Good info.


I'm at 1.5 years on mine as well. Knock wood. Never had a single problem with it, even in single digit temps last winter, and I listen to the radio in the car a good 4 hours per week with the engine off. One thing I've made a habit of (maybe it helps) is, before every winter, I put my battery on a CTEK tender with pulse maintenance and de-sulphation. Just run it overnight. Interested to see how long this stock battery goes - the original battery in my last Subaru died a few months after the 4 year mark (that was with no battery tender treatment).

 

Welcome to the fold of Subie owners who proactively ditched the OEM battery or who suffered a fate of sorts with the OEM one going to room temp on them.

One thing to note on the rear hatch: as someone here discovered and reported, keeping the hatch open requires the electric motor to draw off the battery. It isn't as though once the hatch is opened there's no draw. There's a definite and defined draw to keep the hatch open and it's not an inconsequential amount of juice, IIRC.

Someone will undoubtedly chime in with the draw figures.

Optima is frequently used as a replacement. Folks like the Wally World or Costco brands with good results. Red 25 myself.

 

That is probably what happened. As we were unloading, we had the lift gate open and one of the 2nd row doors. (Our Yakima Skybox 16 was on top, and I had the door open while I was unloading it.)

And then the same thing the next morning when we were loading up.

So, 1.5 to 2 hours with the lift gate open during the unloading/loading process, and another 0.5 to 1.0 hours of random opening and closing of the lift gate - i.e. getting the fixings for S'mores, getting food out of the Yeti cooler, retrieving coats and blankets as the night got colder, etc.

I previously used an Optima Redtop as a replacement for the OEM battery in my truck with good results.

 

I'm sure all of that was contributory if not causative.

Something else to consider, at it's not an absolute winner, is to think about replace your incandescent interior bulbs with LEDs that are of the brightness and tint that you like. Those puppies have much less draw and while it might not have prevented your problems, less draw for better or equal brightness isn't a bad thing.

 

I like this idea (LEDs). By chance do you have handy the bulb numbers for replacements that worked for you? Thanks.

 

Thanks for posting your results. We go to the drive in movie theatre here in MD and use the radio in the ACC mode for up to 6 hours at a time (3 movies). We have been doing this with a 1999 Cherokee with an Optima Red Top and a 2015 4Runner Trail for the past few years. We back in to park, turn on the radio, open the hatch and tailgate at the rear of the vehicle.

We have never had a problem with either battery since I always top them off with a trickle charger before and after every trip. The 99 Cherokee has 2 Alpine amplifiers and a 10inch sub in a JL Audio Stealthbox so I know it pulls some power but the truck always starts.

One of our first modifications is to do a battery upgrade with an AGM battery and figure out how to disable any parking lights by pulling the correct fuse so that we can continue to go to the drive in.

 

If the rear hatch is all the way open there is no draw on the motor as the bar that connects the motor assembly to the hatch can freely move about. I just happen to check that yesterday as I was wondering about that. Since I have the room to open the hatch all the way up I won't have that issue. For those who do, I can see that this can be an issue with the puny OEM battery that I too will soon replace..

 

Post #18 in this thread (http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/138-gen-5-2015-present/344506-dead-battery-2016-a.html) shows the poster measured hatch current draw and found 10A to open, 5A to close and 1A draw to hold open. Or maybe better stated 1A while open. His was a 2015. Maybe Subaru reprogrammed whatever was drawing 1A while open on your 2017. His action was in response to a lady who kept her hatch open for long periods during a dog show.

 

My 2015 OB 1.5 yrs and just over 20,000 km (Canada west coast) no issues with battery or starting, even left an interior light on one evening (system turned off after a couple hours. My cars are not in a cold climate and are always parked in a garage. BTW, my 2004 Mercedes (in service 13 yrs) has the original battery from new with 118,000 km. It's a large "Varta" battery, standard equip.

 

I make an annual vacation trip to Alabama this time of year. Last year the OEM on my 2014 died while I was there. The car was about two years old. I've been on multiple car camping trips where I had the rear hatch open and running a small fan all night with no problems.

