Remote starting kills battery

Hey all. Weird problem.

For about a year I havr been having issues with my battery. If the car radio or lights were left on it would die. Also if the car sat for a few days it would die.

I finally replaced the battery today with a optima red top.

I put the battery in and thr first thing i did was a remote start to find no cranking. I got a guy to out a battery powered boost charger on it and it cranked real quick and died. Let it sit longer and then started it with the key. Started up no problem.

Went about my day after driving it a bit and remote started it. Cranks quick and nothing tries a few more times. Metered it to find it was drained to 10v. Mind you a brand new red rop.

Boost it with another car.. Remote start Cranks once and nothing. Regular starts up no problem. Later i tried regular starting it iver and over. No issues. Remote start and won't crank more than a split second again. Also drained the battery to the point the key would not start it.

Then I did a trickle charge on 12v high (wall powered) I remote start it and it started right up multiple times like nothing.

Pull it off the charger and remote start doesn't crank for more than a second again.

What the hell.. Does remote start require more amperage as opposed to regular start? Could the battery just be a bad battery? Could the viper 2 way color screen remote start or idatalink bypass modules be messed up? Remember with the trickle charger the remote start works flawless.

Car is a 2013 wrx sti. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I would like to point you in the right direction but there are a LOT of variables. A couple things I'd need to know.

What is the voltage during cranking with the key. ?

What is the voltage during cranking with the remote start. ?

A couple things I'd like to clarify. As far as amperage during cranking between using a key vs remote start YES there is a difference but very nominal and not enough to keep a car from starting otherwise remote starts would be useless. The reason for the difference is that using the key makes a mechanical connection to activate the ignitions and relays in the vehicle. When remote starting the remote start draws power to activate it's own relays which it in turns sends signals to the vehicle for it to activate the vehicles relays and starter. Again, only nominal power.

The starting from trickle charge but not jump starting or a jump pack sounds more like a coincidence. It depends on how the modules are programmed. If they are programmed for voltage sensing and not tach then the remote start is likely failing when jumping or on a jump pack because the remote start sees a high voltage and thinks the vehicle is running where as a trickle charge is generally a lower voltage and so the remote start doesn't think the vehicle is running yet and continues to crank. It is relative to the voltage the car was putting out during initial programming of voltage sensing.

Personally I NEVER use voltage sensing. It is highly unreliable. More so in the winter. I would check that a tach wire is ran and or the alarm is programmed for tach sensing and that the tach is programmed. This is 99.9% effective. I believe this will fix your issue.

If this does not than it comes back to voltage during cranking and the difference in voltage during cranking with the key vs remote start.

Unlikely but there could be a short during remote start that causes excessive drop on voltage and resulting in failed starts and battery drain. Which could explain your battery drain issue if leaving the car for a few days and the battery drain. But those could more likely be separate issues.



-------------
Gary Sather

I am really hoping it is separate issues. Is there a possibility I have a bad battery? This car was starting perfectly with rs with thr old battery. Now i have an even better battery and this issue.

I have it set to virtual tach and never once had a an issue. Not sure of the voltage when starting. Pretty sure it stayed at 12 when I tried it via failed rs. After 2 or 3 shots it went to 10 volts.

I really hope it isn't the rs. If the battery was dead for a few days could the viper settings have been reset? Like the flew relay settings?

Also the trickle charge was 15v and the boost said 13.7

Trickle charger is the wrong word. Big battery charger is what I mean.

Again. I do not recommend virtual tach aka voltage sensing. Being as the car starts just fine with the key it's not your battery. More likely it all needs reprogrammed since the battery change. If a tach wire is ran the program the tach. If you INSIST on virtual then use virtual and program a higher crank time.

-------------
Gary Sather

The trickle charger may show 15v during charging but does not put out much amperage. So during starting the trickle charger drops voltage significantly. Where as jump starting or a jump pack or even a second battery maintains a higher voltage during cranking.

-------------
Gary Sather

Okay I will try that. Strange how it worksfor almost 2 years though.. But you think they flex relay and other viper programming could be shot from a battery swap?

It is one of these. https://www.walmart.com/ip/15140192?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222228010182944&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=40839233312&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=78652928792&veh=sem

It's weird how it starts no problem every single time when this is connected. Every time.

Not shot. Just needs reprogrammed. If it has always been on virtual tach it's has more than likely been programmed before for a higher crank time than the alarms default setting.

-------------
Gary Sather

Okay I will look into all that. But again why when plugged into the wall it is good? Makes me think the rs is okay.

Ok that is NOT a trickle charger. Still. Program the crank time higher and see what happens.

-------------
Gary Sather

I honestly can't answer that without knowing voltage during cranking with key vs with remote start vs with remote start on the charger.

-------------
Gary Sather

Yeah I'm an idiot. Okay I'll try that. You think any chance I have a bad battery? Previous battery didn't have this problem. Unless you think it's programming. Thanks btw. Really appreciate it.

If it's holding a charge And starting fine with the Key it's not your battery.

-------------
Gary Sather

As far as starting fine while on the jumper you have this is slight speculation but the way the voltage sensing works is it sees a drop in voltage and sees when the voltage picks back up from the alternator charging meaning the car should be running. Being on that jump pack it may not be seeing a drop in voltage so the remote start keeps cranking until the car starts and overcrank protection kicks in.

-------------
Gary Sather

Okay I appreciate it. Going to mess with it tomorrow. Isn't there a way yo reprogram the vtach as well?

Now that makes a ton of sense!

Further speculation if it has always been on virtual tach then when it was programmed before with a weak battery then it was programmed more than likely seeing a higher voltage drop and rise during cranking and now you have a new bad*** optima and the voltage drop is likely far less and it thinks the car is running sooner than it was before. Reprogram virtual tach and if needed a higher crank time to compensate for the lesser voltage drop and it should all work fine. But again, if at all possible run a tach or if it's run just use tach mode and program tach.

-------------
Gary Sather

The only speculation I have is that how come after a rs attempt or 2 I can't normal start the car as the voltage is too low. Should a few start attempts really drain a red top that quick?

To reprogram vtach just program it to tach and exit programming and then reprogram vtach. And if it still fails after that program a longer crank time.

-------------
Gary Sather

Again. Without knowing voltages I can't answer that. But no. An optima should give you more attempts than that. Unless not full charged before hand. Also possibly a weak alternator. Which could also be an issue. But again it is all just reaching a bit without knowing voltages. Also voltage while running and under load to test the alternator.

-------------
Gary Sather

Hey so I deleted the virtual tach programming as that was an option.

Then reprogrammed it.. Started on first try.. Let it sit for over 30 seconds and shut it off via remote. Starting everytime now :).

Thanks ao much!

Awesome. No problem.

-------------
Gary Sather

Perfect example why I should of wired to the injector harness.