Battery dies quickly - any suggestions?

[Cazalfie]

Hello,

 I've got a 2003 and even with a new battery, if I hadn't used it in a few weeks, the battery is completely dead and needs jump started every time. A bit annoying as I store away from my home.

 How long should it stay charged for?

 Any advice how to prolong it?

 It makes me anxious to get away into the wilds...

 it's a 3.5 engine.

 Thank you.

[Picasso]

Hi you profile says yours is a 3.0 not 3.5 if start motor on way out it will drain battery had similar problem get starter checked 

[Fred]

Sounds like you have a parasitic drain i have left my car with a fully charged good battery for a month with no issues.
After each time your battery goes flat you need to charge it overnight, it will never recover enough just driving around and dont rule out a bad battery even if it is new it does happen.

I've attached a video to show you how to test for parasitic draw and  how to diagnose whats causing it, it's pretty much the same for any car, oh and a good multi meter will have a fuse to stop damage to the multi meter unlike the one he's using LOL

 

 

Edited September 6, 2023 by Fred

[Rojie]

17 hours ago, Cazalfie said:

Hello,

 I've got a 2003 and even with a new battery, if I hadn't used it in a few weeks, the battery is completely dead and needs jump started every time. A bit annoying as I store away from my home.

 How long should it stay charged for?

 Any advice how to prolong it?

 It makes me anxious to get away into the wilds...

 it's a 3.5 engine.

 Thank you.

 

Hello Y,

 

FYI, Your engine is not a 3.5L.

The  3.5L was not introduced until the 2008, Gen 2 model.

IF your engine is a 3.5L, it is an aftermarket upgrade (if a 3.5 would fit as gearbox is different too.

 

 

[Geralt]

On 9/6/2023 at 8:49 PM, Fred said:

Sounds like you have a parasitic drain

 

Agreed.

 

At 4:14 in the video, he says he has 25mA quiescent current but the meter says 250mA, ten times what he was expecting! Anyway, I measured the quiescent current on my 2003 2.4L non-hybrid and it was about 40mA.