with ozntz and phi_ (and others) here, this is probably a good place for my automotive questions.
i installed a new stereo, including a sub and amp, into my 2011 honda cr-z (hybrid) this summer. 6 months and 4,000 miles later, i'm having problems with the amp. the "protect" light comes on, and no audio is played. the manual says that means the voltage is less than 9 V or greater than 16 V. the indicator on the battery says "good," and there is minimal corrosion at the terminal posts.
(1) is low voltage (either under load or not) indicative of a dying 12 V battery? other cr-z drivers report that the OEM battery is low quality, and many have to replace it within 3 years/36,000 miles, especially in tough climates.
(2) how is a battery properly tested? do i just need to use a load tester and a multimeter? does the multimeter need to be special (like high amperage), or is it the same one i'd use for home electronics projects? do you think sears or an auto parts store would let me use theirs to check my battery?
(3) do you think i need to be worried about the hybrid system? or should i simply buy a good battery, and if the problem is fixed, keep using the amp as usual?
i installed a new stereo, including a sub and amp, into my 2011 honda cr-z (hybrid) this summer. 6 months and 4,000 miles later, i'm having problems with the amp. the "protect" light comes on, and no audio is played. the manual says that means the voltage is less than 9 V or greater than 16 V. the indicator on the battery says "good," and there is minimal corrosion at the terminal posts.
(1) is low voltage (either under load or not) indicative of a dying 12 V battery? other cr-z drivers report that the OEM battery is low quality, and many have to replace it within 3 years/36,000 miles, especially in tough climates.
(2) how is a battery properly tested? do i just need to use a load tester and a multimeter? does the multimeter need to be special (like high amperage), or is it the same one i'd use for home electronics projects? do you think sears or an auto parts store would let me use theirs to check my battery?
(3) do you think i need to be worried about the hybrid system? or should i simply buy a good battery, and if the problem is fixed, keep using the amp as usual?
aw, I thought this was going to be about engines and stuff.
I have a feeling nny would be the best person to ask re: electrical issues.
In my (limited) experience with troubleshooting these problems, if the battery is indeed just dying on you, the voltage would drop more and more over time. But with only 4k on the car, the battery might just be defective if this is the case. There is no way the planned obsolescence of that battery is so quick.
Is it ever playing music? Like when you first start driving, then it drops out? Or only after driving a while?
As for testing ... I have always used a dedicated battery tester. My brother and two friends are working mechanics, though. Take it to an auto parts place. They will check a battery for free usually. Auto Zone does for sure.
I have zero experience with hybrid systems. They're not the most popular things in Texas. As cynical as I am towards businesses, I don't believe a car company would manufacture and sell vehicles that would just fall apart and quit working. Besides, a good battery is always a great investment if you have the cash to spare.
In my (limited) experience with troubleshooting these problems, if the battery is indeed just dying on you, the voltage would drop more and more over time. But with only 4k on the car, the battery might just be defective if this is the case. There is no way the planned obsolescence of that battery is so quick.
Is it ever playing music? Like when you first start driving, then it drops out? Or only after driving a while?
As for testing ... I have always used a dedicated battery tester. My brother and two friends are working mechanics, though. Take it to an auto parts place. They will check a battery for free usually. Auto Zone does for sure.
I have zero experience with hybrid systems. They're not the most popular things in Texas. As cynical as I am towards businesses, I don't believe a car company would manufacture and sell vehicles that would just fall apart and quit working. Besides, a good battery is always a great investment if you have the cash to spare.
low voltage on the output leads of the battery is definitely a battery problem. I mean lead acids aren't exactly rocket science... but they do fail. 3 years sounds about right for a failure to occur. The other thing about lead acids... if you ever run em down to nothing, they don't hold a charge again.
a home multimeter should work.
be careful not to zap yourself. seriously.
a home multimeter should work.
be careful not to zap yourself. seriously.
