lonesomexloveus Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 tl;dr: if i leave my ipod transmitter plugged in when i'm not using my car, can it completely drain the battery? here's the timeline: 2009: get new car battery in car 2010: battery dies while in warranty; they test the car, find nothing wrong with it and replace the battery 2011 (january): get a new ipod and ipod fm transmitter 2012 (january): car won't start. take it back to the battery place, they test the car again, find nothing wrong and recharge the battery. two weeks later: car almost doesn't start several times, take it back to the battery place, they recharge the battery, say it's fine, and blame the fact that it keeps dying on a parasitic drain from my remote start that was installed 2 years ago. they also try to tell me that because i only have a 15-30 minute commute to work each way, that's draining my battery. uhhhh ok, dude. today: took the car to the place that installed the remote start. they load test it and say it's fine and there's no abnormal drain from that, but the battery is very weak and i should replace it. they suggest that it could be the ipod fm transmitter that i leave plugged in sometimes. can just leaving it plugged in without having the ipod attached to it really drain a battery that fast? like, 2 weeks fast, after using it for a whole year with no problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 It seems odd to me that the ipod fm transmitter would put that much strain on your battery, that would cause it to need replaced and not just drain it. It seems like they probably have tested your alternator, but it sounds like it is on it's way out. The only other thing I could think of with the ipod charger, is that there is some sort of problem in the lighter's connection to your car's electric system, which could cause it to pull way more then it should. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidamnesiac Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 It depends on whether your car turns off that connection when you turn off the car. Some cars allow power to flow through the cigarette lighter/power adapter socket when the car is off and some cut the connection. If your charger/transmitter has a power indicator light that stays on when the car is off, that's a sign it's probably draining the battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonesomexloveus Posted February 1, 2012 Author Share Posted February 1, 2012 yeah, the guy at the battery place was reluctant to replace the battery the first time (because it was under warranty) but said they tested all the other systems and whatnot and said there wasn't a problem anywhere. the weird thing is that it will start hard sometimes, and when i give it gas, it will start and run fine for awhile. then randomly it won't start again. i know the light on my charger stays on when i shut my car off, but i think it goes off after a minute or two kind of like my interior lights do. at least, i don't remember the light being on when i get in to start my car in the morning. H8 CARS, GUYS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papermonsters Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Take the charger out when you get out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papermonsters Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Or you could try something like this, or an iTrip that doesn't have to be connected to the lighter. http://www.ebay.com/itm/FM-Transmitter-Car-Charger-iPod-iPhone-3G-4G-All-/220945254389?pt=Other_MP3_Player_Accessories&hash=item33715d07f5#ht_5063wt_1248 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonesomexloveus Posted February 1, 2012 Author Share Posted February 1, 2012 Take the charger out when you get out. obviously i can do that, but i just wanted to know if that was actually a plausible explanation for all the problems i was suddenly having with my car/the battery dying. i've had the transmitter for over a year and just recently in the last month have had problems with things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papermonsters Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Have a science experiment. Just try unplugging it every time you get out for a week or so and see if the problem continues. What kind of car is it? I've heard of some Fords in the last few years having a lot of problems with battery draining issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonesomexloveus Posted February 1, 2012 Author Share Posted February 1, 2012 a 2006 chevy malibu. since they said the battery is weak, i'm gonna take it to the place i got the battery and have them replace it tonight. i'll unplug it every time i use it from now on and if there's still a problem, we'll know that it's not that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgry Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I've got an 04 Chevy Silverado. My iPod plugs directly into my stereo, it charges and I only take it out overnight. Never had a problem. That part you mentioned about giving it gas is interesting. Are you sure you've narrowed it down to the battery? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deafmx Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 sounds possible as long as if keeps sucking power. my transmitter shuts off after a minute or two when no music is being transmitted through it. I would try the unplug for a while and see if the battery life improves. could be a faulty battery and they just don't want to replace it. could be a bunch of factors. what's your transmitter model? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonesomexloveus Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 the tech that installed the remote start said the battery wasn't a very good one to start with, and barely had enough power to cold start my car. in a nutshell: NTB sold me a battery that really isn't good enough for my car/engine, hence all the problems i've been having. when i looked back at my records, i had a problem and needed to get it replaced last november (when it got cold) and now (when it got cold), so more than likely it's a battery problem, since every other system in the car tested fine. even though the battery's under warranty, they charged me for installation of a replacement, which is bullshit in my opinion. i'm gonna leave my charger unplugged at night just to be safe and hope this solves the problem. this is the transmitter i have: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WKPHHO/ref=oh_o04_s00_i01_details thanks for all the input, guysssss! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thousandjulys Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 you should totes look into a horse and a solar powered fm transmitter hehe jay/kay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcm1610 Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I have a cell charger and an ipod connector in at all times and don't have issues. 2011 Accord. Oh wait, the ipod is a USB cable, so that doesn't matter at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicole Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 just unplug the damn thing and quit being a lazy bitch. problem solved. fack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonesomexloveus Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 just unplug the damn thing and quit being a lazy bitch. problem solved. fack. yeah, dude! unplugging it would totally have made my car battery magically recharge itself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darronibaloney Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Wait, they charged for battery installation? The hardest part is lifting the 20lb battery. These are tough times indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jase Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Also, at least once a week you should go for an hour long drive(or longer), it actually isn't good for your battery to o ly drive short distances. It allows the alternator to recharge the battery fully. Regardless, if the battery itself had too low of a capacity for your car, bi amount of long driving will help. As it will shit itself far too often. What I would do, is get your cars ownership manual, have a look through it to see what voltage/amperage the manufacturer(Chevrolet), recommends. Look at the battery in your car now and if it's less than recommended. Take it back to where you got the battery installed, show them your ownership manual, and suggest that as professionals they failed to make sure you had the correct battery to begin with. Don't pay for anything. If it is the right battery, take it back and ask for a bigger, more powerful battery. Hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deafmx Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 just unplug the damn thing and quit being a lazy bitch. problem solved. fack. +1 for the lulz. my marriage proposal still stands. I <3 you, Nicole! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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