Gator GT Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 Yeah, it was usually when the temps were ZERO or below when my presets when gonzo. I got a Duralast Gold (680 CCAs) and do practice shutting all things off (radio, climate, seats, lights) when shutting down the car so it'll start with the least amount of items on. Doing great so far. "If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed." - T. Jefferson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapnJack Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 This same thing happened on my 07 LGT yesterday morning and this morning. This is not the first cold snap we've had either this year, but this is the first time it's happened. Both times, I turned the key to "Run" and the radio came on to the last station I was listening too the night before. As soon as I turned over the starter to start the car, the presets went away. Sounds like a voltage drop problem to me. I may do a DIY circle ground kit to see if that helps. It did on my Integra and Civic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bdubs Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 First really really cold day around here and sure enough, presets are gone and the CD was sticking out. It was colder than this last year, and I never had this problem before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aczwild Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 it was 1 degree F this morning and sure as shit, it did it again. I wasnt thinking I had my digital camera with me and I should have taken a vid to document it. If its this cold tomorrow morning I'll do it JDM'd All to hell Thanks Jimmy @ Hkc-Speed.com! RIP Coxx & Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapnJack Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Day three and it happened for the third time. Before I started the car, I made a conscious effort to shut off the headlights, radio, seat warmers so the drain was minimal. Before I shut the radio off, I made sure everything was where I left it the night before. I started the car and heard the changer clicking. I turned on the radio and the presets were gone. The only thing that was left on was the auto climate control. I will check again tomorrow morning with EVERYTHING turned off to see if the problem repeats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aczwild Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Its -3 here right now and its not going to get any warmer tonight, so I'll try to capture the problem on the DC tomorrow when I go to start the car JDM'd All to hell Thanks Jimmy @ Hkc-Speed.com! RIP Coxx & Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autotech Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Lost my presets this morning and it was like 5 degrees outside, its annoying, but its not as annoying as bring my car to the dealer, i can deal with it for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator GT Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 It was 3* F this morning according to the car. To all you who are having preset issues = get a new battery and not an OEM unit. I got a DuraLast Gold, 680 CCAs for $70. 3yr warranty on it and I still have presets. I suffered from this last winter. This is easier than dealing with it and WAY easier than taking it to the dealership. "If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed." - T. Jefferson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aczwild Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Yeah I think most just want the dealer to pay for a new batt, it happened to me again this morning and I did get a vid of it happening, but they probably wont care. My plan is to just get either a red or yellow top Optima JDM'd All to hell Thanks Jimmy @ Hkc-Speed.com! RIP Coxx & Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02BlkRex Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 It was 3* F this morning according to the car. To all you who are having preset issues = get a new battery and not an OEM unit. I got a DuraLast Gold, 680 CCAs for $70. 3yr warranty on it and I still have presets. I suffered from this last winter. This is easier than dealing with it and WAY easier than taking it to the dealership. Yeah, that is probably what I'll do. It just sucks that the dealership won't foot the bill for this especially after I just dropped $695 on an AccessPort to fix the damn stutter/hesitation issue they don't acknowledge!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goboom Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 Time to add my name to the list. It happened to me this afternoon. I got to school this morning and my temp said 29. It sat in the lot for 8 and a half hours. When I turned the car to on everything was there, temp read 40, and when I turned it over...voila! The radio not only lost its presets, it also turned itself off. A/C settings were the same as well as the volume level. I do not have the tuner installed, so that cannot be the issue. I will persue the battery solution with the dealer the next time I am there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02BlkRex Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 So the fact that the radio comes on with all presets intact UNTIL you turn it over to start leads me to believe it is definitely a Cold Cranking Amp (CCA) issue and not a wiring issue. Is that what everyone else is getting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aczwild Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Yes it is indeed a Battery issue, not a radio issue. JDM'd All to hell Thanks Jimmy @ Hkc-Speed.com! RIP Coxx & Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapnJack Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 I don't have 100% confidence in this yet, but I may be on to something... I was upgrading the grounding in the engine bay and noticed the power leads for the battery. There are two leads that come off the positive post of the battery. One lead goes to the starter and the other goes to the fuse box. The wire that goes to the starter terminates at the starter and is about 4-6 gauge. The wire that goes to the fuse box that powers the entire car when the engine is not running is about 8 gauge. There is another 4-6 gauge wire that comes from the alternator and goes to the fuse box as well that will power the car when it is running and backfeeds through the 8 guage to recharge the battery. My thought is that when the car is turning over to start when it is very cold, there is enough of a voltage drop across that 8 gauge wire that the radio will lose it's presets. I believe a larger battery with more CCA will solve this situation, but there may be a cheaper solution. What I've done is replaced that 8 gauge wire with 4 gauge. Since I've done that, I have not had a problem. Prior to this, my presets would erase as soon as the temp dropped below 25 degrees and I started the car. The real test will be this weekend as we are supposed to be below zero. Below is a comparison photo of the wire I'm speaking of and the wire I replaced it with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02BlkRex Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 ^^^NICE! Keep us posted on your results. Pics of the wire you replaced in the car would be helpful as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapnJack Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 Well, it's 7 degrees here. After I got out of work tonight, I started my car and the presets were gone again... Damn! Looks like an Optima is in my future. I was going to get one eventually for my stereo upgrade, but it looks like it may be sooner than later. The wire I spoke of is the wire that goes between the fusebox and the battery. I would take a picture of it as it is in the car, but I re-wrapped it to look stock, so it would be a pretty boring picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapnJack Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Update - I just installed an Optima Yellowtop today. It's going to be -12 tonight. That should be a good test in the morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bdubs Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 Anyone ever invest in the battery warmer and see if there were a difference? It only costs $25. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02BlkRex Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 Anyone ever invest in the battery warmer and see if there were a difference? It only costs $25. I don't have an outlet close by to plug into since my baby sits outside in a parking lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapnJack Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Well, almost every morning this week it was below zero when I started my car. Not once have I lost the presets since I put in the Optima. Problem solved! Note - The stock battery is only 430 CCA (Cold Cranking Amps). What a joke! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02BlkRex Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Note - The stock battery is only 430 CCA (Cold Cranking Amps). What a joke! My stock '07 battery is 550 CCA... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02BlkRex Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 I went by Batteries Plus today and had my battery checked out. Here's what happened: Checked battery with car off: 12.5v (normal) Started car: Dipped to 10.67v from what I saw. Could have been even lower though. (low end of normal, probably indicates failing battery) Once car was started: Alternator took over and read 14.3v. (normal) BTW, the temp was 55 degrees F. When it's colder, I'm sure the battery dips even lower than 10.67v. From what I gather, the radio needs at least 10v to keep the memory/presets. Now I am 100% sure it is the battery. Question now is buy one or fight with Subaru to replace it. Looks like I'll be buying one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carter Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 My stock battery is only 490 CCA. I think I have battery/charging system issues. Check out my thread "back to the dying alternator" I could really use some feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02BlkRex Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 My stock battery is only 490 CCA. I think I have battery/charging system issues. Check out my thread "back to the dying alternator" I could really use some feedback. I read it and can't offer any more advice than what others have said. Keep taking it to the dealer because it is obviously the battery and/or the alternator. Personally, I would just replace it all on my own penny and not mess around with the dealer. I'm not sure how much an alternator is but I'd guess it's around $150 or so. Throw a battery in at the same time for $70 and call it a day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator GT Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 02BlkRex - how the eff did you get a 550CCA bat? Mine was 490. Something to do with your altitude? "If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed." - T. Jefferson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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