Jump starting questions.

[photo2001]

The battery in my '00 Forester is dead again.

 

The battery is less than a year old, but my car sits on the

street for sometimes more than a month without being started. This

is because I am disabled and don't get out much, and have nobody

to run the car. However, my Mother's Taurus sits for just as long,

if not longer, and it starts like it's run everyday. I'm thinking that

my car alarm is running the battery down.

 

I just ordered a Black & Decker jump-starter that plugs into the cigarette

lighter to start the car without having to use cables. Anyone ever use

one of these?

[montana105]

Have never tried this outfit.You are on the right track though for your symptoms,probably your car stereo memory backup is draining power down along with your alarm system. Are you able to hook up a remote starter so you could start the car every week or so from your house just to keep the battery charged? Or get one of those battery maintainers(trickle chargers)?

Hope this helps John

[ericem]

Make sure no accessories are running when the car is off. Doesn't really matter how new the battery is, sometimes there is going to be a bad batch off batteries. Good luck.

[Manarius]

Make sure no accessories are running when the car is off. Doesn't really matter how new the battery is, sometimes there is going to be a bad batch off batteries. Good luck.

It's not the battery. It's the alarm system. And, it doesn't matter about the accessories.

 

I'd recommend a trickle charger like mentioned above. It doesn't really matter what kind of car it is - if it goes for a month without being started, it needs a trickle charger.

[ericem]

YOu could also get the solar chargers, so you dont need to run a extension cord, and just plug it into your lighter, and put it on ur dash.

[porcupine73]

The vehicle should be able to sit easily for more than a month without the battery going dead. As the car is parked on the street I'm guessing running an extension cord to a trickle charger won't be feasible.

 

The portable jump starters should work just fine. With a unit that plugs into the cigarette lighter, you might have to wait a few minutes for it to charge the battery a bit before starting. This results from a max of say 10 or 15A being transferred from the portable charger, which is not enough by itself to start the engine.

 

If the portable charger uses alligator clips to connect directly to the battery terminals it should start instantly.

 

Depending on how much you're looking to spend, I'd suggest trying an Optima yellow top (or blue top) battery. They're pricey, but they're deep cycle and might handle whatever is going on with the vehicle.

 

You could use a remote starter to start it for a few minutes every couple weeks. I don't recommend it though as starting for a few minutes without the engine oil reaching operating temperature will only result in fuel dilution and water condensation building up in the oil.

[montana105]

I was gonna edit this earlier but you know how it goes. I rethought the remote starter idea,are you also able to shut the car off or would they have to go out to shut the car off (not able to go out they said for extended periods) ? John

[photo2001]

Thanks for all the great replies! And quick too!

 

I live on the 6th floor of a high-rise buiding, car is

on the street, so

trickle charger is not an option unfortunately. I don't

think I could afford that extension cord anyway.

 

I have a remote starter...just have trouble finding

someone to use it for me (this building is 50 years old,

almost no handicap access, sux). However, I DID get someone

to try it tonight..doornail dead.

 

I am very interested in finding out more about the solar

charger! Will Google that..

 

This is what I just ordered:

http://www.amazon.com/Decker-Simple-Battery-Booster-BB7B/dp/B000H774BY/ref=pd_ybh_a_1/002-4003227-6284048

 

I have gone through this with new batteries before. I'm going to stop using the alarm until I sort this out.

 

Thanks again all!

[dhise]

Just to add another thing, every time you deep cycle a car battery, you significantly shorten it's life span. That battery will probably be toast by next winter now. Get one of those solar chargers and turn off the alarm.

 

peace,

Doug

[porcupine73]

Another option, if you can work it, might be a battery quick disconnect. This disconnect replaces one (or both) of your battery terminals. It has a lever you flip and you can pop that terminal off the battery.

 

If you disconnect it when you park the car for a period of time it should prevent the drain. Of course it could cause other issues, such as loss of radio station presets, possible alarm going off upon reconnection, loss of ECU&TCU learned parameters, etc.

 

What brand/type/size battery is installed? Maybe if you make only a short trip after starting the vehicle the battery may not be fully recharging.

[photo2001]

I was gonna edit this earlier but you know how it goes. I rethought the remote starter idea,are you also able to shut the car off or would they have to go out to shut the car off (not able to go out they said for extended periods) ? John

 

 

With this remote starter, the motor shuts itself off after about 20 minutes, and the doors are SUPPOSED to lock, however they haven’t been locking automatically since the tree fell on my car this summer…hmmm ($2000.00 later…)

[photo2001]

Just thinking out the solar charger thing. I think the cigarette lighter

in my Forester doesn't get power when the starter is off. Anyone

know a workaround to this?

[ericem]

Just thinking out the solar charger thing. I think the cigarette lighter

in my Forester doesn't get power when the starter is off. Anyone

know a workaround to this?

 

Oh yaa, your correct, how would you get around this? Anyway you can disable the alarm? unplug it something?

