[philwarner42!]

2011 Touring elite with 275K miles on it.

I am about to take the Everstart Maxx 24F Walmart battery in for exchange just shy of two years since I exchanged the previous Everstart Maxx 24F at Walmart at 3 years 3 months of age and paid the $72 prorated charge since it was just past the 3 year free replacement. This battery has been going down to under 12 volts overnight for the last week or two, and I could charge it enough to start the Ody, but today before charging I put my battery tester on it and the tester meter showed 12 volts initially but adding the tester load dropped it to 8 volts.

I set my VOM on the DC 10 amp scale and checked between the positive post and the disconnected positive cable and the VOM first showed 2.5 amps then 1.6 amps and then 0.24 amps, taking 3 to 4 seconds between the AMP changes. The DC volt scale the VOM then showed 11.97 volts across the battery terminals. What should the battery drain be in a normal Ody system? I am guessing it should be much less than 0.24 amps.

A little history: The Ody has taken some time to start charging on cold starts for quite awhile now, but once it starts charging it holds at 13.6 to 14 volts all day until the next cold start. Then the "Check Charging System" messaqe might come up a couple of times before it settles down to its normal charging voltage (which I monitor on an UltraGauge).

So...Is my Ody eating batteries because of a high battery drain when turned off? Or did I get another bad battery that has failed in 2 years time?


.

 

[WiiMaster]

0.24 amps seems high assuming proper testing procedures (ie: don't open a door or do anything to wake up the computer)

 

[white2015]

Keep your key Fob away from the van
Like 30 plus feet. You might be waking the keyless entry system when testing.

 

[2011.2017.odyssey]

Neverstart...

if you have or know somebody with a costco membership, recommend you buy your next one there.
two prorated warranty replacements equals 1 costco 5 year full replacement warranty at no charge.

I have bought 1 costco battery, and replaced it 3 times for the price of 1, and this battery is under 4 more years of full replacement warranty!

 

[Buffalo4]

A 0.24A drain is almost 5 times what it should be, if tested properly. That will surely drain the battery, even a Costco one or almost any other over a few days to a week.. I believe the normal drain is around 0.05A.
But, if you take your battery back to Walmart now, you should get a FREE replacement since it is under the 3yr limit.
That heavy drain takes a large toll on the battery after a yr or so and its 'reserve capacity' really goes down.
Do a search for parasitic drain in these forums. Many seem to come from the sliding power doors and also the AC relay to name a couple of the main culprits.


Buffalo4

 

[wwdwgs]

Walmart's car batteries last 2-3 years. Some - up to 5, but that's a design/manufacture flaw.
Costco's (interstate) batteries are still better.

 

[brian3]

You are losing almost 10% battery capacity per day at that drain. It is not the battery most likely that is just the outcome, something is causing that high drain in your vehicle.

 

[brian3]

Keep your key Fob away from the van
Like 30 plus feet. You might be waking the keyless entry system when testing.

Not needed with that vintage, they do not open when you get near.

 

[philwarner42!]

A 0.24A drain is almost 5 times what it should be, if tested properly. That will surely drain the battery, even a Costco one or almost any other over a few days to a week.. I believe the normal drain is around 0.05A.
But, if you take your battery back to Walmart now, you should get a FREE replacement since it is under the 3yr limit.
That heavy drain takes a large toll on the battery after a yr or so and its 'reserve capacity' really goes down.
Do a search for parasitic drain in these forums. Many seem to come from the sliding power doors and also the AC relay to name a couple of the main culprits.Buffalo4

Yes, Walmart did give me a new battery, but only after their hand tester said it had to go on their "big tester" for 60 to 90 minutes to charge and then test bad. The fellow said the original warranty would still be in force so one more year of the free replacement warranty on this one.

Would a bad diode in the alternator cause this high drain? I'll try checking the drain again tomorrow on the new battery with my fob far away as suggested. I've not understood its hesitation in beginning to charge after starting when it charges normally after it begins. I did briefly get a "Replace Battery" message a week ago after re-charging the battery when it failed to crank, and I've had the display of every possible error message after re-charging; they will usually go away on shut down and restart.

 

[2011.2017.odyssey]

Would a bad diode in the alternator cause this high drain

bad diodes are typically noisy and whine...

Those neverstarts are not top tier batteries, so I wouldnt put much thought into it unless the replacement does the same.

 

[white2015]

Not needed with that vintage, they do not open when you get near.

Interesting, my 2015 does.

 

[Buffalo4]

Walmart's car batteries last 2-3 years. Some - up to 5, but that's a design/manufacture flaw.
Costco's (interstate) batteries are still better.

Probably more of a personal opinion than an actual factual opinion.
Buffalo4

 

[Buffalo4]

bad diodes are typically noisy and whine...

