The battery in my 2007 Honda CR-V keeps dying approximately every 2-3 weeks. There is no electric at all; I can’t use the key fob to open the car, etc. When I jump the car, it is completely fine for about 2-3 weeks and then it just randomly dies again. It always dies at the same time/place - in my garage sometime during the night. I have never had it die anywhere else or at any other time. When it first happened I took it to one mechanic who told me the battery was dying. So, I replaced the battery (this was within the last 3 months). Then 2 weeks later the car died again. I took it to a different mechanic and they tested the battery and alternator and said they were both fine. They said the battery coils were loose so they tightened them and said I should not have any further problems. Two weeks later the car died again. I called the same mechanic back and said it died again. They told me they fully tested the battery and alternator, and everything in the car looked find so they had no idea what was causing this. They suggested that perhaps there is a light on somewhere - like the glove box - and I just don’t realize it. I checked and there is no light in my glove box so that can’t be the problem. I thought perhaps it was because it was winter, but now the weather is in the 40s and 50s and it just died again two nights ago. I really don’t know what to do since the mechanics I have gone to say everything is fine with the car. Does anyone have any other suggestions?
Have they tried cleaning and tightening all the grounds and power connections. They could test for parasitic draw. Parasitic draw slowly drains the battery, like a light left on or some other item. Also, check the belt to your alternator. If it’s loose it will not drive the alternator properly.
What should be done is a parastic draw test. This can determine fi there’s an excessive current draw in the electrical system. This only takes a few minutes to determine yea or nay.
Just my 2 cents but whenever a customer has an electrical issue a complete system check should be done. This means:
Test battery and inspect cable ends.
Test alternator.
Test starter motor current draw.
Test for a parasitic current draw.
All of these tests take very little time. The exception would be on the parasitic test as that would mean checking for an excessive draw only; NOT determining where a draw exists.
Depending upon the exact details behind the no-start a non-cranking engine could be due to a faulty neutral safety switch or failing ignition switch. Hope that helps.
@alleysather
“They said the battery coils were loose so they tightened them and said I should not have any further problems.”
They must have talking about the battery coils cables.
DIY?
You could have a parasitic draw on the electrical system. Harbor Freight sells a little inexpensive tester that plugs into the fuse box(es). One at a time fuses are removed, the tester plugged in and draw is tested, then the fuse is replaced. They come in 2 sizes depending on your fuse size. Take a look at yours first or go in with a spare fuse.
Testing each fuse location (and therefore the circuit that fuse is in) will alert you of a draw and narrow down the search for a culprit to a particular circuit, making the problem much easier to isolate.
I don’t know your skill level or whether you’re on a tight budget or not, but this method could save a little money, cost you a little spare time, and you should have spare fuses anyhow and know how to replace them.
CSA
Is the car driven daily, once a week, or even less? When you jump it and get it running - how many miles do you drive before you park it again in the garage? Batteries need a pretty long drive to reach a full charge if the battery is completely discharged. It could be that your battery is never fully charged due to your driving pattern. You might try buying a “Battery Tender” type of charger and hooking it up when the car is parked in the garage. You can leave this type of charger hooked up for weeks without overcharging (or cooking) your battery.
My battery tender charger has 2 lights. Red shows the charger is putting current into the battery, and Green which shows the battery is fully charged. In your case if your battery is heavily discharged my battery tender would take a few days to go from red to green.
This is a continual problem with all years of Honda CRV’s and no fix from Honda that works. I don’t know if this is your problem, but it could not hurt to check it.
$75 relay switch solved mine. The CRV’s have a problem with the relay switch getting “stuck” in the open position, which makes your computer think the compressor is on, even when the car is off, so it blows your compressor AND drains your batteries. I could have avoided an $800 a/c condenser AND 4 new batteries if I had just replaced a $75 “stuck” relay switch. Honda never mentioned it. I found a new mechanic and it’s the first thing he looked at and found it.
No one can be that lucky, that their car always needs a jump while it’s parked in the garage. Normally this happens in the worst part of town, late at night, and you know not a sole.
Some where I think you have a dome light switch (in the door) that is malfunctioning at random times. And while the car is parked there, the battery gets drained.
It could also be a trunk light or under hood light that is not shutting off. Maybe each time you happened to unload groceries from the trunk and the next morning the battery was dead each time.
Both of those lights are controlled by a switch that senses that the lid or hood are open.
I’d unplug both lights and keep an eye on the dome light for awhile.
The dome light may be doing it during the day, but you are not parked long enough each time for it to drain the battery.
Yosemite
This type of thing can drive you crazy! Tom & Ray dealt with a problem a Lincoln owner had when he parked his car on a steep driveway. With the car facing upward the battery dies while parking the other way, it stayed charged.
It turned out to be the switch of the trunk light which short circuited when the car was facing uphill. I would test both trunk and under hood lights.
Check the car when you have not used it for an hour. Open the hood and quickly feel the bulb to see if it’s warm. Then do the same with the trunk. If one of these bulbs is fairly hot, it’s been on when it shouldn’t be. Because both the hood and trunk were closed, they should have been off all that time and cool to the touch.
You have to be fast though, they cam warm up in a minute.
Yosemite
Several points:
First, Parasitic draw starts out high when you first turn the car off. After a period of time (hours?) that current decreases by a major factor. The final value should be less that 50 mA.
Second, as someone mentioned, manually turn off the dome light and trunk lights, by removing the bulbs if needed. I had a similar problem and it was the dome light sometimes not turning off.
Third, each time the battery is totally discharged, it becomes partially damaged. Do this more than a few times and the battery needs to be replaced.
b
“The final value should be less that 50 mA.”
I agree with this
Unfortunately, I have some very experienced colleagues at the moment, they think up to 500mA is okay. When they said this, I asked them to repeat it, I claimed I didn’t quite catch what they said. They again said 500mA. I have no idea where they learned that such a high draw is okay
I didn’t agree with them or nod my head. I also didn’t disagree with them, because I know what kind of personalities they have, and they’d explain why they were correct . . .
X2 Uncle Turbo
Hi Knfenimore
I think I have the same problem as yours. Which relay you replaced to solve the problem? The ac clutch relay? Fan relan?
Let me know please.
Thanks
Gabriel , you are replying to the wrong person. Please start your own thread , list the vehicle and a clear statement of your problem . That will insure you get replies better suited to you.
He mentioned the air conditioning compressor so likely the relay associated with it:
Check this out and read the comments below the video. Your fuse box may differ but look for same function in yours- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8-ER-oTXH0