A few months back, I had an issue w/ my 09 TL (base) and and had a dealership do some repairs, and come to my surprise to find out they killed the battery......(Ford) So I replace the battery and all is well, but now it seems like everytime I sart the car, it struggles to start. Being a cold season, that should be no excuse for a battery to die out this fast, cause in the previous years, I had no trouble getting it to start up. I think i've narrowed it down to a few possibilities. 1. The lights i've added could be draining too much power, 2. The alternator is going bad, 3. The battery is subpar. As a precaution, I always turn my radio down and off, and any other electronics are turned off before exiting the vehicle. Any suggestions on what might be the problem?

 

Go to an auto battery shop and do a "load test" on your battery. Then you'll know for sure if your battery is still good or not.

First make sure the problem is not battery related, then you can move on to the next possibilities.

 

Just took it to autozone and had it tested.... they say the battery is good.

 

So what else could be possibly causing my issue?

 

Acura batteries are notoriously bad. If that battery is from 2009, it doesn't have much life left in it. I'm surprised AutoZone didn't shove a new battery down your throat. If you are trying to not spend any big money at the Acura dealer, start with a new battery.
Otherwise electrical issues are impossible to dianose on the internet.

 

just replaced the battery a few months ago

 

stolen from a google search:
"1st off I would give everything a good visual examination. Look for loose or missing alternator belt. Also look for wires that could have become disconnected or cut that leads to the alternator.

Then I would hook up a volt meter to the battery cables and check the voltage. After this I would start the engine and recheck the voltage. The voltage on a charged battery should read around 12.5 volts. While the engine is running turn on a few accesories and speed up the idle a little the voltage should read around 14.5 volts.

If the voltage does not increase I would suspect either a faulty alternator or regulator."

 

^^^
Not necessarily accurate. The voltage reading will depend on the state of charge of the battery. Just put a voltmeter on the battery and notice the voltage. Anything above 12V is fine. Then start the car, and check voltage again. It should be higher then the previous reading.

 

You wrote: "The lights i've added could be draining too much power...". Check brand name and google it to see if there are any results coming back saying these lights brand name causes issues. There are a few around that do that and drain the battery, even when they are off!

 

I've tested the battery when it was off and got 12v and when started it jumps to 15. With accessories on it comes down between 13-14v. I did a little more research and my next suspect problem could be faulty wires. Any opinions on what else you all might think it is?

 

Well, your alternator seems to be working in normal specs, if it were dying, your battery would be measuring mid to low 11v and would only be around 13v (or fluctuate around 11-13v) once started. Only REAL way would be to have it "bench tested at a shop or store that could do so, but that requires you taking it off.

I would also consider idler pulley or alternator belt, if it hasn't been replaced since 09, it COULD be stretched.

 

The only time i notice the problem is on a cold startup

 

Im gonna change out the belt this weekend to see what the results are. Ill keep my findings posted.

 

Don't waste your money buying a belt. That is NOT going to solve your problem. What you have is a bad starter or one going bad. The dealer should have checked the current draw on the battery with a cold start. Beside you using some thick oil, its the only thing it can be,