BigRedDog

Ok brief history..

I have moderate powered stereo, and alarm system in the car. Other than that nothing special. I had upgraded to an Optima Yellow top battery and after about 2 years of use one day just went dead on me.. i could jump the car but right when i turn the car off.. battery is flat out dead.. i mean to where nothing turned on... so i replace the battery with a new Honda Battery... Ran car for about a month and one day (after it sitting for two days) the car is dead again???

So i jump the car and off i go... next day.. its dead again.. now to the point to where i was before..if i stop the car the battery won't start up the car..not as completely dead as before (power turns on, lights turn on) but it won't start

So where do i begin? Could it be an electrical problem? or an alternator problem? i'm not familiar with this nor am i familiar with alternator problems so i don't know if this is a sign of it failing.

My car has over 100K miles on it and and it was driven pretty much every day every where... any help would be MUCH appreciated. Thanks.

BRD

Slows2k

You need to check for a parasitic current draw.

slalom44

Get your hands on a multitester. Check the voltage of the charged battery. IIRC, it should read around 12.5 volts when battery is charged and the engine is off.

Then start the car and check the voltage across the terminals while the engine is idling. You should have around 14.5 to 15 volts. If you don't have this significant voltage increase, you likely have an alternator problem.

If you unhook one of the terminals on your battery (make sure you have the code for your stereo before doing this), you can check the current across the terminal and the cable. First, try touching the cable to the terminal and see if you get a spark. If you do, you probably have a current drain. You will need to troubleshoot this to find out what's draining your battery. If you don't get a spark, you can check the amount of current drain using an ammeter. I believe that if you get a few milliamps (used by the power door locks, clock and alarm system), you're OK. If you have a significant drain, well you will need to find the source of the drain. If it's a really big drain, you will fry your multitester (which is why you check for a spark first).

BigRedDog

slalom44

Thanks for the tips.... once i get my hands on a meter i will definitely give that a shot... and i'll post my results.... thanks agian