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CarGuru > Ford > Battery Problem 9 May 2005 10:36:59

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Battery Problem

D.D. Palmer 4 May 2005 01:56:59
 A good friend of mine has a year 2000 VOLVO S70 AWD with a mere 35,000 miles
on it. I am posting this here because the VOLVO board is not very active and
the problem is probably something you folks know about.

My friends live here (Pittsburgh) but spent 6 months in Florida, hence the
low miles. While they are in Fla each year the Volvo sits in their garage
here. My job is to start it and drive it occasionally. In 2003, the battery
died in spite of me driving it. I put in a DIEHARD for them. Again two weeks
ago, I went to start the car to prepare for their return and, in spite of
starting and driving all winter thru some bitter cold spells, the battery
was dead and would not recharge after a jump and drive.

Is there something in that car that drains the battery when it sits for,
say, 2 weeks without being driven? And is there any reason NOT to disconnect
the positive terminal next winter and perhaps move the battery into the
warmer house? I also hear there is a "switch" that accomplishes the same
thing as disconnecting the terminal. What about a trickle charger? Any
danger of leaving one of those on with no one home and maybe for 2 weeks
without inspection? Any ideas/thoughts on this relatively minor but annoying
problem would be appreciated.



Add comment
D.D. Palmer 4 May 2005 01:56:47 permanent link ]
 A good friend of mine has a year 2000 VOLVO S70 AWD with a mere 35,000 miles
on it. I am posting this here because the VOLVO board is not very active and
the problem is probably something you folks know about.

My friends live here (Pittsburgh) but spent 6 months in Florida, hence the
low miles. While they are in Fla each year the Volvo sits in their garage
here. My job is to start it and drive it occasionally. In 2003, the battery
died in spite of me driving it. I put in a DIEHARD for them. Again two weeks
ago, I went to start the car to prepare for their return and, in spite of
starting and driving all winter thru some bitter cold spells, the battery
was dead and would not recharge after a jump and drive.

Is there something in that car that drains the battery when it sits for,
say, 2 weeks without being driven? And is there any reason NOT to disconnect
the positive terminal next winter and perhaps move the battery into the
warmer house? I also hear there is a "switch" that accomplishes the same
thing as disconnecting the terminal. What about a trickle charger? Any
danger of leaving one of those on with no one home and maybe for 2 weeks
without inspection? Any ideas/thoughts on this relatively minor but annoying
problem would be appreciated.



Add comment
Master0fToyz 4 May 2005 02:57:51 permanent link ]
 My guess is the alternator. My mother had an 86 Thunderbird that did
the same thing, it killed many batteries prematurely. That was one of
many things to go wrong with that POS, but I digress...

Ironically, your friend also has a car affiliated with Ford, so I
wouldn't be surprised if this was the problem.

The other option is a bad ground somewhere, especially on the solenoid
switch, which connects battery to starter (that also had to be replaced
several times on the T-turd as well).

Add comment
Halo2 Guy 4 May 2005 03:28:12 permanent link ]
 I would check for excessive amperage drains on the system and repair....if
drains are not excessive then I would have the battery checked and charging
system.

Aside from that there should be no problem driving the car every few weeks.
The battery should be fine. I would buy an auto shut off trickle charger
and just keep it on their all the time and not have to worry about taking
the battery out. I wouldn't disconnect the battery completely since the
clock and radio stations would have to be reset and this just isn't
necessary.


