[crv98diane]

Hello Everyone, I have a '98 CRV with 156,00 miles bought new. It has been great. Only back to the dealer twice, once for timing belt and once for rear dif oil change. Everything else just reg maintenance. My issue now is I leave it in the garage for thirty days and I return to a dead battery. The battery is new from Honda. My mechanic is not anxious to mess with it. Where do I start? thanks --- Alan

 

[CRnotVtec]

Anything aftermarket on it? First step would be a do a parasitic draw test, and start pulling fuses one by one to find the draw.

 

[BigD]

I have older Toyota Sequoia like that. If the garage has electricity, I would plug in a small trickle charger like Battery Tender to keep the battery up in between car uses.

 

[Wildcat]

30 days is too long of a time to let a battery sit without charging it (by driving it). You need like what @BigD mentions--some kind of trickle charger to put on the battery when the car isn't being driven.

I have two cheap trickle charges, both on vehicles that are not being driven, and they seem to be keeping the batteries well charged. My '97 has a battery that I think is nearly 10 years old, and it is still holding a charge. Not keeping it charged will shorten the life of the battery.

 

[BigD]

I keep my farm tractors, my Sequoia all on the Battery Tenders and when we tow the Honda CRV it stays charged by the motorhome alternator.

 

[crv98diane]

Thanks everyone, nothing aftermarket. I'm going with the parasitic draw. (I just have to figure out how to do it). I have three other vehicles and two small tractors and they all easily start after 30 days. Thanks again

 

[kloker]

There are YouTube videos on this you can watch. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Wildcat]

Thanks everyone, nothing aftermarket. I'm going with the parasitic draw. (I just have to figure out how to do it). I have three other vehicles and two small tractors and they all easily start after 30 days. Thanks again

Do what you like. Letting lead acid batteries sit without a charge leads to the buildup of lead sulfate on the plates inside the battery--that is the chemical breakdown of the lead plates and sulfuric acid inside the battery, which is why they "die" over time. A partially dead battery might still operate a starter so the engine starts up, but that does not assume the battery is in a healthy state. A float charger helps prevent that from happening, and is way cheaper than a new battery.

A battery can often be maintained and rejuvenated with a battery desulfator, which breaks down the lead sulfate to bring the battery back to its natural state. It uses a high frequency pulse to do its work. More about it here:

http://www.superstreetonline.com/ho...l/impp-1105-battery-desulfators-fact-fiction/

I haven't had time to use my desulfator fully on my '09, but on our other '09 the battery tests strong after using it. I have a dead battery from an old Accord I'm going to try to rejuvenate with it just for kicks. (They recommend using it even on presumably healthy batteries as a maintenance measure.)