[colmeir2]

Purchased a new to me 2013 RRS SC with 58k miles at the end of September 2018. After about 2 weeks the battery was on its last legs so I switched it out with a new duralast from auto zone. Fast forward to two days ago and I come out of the gym and the RRS is dead. No instrument lights or power whatsoever. I jump start the car with a buddy and head over to autozone and they test the battery and it’s completely dead. They swap in and test a new battery and alternator and all is well.

They told me I could have just gotten a dud battery but that seems kinda suspicious. Are there any likely culprits that would cause the battery to drain completely over 3 months?

 

[leftlanetruckin]

Of course you can get a crap battery, had one myself from the same place.
Get an Interstate in there and go about your life

 

[rjsimmons]

They told me I could have just gotten a dud battery but that seems kinda suspicious. Are there any likely culprits that would cause the battery to drain completely over 3 months?

This is not out of the question. They are shipped with a minimal charge from the factory and then are stored at the retailer for quite a while waiting to be sold. Typically the retailer will tell you to put it on a trickle charger if they have sat on the shelf for an extended period of time.

 

[leftlanetruckin]

Typically the retailer will tell you to put it on a trickle charger if they have sat on the shelf for an extended period of time.

I've yet to have a retailer tell me anything like that.
The date sticker is easy to see though, so why gt an old one when there is a new one right behind it?

 

[RRToadHall]

Colmeir, did you clean BOTH ends of your cables before installing the new battery? have you tested your cables for resistance? Have you tested your alternator for proper output? There's more to the starting/charging circuit than just the battery. If you have a failing cable or dirty end the battery will not charge. If your alternator is weak you won't be getting a full charge.

 

[RRToadHall]

I've yet to have a retailer tell me anything like that.
The date sticker is easy to see though, so why gt an old one when there is a new one right behind it?

Correct. the batteries arrive at the parts house fully charged. Our interstate dealer came around once a week to exchange dead batteries for new ones. they are fully charged at the distribution center as well as being on a monitor to ensure it a viable battery for delivery.

 

[rjsimmons]

I've yet to have a retailer tell me anything like that.
The date sticker is easy to see though, so why gt an old one when there is a new one right behind it?

Didn't say anything about an old one. Batteries do not like sitting for long periods of time and all lead acid batteries will self discharge over time, a little at first but then accelerate. Three months or more on a shelf and you will need to recharge the battery. The trickle charge is a recommendation and will always depend upon how long the battery has been shelved.

 

[colmeir2]

Colmeir, did you clean BOTH ends of your cables before installing the new battery? have you tested your cables for resistance? Have you tested your alternator for proper output? There's more to the starting/charging circuit than just the battery. If you have a failing cable or dirty end the battery will not charge. If your alternator is weak you won't be getting a full charge.

When you say clean both ends of the cables I’m assuming you’re not talking about the battery terminals. What/how do you recommend cleaning them?

Once the store put in the new battery they brought out the meter and tested it. Showed that the battery was good and that the alternator was charging the battery.

 

[leftlanetruckin]

Wire brush normally works just fine.
If you are more into letting a guy at Autozone tell you your electrical system is fine, I'd say you need to keep your fingers crossed.
I've had those machines say a battery is good, when amazingly, after replacing it anyway, the issues all went away.
There are electrical stickies in pretty much each part of the forum. If you want to KNOW it's good, I suggest reading them.

 

[Alpaca]

Oils just be did battery - but another thing to check is alternator diodes - the alternator may charge fine , but when off, bad diodes can cause the charge to leak back to ground. Easy way to see if that is a problem is to measure batt voltage when you put car away at night and then again in the morning before starting. With a new battery you should not see it drop from around 12.5v to much below 12.2. Check if alternator feels warm to touch error starting - if it does - could be the diodes going .....if not and you have a big voltage drop - you have another circuit somewhere draining the battery - an auto electrician should be able to find this for you, or you can test current at each fuse yourself ...