"D.D. Palmer" <ddpalmer@hotmail.c­om> wrote in message
news:Wo6dneNQH9upae­rfRVn-oA@comcast.com­...>A good friend of mine has a year 2000 VOLVO S70 AWD with a mere 35,000 >miles on it. I am posting this here because the VOLVO board is not very >active and the problem is probably something you folks know about.>
My friends live here (Pittsburgh) but spent 6 months in Florida, hence the > low miles. While they are in Fla each year the Volvo sits in their garage > here. My job is to start it and drive it occasionally. In 2003, the > battery died in spite of me driving it. I put in a DIEHARD for them. Again > two weeks ago, I went to start the car to prepare for their return and, in > spite of> starting and driving all winter thru some bitter cold spells, the battery > was dead and would not recharge after a jump and drive.>
Is there something in that car that drains the battery when it sits for, > say, 2 weeks without being driven? And is there any reason NOT to > disconnect the positive terminal next winter and perhaps move the battery > into the warmer house? I also hear there is a "switch" that accomplishes > the same thing as disconnecting the terminal. What about a trickle > charger? Any danger of leaving one of those on with no one home and maybe > for 2 weeks without inspection? Any ideas/thoughts on this relatively > minor but annoying problem would be appreciated.>


Add comment
TeGGeR® 4 May 2005 05:33:07 permanent link ]
 "D.D. Palmer" <ddpalmer@hotmail.c­om> wrote in
news:Wo6dneNQH9upae­rfRVn-oA@comcast.com­:
A good friend of mine has a year 2000 VOLVO S70 AWD with a mere 35,000> miles on it.


<snip>

Is there something in that car that drains the battery when it sits> for, say, 2 weeks without being driven?


I have to ask: Are there any aftermarket add-ons installed?
*Stereo
*Alarm
*Remote start
*Fog/driving lights

Has the vehicle been involved in a collision?

Do all the lights work properly? (Don't overlook trunk and glove box
lights!)

Battery drainage problems are usually due to poorly-installed accessories.
A 2000 model-year car is a bit new for corrosion-related drainage.

--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hond­afaq/
Add comment
D.D. Palmer 4 May 2005 06:10:55 permanent link ]
 No aftermarket accessories, no accidents, everything runs as it is supposed
to other than the battery not surviving the few weeks between drives.


"TeGGeR®" <tegger@tegger.c0m>­ wrote in message
news:Xns964BDB2B54B­75tegger@207.14.113.­17...> "D.D. Palmer" <ddpalmer@hotmail.c­om> wrote in> news:Wo6dneNQH9upae­rfRVn-oA@comcast.com­:>
A good friend of mine has a year 2000 VOLVO S70 AWD with a mere 35,000>> miles on it.>
<snip>>
Is there something in that car that drains the battery when it sits>> for, say, 2 weeks without being driven?>
I have to ask: Are there any aftermarket add-ons installed?> *Stereo> *Alarm> *Remote start> *Fog/driving lights>
Has the vehicle been involved in a collision?>
Do all the lights work properly? (Don't overlook trunk and glove box> lights!)>
Battery drainage problems are usually due to poorly-installed accessories.> A 2000 model-year car is a bit new for corrosion-related drainage.>
-- > TeGGeR®>
The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ> www.tegger.com/hond­afaq/


Add comment
Searcher1 4 May 2005 06:22:44 permanent link ]
 First of all there are many things in the vehicle that drain the battery.
Although, not much of a drain it is a drain nonetheless. The clock, the
computer, the switch that allows the interior lights to come on when the
door handle is operated. Many things contribute to this "dead battery". When
you are driving the vehicle, how long and far do you drive it? Around the
block long enough to warm it up. In order for the altenator to thoroughly
charge the battery you really need to drive it at high speed (bout 55-60)
for a period of time. Just because the engine is spinning doesn't mean the
alt. is charging the battery. The battery is only to start the car, maintain
clocks and computer settings etc.. Take back the Diehard have them replace
the battery. I suppose that you are using the international group 43? LOSE
it, tell them you want the Gold it's cheaper (bout 20 bucks , I think) the
Gold that fits and the terminal on the correct sides.12 volts are 12 volts
no matter what the battery l;ooks like. I only recommend the Gold because I
like it! I also like the OPTIMA, but they are pricey bout 130.00. I have
used the two above batteries for many years and have not had any problems. I
work for an airline so my FORD sits for weeks at a time. The GPS, clock,
computer and door light thingy is always active, as well as the alarm, I
have yet to cvome back to a dead battery. Granted, the longest shes sat was
two weeks, but then I drive the 10 min to the house and she sits there too,
then its back to the airport to do it all over again.