Ooo, yeah. Once they're out, they're out.
the car has 35,500 mi and is 3.5 years old. i'm also guessing the battery is just shot. i took it to autozone, but because it's a hybrid, they need me to pull the battery for them to test it. i'll let them do it, but i'm pretty sure it's the battery anyway.
i might be able to get it replaced under warranty at honda, but they might refuse because it's a wearable part. also, it seems like they're very busy and it might take a lot of time. so i might just skip the dealer and pay for a new battery at autozone.
there is a bit of corrosion, but that should only affect amps, not volts, right?
i don't have a home multimeter, but if i did and wanted to check it, can i check it with the car running to see where the voltage is under load?
phi: the amp might turn on for a couple seconds right when the car starts, but then goes to "protect" mode. i'm guessing that as the battery gets a big load on it from the various systems, the voltage drops, and the amp flips to "protect." it almost always stays off for the rest of the drive.
i might be able to get it replaced under warranty at honda, but they might refuse because it's a wearable part. also, it seems like they're very busy and it might take a lot of time. so i might just skip the dealer and pay for a new battery at autozone.
there is a bit of corrosion, but that should only affect amps, not volts, right?
i don't have a home multimeter, but if i did and wanted to check it, can i check it with the car running to see where the voltage is under load?
phi: the amp might turn on for a couple seconds right when the car starts, but then goes to "protect" mode. i'm guessing that as the battery gets a big load on it from the various systems, the voltage drops, and the amp flips to "protect." it almost always stays off for the rest of the drive.
the car is supposed to use a tiny 151R battery, which is expensive and has small capacity.
i put in a 51R battery, which is less expensive (it's widely used) and can provide 200 more amps.
but damn if i didn't drop the wrench right at the end. i can't find it. this is gonna drive me crazy.
i put in a 51R battery, which is less expensive (it's widely used) and can provide 200 more amps.
but damn if i didn't drop the wrench right at the end. i can't find it. this is gonna drive me crazy.
Got no choice except buy a new car then ... :-(
and a new wrench.
my car needs recall service--if they need to do stuff under the hood, i'll ask them to keep an eye out for it.
damnit, the new battery didn't fix the problem. i realize that i really need to check the voltage.
questions!
(1) would this multimeter be decent? is there another you guys would recommend instead?
(2) i want to check voltage of the battery while the car is running. would i simply touch the two leads to the battery terminals, with either 2V or 20V selected on the meter? my previous concern about high current blowing up the meter is stupid because i'm connecting the meter in parallel, and the amps drawn will be proportional to the resistance the meter is putting on the parallel circuit, right? if i connected the meter in series, all of the amps that the car is drawing from/through the battery would be pulled through the meter, blowing it up, yeah? so i'm safe in parallel, just not in series?
questions!
(1) would this multimeter be decent? is there another you guys would recommend instead?
(2) i want to check voltage of the battery while the car is running. would i simply touch the two leads to the battery terminals, with either 2V or 20V selected on the meter? my previous concern about high current blowing up the meter is stupid because i'm connecting the meter in parallel, and the amps drawn will be proportional to the resistance the meter is putting on the parallel circuit, right? if i connected the meter in series, all of the amps that the car is drawing from/through the battery would be pulled through the meter, blowing it up, yeah? so i'm safe in parallel, just not in series?
yes... but DO NOT put yourself across the two terminals. IE be safe about it.
should work fine.
12v DC i think is standard output on a car battery.
should work fine.
12v DC i think is standard output on a car battery.
what exactly do you mean, "put myself across the terminals?"
yeah, i think it's supposed to be 12.6 V DC.
yeah, i think it's supposed to be 12.6 V DC.
Don't bridge the gap between the points and shock the shit out of yourself.
yeah, i'll be careful about that.
btw, with the new battery, the amplifier is work 9 times out of 10.
btw, with the new battery, the amplifier is work 9 times out of 10.
Good sign!
now i'm all scared to try this.
the amp hasn't worked the last 20-30 times. sigh
the amp hasn't worked the last 20-30 times. sigh
ok, i've been checking it. under load, voltage is anywhere from 13.5 V to 14.5 V. the amplifier's manual says it's supposed to tolerate up to 16 V. so i'm blaming the amplifier for not working.
i don't understand why the circuit is over-volted. with the car off, the battery reads perfect at 12.6 V.
i'm going to wire this voltmeter into accessory power near the in-dash stereo and collect many data. i'll see if there's a correlation between voltage and the amplifier working or not.
i don't understand why the circuit is over-volted. with the car off, the battery reads perfect at 12.6 V.
i'm going to wire this voltmeter into accessory power near the in-dash stereo and collect many data. i'll see if there's a correlation between voltage and the amplifier working or not.
the user photos for this are hilarious to me