Lindy66

My (totally stock) ’94 is literally eating new batteries.

I purchased a new Deka EXT18L as the car will be going on a diet, put it on a battery tender to make sure that it had a full charge and installed. Car fired right up, drove normally with no issues and was restarted 2-3 times that day with no issues. Battery gauge showed (approximately) 14 volts while running and the gauge needle was solid and not pulsing. Went to re-start the car a week later, and was completely dead. Here’s where it gets interesting. The new battery would no longer accept a charge at all. Took it to a good local battery shop and they could not bring it back to life either. Assumed that I had just gotten a bad battery, and used it as an opportunity to upgrade to a Braille B129.

Exact same procedure/sequence of events this week and now the brand new Braille will (also) no longer hold a charge at all.

Have been more of a mid-60’s Vette guy (i.e. far less complexity) who can usually sort things out, but am out of ideas and could really use a little help please!

Thanks!

Lindy

don hall

Two new batts....highly unlikely both were faulty.
14V while running should confirm alt is working as designed.

Even if there was a significant parasitic draw, that would not 'kill' the battery, just run it out of 'juice'.

My suggestion is to install a new battery and visit an auto-electric shop for a system and wiring analysis.

antfarmer2

this is a stumper I would look at my battery cables for rubs and shorts and behind the battey at the connection block and fuse block most of all would not leave the battery connected for fear of fire.

WVZR-1

Why don't you just purchase a "REAL CAR BATTERY"?

Once you buy a correct group 75 battery I'd check for "parasitic draw" value before considering the install done and THEN if need be proceed with an electrical evaluation as suggested..

Maybe I should have asked WHERE you attempted to locate this battery. Where? I'd think you've likely created your own issues.

If the DEKA was new why would you spend additional chasing a problem OR was the DEKA exchanged with some additional "loose change"?

JC316

Follow your main battery wire to where it crosses over the steering shaft, check for worn through insulation there.

VikingTrad3r

there was a recent post buy a guy who found this. he posted it on the forum because he thought it was very possible for it to happen to other peoples cars and could be quite dangerous.

thanks jc for reminding me ill check it now.

JC316

Yep, I'm the guy that discovered it. I had the same mystery battery drain as the OP and my battery died. After I fixed that, I don't have the drain.

93Rubie

Another Way
Meters are like $5 at Harbor Freight. Time to invest in that.

Check for this before anything else. Maybe check the other wire folks have mentioned as well.

Christi@n

get a DCV on battery, if is something like 10V battery is dead

383vett

The Dekka battery you listed is a motorcycle mattery. The Braille is barely bigger at 9.5 lbs. As someone mentioned, get a real battery and you car will be fine.

SouthernSon

All of the above sound like good advice. Have you added a stereo amp or other electrical item? If nothing is found you might pull fuses one at a time and check the battery cable connection for a spark with each one.

ToniJ1960

Sure enough

ETX18L Specification:
-340 Cold Cranking Amps @ 0 Degree F


(10 Hr Rate-Ah) 20

Its specified at a 2.0 amp discharge.

ANTI VENOM

Maybe you are exceeding the batteries maximum current abilities and damaging them when you start your car..

chstitans42

320 CCA is like half the battery you need. Buy a real car battery and you will be fine.

ToniJ1960

CCA is really only a part of the picture even specifying the ah rating at one data point for discharge rate isnt a good overall picture.

whalepirot

BOTH: superb! I know a bit about wiring and electricity but learned something today, and I love that!

I just happen the be having an issue with the Shinoda in this area.

thanks!!

whalepirot

No micro-volt drain found thru any fuses, including the large power amp fuse.

With the Interstate aged at only two, I'd like to eliminate external drains versus internal battery, as it's so hard to extract. I had the cTek charge RECON it yesterday and the battery voltage dropped overnight to 12.4.

HRR: what's the easiest way to rule out the headlight motors; unplugging them one by one and checking for total current flow from the battery?
I'd rather not lose the block learn in the ECM.

ghoastrider1

Mine rubbed thru somewhere behind the engine. Couldn't figure it out till I saw a blue arc one day. replaced the cable AND the tubing. Fiberglass resin burns easy so fix it.

whalepirot

I decided that since all e-memories would get lost anyway, to check the total current draw with the Corvette 'asleep', as in that first video. I was able to rule out excessive draw, specified in that vid as above 50 micro-volts; mine showing 47-48, pointing to a faulty battery, despite its 'youth'.

I used the info in the videos again, today, as I troubleshot the loss of power to a few keyed circuits in the '55 Nash Rambler built for my frau. It was my first rewire project to accommodate the 5.0L and A/C, etc.

Once the problem was ID'd as the hardest fuse (glass) to see/reach being blown, the total circuit draw shown on the 20A setting of my DVOM showed why: the second 20A fuse blew when the headlights were turned on; a momentary load. The brief 23A load, reasonable for that circuit's wiring (main ACC feed), was all that was needed. A 30A fuse was the fix.

HAPPY DAY!

whalepirot

Seems Interstate's quality has slipped and my battery is ONE F'in month past the replacement, but I refuse to pay adjusted retail for new, of different size.

So, a pal who owns/runs a Deutche car shop sells me a Bosch AGM for his cost. We'll see, but their replacement is 48 months.

Having unloaded the Ultimate Bavarian Wallet-eating Machine, with its AGM/non-AGM and power issues, I am leery of AGM's application in most cars. I dislike the fan-boy accolades for the popular and pricey AGMs commonly mentioned, having no confidence in true performance versus fad.

I intend to track down why my '84 draws 48 micro-Amps while Roy's is at 10. No battery will solve parasitic drain, tho AGMs reported tolerate that better than lead/acid. The (remote) #2 wire, from (+) to starter shows .7 ohms, with nil voltage difference. Typically I see about .2 VDC difference between the dash-indicated voltage and my nifty plug-in meter at the battery. The 31 month old Interstate hot-chit battery dropped from 12.4 to 3.4 VDC when attempting to start the 409. It also tested bad at the shop trying to sell me new. I was glad to be fore-informed and rather certain that the car's wiring was okay, if modified. Kudos to Roy for support, ideas and some chuckles, again.
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