Hope this helps.


Searcher1`


Add comment
Ray O 4 May 2005 09:08:55 permanent link ]
 
"D.D. Palmer" <ddpalmer@hotmail.c­om> wrote in message
news:U8WdnWbvPt-Gae­rfRVn-pw@comcast.com­...>A good friend of mine has a year 2000 VOLVO S70 AWD with a mere 35,000 >miles on it. I am posting this here because the VOLVO board is not very >active and the problem is probably something you folks know about.>
My friends live here (Pittsburgh) but spent 6 months in Florida, hence the > low miles. While they are in Fla each year the Volvo sits in their garage > here. My job is to start it and drive it occasionally. In 2003, the > battery died in spite of me driving it. I put in a DIEHARD for them. Again > two weeks ago, I went to start the car to prepare for their return and, in > spite of> starting and driving all winter thru some bitter cold spells, the battery > was dead and would not recharge after a jump and drive.>
Is there something in that car that drains the battery when it sits for, > say, 2 weeks without being driven? And is there any reason NOT to > disconnect the positive terminal next winter and perhaps move the battery > into the warmer house? I also hear there is a "switch" that accomplishes > the same thing as disconnecting the terminal. What about a trickle > charger? Any danger of leaving one of those on with no one home and maybe > for 2 weeks without inspection? Any ideas/thoughts on this relatively > minor but annoying problem would be appreciated.>

There are 3 explanations to the Volvo's dead battery.

First, the answer to your question about whether there is something in the
car that drains the battery when it sits for 2 weeks without being driven is
yes, and this is the most likely reason the Volvo's battery is dead after 2
weeks. A typical car has a clock, radio memory, and various computer
memories (EFI, transmission, supplemental restraint systems, ABS, traction
control, etc.) to power. Although the current draw is pretty low, it will
eventually drain the battery, especially if the battery is not fully
charged. You can clear computer trouble codes by disconnecting the battery
or pulling fuses because the computer requires power to retain its memory.
Clocks need power to keep time, radios use power to remember radio station
settings, etc. Add to this a dome light or glove box light that is stuck on
and you have a quicker drain.

The second explanation is that you are not driving it enough to fully
recharge the battery and so the normal drain doesn't take as long to deplete
the battery. If you drive at low speeds, the alternator may not fully
charge the battery. If you are going to drive the vehicle to charge it, do
so at highway speeds for at least half an hour.

The third explanation is that there is something wrong with the charging
system. A loose or worn alternator belt, bad alternator, voltage regulator,
cables, or battery can be the cause and the components need to be tested to
confirm or eliminate the charging system as the cause.

If a battery sits in a discharged state for any length of time, it become
sulfated and loses its ability to hold a charge. Do this several times for
a week or two and you'll have a bad battery in no time.

My guess is a combination of the normal parasitic load and a sulfated
battery is the culprit.

You can remedy this by trickle-charging the battery. Modern chargers have
automatic on-off features so it won't overcharge the battery and will start
charging when it senses a voltage drop. You can purchase an on-board
trickle charger that mounts in the engine compartment for under $40.00 U.S.
that is permanently hooked up and all you have to do is pull out its power
cord and plug it in when the car is going to sit idle for a long time. I've
seen such chargers at Sears automotive departments. Or, you can purchase a
conventional charger with an automatic trickle charger but then you have to
disconnect it when you want to drive the car. With an automatic trickle
charger, you won't have to start the car to keep the battery fully charged
although starting and driving the car has other benefits, like keeping
things lubed and loose, keeping tires from getting flat spotted, and letting
the car know that it is receiving TLC.
--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply





Add comment
Tomb 4 May 2005 11:59:50 permanent link ]
 D.D. Palmer wrote:
| No aftermarket accessories, no accidents, everything runs as it is
| supposed to other than the battery not surviving the few weeks
| between drives.

