Ok.... here'* the problem....

When I store the 91, after around a week or 2 the battery is completely dead.
Now there are like 4 flashing LEDs in the car when the alarm is armed, which combined w/ the alarm will drain the battery.
The car is being kept underground at the temp is 15c in the garage.

I purchased a Solar Panel 1.5w trickle charger from CT to try to prevent battery drainage. The thought is solar panels work by UV or visable light, the fluoesent lights in the garage might give off enough to charge it... esp since they are going 24/7.
Didn't work, I hooked up a multimetre to get a reading on it. 0.02 in the garage.... 0.64 in direct sunlight outside. Sunlight is 32x more powerful.

Question..... how can one check how well a battery is working? Or even better, anyway to check to see how much charge is left in the battery?
(The battery in the car is only a year or 2 old)

My next idea is using one of those Canadian Tire Eliminator battery packs. I already have one of the 600a ones, and it has enough power to boost the car w/ a dead battery (tried it today). The idea is charge it up in my apartment, and then bring it downstairs and plug it into the cig lighter. I tried it today, with a dead battery, I had enough power to do everything (windows, stereo, a/c) except turn the engine over.

My only concern is how the Eliminator will work if the car'* battery is completely charged. Will the car try to charge the Eliminator until it'* completely dead, and then the Eliminator will then charge the car... or will they work like one battery and simply drain together. That would be the best, because then when it gets to like 1/2 power, I can take the Eliminator upstairs and charge it over the next 24hrs and then plug it back into the car. Anyone have any ideas on that?

Thoughts and ideas for solving this problem are welcome.....

My suggestion really doesn't solve your problem, it just gives you something else to consider.
What about those devices that prevent the battery from completely going dead.

I found this at a marine site
http://www.fivendime.com/prioritystart/boatinfo.htm

but I'm sure they have them for cars as well

It could be something different, like the battery has crapped out. If it'* less than 700CCA, then it probably isn't enough amperage. I have a 780CCA battery, and the car has sat for 2 weeks, and I use the stereo in between that time, and the battery still has enough juice to turn over the engine [I know when the voltage gets below x level, then the car won't start]. You also may want to get a Deep Cycle battery, like the Optima Yellow Top, or if you REALLY want deep cycle, you could get the Blue Top [Marine Battery]. Or.. just an average Red Top. Your choice. I wonder how you test the battery drain? There is some way to test the amperage of battery, or the battery drain, something like that.


-justin

The battery is 1000CCA
I remember seeing that on the top.

Put an ammeter inline with the positive lead, Find out how much power is being pulled.

Your problem made me think back to an episode on my classic car about car storage.
The product you need is called 'battery tender', here'* the web site http://www.batterytender.com/

This product is different than a battery charger it wont allow the battery to over charge and actually exersizes the battery for greater life....good product.

PDad.... I took a look at the battery tender.... it'* basically a trickle charger that doesn't hurt your battery.

The problem is I don't have a power outlet which I can plug into, in the garage.

That'* why I was looking into alt power solutions.... ie... solar power or eliminator.



What are your guys thoughts on the Eliminator idea?
(see my first post)

Ok.... I bought two Eliminator 600A & a battery tester/meter from CT.

After storing the car since Wednesday last week, I measured the battery today.
8.4v anything below 12.4v is bad, and I think a full charge isn't that high.
I tried to turn the car over, but she won't.

My intern solution is to cycle the Eliminators once a week. They should even off the charge better the battery and the powerpack. Thus giving me enough power to keep the alarm armed, but not enough to turn the engine over w/o boosting it.

So more now on my real problem......

So I've got a pretty bad drain... I'm thinking it'* the alarm system & maybe the subs/cap.
The drain seems pretty bad.... any ideas.... how can I check/find out what'* causing it?

Is this an aftermarket alarm system? If so, I've heard lots of bad news about them. Can you disconnect the alarm and see if there'* a drain after that?
Is the subs/cap part of the radio? You might try disconnecting that line as well.

Why not disconnect the battery, and hook it up for when you start it?