Battery drain mystery

[hillbilly1]

One of our project managers texted me that the battery died in his truck while parked at his father in law’s body shop. His father in law said that anybody that parks in that space overnight, has a dead battery in the morning, and it will not recharge. Said it’s been that way for years. There are high tension lines over it, but never heard of those killing a battery. He also said there was a great battle at that site during the civil war. Haunted? LOL! Can’t really come up with a good explanation.

 

[Tulsa Electrician]

Maybe a good episode for mythbusters, I would watch it

 

[synchro]

Somebody in that body shop has a side business selling good used batteries.

 

[MD Automation]

Now this is just a guess mind you, but...

Maybe Ptonsparky is flying to Georgia on his winged horse and taking a nap in stranger's vehicles? He has been known to drain batteries with his Rip Van Winkle super power.

https://forums.mikeholt.com/threads/nap-yesterday-learned-today.2563928/

Again, it's a stretch. But the pieces fit this puzzle if you hammer hard enough.

 

[Fred B]

One of our project managers texted me that the battery died in his truck while parked at his father in law’s body shop. His father in law said that anybody that parks in that space overnight, has a dead battery in the morning, and it will not recharge. Said it’s been that way for years. There are high tension lines over it, but never heard of those killing a battery. He also said there was a great battle at that site during the civil war. Haunted? LOL! Can’t really come up with a good explanation.

Simple, He or his father in law unconsciously left ignition or lights on the truck. Or, Father in law doesn't like the son in law? Passive aggressively getting back at him for marrying his daughter?

 

[K8MHZ]

I seem to remember a similar thread from a while back. The culprit, IIRC, was an old neon sign that was putting out so much RFI that when newer vehicles were parked near the sign for some amount of time, they wouldn't start.

 

[drcampbell]

RFI or EMI might interrupt a modern brain-box's shutdown sequence, causing it to drain the battery, but it's more than a bit of a stretch and it doesn't jibe with the owner's claim that it's been that way for years.

I would first verify the owner's observations & claims. There's a huge difference between draining a battery so it won't start an engine and killing a battery so it won't accept a charge. The voices of Click & Clack, asking "Did you learn that from your dad?", are echoing in my ears.

But there may well be some truth embedded in there. Perhaps it's a popular spot for battery thieves, who put an old, dead battery back in its place to avoid being discovered by recycling too many batteries too often.

I'm reminded of the popular old myth that if you leave a battery sitting directly on concrete, it will lose its charge because concrete is conductive.
(there's some truth in that: Concrete is conductive, especially when it contains moisture or rebar, and if you leave a flooded lead-acid battery sitting dormant for two years ... )

 

[hillbilly1]

Not too old of a truck, so it has all of the electronics. What’s weird is it not being able to take a charge, and his father-in-law says it’s that way on all of them, like it’s breaking a bond between cells or something. I will have to ask him if there is a sign or something that has RFI near it as @K8MHZ suggested.

 

[GoldDigger]

Some battery chargers will not start normal speed charging if the open circuit voltage of the battery is too low.
Sitting at zero or partial charge too long will cause sulfation, with a high internal resistance that blocks charging current.

 

[drcampbell]

Some battery chargers will not start normal speed charging if the open circuit voltage of the battery is too low. ...

That's why I keep two battery chargers. A modern, regulated & protected, 4-step electronic charger and a primitive buzz box with absolutely none of that.

... Sitting at zero or partial charge too long will cause sulfation, with a high internal resistance that blocks charging current.

I have brought some heavily sulfated batteries back from the dead. 4 volts on the terminals to start. Jumps right up to 14.4 volts within a few seconds after putting the charger on it, but without drawing any current. Then the next day, it's down to 11 volts and drawing all the current the charger can deliver. A week later, it seems as good as new.

 

[ptonsparky]

Now this is just a guess mind you, but...

Maybe Ptonsparky is flying to Georgia on his winged horse and taking a nap in stranger's vehicles? He has been known to drain batteries with his Rip Van Winkle super power.

https://forums.mikeholt.com/threads/nap-yesterday-learned-today.2563928/

Again, it's a stretch. But the pieces fit this puzzle if you hammer hard enough.

Blame me, I’m used to it.

 

[RumRunner]

Now this is just a guess mind you, but...

Maybe Ptonsparky is flying to Georgia on his winged horse and taking a nap in stranger's vehicles? He has been known to drain batteries with his Rip Van Winkle super power.

https://forums.mikeholt.com/threads/nap-yesterday-learned-today.2563928/

Again, it's a stretch. But the pieces fit this puzzle if you hammer hard enough.

