After not using my car for three weeks it would not start. Dead battery. Needed to be jumped. I called the dealer who said I can't keep the car off for three weeks. Any suggestions?

 

If you know you will won't be driving it for a long period, just loosen one of the terminals on the battery and place the cable to one side. When you want to drive it again, just pop the hood and connect it again and off you go.

 

Yeah, just disconnect it if you don't mind having your anti-theft system turned off.

 

Not a good idea. The EPS will need to be reset. Better to get a "battery tender" and install the cable that comes with it with a connector. It goes on the battery. Then you just connect the battery tender and plug it in. Keeps the battery fully charged, but doesn't harm the electronics or overcharge the battery.

 

I'm surprised the RX-8 doesn't have a battery shutoff function. My 98 F-150 does. I thought most new cars came with that built in, thats why Sears battery with the feature died due to lack of need. I'd try another dealer or ask them to check harder.

 

Your '98 F-150 has one, really!?!? Hmm, I wonder if my '98 F-150 has one? I know it's got a main battery fuse...

 

 

Thanks for the reply. How does a battery tender work? Does it plug into 110 volts? What if I have to leave the car at an airport?
I can't believe I'm the only one with this problem?

 

Yep, it plugs into 110V. The car should be able to sit for 3 weeks, I would think. However, there is a limit with most modern cars, because things like security systems, etc. will draw some juice when the car is off. Its not like the old days when the car was off - it was OFF. Plus, the battery in the 8 is on the small side.

The downside to disconnecting the battery (other than the security system being off), is that the electrical power steering system will have to be reset. There's a procedure in the manual I believe.

You've got a couple of options if you know that your car is going to sit idle for an extended period of time. The battery tender is great, if you have a place to plug it in. Another option is to upgrade to a higher capacity battery. Some folks have switched to the Optima Red Top. Do a search on the threads and you'll find that. Another option is to purchase one of those inexpensive portable jump-start batteries and leave it in the trunk when you have in parked for an extended period without access to 110V for the tender.

 

Three weeks sounds too soon for the battery to draw down fully. You should check (or have the dealer check) for the amount of "dark current" the car is consuming -- it's the amount of current that keeps flowing even with the car off. If I recall, the maximum allowable is 20 milliamperes. Since your battery drained so quickly it's possible there is something draining an unusually high current.

Agreed the stock battery may be on the weak side.

 

It is very likely the battery is defective. There have been a few of them fail. Unless you have an interior light on or something (trunk for example). I've seen RX-8s sit for two months with no problems.

 

My girlfriends Jetta came with a Solar Panel that you can stick to the inside of your windshield. They said they had tons of them and didn't know what to do with them all. I'm sure you can find a similar product, or head to a VW dealership and ask for one, or the price of one. This might be a viable option, unless you don't want to keep your car in the Sun/Elements for 3 weeks.

 

There was talk that some of the early RX-8's had weak batteries from the factory - this is probably the case here.

You can get a solar charger - Pep Boys has them. I think they're only like $20 or so and plug into the cigarette lighter. They don't mega-charge the battery, but do trickle-charge it well. Plug it in, toss it on top of the dash, and you're good to go.

Dale

 

Well, the RX-8 has the Japanese cigarette lighter, that is only on when "accy" is on. So it will not charge the battery with the key off and out. You'd have to wire it to the battery some other way.

They are a good idea, though. Also available from Radio Shack, Wal Mart, K-Mart, Sears, etc.

 

If the cigarette lighter fails, I think the solar panel kit also comes with a cord that has clamps on the end. Clamp it to the battery posts, run the wire into the cabin (should be able to just run it through the cracks in the doors) and you're good to go.

Dale

 

Mystery solved: Dealer discovered that battery was defective. They installed a new battery.