OK, I don't know what the capacity for this battery is. Let's assume 50Ah.
In fully charged and perfect condition, that would give you 50 hours of 1A.
If you had a load of 20mA (essentially a single LED turned on), that would
give you 1,000 hours (41.6 days) before the battery is completely
discharged. With 40mA, that would reduce to 20.8 days, not taking into
account any sort of self-discharge rate. Also, the car will most likely be
unable to start much earlier than "fully discharged"

The only way you have to tell is to hook up an ammeter between the battery
and the wire going away from it. Once you know the current (and the battery
capacity, and ideally the state of the battery), you'll be able to estimate
the time it can stand around wthout being started.

If you do let it go into deep-discharge, you will irreversably damage the
battery. The electrodes change chemically and will not be able to hold much
of a charge anymore.

The first task would be to find out how much current is being drawn in the
"off" state; is there an alarm? Any additional current sinks?

Also, consider that your drives may not be recharging the battery fully.

|| "TeGGeR®" <tegger@tegger.c0m>­ wrote in message
|| news:Xns964BDB2B54B­75tegger@207.14.113.­17...
||| "D.D. Palmer" <ddpalmer@hotmail.c­om> wrote in
||| news:Wo6dneNQH9upae­rfRVn-oA@comcast.com­:
|||
|||| A good friend of mine has a year 2000 VOLVO S70 AWD with a mere
|||| 35,000 miles on it.
|||
|||
||| <snip>
|||
|||
||||
|||| Is there something in that car that drains the battery when it sits
|||| for, say, 2 weeks without being driven?
|||
|||
||| I have to ask: Are there any aftermarket add-ons installed?
||| *Stereo
||| *Alarm
||| *Remote start
||| *Fog/driving lights
|||
||| Has the vehicle been involved in a collision?
|||
||| Do all the lights work properly? (Don't overlook trunk and glove box
||| lights!)
|||
||| Battery drainage problems are usually due to poorly-installed
||| accessories. A 2000 model-year car is a bit new for
||| corrosion-related drainage.
|||
||| --
||| TeGGeR®
|||
||| The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
||| www.tegger.com/hond­afaq/


Add comment
Michael Pardee 4 May 2005 16:54:17 permanent link ]
 "D.D. Palmer" <ddpalmer@hotmail.c­om> wrote in message
news:Wo6dneNQH9upae­rfRVn-oA@comcast.com­...>A good friend of mine has a year 2000 VOLVO S70 AWD with a mere 35,000 >miles on it. I am posting this here because the VOLVO board is not very >active and the problem is probably something you folks know about.>
I saw your post on the Volvo group - it actually gets almost as much
activity as this group does. Keep an eye on that post, too... the gurus
there (Mike F, Robert Dietz, and others) can tell you if there is something
you need to know about the S70 charging system.

Mike

Mike


Add comment
Kgold 4 May 2005 17:47:27 permanent link ]
 "D.D. Palmer" <ddpalmer@hotmail.c­om> writes:> A good friend of mine has a year 2000 VOLVO S70 AWD with a mere 35,000 miles > on it. I am posting this here because the VOLVO board is not very active and > the problem is probably something you folks know about.>
My friends live here (Pittsburgh) but spent 6 months in Florida, hence the > low miles. While they are in Fla each year the Volvo sits in their garage > here. My job is to start it and drive it occasionally. In 2003, the battery > died in spite of me driving it. I put in a DIEHARD for them. Again two weeks > ago, I went to start the car to prepare for their return and, in spite of> starting and driving all winter thru some bitter cold spells, the battery > was dead and would not recharge after a jump and drive.>
Is there something in that car that drains the battery when it sits for, > say, 2 weeks without being driven? And is there any reason NOT to disconnect > the positive terminal next winter and perhaps move the battery into the > warmer house? I also hear there is a "switch" that accomplishes the same > thing as disconnecting the terminal. What about a trickle charger? Any > danger of leaving one of those on with no one home and maybe for 2 weeks > without inspection? Any ideas/thoughts on this relatively minor but annoying > problem would be appreciated.