Hmm!

Forty five minutes is a very short time for battery to lose charge. . .it’s like having it parked (with engine off) waiting inline for your order- to-go at McD.
Longer wait times are common now because diners don’t want to go inside the dining area.

Today’s cars do rob minute power --and they use small amount of energy when sitting idle. (engine not running)
It’s called “vampire” load--to keep the ECU memory and some thief- deterrent feature. They suck power, hence, VAMPIRES

It is also used in keeping track of your odometer.
Leaving lights on could exacerbate this. Everyone knows this however--silly me. (duh!)
In today’s living routine where most people stay home—less people are driving.
I know it first hand because I used to fill my tank every week but now I fill it up once a month. I don’t go to work.

So, the car stays in the garage most of the time.
Seems like Chrysler cars have this flaw. . . .i.e. losing battery charge often-- compared with my Ford.
I got tired calling Triple A to give me a boost so, I installed a 100-watt solar panel adjacent to the garage with its dedicated MPPT to keep the battery topped-up. (maximum power point tracking)
So, now I can leave it garaged indefinitely without worrying about discharged battery.

 

[drcampbell]

... It’s called “vampire” load--to keep the ECU memory and some thief- deterrent feature. They suck power, hence, VAMPIRES ...

It's actually called a "phantom" load. Energy being consumed that you can't see being consumed.

... Seems like Chrysler cars have this flaw. . . .i.e. losing battery charge often ...

When I worked at Chrysler, our specification was that 50% of battery energy had to be available after standing dormant for 21 days. I can't speak to Ford's specification but I doubt it would be much different.
It was called the "airport" spec -- the car needs to start after being parked at the airport while you're away on vacation.

 

[K8MHZ]

When I started at the Chrysler dealership in West Michigan, We had full racks of dead or near dead batteries. They were the ones with the green eye in them like GM batteries. Except they didn't work as well as the GMs which would actually start a car. We sent dozens of them back before they finally replaced our entire inventory of batteries.

 

[K8MHZ]

It's actually called a "phantom" load. Energy being consumed that you can't see being consumed.

Actually the correct term is "Ignition off draw".

 

[RumRunner]

It's actually called a "phantom" load. Energy being consumed that you can't see being consumed.

I haven't SEEN energy being consumed either

Where I used to live, the area was teeming with diverse culture--comprised of interesting new families moving-in from Eastern Europe.
My eldest (son) even learned a few words in Cyrillic. Russian spoken by people not living in Russia. Sometimes called Slavic. . .but they speak perfect English except some terminologies vary.

One next door neighbor from East Germany (he was proud of his ancestry,)
I used to offer him Michelob and shoot the breeze in my backyard. Nice guy.

One day he knocked on my door asking for a favor.

He was asking if I can boost his ACCUMULATOR.
I was flustered--having no idea at first-- what he wanted. Finally I figured he needs a "jump start".

In his part of Europe where he came from, they call car battery : "accumulator".
Batteries (dry cell) are flashlight stuff for them.
Capacitors are called condensers. I hear A/C guys use condensers all the time.
Although some auto mechanics (guessing) use these terms interchangeably.

The phrase VAMPIRE load. . .common phrase as electronic jargon by electronic "geeks" and engineers.
I won't be surprised to hear native Romanians use the word vampire-- the blood sucker.

They have vampires over there you know.
Well, at least that's what author Mary Shelley told us in her Dracula chronicles

 

[hbiss]

Capacitors are called condensers.

Old time electronic repair guys used to refer to capacitors as condensers.

-Hal

 

[GoldDigger]

Actually the correct term is "Ignition off draw".

Also, perhaps with Brtish roots, called "ignition off drain"
It draws current, which drains the battery.

 

[Fred B]

Old time electronic repair guys used to refer to capacitors as condensers.

-Hal

Condensers were one component of the old ignition systems that had the "points and condenser" in the distributor. We used to be able to set a charge into them and toss them to the new guy in the shop and yell "hey catch this" and they would get a jolt. You had to have gloves on when you did or you'd get it before you tossed it.

 

[LarryFine]

Condensers were one component of the old ignition systems that had the "points and condenser" in the distributor. We used to be able to set a charge into them and toss them to the new guy in the shop and yell "hey catch this" and they would get a jolt. You had to have gloves on when you did or you'd get it before you tossed it.

A mechanic I knew years ago tried to hand me one. He was impressed when I told him to touch the wire to the case first.