Battery question

Joined
Jan 1, 2007
Messages
3,269
Location
Central NY
2013 Altima.
Battery, Group 35 EverMaxx dated 4/2017 and installed shortly thereafter.

Never had a slow crank issue. Occasionally hooked up to BT Jr. 750mah tender.

Woke up the other day to no puddle light and only the push to start light and the security light would work. Then I heard a continuous click click click click.

Multimeter said battery was 5.4 volts!

Pulled it out and tested and it was 6v. Is that much difference normal?

I then installed an Interstate MTX35 AGM battery. Tested 13.1v before install. Once terminals hooked up it was 12.7v.

Normal or too much of a drop? No aftermarket devices hooked up.

Went back to interstate and he hooked up a digital meter to the battery to allegedly test the alternator. Said it was fine.
 
How long is a piece of string?

It seems normal ish but if you're looking to diagnose a parasitic drain, battery voltage is very imprecise.
 
Master Chief,

Like eljefino said battery voltage is pretty imprecise. If that were say a logic circuit I would be concerned. So where a high was 6 volts, or it needed 6 volts to activate a relay. The difference between 5.4 and 6 here could be a bunch of things and I wouldn't be concerned.
The new readings look just fine to me.

ET1/SS... ;)
 
It is not unusual to have a battery last only 3 or 4 years here in S. Florida. I have always heard that it is the heat that kills 'em. However at least part of the time, an actual mechanical failure happens. I had one battery where the terminal pulled right out! Got home by drilling a hole and using a dry wall screw down into the lead below!

My other batteries have had internal shorts, and other issues that degrade performance. The AGM "Concorde" brand aircraft batteries just lose power. No mechanical failures, but instead, a decline in output.
 
Master Chief,

Like eljefino said battery voltage is pretty imprecise. If that were say a logic circuit I would be concerned. So where a high was 6 volts, or it needed 6 volts to activate a relay. The difference between 5.4 and 6 here could be a bunch of things and I wouldn't be concerned.
The new readings look just fine to me.

ET1/SS... ;)

Thanks brother. As an HMCM(FMF/AW) I usually diagnose and then fix the cause and not the symptom.

Not this time LOL.
 
As said above, the modules need to fall asleep. If I go check the voltage on my 2014 Jeep it'll read 0.3v-0.4v lower than if I leave the hood open and keep the key inside the house and check it a couple hours later.
 
Charge the old one and have it tested. I always assume at first I left something on even if I cannot go find anything.

I suspect the 13.1 V reading was a surface charge.

Nothing can stay on with this car all night.
Cabin lights and headlights eventually turn off.

And if a battery is under 6v, everything I’ve read says it is dead and gone. Can’t resurrect.

But I’m no expert.
 
As said above, the modules need to fall asleep. If I go check the voltage on my 2014 Jeep it'll read 0.3v-0.4v lower than if I leave the hood open and keep the key inside the house and check it a couple hours later.

Speaking of the fkn key, my fob goes dead all the time. I am wondering if keeping it in the kitchen is a bad idea.

As if they are communicating.

Maybe time to wrap some tin foil around her. Running low from making tinfoil hats though.
 
Speaking of the fkn key, my fob goes dead all the time. I am wondering if keeping it in the kitchen is a bad idea.

As if they are communicating.

Maybe time to wrap some tin foil around her. Running low from making tinfoil hats though.


Is it close to the car? I keep mine in a Faraday pouch. I’ve replaced the batteries three times since 2017.
 
Nothing can stay on with this car all night.
Cabin lights and headlights eventually turn off.

And if a battery is under 6v, everything I’ve read says it is dead and gone. Can’t resurrect.

But I’m no expert.
My 2015 Subaru drained the battery a couple of times for no apparent reason although one time the key was left in but on OFF. I recharged it and it worked fine after. I think I read eventually Subaru had a recall or TSB for this situation but by that time I had sold the car.
 
My 2015 Subaru drained the battery a couple of times for no apparent reason although one time the key was left in but on OFF. I recharged it and it worked fine after. I think I read eventually Subaru had a recall or TSB for this situation but by that time I had sold the car.

I’ve had batteries drop to where they wouldn’t start the vehicle but never this low.

Regardless, it was a sign since it’s the wife’s car.
 
5.4V with voltmeter means it is gone, may be a short.
Imagine putting it on a load tester, probably goes to 0V right away.

No worry, just get a new battery, that voltage drop is normal.
It is within the tolerance.
As long as it does not go to less than 12V.
 
2013 Altima.
Battery, Group 35 EverMaxx dated 4/2017 and installed shortly thereafter.

Never had a slow crank issue. Occasionally hooked up to BT Jr. 750mah tender.

Woke up the other day to no puddle light and only the push to start light and the security light would work. Then I heard a continuous click click click click.

Multimeter said battery was 5.4 volts!

Pulled it out and tested and it was 6v. Is that much difference normal?

I then installed an Interstate MTX35 AGM battery. Tested 13.1v before install. Once terminals hooked up it was 12.7v.

Normal or too much of a drop? No aftermarket devices hooked up.

Went back to interstate and he hooked up a digital meter to the battery to allegedly test the alternator. Said it was fine.


12.7 is totally normal....

On my old Nissan Altima VQ 12.72 to 12.59 was typically what I saw on a new battery after installation.
 
12.7 is totally normal....

On my old Nissan Altima VQ 12.72 to 12.59 was typically what I saw on a new battery after installation.

yes, just wondering if that delta is OK.

seems it is.

Will just monitor it. I figured at 5 years, this was a sign she needed a new battery and AGM was the way to go.
 
Nothing can stay on with this car all night.
Cabin lights and headlights eventually turn off.

And if a battery is under 6v, everything I’ve read says it is dead and gone. Can’t resurrect.

But I’m no expert.
Not always, problem is that the modern "smart chargers" won't start to charge it because it can't determine what battery it is. You can trick one though, takes a second good battery in parallel, even a 4Ah battery will get the job done.

All that doesn't mean that you can save a 6V battery though. That voltage is almost certainly caused by a drain of some sort, would be impossible to have an internal hard failure and get to 6V. Your vehicle should have shut down at 11V, I would think it is new enough to do that anyway, they do that so that if you leave a dome light on etc, it doesn't totally trash the battery.
 
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