I replaced my factory battery back in November once the cold got to it, but the next battery lasted about 3 days before it was dead too. Replaced THAT one with an Optima Red Top which lasted about 2 weeks before it started dying. The car spent the next 2 months in storage (of course the Optima was dead when I got it back) but after a jump start it made it the 10 miles home. The next morning it was dead again (in 50 degree F weather). I hooked it up to a charger, and after about 2 hours on the charger I got a fault code. Either it has an 'internal shorted cell', or I'm using too high an amperage. I'm only using 2 Amps for charging, figure its better to take it slow.

Why is my car eating batteries like this? If the Optima does have a shorted cell, what is my car doing to keep causing that? The factory battery lasted me a good 9 months before it died, no telling how long it was in before I owned the car. I do have a subwoofer hooked up- but it has an auto-shutdown, plus it was in for 5 months before I ever had problems and never bothered the factory battery. I ran through my daily stuff for several days with the head unit off and sub off to see if one of those was drawing power when it shouldn't , but it didn't change anything.

I had the alternator tested, its a little low (13.2) but that may just be the subwoofer and head unit. Pretty sure I'm not doing something obvious, like getting the terminals backwards or leaving the headlights on.

 

Or just a bad run of batteries but I put my money on one of the above. The alternator at 13.2 volts is concerning. It's either not generating the 14V and the charging current it should or something is loading it big time that the regulator cannot handle.

I hope this helps.

 

Just out of curiousity, what sort of speakers did you put in your car? (I noticed the comp pics...)

 

first battery died of old age, the second one was faulty. The third one died because you let it go flat, they are not designed for this. Solution is to get a new, quality battery, and to never let it go so flat.

 

regulated value, after which the voltage set point is in control. You most likely have a continuous current draw when shut down.

 

I'll agree that the second one was faulty, and the first probably old, but there was no 'letting' the third one get flat. The car was driven 10-15 miles a day and never left for more than 12 hours at a time until it was in storage and the Optima started dying well before that happened.

Was it just extreme cold then (I was in the midwest at the time in 2 feet of snow).

 

No speakers, just a sub. Infinity self-powered model, 300w.

 

I was actually referring to Murph when I asked that question. Sorry for the confusion! : )

 

Double check your aftermarket install. Something may be staying on. An idle amp powered up will kill a battery in no time.

Have someone check for a current draw when the car is shut off. You've got a draw somewhere.

Maybe pull the master fuse for your aftermarket audio stuff. That would be the first place I'd look.

 

I then tweaked it in via the "hidden" EQ in the radio which my year has. Otherwise I would have needed to either rip out/replace the stock crossovers or put some non-inductive series resistors in to knock down the tweeters as they are hot. It sounds really good.