Parasitic Battery Drain e53

[workingonit]

I've had an Optima Yellowtop in my squareback camping trailer since I built it in 2011-2013. My first camping trip in it was in the fall of '13, but I got it the previous fall, installed it just prior to my first camping trip, without charging it in-between.


At that time, I wasn't always on top of my batteries' maintenance, which I learned to do over the years. I was only keeping my dual batteries charged on my drag-race Chevelle, after I removed the alternator in '02, and relied on charging between rounds at races (using a garage-type battery charger, 10/40/200amp), and using a BatteryMinder 1.33amp charger/maintainer between race dates, in my garage. But the other cars/trucks and my trailer's batteries were not maintained full-time (I had two camping/RV trailers, four cars, and three trucks then).

After awhile, I slowly learned to check the condition of idle batteries, especially in winter, but not before having to replace a few. But not the Yellowtop, which is still with me.

I've let the Yellowtop "die" twice before,

• 1) by not checking the battery state for 3 months one winter (before I was using a maintainer), and
• 2) when we demolished the house (and left the garage without power for 3 months, also in winter), while living in our travel trailer in the driveway, as the new house was built/installed/created (a long story).

Each time, I've brought the Yellowtop back to life by using high-frequency chargers (ones that desulfate in pulses), and also using the same type of conditioning maintainers I now use on all my vehicles (except whatever the wife is driving). When I've brought the YT back to life, it stays healthy for quite awhile. It doesn't get to 12.9v like it once did, but 12.6v and "100% charged" readings on my automatic charger is good enough for my needs. At most, at camp, I'll run the two computer case fans on my side-vents for 8 hours each night, and maybe listen to the stereo for an hour, but that's hardly any draw at all. This battery is 11+ years old, and if I can keep it charged, I expect a few more years from it.

My vehicles usually have chargers on them daily: the first HHR Panel battery lasted 10.5 years, my '04 Chevy HD's battery 11, my wife's GMC truck battery only 9, and her Cobalt's battery lasted 12, before I replaced it last year (despite never having it on a charger!, since she never would unhook it). And of course, the X5 has been on one since I traded for it. I guess I've been lucky with batteries, lately.

I can recommend the Yellowtop, at least for the way I've used then neglected it, but I've also had a Redtop fail (and a $400 racing Gel battery, too), but that was due to mis-charging them when racing...note: do not let others handle your battery chargers at the dragstrips!). So I guess Optimas are OK.

And I also recommend using trickle charge/maintainer/desulfators on any battery, when not daily-driven, to prolong battery life.

[EODguy]

Maybe hold off on the Optima batteries....
I was a huge fan and ran them for years (96-11), but since I've been overseas some of the other car sites I'm on have said that in the last 2-3 years Optima was bought out and they have been failing at higher rates than the lead-acid ones....

Don't know how true this is but maybe ask someone who buys a ton of batteries that will give you the straight scoop. (Probably not a battery shop)

Sent from my SM-A528B using Tapatalk

[Bmwe5320023.0]

Workingonit

Thank you for sharing your experience!! Looks like optima served you well!

EODguy
I keep hearing that Optima went down the drain, but worst case, they all carry warranties....though it make be complicates, no retail store in Canada where I live carry H7 optima, and it's backordered online with 4 week lead time.
Has anyone tried lithium?

[andrewwynn]

Originally Posted by Clavurion

No comfort access on E53. Andrew must have been thinking E70 stuff.

I was querying if it existed in e53. Guess not.

[Bmwe5320023.0]

So far I removed fuse 25, completely useless to me.
And installed buttons for the two USB chargers in the front and the back.
Now I can turn them off and turn them on only when the car is running.
So this is saving me 50 milliamps.


What's your guys draw before the car goes to bed? Mine is about 400 milliamps, is that normal?

Now when sleeping, my draw is about 50 milliamps.
This, this remote starter disconnected.

[wpoll]

Originally Posted by Bmwe5320023.0

... What's your guys draw before the car goes to bed? Mine is about 400 milliamps, is that normal?

Now when sleeping, my draw is about 50 milliamps.
This, this remote starter disconnected.

Mine sits at 400mA in the few minutes before it goes to sleep. At 16mins it drops to 60-70mA - not as low as I'd like but still ok - for a week or three anyway.

I DO have an additional remote receiver (start) for my Webasto auxilary heater, which draws about 10mA when not operating, so I guess mine is about the same as yours.

[X5chemist]

Spec is 11 mA. I'm not sure if it means armed. I know mine goes to 11 mA after a GMIII replacement. It's probably slightly higher alarmed and nose button flashing. New cars have ~30 +/- mA with all kinds of electronics.

50 mA is still slightly higher but acceptable. It could even be within error of your voltmeter.

[Bmwe5320023.0]

Ahhh 11mA, you're a lucky man!
My 50 is kinda high, when I connect the remote starter it will get worse.
It kinda sucks that I found the fuses that cause the drain but can't do anything about it.
I'll put the trunk together for now. I installed a battery disconnect switch, so I can completely cut off power without taking apart the trunk.
I ended up just upgrading to motomaster h8 agm battery for now, because my previous battery still had prorated charge and I only paid 2/3 of the price. Plus this added another 5 years of warranty.
I really wanted to go lithium, but $200 vs 1500....
Maybe ill get a tester like this for fuse voltage drop test, but kinda expensive at $90!
30 Amp Automotive Fuse Circuit Tester https://a.co/d/eUR4p8X

[X5chemist]

Another option to use a digital voltmeter.

Can you get a fuse buddy?

[Bmwe5320023.0]

https://a.co/d/hgajdkg

Fuse buddy is pretty decent at $42 CAD.
But at least I hope it will give me a better reading that a multimeter that constantly shifts.

Oh BTW I tried disconnecting all the fuses that were drawing power along with GM. Even with GM disconnected, still had 30mA draw.
I'll monitor how much the battery voltage drops.