MY22 Stinger GT - battery flattened twice so far in less than 4 weeks

[Maxmad]

Ok - I have a problem - but I think I may also have a solution. I'm interested to hear thoughts from others.

Our Stinger spends time at two houses (call them house 1 and house 2). So far it has had a completely flat battery once (which I just assumed I had caused by maybe leaving the car on accessory or something) ... and a 95% flat battery another time (this morning). Both times were at house 2. Both times were after the car had been left for two days without use. We have never had a flat battery at house 1 (even when it has been left unused for 4-5 day stretches).

I checked the manual today - and it says "Always carry your smart key when you leave the car. An unattended smart key close to the vehicle can cause the vehicle battery to be discharged". I think this is the key (no joke intended).

House 1 - the car is parked around 20 metres (60+ feet) from where we keep the key.
House 2 - the car is parked around 2 metres (6 feet) from where we keep the key.

Today I have moved the key at house 2 as far away from the car as I can manage - and ordered a Faraday pouch for future use (especially for situations where it might be hard to distance your key from the car eg. outside a hotel room, parked at a friend's place, park and view at a Motorsport event etc).

Has anyone else had this sudden battery drain issue in their Stinger ... and resolved it by simply moving the key further away from the car? I'm hoping that this is a common thing (and only new to me) and that my simple solution will work ... as it is getting a bit tiresome having flat batteries all the time!

 

[RedCal]

I'm pretty sure it has come up here before, and moving the key (or blocking the RF transmission) should do the trick. You will want to either charge the battery fully with a charger, or take it on a nice long drive to make sure it's fully charged.

 

[Fredman]

I would have the battery properly load tested. Not just a simple voltage verification. That circuit can only draw milliamps. That low current draw should not kill the battery inside of two days time. Over the last couple of years I have witnessed faulty batteries delivered new from different manufacturers. Most every time you can test for voltage and it will appear within proper range but try to apply a high start load and it’s no go -

 

[Maxmad]

Thanks for the replies. I'm considering installing one of these to help see what is draining the battery and when - might help me narrow down the culprit (key or something else) - Century BM12V Battery Monitor - Century Batteries

 

[GregS]

Century Bluetooth Battery Monitor - BM12V Pretty cheap.

 

[Maxmad]

Century Bluetooth Battery Monitor - BM12V Pretty cheap.

They have this one too - Matson Bluetooth Wireless Battery Monitor

 

[Maxmad]

They have this one too - Matson Bluetooth Wireless Battery Monitor

Not sure about this one?

Car Battery Monitor via Bluetooth 4.0 Voltage Meter Tester LowVolt Alarm BM2 V12 | eBay

The Battery Monitor BM2 is the easiest way to check the health of any vehicles battery, starter and charging system. Bluetooth connectivity, free app for iOS & Android (Battery Monitor BM2). 1pc x Battery Monitor BM2.

www.ebay.com.au

 

[Maxmad]

I ended up buying the Century monitor. In the first 24 hours it identified the culprit for me easily. My bluetooth OBD2 dongle (that I use with Torque Pro and Racing Meter) will constantly try to establish a connection with my phone if the app is still open on the phone. The interesting thing is that the definition of open is different to what I thought it would be. I swipe up to close apps on my Android phone - but that does not completely close them and they still try to talk to the OBD2 dongle. To close it fully, I have to use the exit option from within the app (a new learning for me!).

With the Century battery monitor installed - I was able to see all this happen in real time. There was no doubt whatsoever as to what the culprit was.

So - having the car key close to the car MIGHT increase battery drain a little, but having the Torque Pro app not fully closed while you spend 3 hours detailing the car (not to mention sleeping in a room directly above the car ... with the app still trying to talk to the OBD2 dongle all night I presume) is the real cause.

If anyone wants a VERY DETAILED analysis of the different battery monitors on the market - pros / cons etc - reach out to me. My brother wants to get one for his car / caravan - so I analysed them all (and the associated monitoring apps) earlier today.