hi,
my acura ilx 2013 2.4L dynamic manual experiences total battery drains. the first battery lasted for for 2 years and the second one for just 1 1/4 year, i usually install medium quality batteries. not sure how to go about this, my theories follow this line of thought:
- the batteries have too low amperage
- there is a constant drain on the battery somewhere
- perhaps i need to use a tender battery charger
i use the car relatively frequently, perhaps several times a week.
anyone experiencing battery problems of similar nature?
cheers,
crazyvlad

 

Start chasing the parasitic draw!

 

hi,
originally i thought that i had a battery problem with my acura ilx 2013 2.4L but that may not be the case. the battery was charged and holds the charge fine. then i did the battery voltage readings first with
- no engine running and it was 12.48 V.
- with the engine running and the head lights OFF the reading was 12.41 V
- with the engine running and the head lights ON the reading was 14.28 V.
as per my understanding, any reading over 14.00 V and the engine running indicates a well functioning alternator. i was expecting a lower reading then 12.41 V when the head lights were ON and therefore more draw on the alternator. how come? is the alternator running okay after all? but this can't be as the battery gets drained over time and the voltage readings with the head lights OFF are 12.41, well below the 14.00 V mark.
any thought on this would be appreciated.
crazyvlad

 

engine running, alternator would be running which means battery should be +14V.. odd why headlight on is the only time it's showing 14


any issues with sound? how's the drive belt look?

 

the drive belt is fine, tension good and in a good shape....the sound (audio) is asking me to ENTER CODE, which code i have no clue so i have NO sound at the moment...what can this mean?

 

https://radio-navicode.acura.com/

the car should have come with a card that has the code on it for you to input every time the battery is replaced. could theoretically be a bad alternator that isn't charging your battery, thus it dying.

 

you've yet to do a parasitic draw test, so we can't confirm if there is a drain on your battery when the car is off.

 

thx for the reply....i bought this car second hand and wasn't aware of any cards with the code on it, checked the car and found no cards.
i will look into the parasitic draw test and perhaps i have a problem there indeed, thank you.

 

i called the acura service and was told to find and disconnect the handsfree bluetooth module which is apparently implicated with battery drainage problems for acuras and hondas 2012 and 2013. as per their directions, searched and disconnected a unit under the overhead lights but was not sure if this was the handsfree bluetooth module. now i keep an eye on the battery voltage regularly and so far so good. still, would like to know for sure where this module is situated in the car, any ideas would be appreciated. if this last action fails to keep the battery voltage in check i will indeed, as a last resort, need to check for parasitic draws on the battery, as suggested.

 

i checked the battery this morning monday june 9 and its voltage is holding steady in the 12.6 to 12.8 V range day after day. the conclusion is that there is no parasitic draw on the battery overnight and as a result i will not run any diagnostics related to this issue. the computer was updated and the battery drainage problem resolved; it now charges well with the headlights on or off. hopefully, this info may be of use to somebody one day.