Hi,
I have a 2006 Lexus RX 400h SUV.
I have an aftermarket car alarm that drains the @#$$ out of my battery. I've needed to replace the battery 3 times since the alarm was installed.
Whenever I leave my car sitting for a few weeks, the battery will be completely shot.
I think it's partially a problem with the shock sensor setting off the alarm, or just the alarm system sitting there using juice for its circuitry and relays.
I'm tempted to buy a $1500 Braille lithium battery. Haha. But that's overkill, obviously.
If my car uses a lot of extra juice while it is parked, what is a good battery to put into it?
Is the Optima Yellow Top battery any good?
Thanks.
if you have a parasitic battery drain, it's going to kill any battery you throw at it.
Remove the alarm or fix the problem first.
No!!! I'm not taking out the alarm...
alarms don't work. Everybody ignores them anyway.
OK, just keep buying batteries then. Might as well get the cheapest ones since you'll be mowing through them
Well, the alarm system is also my remote start system.
The remote starter also needs to sit and monitor the radio signals from the remote.
To your point, I have adjusted the shock sensor to be less sensitive and also fixed another problem that was causing my headlights to stay on and drain my battery.
Since running into problems, I have made adjustments to the system to reduce the drainage. I think the battery is just shot from the early days, when the alarm used to go off all the time and the headlights used to stay on.
So, yes, I have made the system "less parasitic" over the past few years.
OEM batteries are typically very good.
But talk to you battery dealer. Mine sells good batteries. They're actually made by the same company as my OEM (Johnson Controls) , just with a different sticker on 'em, and they cost much less.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKo5iJ2rH7o
downvote me all you like but you know I'm right
Either the "after market" alarm system is poorly engineered or has been installed incorrectly. Like MMJoe and others have said, you need to find the parasitic draw and fix it. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise. Nobody will steal your car with a dead battery and can't drive away. How about a locked garage? Just suggestions.
No replacement battery is going to help your situation. Either have the alarm fixed or remove it.
You also mention letting the car sit for a few weeks. Not sure where you park, but if feasible can you at least put a trickle charger on it?
+1 for a trickle charger or other back up of some kind.
Well let's say it's parked at the airport for 2 weeks...
If I pull the fuse, I won't be able to have the alarm go off whenever there is a takeoff.
If optima are making decent batteries these days, a yellow top would at least be able to handle the deep cycles better, but it is still going to kill it pretty quick. From my experience with Optima a few years ago, they are not that great, and I was using a yellow top as well. I think I went through three of them in maybe five years.
I am with @mmj that you need to fix the issue. If it were me and I couldn't live without the alarm, I would rig up a solar panel to trickle charge the battery enough to offset the battery drain.
Why not take it for a sunday drive every couple of weeks at least?
Agree, Optima is not great, definitely not worth the price.
Well, what's the difference in amp hours between a standard battery and a high-end battery?
depends on the battery. It will be in the specifications under "reserve capacity" but they're under no obligation to provide that information.
Well, I read that A-H can be estimated from cold cranking amps.
So then, what's the difference in cold cranking amps between a standard battery and a high-end battery?
No, it can't be estimated. In fact there's a trade-off between crank amps and reserve capacity.
But I wouldn't overthink it. It won't make a significant enough difference to you. Just buy a reputable brand of battery, and then either get the alarm fixed or replaced, or plug the car into a charger every day.
A good battery will not necessarily have more amp hours. Just like a good engine vs a bad engine may have the same horsepower, but one lasts longer. The reason a yellow top would last longer in your scenario, is that it is built to be deep cycled. So theoretically it would last longer because you are draining it a lot. That is, if a yellow top was any good these days anyway.
Car batteries for the most part, are designed to give starting power, not for deep cycling, and deep cycling, or draining the battery completely, really hurts them and shortens their life. The best thing is to make sure the battery doesn't get drained to begin with.
As a side note, you may be able to get a bit bigger battery, often the trays will support a larger one with more amp hours. Keep in mind, that won't fix the issue, but never hurts.
Pull the alarm system fuse, get a Pit Bull and leave him in the car with plenty of water. Next time, get a car with a manual transmission. Thieves today don't know how to drive them.
very true.... that's why I'm looking for a town car with manual tranny
Get a second battery. A cheap one from Walmart. Then get a home battery charger. When the primary battery goes dead, swap it for the backup and recharge it.
Ok.
So what's wrong with this one then?
https://www.autoanything.com/electrical-components/77A19168A7306256.aspx
What's wrong with this one:
https://www.autoanything.com/electrical-components/77A19168A7306256.aspx
https://mechanicbase.com/electric/how-to-convert-cca-to-ah-amp-hours/
What is the max CCA from a car battery?
haha ... i just upvoted my own post to bring it back from -1 to 0. good on me.
Really? $400 for a tiny atv battery.
What are you doing ....
