| lc1328 |
| I have a coworker's wife that has a MDX. She left the head lights on for several days while she parked at the airport. The car was jumped started and they went to the dealer. The service department said that the battery needed to be trickled charge if not the battery won't recharge itself from driving it. This can't be, can it? Or is the service dept. really trying to make some money?? |
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| vip9 |
| Not sure about battery, but it was my impression that it is NOT possible to leave the lights on for that long as they turn off automatically after a 10-15 minutes. Isn't that so? |
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| lc1328 |
| You would think that a +$40K luxury vehicle could turn its own head lights off. My friend's Buick Regal was able to do it. |
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| vip9 |
quote:
Originally posted by lc1328
You would think that a +$40K luxury vehicle could turn its own head lights off. My friend's Buick Regal was able to do it.
That's what I am talking about. I am sure that headlights do turn off automatically after a while (about 15 minutes, I think) I am just not sure if there are any "exceptions" to this rule. |
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| lc1328 |
| I think its time to read the manual. That is something my wife would tell me to do...:eek: |
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| remery |
I believe my lights do not turn off after 15 minutes so I checked the Acura Owner's Link that has the owners manual online. It says they will but I do not think mine do so I will have to give them the 20 minute test tonight in the garage. If they stay on, the dealer will have one more thing to fix. :(
As for the battery needing trickle charging, I believe your dealer service department is correct. When a battery is fully discharged, I don't think the engine will recharge it completely so putting it on a trickle charger overnight or for a couple of hours is needed. After this is done, they can check it to see if it will hold a charge. If not, it has to be replaced. |
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| Rodzir |
| They do tun off automatically after about 1 to 2 min. Well thats my touring/Navi. I dont like that once you hit the unlock button on the remote the lights turn on as well as the iterior lights. |
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| JNanas |
The technical answer - yes, they're correct. A completely dead battery (one who's nominal voltage has dropped below 10V) should be trickle charged.
Now - the *practical* answer.
If you boost the car, and make sure it runs for quite some time (I'd say at least 30 minutes; leaving the boosting vehicle connected for about 5 minutes, 3 before, two after starting), it should do just fine.
If you happened to have a battery charger (and judging by the availability at most car stores and costco for less than $40, I highly advise you get one), you can boost the vehicle, get it home, then trickle charge it all night. Just be sure to disconnect the battery from the vehicle (probably causing all kinds of stress to those nifty electronic gadgets connected to it).
Trickle charge is the best way to maintain battery life, if you have something that goes dead often - but if you run the battery down all the way once, you don't harm it by giving it a fast charge then letting it recover via the alternator. |
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| AtlantaMDX |
I have to backup JNanas on this. He's right. And you should own a trickle charger. Very handy!
As for the lights, they do turn off after just a few minutes of turing the engine off, but I think there is a way to defeat this (so if you're out fishing, or something and need light, but don't want to run the eingine you can). I doubt it would be very easy to "accidentally" defeat this. |
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| sharky |
My MDX's headlight do turn themself off. However, I've left the inside light turned on (far a few days) and the battery died. I just jumped it and
run the MDX for a while and everything is fine. Never toke to the dealer or any trickle charge. That was 2 months ago |
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| remery |
| Rodzir is correct. Tested it tonight and my lights go off in about 1 minute but as soon as I open the driver's door they are back on which is what I previously mistook as having my lights on for the full time. Kind of a crazy setup but leaving your lights switched to the on position should drain your battery if they turn off like my Touring Package does. |
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| nwaring |
| As previously stated the headlights do turn off. I have tested. Also last Friday night it was late and we were packing the MDX to take our daughter to college and had the lift gate and doors open and after approx. 10 min the interior lights turned themselves off. I had to shut one of the doors and reopen to get them to come back on. Went through this cycle a couple of times. |
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| wmquan |
| A quick way to get the lights back on (short of flipping them on) is to find and push the little "button" in the door jamb. When the doors close, the rubber-covered plunger is pushed in. When the door opens, the plunger comes out, thus triggering on the lights (like a fridge). So with the doors open and the lights off, just push the button back in and then release it, and the interior lights will come back on. A lot quicker and less effort and noise than closing and opening the door! |
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| ghotie |
| Or you could press the unlock button on the keyfob. |
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