Easy Question

[chibahawk 10+ year member]

Okay, I had problems last week - first ever install and I had my subs and amp going - then the next morning I find my battery dead... could this have been the reason.

My battery terminal was loose.

Well it was definitely loose, but I'm not sure if that could have caused a leak of power overnight or how that would've drained the battery. Also on top of this I had my battery jumped by AAA and then drove it around for a half hour with the subs on and experienced dimming headlights/domelights - turned my car off and when I went to turn it back on, boom same problem battery was dead right after I shut the car off..

Could it have been because the battery terminal was loose and that's it? My car is running fine right now but it's because I unhooked the amp and subs so the battery is running solo but I was wondering if hooking them back up would be feasible in the future before going out and buying a new battery.

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[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

Also on top of this I had my battery jumped by AAA and then drove it around for a half hour with the subs on and experienced dimming headlights/domelights - turned my car off and when I went to turn it back on, boom same problem battery was dead right after I shut the car off..

You shouldn't have turned your system back on right after you had your battery jumped...you didn't give the charging system any time to bring the battery up to float voltage again.

 

[TeenWolf 10+ year member]

If the battery went dead overnight while the car wasn't in use, then I would suggest that the amps are not turning off and draining your battery. You should check to ensure that the amps go off when the HU is off.

Could be other stuff, but I would rule out that possibility first.

 

[Rattlebrain 10+ year member]

Are you using a relay for your amps? I did that and my relay stuck and left my amps on. also get your alt checked. If it aint working to its potential, then it could cause problems.

 

[chibahawk 10+ year member]

yea the amp is off when the car is off... also im going to ask a shop to inspect my alt and battery... proly gonna buy a red top in a week or so..

another question - is a 90 amp alternator (stock '01 galant) enough to support the 900W RF Punch 801s amp that's running 2 JL 12w0s?

 

[chibahawk 10+ year member]

Are you using a relay for your amps? I did that and my relay stuck and left my amps on. also get your alt checked. If it aint working to its potential, then it could cause problems.

okay im still wondering if a loose terminal can cause wanton battery drainage //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/naughty.gif.94359f346c0f1259df8038d60b41863e.gif

also rattlebrain i was wondering if you could break down what you did wrong with your relay, bc i just picked up a 12v relay i plan on using for some trunk lighting and fans so im wondering what your problem was just so i can try to avoid trouble

 

[stones 10+ year member]

Heres a nice guide for relays.

5.12   How do I wire a relay in my system? [iDB]
================================================

There are two types of relays that are commonly used in 12-volt
automotive applications:  Single-pole Double Throw (SPDT) relays, which
have 5 pins, and Single Pole, Single Throw (SPST) relays, which have 4
pins.  Depending on the application, you can use either of these; for
remote turn-on leads (see Section 5.11), an SPST relay is fine,
SPDT relays are often used in alarm installations.  Make sure that you
get a 12-volt relay - this specifies the voltage required to make the
relay "switch."

The connections on the two types of relays look like this:

                SPST                       SPDT
        =====================      =====================
                 (87)                       (87)
             +---------+                +---------+
             |   ---   |                |   ---   |
             |         |                |         |
        (86) | |     | | (85)      (86) | | --- | | (87a - center)
             |         |                |         | (85 - right)
             |    |    |                |    |    |
             +---------+                +---------+
                 (30)                       (30)

Pins 85 and 86 connect to the coil which causes the relay to switch.
On both relays, pins 30 and 87 are normally disconnected.  When the
relay is activated (switched) pin 30 and 87 are then in contact.  The
difference with the SPDT relay is that in the "normal" state, pins 30
and 87a are in contact.

To hook up a relay (either kind) for a remote turn on, make the
following connections:

   *Pin 30*
         +12 Volts (Battery +)

   *Pin 87*
         Amplifiers' remote turn-on terminal

   *Pin 86*
         Head unit remote turn-on lead

   *Pin 85*
         Ground

   *Pin 87a*
         No connection (SPDT only)

 

[chibahawk 10+ year member]

nice relay guide.. but

would a loose battery terminal cause a battery to practically die while driving so that when the car was turned off the battery was dead?

 

[TeenWolf 10+ year member]

nice relay guide.. but
would a loose battery terminal cause a battery to practically die while driving so that when the car was turned off the battery was dead?

I don't think so. Have you tried charging the battery (not from the car but an external charger)?

 

[stones 10+ year member]

nice relay guide.. but
would a loose battery terminal cause a battery to practically die while driving so that when the car was turned off the battery was dead?

Not exactly

a loose battery terminal will cause resistance at the terminal (poor connection), this in turn will make it harder for the alternator to send it a charge and harder for the car to draw current from the battery.

Just go buy a nice big new battery like one of those Exide orbitals and replace your battery terminals whith nice fat lead ones from any auto parts store, or if you wanna go fancy theres lots of gold plated brass ones on the market.

 

[Rattlebrain 10+ year member]

also rattlebrain i was wondering if you could break down what you did wrong with your relay, bc i just picked up a 12v relay i plan on using for some trunk lighting and fans so im wondering what your problem was just so i can try to avoid trouble

Actually It wasn't wired wrong, the relay just went bad on me.