Hi everyone,
I know that battery questions have been asked before but after reading most of the posts I still have a couple of questions. First, some background: I have owned my 2004 Crossfire for 1 1/2 years. It currently has 35,000 miles. The battery in the car was there when I purchased the car. I have no idea how old it is. I usually start the car every week or two. The car has always started with no battery issues and without using a battery tender. I started the car 1 week ago with no issues. The car is always in a garage where the temperature never goes below 50 degrees. I tried to start the car today. All dash lights came on, fuel pump was running, but the engine would not turn over. I measured the battery voltage and it was 11.55 volts. It went down to 11.15 volts when I try to start it. I put the battery on the charger. Now the questions: How long can a Crossfire sit without a battery tender and still start? Do you think my battery is bad? I know that this is a personal issue but what brand of battery do you long term Crossfire owners recommend. I will add information after the battery is fully charged and I try to start the car. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

You probably have and RCM issue.
But you are flirting with disaster in thinking about how low you can let your battery go. Dead battery means charging or jumping issues with may lead to spikes in voltage which can kill your skreem, which will kill your car.

 

Hi everyone, Well, I do need help from the long term Crossfire owners. The battery is charged. When I turn the key to the "ON" position the dash lights light and the fuel pump is running. When I go to the "START" position I hear a click but the starter does not turn the engine over. I do have an extra RCM that was checked and modified by our resident RCM expert. I can remove my current RCM and install the checked out modified RCM if you think that the RCM can cause the problem I'm seeing.

 

And what are the voltage readings when all this happens after the battery was charged?

Please have the battery load tested to remove battery doubts before going forward.

 

James1549, I will remove the battery tomorrow and have it checked. I also think the battery may be the problem but there could also be other items that could cause this issue. There are many very smart people on this forum who have seen this issue or know someone who had this issue and know where I should look.

 

The cars are voltage sensitive. I have both my cars charging today. I hope skreem issues stay away lol. But, yes I'd say your battery is starting to weaken. Or something is on pulling it down...

 

found this somewhere:

How many volts should a car battery have when fully charged?

A car battery with a full charge should have at least 12.6 volts and measure at 13.7-14.7 when the engine is running.
i hope it helps
i know the engine does not run, but the minimum volts static is 12.6. and yours had 11.55

 

Thanks everyone for the information provided. I will have the battery load tested this morning. I will buy a new battery if mine is bad and try to start the car again. I'll add a post on what I find.

 

I took the battery to AutoZone and they ran a load test. The battery actually passed the load test but the printout stated that the battery capacity was at 50%. The readout said not to install the battery unless it had a complete charge. AutoZone put the battery on a "hot charge" for 40 minutes. They re-ran the test with the same results. The battery was still showing capacity at 50%. I purchased a new battery and installed it. The engine started right up. In the 1 1/2 years that I have owned the car I never saw the engine turn over so fast. Looks like everyone is right - Check the battery first and if it isn't 100% replace it.

Thanks again for the assistance.

 

it is great that your problem was solved by replacing the battery. you were very lucky that the skreem or anything else was not damaged.
but it is also important to learn from the experience.
i noticed that you said: " I have owned my 2004 Crossfire for 1 1/2 years. It currently has 35,000 miles. The battery in the car was there when I purchased the car. I have no idea how old it is."
it is crucial to know how old a battery is. i had no idea either.
the good thing is that there are ways to check this.
https://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&s...3u_QbZ852ICA35

 

This question of spikes in voltage damaging the SKREEM has led me to wonder if placing a battery disconnect switch in the negative cable ( some are very inexpensive, less than $10) AND a rectifier/surge suppressor on the positive cable between the battery and the 200 amp fuse. For those who store their car over the winter with a battery tender on the car this may be an important consideration. You could remove the battery from the car's circuits by opening the switch before you connect a charger, but the battery remains in the car. So it is very easy. Also having the battery disconnect switch I believe would help limit voltage spikes when installing a new battery by using the switch to first open the negative cable before removing the old battery and then closing the switch only after the new battery and cable are installed. Thus no sparking when connecting the cable. What you think?

 

This ?? Good idea ...

 

Yes, that is the one I was considering. The rectifiers/surge suppressors get expensive when you pay for reliability and quality.

 

I have a comment on the positive battery cable switch shown in a post above. A few years ago my friend purchased one for his 428 Cobra powered Shelby GT500. The engine would not turn over after the switch was installed. There isn't enough contact area for a car with a high current draw. I have seen these switches work on small block Mustangs but my friend could never get it to work on his GT500. It may work on the Crossfire.

 

The switch I pictured is a NEGATIVE terminal switch.
on AMAZON :

 

ala_xfire, That is the same item my friend tried on his GT500. I thought it was installed on the positive side but maybe it was installed on the negative side. From what I remember about the switches in the 1990s and early 2000s on classic Mustangs was that they were used as a security device. The owner would completely unscrew the plastic **** and keep it in his or her pocket while at a car show, cruise night, or parking lot. It may work well on a Crossfire if there is enough room for it in the battery area.

 

Disconnect the battery long enough and settings will be lost, the emissions settings will be lost for sure and if you are due for an emission test you will have to drive it for some time and complete the sequences required to get a pass.

 

the guys that fly r/c planes powered by electric motors have found a way to avoid sparks when connecting the battery by soldering a thin wire to each terminal and a resistor between. there is a connector that allows current to flow or stop. when connecting, you do the wire before, then the main. this way there is no spark. perhaps some1 with the knowledge could calculate the size of the resistor. just an idea-that works.

 

https://dannysengineportal.com/car-battery/

I wonder if something like this might provide protection from battery voltage spike? It's called a memory saver

 

Do not put a resistor in a circuit that flows 700+ amps. You are asking for a LOT of hurt, pain, and burns. R/C planes are little itty bitty devices not a huge car battery. Don't even try this (home, shop, office, abroad).


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