Cell Phone Battery Depletion - READ ONLY

7 messages, Last post on Oct 31, 2003 at 9:25 PM

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#1 of 7 Cell Phone Battery Depletion by pandy792 Oct 26, 2003 (7:13 am)
Forgive my question but I have tried to research this and haven't found a solid answer. Recently my battery went dead (I have a 2003 VW Jetta). My cars only got 4500 miles on it. I charge my cell phone in the car, and sometimes I will leave my cell phone charging in the car while it is parked. A tow truck came and jump started my car, and I let it idle for about 20 minutes. Then 6 hours later, it wouldn't start again. I can only guess that leaving the cell phone in the car to charge slowly depleted the batery ove the last 5 months since I bought it. And the alternator never charged the battery up enough afterwards? THanks
#2 of 7 by q45man Oct 26, 2003 (7:34 am)
A cellphone battery charger [plugged into lighter]doesn't draw 10 watts........most new vehicle batteries are 80AH rated.[12 x 80=960 watts for an hour or 96 watts for 10 hours or 9.6 watts for 100 hours........guess a 100 hours might exhaust the battery but a each cell battery charges the charger automatically reduces the current drain. Measure the parasitic drain from the battery with everything off.......should be around 1/10 ampere or less [computer and memory functions of radio, HVAC, alarm system etc].
#3 of 7 not cellphone by desi501 Oct 26, 2003 (9:52 am)
That cell phone can't draw enough power to kill that battery in a month. You must have another problem like a draw as Q45man said, a bad alternator or just a bad battery. Have it checked out.
#4 of 7 Do U ever charge your Cell Phone in the house or office?... by balticjetta18t Oct 30, 2003 (12:14 am)
I can see charging in the car on an as needed basis during the day or just when needing a boost after a long conversation. When the car is tucked in at night, do U ever bring the cell inside for charging? AFTER>ALL when your car is not running and charging up by the alternator, all that is happening is that you are transferring your car battery power to your cell phone battery. Your car battery still provides juice for the clock for example and even the fuel pump priming function when you first open the drivers door after sitting for awhile. In addition it provides a tad of juice to the car computer chips and anti theft system.
#5 of 7 telephone techs charge their cells on the truck battery all the time by swschrad Oct 30, 2003 (6:53 pm)
it ain't the phone killing that car battery.
#6 of 7 Not a Good Comparison...Objectively by balticjetta18t Oct 31, 2003 (3:00 am)
AGREEING with Q45 man about the parasitic drain and a test from the dealer to help out. The car company knows there are more people out there using the cigarette lighter as a 12vDC power outlet just as cigarette lighters are now usually optional. In addition, a FLEET truck for a utility company along with police cars and limo's and p/u's with trailer tow packages all have upgraded heavy duty electrical systems to run all the accessories sucking juice from the battery or sometimes batteries...
#7 of 7 point taken, to a point ;) by swschrad Oct 31, 2003 (9:25 pm)
the 12 volt system is upgraded, but to what? one size larger battery and a couple dozen more amps on the alternator is what you get without going to dual alternators and/or batteries on something meaty like a load-rated diesel or a garage truck with a starting box on it. you leave the radio on overnight on the half-ton pickup or caravan the telco tech has, you still have a dead battery in the morning. just like on his own car after he got back from the market.