Battery drainage on Honda CRV
I received several comments and suggestions regarding the battery drain concern on Bruce’s 2017 Honda CRV. Also I snoozed past a Honda technical service bulletin that may help: #17-032. Some 2017 CRVs, depending on their serial number range, may benefit from a software update for the VSA (vehicle stability assist) modulator. This component, under certain conditions, may fail to properly go to sleep when parked, increasing battery drain.
Paul brought up some great points I should have included if space allowed. Battery condition is one. Batteries age more quickly when they are repeatedly drawn down, and they really don’t like sitting in a discharged condition. A battery at 50% condition can’t be expected to keep vehicle memories alive as long as a fresh one might. Run time during vehicle use is also a concern. If the engine isn’t operated for at least 1/ 2hr or more after an extended parking interval, the battery is possibly not being recharged fully. Does the run time include periods of darkness and defrosting conditions? If so the vehicle’s alternator may be stretched a bit thin to meet those loads and restore battery state of charge during a short run. Temperature may also be a concern. Battery capacity drops quite a bit with cold weather, and starting load increases due to engine stiffness. Finally, the CRV’s original equipment battery is a bit small in capacity at 450 CCA considering the quantity of vehicle accessories. Paul recommends a slightly larger group 55, 56, or 24 battery, which should physically fit, packing greater capacity.
Sean mentioned it’s not a good idea to keep the key in the ignition or within perhaps 20 feet of the vehicle, as various modules may stay on high alert (failing to sleep). Angela recommends ditching the stock battery for a more powerful one, and Ron mentioned, on an older vehicle, a faulty belt tensioner was compromising alternator charging performance. Richard has similar concerns with his CRV that have yet to be resolved. And Jim reports similar trouble with his Subaru Accent.
A battery maintainer may be helpful for some folks, here are two solar choices: Sunforce 58104 battery trickle charger. This $33 dash-top solar charger is one of very few to include a data link connector allowing easy full-time hookup (accessory/lighter sockets are often not active when the ignition is off ). The Sunforce has mixed Amazon reviews.
A more robust and sophisticated choice is the $75 Battery Tender 021-1164 10W Solar Panel Charger and Maintainer with Built-in 3-step Automatic Micro processor Controller. The optional $14 Battery Tender 081-0154-DL OBDII Connector would make this a sweet setup.
For vehicles parked in the garage, a 120V maintainer such as the $26 Battery Tender 12 Volt Junior Automatic Battery Charger or similar could be connected and mounted under hood with the power cord slightly protruding from the vehicle grille. As a last resort a Gama Electronics battery disconnect switch ($11, US made!) offers a convenient and reliable disconnect method. Doing this may create a few issues with various modules needing to relearn or initialize, and should be avoided unless there aren’t better options.