Hey guys,

It turns out the battery is completely dead in my FD. It's an AC Delco installed by my mechanic that is below 1.25V – my battery charger won't charge it.

I'm looking at getting the Optima Red Top 35 (8020-164/9020-164) as a replacement/upgrade battery: https://www.optimabatteries.com/sear...&sortType=DESC

Is there anything special I need to do after reinstalling the battery (e.g., will the alarm go off)?

My 1993 Workshop Manual mentions something about the security system and an alarm code on the stock audio system, but the T section of the book on that area is missing.

Thanks!

 

No... you just put it in

 

If your car still has the factory audio system and it operates like my 1994 US model, I think that disconnecting the battery will trigger the anti-theft system unless it has been deactivated. So would a dead battery or disconnecting the radio.

If so, the audio unit will not operate when power is again supplied to it. "Code" will flash on the display until the pre-set code number is input.

See Page J1-17 to 20 of the 1994 Body Electrical Troubleshooting Manual for instructions. Here's a link to that in case you don't have it: http://www.wright-here.net/files/man..._tshooting.pdf

 

How much research have you done into Optimas? It is my understanding that they've gone to **** lately. I had a yellow top D51R that I got in 2015 and I think it's still good now, but I was having issues and thought it was related to the battery and the new battery didn't solve the issues. So I can't say for certain that they're all bad, that's just what I'd heard. Also, I'd look at getting a yellow top rather than a red top. We used the red tops on all our equipment when I was stationed in NC years ago and every winter they were trash, but the yellow tops kept chugging. That's why I only went with yellow tops and I never had an issue with them.

 

Just about everything else that fits is out of stock around here.

Thanks for the manual PDF, Retserof. It looks the same as in my manual - I don't know what the security code is, so that might take some time to figure out.

I had an Optima Red Top for 9 years in my daily driver that just got replaced last fall. No problems from that one.

 

If the audio unit is programed with a security code and you don't know what it number is, here's the procedure to re-activate the radio if 3 attempts to unlock security fail, instead of contacting a dealer:

press scan

press am/fm

press auto m

press tune UP

the display should read “-------“

Using the memory presets buttons, enter the code 1414

press scan and auto m simultaneously and hold until the clock appears. The radio should now be cleared.

I've had good results with red tops in my RX7 but my newest one is 5 years old and I don't know if they've changed since then. The first one was a Type 35R and lasted over 13 years. The second one is a Type 35 and just turned 5. It also has been trouble free. I drive the car once or twice a week or less in the winter. I put it on a battery charger from time to time if I won't be driving it for a while, but I don't have electrical service at the unheated garage where it is kept. I had an Optima yellow top in my '98 Corvette and it lasted 16 years, but I kept it at a different location and had it on a trickle charger. The Vette's parasitic draw would kill any battery if it sat for more than 10 days without being recharged. The RX7 seems to have little or no parasitic draw.

 

Thanks, Retserof! I may end up using the code.

I don't have electricity in my garage, either.

This is the first time the battery's died – there was no battery drain problem before, even after months of storage with the battery connected. I'll disconnect the battery if I have to store the FD over a long period again... this winter never seemed to end.

Not sure if the Power FC programming will be retained after such a long period drained/disconnected.

 

PFC should retain its map forever, it stores the map in NVRAM just like a USB flash drive.

Dale

 

Thanks, Dale.

My mechanic was able to bring the battery back to life, so I'm going to put the battery in today.

 

Finally got the battery in. No problems running, and no problems with the radio at all. Thanks to everyone for your help and interest.