Thetoad Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 Im a tad perplexed in that my 06 Spec-B appears to need ,,,,Another battery.I've bought 5 since its inception,and I've only logged 39.8K miles on it.... They claim it takes 10 miles of driving to equalize the joules used just to start the car,,,and wondering is it the short trips I make ,,normally 2.5 miles or an undersized battery that was original equipment.Granted its a 2. 5 litre engine ,,,but I can't believe I run thru batteries like I do !,,more than ,,underwear,that is when I wear them. Any info will be valued... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesA Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 It probably is related to the battery not getting fully charged often enough. There is a chemical process called sulfation that can cause long-term damage to a lead-acid battery. When the battery does not get fully charged for a long-time lead sulfate crystals form, eventually these crystals will degrade the ability of the battery to hold a charge. If you don't drive the car enough, you can avoid sulfation by using a battery tender. For example, one good one is the CTEK 3300. This is microprocessor controlled so you can leave it plugged in all the time and it will keep the battery healthy. They run around $60 so if you are replacing batteries often it will pay for itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thetoad Posted August 20, 2017 Author Share Posted August 20, 2017 Thank you ,,, I'll die with this car and it's yet to hit its stride. Would outlets like Auto Zone carry that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesA Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 I'm not sure if Autozone has that particular one. Looks like they have a similar one which is the NOCO Genius G3500. You can order the CTEK 3300 online from places like Amazon. It has been around quite a while and has a good reputation. Whichever one you get, make sure that it is microprocessor controlled and has a desulfation feature. 3.5 amps is a good size for general use. Don't use an old-fashioned cheap trickle charger, this is a much better product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehsnils Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 If you drive a lot of short distances I'd recommend you to also get a smart battery charger to use frequently. If you have a power outlet close to where you park your car it would be easy. I have three different CTEK chargers, but I think this one would be the thing for you: http://smartercharger.com/battery-chargers/#CTEK%20Multi%20US%204.3 Also check the charging voltage of the car so that it has the proper range when the engine is running. If the alternator isn't giving the right voltage it wears out the battery faster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesA Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 That CTEK MUS 4.3 does look like an improvement over the 3300 model. It's a new generation product and not much more expensive than the older one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thetoad Posted August 20, 2017 Author Share Posted August 20, 2017 Thanks again,,,, Though are you sure its the short trips ,,as opposed to an undersized battery as original equipment,,,,inbetween I bought probably the best available ,,,,but 5 after the original? Subaru told me the alternator functions as designed,,,but this makes no sense to me.. I don't even have 40K on it,,,lost my original wheels when I hit a pothole in new jersey,,cracked the entire wheel when visiting Empire Casino,,,,I lost there as well.4 cans of fix o flat saved me that morning,,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesA Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 I don't think it's possible to be 100% sure over the Internet, but sulfation is very likely what's causing the problem. Modern cars do use some battery power just sitting because of their electronics. So, the battery is always draining very slowly. That's why having a battery tender helps if the car is sitting a lot and not getting enough charging time due to short trips. If you think the OEM battery was undersized, what about the other replacement batteries you put in the car? They weren't undersized but you still had the issue happen with them, right? There are a couple of other possible explanations: - Is the charging system working properly? You can have a mechanic test for this. It doesn't have to be the Subaru dealership if you want a 2nd opinion. - Do you have anything causing your battery to drain down when it is parked? For example, an aftermarket alarm system, remote starter, stereo, other aftermarket electronics that are not properly installed. Trunk light staying on, etc. The battery tender should take care of it. Lots of people use them for the same reason. I have a car that I don't drive much in wintertime. I installed a battery cutoff switch in that one. So, I can totally disconnect the battery from the car's electrical system, the battery does not drain down much when the car is just sitting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 Nice to see you have a car with that low miles. But I highly suggest you drive it for a longer distance at least every few weeks. Those of us with high miles and longtime members here have noticed we have many fewer problems then people who drive these cars for short drives and shut them off. My 09 Spec sometimes sits for 3 weeks or at a time, but when its driven its for at least 10 miles one-way. Never had a battery issue. My 1986 Ford F150 sits all winter, I move it around the yard once a week when I mow, this time of year, I take it on a long ride, 7 miles every 5-6 weeks just to charge the battery fully. In 4 years it's had less then 1200 miles. I can tell when the battery is getting low by the way it starts. 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1-3-2-4 Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 I'm not sure if Autozone has that particular one. Looks like they have a similar one which is the NOCO Genius G3500. You can order the CTEK 3300 online from places like Amazon. It has been around quite a while and has a good reputation. Whichever one you get, make sure that it is microprocessor controlled and has a desulfation feature. 3.5 amps is a good size for general use. Don't use an old-fashioned cheap trickle charger, this is a much better product.true with the bold part.. I used the HF so called battery maintainer.. I noticed my battery would start to sweat around the terminals and the alligator clips were starting to discolor.. I noticed it was maintaining the battery at around like 14.2V which was way too high.. I ended switching it out about a year ago to a battery tender JR and it floats it around 13.2V or so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dishwasher Posted August 21, 2017 Share Posted August 21, 2017 I use a battery tender on my bike, definitely increases the longevity of the battery, especially since my bike only has a stator, and it doesn't get used much in the winter. Seems like an easy fix. Max is right though, get out there once a week at least and try to put 30+ miles on it in one sitting. That will help the battery along with seals and other things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thetoad Posted August 22, 2017 Author Share Posted August 22, 2017 I've gotten the Best ones aailable ,,,that would seat properly on that battery platform,,otherwise a new one would need to be devised,,, This is a 2.5 litre ,,not big compared with the 1960-70 monster displacement and as far as I know it's turbo shouldn't impact it's initial use for it comes in to play at around 3000rpm regardless of the gear... Again,thanks for the wealth of info,,,, I once had an old Datsun B-210 great engine ,the worst sheet metal,,,,even their owners manual said,,"To garage or Not To" ,,,,meaning it rotted real easily.... Funny in watching cars evolving ,in any of their realms,power,styling,suspension,braking,,on and on,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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