Need some battery help please. I recently replaced my oem battery with an optima red top. I replaced the oem battery because the voltage kept dropping to about 12.2 volts and the alternator tested fine and was operating as it should. Now I have the same issue with the red top. Voltage drops to about 12.2-12.3 after it sits for a few hours maybe but right after I turn the car off the voltage reads 12.6. Is there something that could be draining my battery? I don't have any mods or accessories running in my car.

Thank you.

2012 Sedan.

 

Test the individual cells with a battery hydrometer.



It is not unheard of to purchase a defective battery. Did you check the date code on the battery?

FWIW when I priced batteries the dealer prices were close to other shops
The dealer charged me $114 plus installation but everything worked when I left and the warranty would be covered by any Infiniti dealer.

Telcoman

 

Thanks for the response. Right now i have the red top optima so i dont think that testing method will work. The date code was one month before i bought it.

 

Were you experiencing any problems with the car while starting? Or did you simply replace the battery due to the voltage?

 

Slow cracking and low voltage. Battery was going on 5 years old so I just replaced it for the heck of it. But now the red top is doing the same thing. I check the voltage today after it sat all weekend and the voltage read 12.09.

 

Also while running voltage reads 14.7 and 14.5 ish under a load so the alternator seems to be working fine.

 

Not sure what to tell you. I have a Passport 9500ix radar detector hard-wired to my car and I have it to display battery voltage while on.

With the car off the radar detector always displays my battery voltage anywhere from 11.5v to 12.2v with the car off. Never once has it cranked over slowly or gave me trouble starting my car. Even when it was about 15 degrees outside recently. My battery is under 2 years old.

I know that the IPDM prevents the alternator from overcharging the battery and that explains why sometimes while driving the battery voltage will go from 14.x to 12.x with the car still running.

 

My voltage is about 12.6 after sitting overnight. It drops to about 12.2 when the ignition is turn to the ON position (without starting the car).

My battery is 2 months old.

 

voltage is the pressure. amperage is the current flow. you need amperage to be able to crank start a car. if you alternator is putting out 13.5v to 14.3v it is charging properly to maintain the voltage held by the battery. i find it hard to believe your alternator is putting out 14.5 to 14.7 volts when there is a load. did you put a carbon pile on the battery and load test it? if you did the alternator would read around 11 volts, and that is normal. just because the voltage dropped slightly after the car sits overnight does not mean much. if you want to find out if you have a parasitic draw you need to hook up a dvom to the battery and test the milliamp draw. or you can also use an amp clamp. honestly i think you are just a little paranoid over your voltage readings when you don't have the supporting evidence to indicate there even being a problem.

 

As another point of reference, I have an Optima Red Top in my 2010 Journey. The car has been sitting in the garage for a few days while I've been driving the Miata in the (temporary) warm weather. Red Top battery voltage in the G presently registers 12.15 volts parked in the garage. I'm not experiencing any starting problems, even if the car sits for a couple of weeks. The only odd thing I'm seeing is that it won't accept a charge from my Battery Tender; the charger tells me it's hooked up backwards. The Tender works on my other two cars (both with Optima batteries) and my old Honda motorcycle (with an AGM battery) fine. However, I also have a Battery Minder, and it hooks up and works with all four vehicles without any problem. Go figure. I suspect that the Putin and the Russians are hacking my Battery Tender.

I think Mr. crookncastle is politely suggesting that if you are experiencing hard start problems and think it's electrical in nature, you may want to take the car to a trusted shop and have them do a load test on your charging and starting systems. They may charge you a fee but it's really the only way to tell if you have a problem. As he points out, it's current that starts the car (assuming proper voltage output) and you don't have an amp meter to monitor, so you're sort of flying blind there. If the battery has a weak cell, it's possible that it may indicate acceptable voltage but can't generate enough current to start the car properly. Also, if the starting voltage in your G falls much below 10 volts, the computer won't even activate the starter circuit when you push the button.

Another common problem is corrosion on the electrical leads to the starter solenoid and related grounds. You might check those out to make sure the connections are clean and tight.

And, for the record, you do have some things still running in essentially standby mode, such as the security and key fob entry systems. The total current draw of stuff still alive with the car turned off shouldn't exceed somewhere around 50-70 milliamps.

 

Wow I'm having the same issue. Well sorta. No starting issue or anything but my volts are measured at upper 12 to low 13's no matter how long I have driven for. This is confirmed with my 9500 ci, OBD II, and the torque app. Battery has been replaced twice by Infiniti. Subbed for info.