MCK3125

So, I have one of the mustangs that kills batteries in 5 to 7 days when sitting. It’s been in and is going in again.

My question is this. Would it be better to get a yellow top deep cycle instead of a red top? Reason for the yellow top is that it can be drained nearly 80% and still crank the car. Or at least that is what I understand from my brief internet reading on the topic.

Remember the goal is to get the car to crank after 7 days of sitting. And no there is nowhere to plug in my battery tender at the airport… Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

theedge67

I think I would go deep cycle. I would also keep a battery jumper box in my trunk, just in case. Have you tried making sure the radio is turned off before you shut off the car? That seems to be one of the most common problems with the batteries going south.

colbymh

Im no battery expert, but I wouldn't leave my stang at any airport. take a cab.

I would think the deep cycle would be the way to go also though.

krnpimpsta

I'm also not a battery expert, BUT..
Off the top of my head, I think I remember reading that AGM batteries (such as the Optima Yellow Top) have less cranking amps for a particular battery size than typical batteries.

I'm personally going to upgrade to a Red Top when my battery kicks it. I may add a Yellow Top in the trunk for my multimedia needs.. but I'm sure you'll be fine w/ the Yellow Top.

adrenalin

Another option is to get one of those small solar panels that sit on your dash. You plug it into your power port and it trickle charges your battery while you are away. I put one in the window of my garage to keep the battery charged during the winter while it is stored. Have never had a problem starting the car.

Silverback

Red top for me (truck). Works great w/o any issues.

xpinoy

dont waste your money. i bought a yellow top and my car killed it in a week of not starting. buy a regular battery and a portable jumper, keep it in the trunk. good thing about the optima, it will turn with very little juice and holds good charge afterwards. i now make it a point to start my car every other day if not driven for long periods

SpeedRacer

Do you have the active alarm with a mobile tracking device? My car was doing the same as yours, battery dead after a week or 2. Had it in the first time and they just replaced the battery saying that I must have just gotten a bad one. Happened again about 5 months down the road so I took it back again. This time they went through it alittle more thoroughly and found that the mobile tracking device was drawing more miliamps than it should and that was killing my battery. They swapped out my unit for a different one and problem solved. Havent had any issues since then.

theedge67

I like the idea of the solar charger. I've seen those for under $30, a heck of a lot cheaper than a new battery.

Martimus

Only potential issue I see with using a solar charger is that the wiring on the charger may not be long enough to use on a car secured in a garage. Some of the solar chargers I've seen had short (1 foot) cords and some used aligator clamps rather than a power point plug. In either of these cases it would seem likely that the cable would need to be modified to allow for a longer cable run... and DC power doesn't always like long wiring runs.

theedge67

Sounds like you just need to do a little research before you buy one then. Make sure you get one with at least a 5 foot cord, and a power point plug that plugs into the interior power point. That would be ideal for an airport parking lot.

area5179

Do you have the shaker 1000 radio setup? I had the same problem and it was the amp for the sub's in the trunk. Seems it had a short so I got it replaced under warranty. Bought a yellow top battery right after and have not had any problems.

lrgnation

Honestly get a yellow top, they can be discharged almost all the way or a little bit or any amount and be recharged to 100%. Redtop are completly different once you discharge them past a certain point they won't go to 100% again. This is why the get used for a lot of stereo systems. There is far better batteries than the optima as well but your going to pay for it.

MCK3125

All,

Thanks so much for you input.

Speedracer:
I do have the active alarm, not sure about the mobile tracking device. This is the first I’ve heard of this, so thank you very much...

Adrenalin:
Great idea, just not sure I’d get enough sun light under the covered parking... But hey it can’t hurt to try. Thanks

Area 5179:
I do have the Shaker 1000. While out of town on vacation the car sat in the home garage for 7 days, it was dead again upon my return. The car sat in the garage with the doors unlocked and I turned off the radio because I wanted to test the car again to see if it would die. It did.

The last time I took the car into the dealer they indicated it was my aftermarket XM player. Unfortunately, the car died just a few days after I purchase the car and a number of times since. Most of my posts, unfortunately, on this great forum are about the dead battery.

Ironically, many have stated it’s something to do with the amps or the head unit. After charging the battery the CD player is now giving me the “CD ERROR”. I hoping its dead and they’ll have to replace it and maybe I’ll get one of the head units that doesn’t kill my battery.

BTW: Do you have the invoice and would you be able to provide me with the codes of the parts they replaced?


At the end of the day I’m just going to buy the biggest yellow top battery that will fit and call it good. I also like the idea of the portable jump unit... It’s just sad that so many have this problem. For those of who do it just kills you every time you need to get a jump... I know, I know, they have a lot of electrics. But 7 days when others are just fine!

Thanks to all for your input.