Those neverstarts are not top tier batteries, so I wouldnt put much thought into it unless the replacement does the same.

They are actually pretty highly rated in CR.
Buffalo4

 

[Buffalo4]

Yes, Walmart did give me a new battery, but only after their hand tester said it had to go on their "big tester" for 60 to 90 minutes to charge and then test bad. The fellow said the original warranty would still be in force so one more year of the free replacement warranty on this one.

Would a bad diode in the alternator cause this high drain? I'll try checking the drain again tomorrow on the new battery with my fob far away as suggested. I've not understood its hesitation in beginning to charge after starting when it charges normally after it begins. I did briefly get a "Replace Battery" message a week ago after re-charging the battery when it failed to crank, and I've had the display of every possible error message after re-charging; they will usually go away on shut down and restart.

That is the story you get when Walmart says they have to do it (60-90 min test) to give a free replacement under warranty.
I have used that warranty replacement several time (amazingly the 3 yr warranty was also applied to the new replacement battery) and when they informed me about the long test needed, I said I don't have the time, so , just replace the battery (and I expected to pay) and they did replace it, When it came time to pay, after the battery was installed, they said no charge since it was still under the 3yr warranty.
Last time I got a new battery from them, I just ordered it online (only because they didn't have it in stock at the store and they were really swamped in their Auto Car shop) and paid full price, picked it up at their store several days later, installed it, returned the old battery to them. When they scanned the returned battery, they said the it was still under the 3 yr warranty and refunded me the total price I paid for the one I purchased from them online.
Why doesn't my MaxxLife battery last longer, it is BECAUSE I have a parasitic drain that I can't find, or haven't found yet.
It is basically on fuse #13, interior PS fuse box. 7.5A fuse that goes to :
Pass Mulitplex Control Unit
Gauge Assembly
Sliding Doors
Drivers Multiplex Control Unit
PCM
Door Multiplex Control Unit
Climate control unit,
Clock,
Gauge assembly,
Heater control panel
Yep, all easily accessible units and easy to disconnect to isolate!!! 🤮🤓🤣🤣🤣
Buffalo4

 

[2011.2017.odyssey]

They are actually pretty highly rated in CR.
Buffalo4

They are actually pretty highly rated in CR.
Buffalo4

that one is not easily answered...
I wish it were.
This info is somewhat guarded by the manufacturers and who they supply, making it hard for us consumers to know what were buying.

Everstart brand has been manufactured by multiple companies over the past 10 years.
Johnson controls (JC) holds the current contract with Walmart, and like all companies have multiple lines for their products that vary in quality.

JC used to exclusively manufacture Costco batteries until 2019, now its shared with Clarios, Interstate / Exide

When I was replacing Costco FLA batteries in the ody that clearly said Johnson controls on the label, would get 1-2 years out of a battery before failure.
This pattern has been reproduced across family and friends with power hungry vehicles and use.

Currently on a Costco energizer agm, its going into year 3 and still tests within spec for cca.
unclear who makes their Energizer agm batteries, but would wager this one is not a JC.
That or JC has improved the quality in the past few years.

folks will say well that's "anecdotal"
folks like me will say field data cannot be discredited.

 

[Buffalo4]

that one is not easily answered...
I wish it were.
This info is somewhat guarded by the manufacturers and who they supply, making it hard for us consumers to know what were buying.

Everstart brand has been manufactured by multiple companies over the past 10 years.
Johnson controls (JC) holds the current contract with Walmart, and like all companies have multiple lines for their products that vary in quality.

JC used to exclusively manufacture Costco batteries until 2019, now its shared with Clarios, Interstate / Exide

When I was replacing Costco FLA batteries in the ody that clearly said Johnson controls on the label, would get 1-2 years out of a battery before failure.
This pattern has been reproduced across family and friends with power hungry vehicles and use.

Currently on a Costco energizer agm, its going into year 3 and still tests within spec for cca.
unclear who makes their Energizer agm batteries, but would wager this one is not a JC.
That or JC has improved the quality in the past few years.

folks will say well that's "anecdotal"
folks like me will say field data cannot be discredited.

You sure just 'jumped' to conclusions in this post.
Buffalo4

 

[2011.2017.odyssey]

You sure just 'jumped' to conclusions in this post.
Buffalo4

the predictable response from you...

 

[WiiMaster]

JC used to exclusively manufacture Costco batteries until 2019, now its shared with Clarios, Interstate / Exide

Where can I get these John Clark batteries??

 

[Buffalo4]

the predictable response from you...

Yep, the truth hurts some people.

 

[2011.2017.odyssey]

Yep, the truth hurts some people.

again, no valuable information from your contribution to the thread...

last time I looked, you didn't own a gen 4 ody... suggest keeping your "expertise" in the forum you're knowledgeable about.