[porcupine73]

Yes, any suby's I've seen have the cigarette lighter powered only with key in acc or run. Two potential workarounds:

• Chop the hot wire to the existing socket and wire it directly to the battery + (with a fuse)
  
• Add a second aftermarket accessory outlet wired directly to battery + (with fuse at battery terminal)
  

[johnceggleston]

just brain srorming here, how about a smaller 12V gel cel that powers the alarm only, and rechages when the car runs. there may even be room under the hood for it.

[photo2001]

I found a solar charger here: http://www.solarcharger.com/s.nl/it.A/id.64/.f?sc=2&category=62

 

It plugs into the cigarette lighter OR clamps directly to the battery. Now, if

I clamped it to the battery, I can't just leave my hood up, or have it

dangle outside the car, would be ripped off around here. So I'm thinking maybe it could sit behind

the Forester's grill. But would that be safe in front of a hot radiator? I mean

when I turn the motor off, obviously wouldn't drive around with it there.

 

There IS an accessory outlet in the boot of the Forester. It turns off

also, but maybe that one could be hot-wired to the battery instead of

going the clamp to battery route.

[ericem]

I found a solar charger here: http://www.solarcharger.com/s.nl/it.A/id.64/.f?sc=2&category=62

 

It plugs into the cigarette lighter OR clamps directly to the battery. Now, if

I clamped it to the battery, I can't just leave my hood up, or have it

dangle outside the car, would be ripped off around here. So I'm thinking maybe it could sit behind

the Forester's grill. But would that be safe in front of a hot radiator? I mean

when I turn the motor off, obviously wouldn't drive around with it there.

 

There IS an accessory outlet in the boot of the Forester. It turns off

also, but maybe that one could be hot-wired to the battery instead of

going the clamp to battery route.

 

i definitly wouldn't want the solar panel around my engine bay or front grill, i think your better off hotwiring the front or rear lighter.

[porcupine73]

For a solar panel to really make enough juice it really needs to be as much in direct sunlight as possible. On the dash would probably work. I'd get the biggest meanest solar panel you can find; otherwise it probably just won't be enough power to keep the battery charged. Harbor Freight had a monster 45-watt unit on sale recently.

[The Dude]

If I am not mistaken, the rear 12V outlet in my Forester stays "on" even when the ignition is off. So, placing the solar charger on the dashboard and running the wire to the rear 12V outlet may work. BTW, allowing a battery to completely discharge greatly reduces it's useful life.

[Skip]

Porc: well said...

I like his idea.

You could try this

 

using electrical tape

do a clean install of this

in the normal sun roof location.

 

run the wire to the dome light hot wire.

(always hot, gets a ground through the door open

system)

 

It would

look like a factory sun roof

with the real meaning of sunroof.

_______________________

Okay, I'll take my meds now.

[nipper]

Its the cars internal computers running your batery down.

Here is my suggestion. Get a remote starter with a good healthy range. This way once a week you can start the car without leaving your house, and charge up the battery. This is how i kept mine charged last winter when i couldnt drive for 3 months.

 

nipper

[photo2001]

Its the cars internal computers running your batery down.

Here is my suggestion. Get a remote starter with a good healthy range. This way once a week you can start the car without leaving your house, and charge up the battery. This is how i kept mine charged last winter when i couldnt drive for 3 months.

 

nipper

 

 

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately my apartment is on the

opposite side of the building from where the car is parked. I'm going

to have to pay someone to periodically start my car I think.

 

The 'Simple Start' jumpstarter arrived yesterday. I charged it up, and

will try it out soon. It's a neat little compact device. It does have a

warning not to jumpstart frozen batteries. Of course, when do most

batteries die? When they freeze, here in the northeast anyway.

 

To whoever mentioned replacing the sunroof with a solar charger, how

about incorporating a solar panel into the sliding cover underneath the

sun (or moon) roof? I'm guessing that would be a popular option if

Subaru offered it, and not that hard to manufacture. Or a neat invention

for the aftermarket.

 

Thanks again everyone!

[cookie]

Boats have the same problem. next time get a boat deep cycle battery, lose the alarm, remote starter as suggested, and best of luck.

[1 Lucky Texan]

One other kinda slim possibility is that the diode trio (actually, whatever does that job nowadays) in the alternator is bad. I've had alts be bad and not show up on dash warning lamps.

 

And I also think investing in an Optima battery might be helpful. Or possibly have a shop rig a second battery in parallel with yours.

 

 

Carl

[nipper]

There is another solution. there is a anti-battery drain electronic switch. it goes between the battery and the terminal. Once the battery drops to specific point, it cuts the power to the system. When it senses a huge load (ie starting the car) it automatically resets. The downside is loosing any radio presets.

 

http://www.prioritystart.com/

 

I have a problem with the cigerette lighter as charger things. battery cable is a 2 gauge i think . the cigar lighter is 16 gauge. 16 gauge can not hold that current. It may work depending upon how low your battery goes.

 

With the remote starter, is it possible for you just to get out of the house once a week to start the car?

 

Some cars are worse, and can drain themselves down in 2 weeks.

 

nipper