My 2016 is six months old. Once again while In AL the car sat unused for one day and the battery went completely dead. There were no lights or anything left on, the only thing I can figure is the rear hatch was not fully closed. I have a manual release, not the automatic one. I jumped it off and let it run a while but had to jump it off the next morning for the 600 mile trip home. All the way the ECM voltage was reading about a volt less than normal. (@13v)I never turned the engine off the whole way for fear it wouldn't start. After that the ECM voltage returned to normal (@14v)

I had the dealer check the battery/alternator after I got back but they said everything was normal. Later today I plan on buying a replacement, I don't like the idea of getting stranded out in the middle of nowhere.

I'm beginning to think that the electron density in AL is heavier in TX and causing these problems. :smile2:

 

I'm about to proactively replace mine as well. I typically change to Odyssey batteries. In this case, I'll probably stay with the group 25 and get a PC-1400T which has 850 CCA and 130 mins of reserve capacity. The 20-hr nominal capacity (which I guess is the C20 referenced by the OP) is 65 Ah. Pretty good for a group 25.


Unfortunately, it's also $268.89. So there is that.

 

$214 shipped, and they are an Odyssey dealer, fyi.
http://www.4wheelparts.com/Electric...tm_campaign=shopping&emlprox=out&ppcfon=1&gp=1&gclid=CNHVyMf0gtACFRAxaQodyOULgg

 

@OutbackUFO, no problem. I found the claim hard to believe, so couldn't resist. Curious to know what is consuming this power - it's not exactly a minor draw - and is this still the case for the 2017s?

 

Now I want to know why there is a power draw as the dang thing is open and supported by the struts.... If you disconnect the motorized lift arm, the hatch will stay open like its non-powered cousin.... Oh well..:grin2:

Aren't there a couple of sensors in play when the hatch is open? Door ajar sensor, door ajar dash display, auto reverse sensor if an object is detected as the hatch closes.

As it closes I can see the power consumption, but I don't know why a static situation of a fully opened hatch results in a power draw...

 

I car-camp in my vehicle several times a year with a DAC tent that attaches to the opened rear hatch. To eliminate the current draw from the open door dash display (and annoying light) I engage the latch mechanism with a screwdriver or similar tool which fools the car into thinking the door is shut.

I think I may have discharged my OEM battery last month because the rear hatch was open for an extended time. Last weekend I replaced the OEM battery with a better one.

 

I car-camp in my vehicle several times a year with a DAC tent that attaches to the opened rear hatch. To eliminate the current draw from the open door dash display (and annoying light) I engage the latch mechanism with a screwdriver or similar tool which fools the car into thinking the door is shut.

I think I may have discharged my OEM battery last month because the rear hatch was open for an extended time. Last weekend I replaced the OEM battery with a better one.

AH, thanks for that! You just jogged my memory - I now recall reading about this back before I purchased my Outback. Someone was using a small carabiner, just as you describe, to deactivate the side view approach lights.

I car camp quite a bit as well, but in recent years we've had to make a habit of keeping all doors closed whenever possible to prevent mice from entering the car (they can make quite a jump). So instead of the constant draw, my battery sees the open/close draw frequently. So far so good, but I do keep a Li-ion jump pack in the car at all times.

I'll double check that this solves the 1A draw condition and post back.

 

I camped in a 2014 many times and didn't follow this procedure, but the dash display was a small icon so the current draw was likely very small. In that case I just put a washcloth over the dash where the door open and flashing security system light was so I could sleep without the light/flashing.

I'm pretty sure the GEN 5 dash display pulls more current. It's larger & brighter.

 

I can't believe how many of you guys are having battery issues. Especially thinking of how May times when I was younger I'd be camping and having a stereo (with multiple amps) playing for hours and then having no issue cranking over a V8 with a 600cc battery.

 

I find it interesting that my local Subaru service center has not heard of this problem with the Outbacks. My 2015 Outback, with 41000 miles on it, failed to start last week. I had been listening to the radio with the engine off for about 15 minutes. Nothing else was on as far as I know. I got a jump start and it started right away. I drove to my dealer and dropped off the car. After a full day of trouble shooting they informed me there were no problems they could find. I asked about battery options and was told there are none from Subaru - only the OEM original that came with the car. So, it all seems to me to be a major electrical design error in the product and I wonder if Subaru is even aware of all this.

The next question I ask was about warranty issues if I replaced the battery with a larger amp battery and the answer I got was it could negate the warranty under certain conditions. So, now what do you do - dump it off and get another SUV from someone else??? I travel to some areas where it would not be safe to be left on the side of the road - even in the daylight.

