My Optima battery died

[JPL]

What gives? I bought a red top in the spring, no problems all season,
then, parked the car in a semi heated,
(never below 50 degrees), garage in November, went to start the car after about
2 months, click, click, click, is this normal?

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

No battery tender hooked up/security system energized.... equals dead battery... no matter what kind. It was probably dead before the first month was done.

Steve

 

[99 R/T 10]

Did you activate your alarm? If so, this is what drained the battery. A batt. tender is needed to keep it charged.

 

[Hisserman]

Ditto JPL --

These guys are right.

 

[JPL]

How often should the car be started when you don't a tender?

 

[Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder]

The Optima will last longer than many OEM batteries in a no operating vehicle. The Optima does have a finite storage capacity and will be discharged over time like any battery. The time factor is based on the rate of power consumed vs the amount of power available. AT some point the consumption exceeds the storage, thus Click! Click! Click! Click! Depending on the year and specific car an alarmed car will not start after 3 to 5 weeks. The Optima may last 5 to 7 weeks, depends on the discharge rate of your car.

 

[Dv8tor]

I went and looked at a 00' RT/10 and the battery was dead. Is this an issue with Vipers when the alarm is enabled and it sits for more then say 3 weeks? I would think most cars would kill the battery after a month with the alarm enabled, but does it happen faster in Vipers?

 

[JPL]

Does the alarm drain it that much? How long would it last with no alarm activation? Mine is a '94 (click photos). And, should I jump it, (under hood), or remove the rear tire etc.. and charge the battery?
Thanks alot all.

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

How often should the car be started when you don't a tender?

If you leave the security system off and the car is in 45+ plus degree area, you could probably get a couple months out of it safely.

As for starting the car......I am from the old school I guess. Once I shut my car off in November(good and hot from a litte 'road work'), it doesn't start again till mid April when it awakes for the summer. I don't believe idling a car in winter temps does it any good at all. You are dumping impurities into the crankcase from the cold,rich startup. Idling for a half hour in cold weather won't get rid of these contaminants or all the condensation created in the combustion process.

Unless I could take the car out and exercise it on the highway, I would remove the battery. I've stored vehicles in the winter for over 20 years and never had a seal problem...or any other due to parking it unstarted for 5-6 months.

Steve

 

[Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder]

All cars with set alarms will die pretty fast. Vipers like other exotic cars are driven seldom in bad weather/winter climates so they are not run for weeks and that will drain the Battery!

 

[99 R/T 10]

Most have battery tenders, but if you don't at this moment, to save the battery, you can disconnect it from the junction box on the drivers side under the hood(big red wire ) Of course the alarm won't be working now

 

[TorQ Junkie]

I have one of those battery disconnect switches that Snake Oyl sells. Naturally I forgot to do the disconnect thing a month ago - click click click this morning.