-2022 at 10:08 AM.
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windhund116 (03-28-2022)
03-28-2022, 11:14 AM
#7
"S2000 going dead after a few weeks of vehicle non-use." sounds normal for any car. How many of your other cars go several weeks of non-use?
The S2000 like most cars has a constant battery draw from the radio memory and keyless entry system for sure. Probably at least part of the ECU as resetting it involves disconnecting it from power. Not sure if the blinking red LED on the radio is more than just a blinking red LED but it's drawing current as well. Years ago a bad switch for the light in the trunk left it On when the lid was closed. Took the expert assistance of a neighbor's 3 year old child to determine the cause.
-- Chuck
The S2000 like most cars has a constant battery draw from the radio memory and keyless entry system for sure. Probably at least part of the ECU as resetting it involves disconnecting it from power. Not sure if the blinking red LED on the radio is more than just a blinking red LED but it's drawing current as well. Years ago a bad switch for the light in the trunk left it On when the lid was closed. Took the expert assistance of a neighbor's 3 year old child to determine the cause.
-- Chuck
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03-28-2022, 01:09 PM
#8
"S2000 going dead after a few weeks of vehicle non-use." sounds normal for any car. How many of your other cars go several weeks of non-use?
The S2000 like most cars has a constant battery draw from the radio memory and keyless entry system for sure. Probably at least part of the ECU as resetting it involves disconnecting it from power. Not sure if the blinking red LED on the radio is more than just a blinking red LED but it's drawing current as well. Years ago a bad switch for the light in the trunk left it On when the lid was closed. Took the expert assistance of a neighbor's 3 year old child to determine the cause.
-- Chuck
The S2000 like most cars has a constant battery draw from the radio memory and keyless entry system for sure. Probably at least part of the ECU as resetting it involves disconnecting it from power. Not sure if the blinking red LED on the radio is more than just a blinking red LED but it's drawing current as well. Years ago a bad switch for the light in the trunk left it On when the lid was closed. Took the expert assistance of a neighbor's 3 year old child to determine the cause.
-- Chuck
03-28-2022, 01:28 PM
#9
Lets say the child was not an electrical engineer...
(Don't worry, it was a game of hide and seek and Mom had the key in the lock before the lid closed for all of 3 seconds. Fun game. Wanted to do it again.)
-- Chuck
(Don't worry, it was a game of hide and seek and Mom had the key in the lock before the lid closed for all of 3 seconds. Fun game. Wanted to do it again.)
-- Chuck