A modern car does have devices that draw power even when the car is
off. However, 2 weeks seems much too short. I have a 2nd car that
routinely sits for a week or more without problem. I suspect that
there might be something wrong, which can be detected by attaching an
ammeter, and diagnosed by pulling fuses.

Disconnecting the battery will help, but it will reset various
computers, which might be annoying. A trickle charger is better, but
I'm also uncomfortable about leaving it unattended for weeks. Driving
the car has other benefits, but make sure it's driven long enough to
warm up and charge the battery, maybe 20 minutes.

--
Ken Goldman kgold@watson.ibm.co­m 914-784-7646
Add comment
D.D. Palmer 4 May 2005 18:11:51 permanent link ]
 Thanks for that tidbit about the Volvo group! I'll keep watching!


"Michael Pardee" <michaeltnull@cyber­trails.com> wrote in message
news:JqidndjcvtGcW-­XfRVn-sw@sedona.net.­..> "D.D. Palmer" <ddpalmer@hotmail.c­om> wrote in message > news:Wo6dneNQH9upae­rfRVn-oA@comcast.com­...>>A good friend of mine has a year 2000 VOLVO S70 AWD with a mere 35,000 >>miles on it. I am posting this here because the VOLVO board is not very >>active and the problem is probably something you folks know about.>>
I saw your post on the Volvo group - it actually gets almost as much > activity as this group does. Keep an eye on that post, too... the gurus > there (Mike F, Robert Dietz, and others) can tell you if there is > something you need to know about the S70 charging system.>
Mike>
Mike>


Add comment
Bill Jeffrey 4 May 2005 21:50:03 permanent link ]
 D.D. Palmer wrote:
A good friend of mine has a year 2000 VOLVO S70 AWD with a mere 35,000 miles > on it. I am posting this here because the VOLVO board is not very active and > the problem is probably something you folks know about.>
My friends live here (Pittsburgh) but spent 6 months in Florida, hence the > low miles. While they are in Fla each year the Volvo sits in their garage > here. My job is to start it and drive it occasionally. In 2003, the battery > died in spite of me driving it. I put in a DIEHARD for them. Again two weeks > ago, I went to start the car to prepare for their return and, in spite of> starting and driving all winter thru some bitter cold spells, the battery > was dead and would not recharge after a jump and drive.>
Is there something in that car that drains the battery when it sits for, > say, 2 weeks without being driven? And is there any reason NOT to disconnect > the positive terminal next winter and perhaps move the battery into the > warmer house? I also hear there is a "switch" that accomplishes the same > thing as disconnecting the terminal. What about a trickle charger? Any > danger of leaving one of those on with no one home and maybe for 2 weeks > without inspection? Any ideas/thoughts on this relatively minor but annoying > problem would be appreciated.

1. Yes, disconnect the battery to disconnect the parasitic (phantom)
loads. Just pop off one of the cables. Actually it is safer to muck
with the negative cable, but electrically they are equivalent.
2. If you leave it connected, it shouldn't discharge to flat-out dead
in two weeks. Either it isn't being charged, or there is an extra load
that you are not aware of. Is the glove box light on? Trunk light?
Under-hood light? Disconnecting a cable would, of course, take care of
any of these.
3. No, do not take the battery into a warmer place. A cold battery's
self-discharge rate is very small, but it increases at warmer
temperature. If you remove the battery from the vehicle, just set it on
the floor in the cold garage. The old wive's tale about not setting a
battery on concrete is just that - an old wive's tale.
4. I have never heard of an OEM disconnect switch. You can add an
aftermarket switch (a great big affair, since the current it must handle
is large), but why?
5. Take a look at http://www.batteryf­aq.org/carfaq13.htm for a lot of
information relating to your questions.

