SicK TypeS

the other day i sat in my car for about 15 min. listening to a cd. the car was still in the garage and the engine was off. the music sounds much better in my car then in my house. i didn't stay in there too long so as not to drain the battery.

i plan on doing this again. i fear one day i'll get in the car and it won't start because i spent too much time listening to music with the engine off.

can someone explain to me how the battery/engine interdependence works? is it true that the battery is drained much faster when the engine is off? why is that? how does the battery recharge?

thanks

leftride

iTrader: (1)

When your car is running it powers the alternator with a belt and that is what charges the battery. when the car is off nothing is charging the battery so you listening to the stereo will drain the battery. I am not sure the time it will take to drain the battery completely, but if you are just listening to the stereo i am sure that it will last for hours.

check but this might help get you started....
http://www.misterfixit.com/alterntr.htm

Powered by Honda

worry about it in a couple years. Not now.

magnifico

just don't fall asleep and wake up 3 days later, i think you'll be fine

Sebo

depends on the volumn level.. the higher the volumn the more the drain.

i wouldn't leave the radio on without the car running more than 30mins.. it can go many hours if you have it pretty low though.

waTSX

I can relate a little story. I spent one Saturday washing, claying, polishing then waxing my TSX. The whole process took a solid four hours, and I had the stereo playing the whole time with the car off, CD and tuner. When I tried to crank the car, it was deader than a doornail. And yes, I was jamming the tunes, with the volume probably around 29-30 so I could hear it with the doors closed.

It seems to me that the TSX's battery isn't a particularly strong one. It's kind of small and doesn't fire the car up that well even when it's fully charged. I had never had this draining problem with previous cars, including a 2000 Accord EX V6.

So take it for what it's worth. Somewhere between 1/2 an hour and four hours you may kill the battery. The stock battery ain't no Die Hard.

Sebo

yeah, but did your Accord have 8 speakers, an amp, and a subwoofer?

you have to factor all that in.. that is why the battery will drain much quicker.. especially if you have Navi.

waTSX

Yeah. Alpine V12 amp 4x50w, Alpine head unit, stock speakers. No sub though. Sounded pretty damn good.

Edit: now that I think about it, I did have a sub in that car, in a custom box in the trunk. Forgot about that.

hans007

when i was in college i stupidly used my nissan altima as a boom box at a campus event we were throwing for oh about 3 hours. with tthe volume up high.

needless to say i needed a jump after that.

i'm sure you could probabl ygo an hour or more though. i've sat with a friend or two in a car just randomly talkign with music on for that long, no problems.

Maxboost

Why can't you just spend some money getting a good home stereo instead of buying a new battery or jump cable in the future?

Mokos23

when are you theoretically supposed to change the TSX battery? after 4 yrs?

Big Pimpin

Yeah after I got a system in the car I dont even think about turning the stereo on without the car running

hellspare

What's the downside of having your engine on listening to music, but not moving? If there is none, then why don't you just do that.

OCguy

I hear you dude I have a pair of Rainbow comps up front and a sub and lately it seems that it takes me longer to start up the car. Forgot to mention that I have two US amps in the car. Im thinking of getting an Optima battery maybe that will help.

CJams

Till your battery goes dead!

jlukja

After replacing my speakers I sat and listened for about an hour with the engine off. It still turned over after that.

leftride

iTrader: (1)

um...wasting gas, wear and tear on the engine, not good for the environment, carbon monoxide poisoning (if you are in an enclosed area)…those are a few.

psteng19

Get a good battery. Interstate for the win!

In my old car, it powered 4 sats + 12" sub with 2 amps for 7 years before it finally died, and probably only because i left the door ajar in the garage overnight.
And this included many sessions of playing music with the car off, anywhere from 5 - 45 minutes.

CJams

Have you seen the price of gas lately?

bnaydc

well actually if u leave ur engine on and dont move ... u dont waste alot of gas .. infact almost none ... so i would go with that option .. and i do when im sittin in my car and listenin to music ...

SicK TypeS

so the tsx's oem battery is weak-average. if the battery recharges when the engine is running, then my only concern should be whether the car is going to start up the next session. correct? if so then all i'm looking for in an answer is for about how long can i listen to music (moderate level) with the engine off without surpassing the point where the car can't be turned back on without a jumpstart.

unless, the battery's longevity and reliability are hurt when listening to the music with the engine off, regardless if it recharges back to full capacity afterwards.

jlukja

I've heard that its not good for the battery if you discharge it then recharge it (deep cycling). Listening to the radio with the engine off once in a while is no problem but if you run down the battery till it dies then recharge it then run it down again continuously will certainly shorten its life.

joerockt

I wouldnt trust our battery as far as I can throw it.

hellspare

I'm just saying.. I'd rather waste a teeny bit of gas than to have my car not start when I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere.
Exaggeration, yes. If I MUST listen to music in my car for a long period of time, that's what i would do.

SicK TypeS

i agree. the reason why i don't turn the car on is because my car is in the garage, which in the house. it's too cold to leave the door open. also, i don't want any cats that might be wandering around to get inside.