Deane

 

They are idiots. They can't deny your warranty for you using a larger capacity one than came in it from the factory. This is why you have to take what some dealers say with a grain of salt. It's not like going a larger battery is going to cause voltage spikes. If you are that worried about it, and rightfully so, replace it. After my second dead battery, I will probably jump to a 34 series like others here. Don't get me wrong, the car is fine and I'm certain in my particular instance it is because of the added parasitic (smartstart/blackview camera) drain that I have on my battery that has caused it. But everyone's situation is different. I do generally feel the battery subaru chose is too small. I also think they did it to reduce weight in order to improve gas milage..... Note, I don't work for Subaru, and I don't know for a fact this is the case, just my ASSumption based on the fact they even went as far as to lighten the windshield in the newer cars. OEM's are having to get creative to increase efficiency, and some of those creations have noticeable side effects.

 

I guess the real question that should be asked is if a stronger battery is installed did, or will, it fix the problem? I can't see the sense in upgrading the battery if that did not make the Outback more reliable. I know there are some long time owners of Outbacks on the forum but it seems like some have gone to a lot of trouble trying to make it all work properly. Any comments??/

Deane

 

A larger capacity battery will "fix" the problem of how long your battery can sit idle for (or be actively used with the radio and other accessories). Now, ultimately, it all goes back to parasitic drain and what in your car is causing it. If they checked that, which I have no idea if they did, and it's within their stated parameters from subaru, then it's just an issue of battery size (capacity). I know it will help with my issues because I have a load on the battery at all times. Most people should only be drawing (based on comments here) about 70 mAh, as posted by @AvidHiker (see ammcinnis's comment below). If you are drawing more than that, you may have a problem that needs to be diagnosed, if you don't, then it is likely just the battery isn't up to the capabilities you expect. This seems to be a common theme around here due to the smallish (capacity) battery that Subaru chose to use.

I also have killed the battery in my car once from listening to the radio while my fiancee was shopping. I think I had it the radio running for about an hour when it died. I don't remember exactly, I just remember watching something on netflix and then it shutting off toward the end. So now if I'm going to be sitting with the radio on, I leave the car running. This was in my '15. With my '16 I have had two "dead" batteries within 2 weeks from sitting from 24-48 hours. I'm not blaming Subaru for mine because I know I have extra accessories drawing from the battery at all times that most people don't. (as stated previously) Subaru did choose a smallish (IMO) battery for the application, and I think I know why they did. That's all I can really offer you. Is it worth ~200 for the peace of mind you will more than likely come back to a car that starts? If it isn't, then don't buy a new battery. Only you can determine if the opportunity cost is worth it to you.

 

Just replace the battery and Smile.

Laughter is the key to happiness

 

Yoda,
You are probably right. Would you install the same type battery or install a higher rated battery?
Deane

 

I put a larger Group 34 in my '17 OB Limited 2.5i. Used the spacers on the top since the Group 34 isn't quite as tall as the Group 25. The red plastic pieces in the picture are the spacers. This allowed me to use the OEM battery bracket to secure the battery in place.



The new battery definitely cranks up the 2.5 faster on colder mornings.

 

If you repeatedly heavily discharge a lead-acid battery, it will die. Don't do that.

Hot climates kill batteries. If you live in Crematoria, Texas or Arizona, no battery lives for all that long.

I almost never see 90F. I don't do things that would fully discharge my battery. I tend to have the original battery in my cars when I get rid of them years later. If I lived in Vegas or Phoenix and parked outdoors every day, I would expect different results.

 

I just order Optima Batteries 8040-218 D35 YellowTop Dual Purpose Battery for my Forester from Amazon. For me it is always been just a premaintenance issue. Also ordered Cabin and air filter I figured I would try WIX.

Laughter is the key to happiness

 

In my experience/understanding, Optima batteries do not last as long as traditional batteries but deal much better with prolonged draws when the alternator is not running. However, they are very high quality and reliable batteries in many ways and offer some improved safety.

I'll add one last thing and it's a minor note. I believe the stock battery weighs about 36 pounds. There are opportunities to reduce this weight if desired, but ultimately this is relatively minor weight. Where I normally don't like adding weight, I feel like going with a bigger/heavier battery (by let's say 5-8 pounds) is weight gain well worth it.

When my time comes, I personally like the Deka 34//78 - DEKA 778DT 12v 850CCA Maintenance Free Group 34/78 Battery

850 cca, 6 pounds extra, ~$120.