FWIW, I have a '98 Ford Ranger that still has the OEM battery. Every
winter, I leave the Ranger in my unheated garage in Maine for 6 months,
while I escape the cold. Before I go, I clean the battery terminals,
make sure the battery is fully charged (I drive the Ranger daily so this
happens automatically), and disconnect the negative battery cable. When
I get back to Maine in the spring, I simply reconnect the cable. The
Ranger has never failed to start right up, with no recharging, jumping,
or assists of any kind.

Bill

Add comment
Ulysses 5 May 2005 21:21:10 permanent link ]
 
"D.D. Palmer" <ddpalmer@hotmail.c­om> wrote in message
news:5sWdnVtc2-W6ae­rfRVn-sw@comcast.com­...
. What about a trickle charger? Any> danger of leaving one of those on with no one home and maybe for 2 weeks> without inspection? Any ideas/thoughts on this relatively minor but
annoying> problem would be appreciated.>

I had a float charger connected to a travel trailer battery and after about
4 weeks the water level was way too low. The instructions said "connect it
and forget about it." I suggest that if you use one check the battery level
frequently at first.


Add comment
Bill Jeffrey 6 May 2005 21:29:47 permanent link ]
 Cheap trickle chargers are a hoax. They cram a given amount of current
into your battery, whether it needs it or not - and if it doesn't need
it, it will boil the electrolyte (as Ulsses noted), sulfate the battery,
and eventually warp the plates.

If this is only two weeks, you are going to WAY too much trouble. Just
disconnect the battery (to remove any phantom loads) and leave it alone.

BTW, have you ever left a car unused for two weeks? Did anything bad or
catastrophic happen? Of course not. So what's the paranoia here?

Bill
==============

Ulysses wrote:
"D.D. Palmer" <ddpalmer@hotmail.c­om> wrote in message> news:5sWdnVtc2-W6ae­rfRVn-sw@comcast.com­...> . What about a trickle charger? Any>
danger of leaving one of those on with no one home and maybe for 2 weeks>>without inspection? Any ideas/thoughts on this relatively minor but>
annoying>
problem would be appreciated.>>
I had a float charger connected to a travel trailer battery and after about> 4 weeks the water level was way too low. The instructions said "connect it> and forget about it." I suggest that if you use one check the battery level> frequently at first.>

Add comment
Guest 8 May 2005 01:01:09 permanent link ]
 On Fri, 06 May 2005 10:29:47 -0700, Bill Jeffrey
<wjeffreyAT@alum.DO­Tmit.edu> wrote:
Cheap trickle chargers are a hoax. They cram a given amount of current >into your battery, whether it needs it or not - and if it doesn't need >it, it will boil the electrolyte (as Ulsses noted), sulfate the battery, > and eventually warp the plates.>
I have a "battery maintainer" which I leave connected to my collector car
all winter. I has solved all the problems I used to have with the battery.

My usual approach had been to bring the battery inside the house for the
winter. Then, when I reinstalled in the Spring, I would connect a charger
to it until it indicated a full charge.

The car would never start the first time, and the battery would run down.
So, I would let it charge again, and that time it would start.

With the 'battery maintainer' left connected over the winter, the car
starts the first time in the Spring. No sweat!

This is not just a trickle charger, but an ultra-low level 'maintainer'
which really does its job!




Alan Moorman

The only reason some people get lost in thought
is because it's unfamiliar territory.

Paul Fix

===================­==============
Add comment
Hondaman 9 May 2005 04:14:51 permanent link ]
 trade it in for a honda :)­
"D.D. Palmer" <ddpalmer@hotmail.c­om> wrote in message
news:v-idndvJ4MU-Re­XfRVn-tA@comcast.com­...> Thanks for that tidbit about the Volvo group! I'll keep watching!>
"Michael Pardee" <michaeltnull@cyber­trails.com> wrote in message > news:JqidndjcvtGcW-­XfRVn-sw@sedona.net.­..>> "D.D. Palmer" <ddpalmer@hotmail.c­om> wrote in message >> news:Wo6dneNQH9upae­rfRVn-oA@comcast.com­...>>>A good friend of mine has a year 2000 VOLVO S70 AWD with a mere 35,000 >>>miles on it. I am posting this here because the VOLVO board is not very >>>active and the problem is probably something you folks know about.>>>
I saw your post on the Volvo group - it actually gets almost as much >> activity as this group does. Keep an eye on that post, too... the gurus >> there (Mike F, Robert Dietz, and others) can tell you if there is >> something you need to know about the S70 charging system.>>
Mike>>
Mike>>


Add comment
K`Tetch 9 May 2005 10:36:59 permanent link ]
 On Wed, 04 May 2005 07:59:50 GMT, "tomb" <me@privacy.net> wrote:
D.D. Palmer wrote:>| No aftermarket accessories, no accidents, everything runs as it is>| supposed to other than the battery not surviving the few weeks>| between drives.>
Check the clock. My uk car is a 89 340, the clock will drain the
battery in about 5-6 weeks.
OK, I don't know what the capacity for this battery is. Let's assume 50Ah.>In fully charged and perfect condition, that would give you 50 hours of 1A.>If you had a load of 20mA (essentially a single LED turned on), that would>give you 1,000 hours (41.6 days) before the battery is completely>discharg­ed. With 40mA, that would reduce to 20.8 days, not taking into>account any sort of self-discharge rate. Also, the car will most likely be>unable to start much earlier than "fully discharged"

Nice maths. Slightly off though. Battery capacity isn't a linear curve
of current against time. Batteries are rated on a 20 hour discharge. a
50Ah battery will do 2.5A for 20 hours. it might only do 5Ah for 8
hours, or 1A for 75 hours. its a logarythmic curve.
The only way you have to tell is to hook up an ammeter between the battery>and the wire going away from it. Once you know the current (and the battery>capacity, and ideally the state of the battery), you'll be able to estimate>the time it can stand around wthout being started.>
If you do let it go into deep-discharge, you will irreversably damage the>battery. The electrodes change chemically and will not be able to hold much>of a charge anymore.>
The first task would be to find out how much current is being drawn in the>"off" state; is there an alarm? Any additional current sinks?>
Also, consider that your drives may not be recharging the battery fully.

A distinct possibility, and also make sure its topped with water where
needed. i left my 340 at Manchester Airport car pack for 3 months back
in 02, fully connected, with the clock going (the 340 has a nice big
manual clock on the dash by the speedo) Father was concerned it'd be
flat when i came back, it ran real good though. it was a 40-odd mile
drive to the airport though, so a good charging run.


|| "TeGGeR®" <tegger@tegger.c0m>­ wrote in message>|| news:Xns964BDB2B54B­75tegger@207.14.113.­17...>||| "D.D. Palmer" <ddpalmer@hotmail.c­om> wrote in>||| news:Wo6dneNQH9upae­rfRVn-oA@comcast.com­:>|||>|||| A good friend of mine has a year 2000 VOLVO S70 AWD with a mere>|||| 35,000 miles on it.>|||>|||>||| <snip>>|||>|||>||||­>|||| Is there something in that car that drains the battery when it sits>|||| for, say, 2 weeks without being driven?>|||>|||>|||­ I have to ask: Are there any aftermarket add-ons installed?>||| *Stereo>||| *Alarm>||| *Remote start>||| *Fog/driving lights>|||>||| Has the vehicle been involved in a collision?>|||>||| Do all the lights work properly? (Don't overlook trunk and glove box>||| lights!)>|||>||| Battery drainage problems are usually due to poorly-installed>||­| accessories. A 2000 model-year car is a bit new for>||| corrosion-related drainage.>|||>||| -->||| TeGGeR®>|||>||| The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ>||| www.tegger.com/hond­afaq/>

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CarGuru > Ford > Battery Problem 9 May 2005 10:36:59

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