Battery Keeps dying
Thread Starter
Navigator
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: Beloit OH
Battery Keeps dying
First of all let me say that this site is awesome. I have been reading this site now for months and I just bought my first corvette 2 months ago. It is a silver 79 L82. I love it. But I have had some problems with it starting from time to time. The battery that was in it was dated OCT 2002 and one day it wouldn't start. I had it tested and it tested bad so I bought a new one. Everything worked fine for 2 weeks or so and I drove it to my relatives for Easter dinner and when I came out about an hour later it was dead and I needed to jump start it. I thought oh well I will have it tested, maybe I got another bad battery. I had it tested and it tested bad. So luckily it was under warranty and I got another battery. It has worked perfect for about 3 weeks now but all of a sudden the same problem. Does anyone have any ideas. It seems as though something is shorting out and killing my battery. I thank you in advance for all of your help.
I will have pictures posted soon. I look forward to hearing from you!!!
I will have pictures posted soon. I look forward to hearing from you!!!
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 4,077
Likes: 27
From: Northeast South Dakota
Re: Battery Keeps dying (bustatc)
Welcome aboard. :seeya What you need to do is take your negative battery cable off and hook a test light between the negative cable and the battery post. The light should come on if you have a drain. Start pulling fuses one at a time until the light goes out. That will tell you which circuit the drain is on. Then look each item on that circuit over, or post which fuse turned the light out on the forum here and we'll all discuss it a little bit. :yesnod: Later.
-Justin
-Justin
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 11,322
Likes: 1
From: Living in the Hartland
Re: Battery Keeps dying (bustatc)
After testing it, if not drain start looking and your ground connections. When I bought my Formula it would not hold a charge, found out the neg cable was not making good contact with the battery so I cleaned it up and got it nice and tight and so far no problems since even sitting for 2 weeks.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 1,355
Likes: 0
From: Germantown Maryland
Re: Battery Keeps dying (bustatc)
The light idea will only partially work. There is a reverse current leakage from the alternator which might lite the bulb. Best way is to measure Current either with an inductive meter or inline meter. Leave the meter connected unless it is pegged already, then you have a short... If you read a measurable current then start pulling fuses until it goes away.. That is the source of drain...
Or you can use the light bulb trick and just disconnect the alternator.
Or you can use the light bulb trick and just disconnect the alternator.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 4,725
Likes: 2,473
From: Buckeye, AZ
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
Re: Battery Keeps dying (bustatc)
My '78 does the sam eif I let it sit for more than a coupl eof weeks. I got the cutoff switch also. Problem remedied. The only nuisance is resetting the clock.
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Pro
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 508
Likes: 1
From: Maplewood NJ
Re: Battery Keeps dying (gliot1)
Welcome aboard! :seeya
I had my brand new battery die on me, but I think that's because I was doing too much electrical testing and not enough driving :sad: . The trick with the light turned up nothing (it didn't light). So I just popped it on the charger overnight and it was good as new the next day. Haven't had a problem since, but a battery cutoff is in my near future.
Matt
I had my brand new battery die on me, but I think that's because I was doing too much electrical testing and not enough driving :sad: . The trick with the light turned up nothing (it didn't light). So I just popped it on the charger overnight and it was good as new the next day. Haven't had a problem since, but a battery cutoff is in my near future.
Matt
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,261
Likes: 0
From: Oak Harbor, Wa
Re: Battery Keeps dying (80Xflags)
Had this exact problem on my dad's 78. Tested the batteries, the were dead. The alternator guage was showing it was charging, but the culprit turned out to be the little plug in connector that goes to the alternator, the one with 2 wires in it, I believe. It was real nasty looking, had frayed wires, tons of grease, and just really bad off. We cut off that connector, and spliced in a new one, and the problem was gone forever. Just a real, real bad connection that wasn't letting the battery charge completely. It may not work, but it is definitely easy to fix and spot if it is bad. Hope that helps.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 171
Likes: 1
From: Rolla MO
Re: Battery Keeps dying (vethead)
Any chance you are overcharging the battery? Maybe your regulator is bad. Have you taken a voltage reading with the car running? If it's in the 15 to 17 volt range, your regulator may be bad. That might explain why you are trashing new batteries - overcharging is hard on them.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,588
Likes: 44
From: Gods Country WI
Re: Battery Keeps dying (Boofers)
My mistake :bb It was over 20 years ago. It was a light somewheres in the interior where the striker did not shut it off. Maybe there was one in the back compartments??? Wow, I have killed a lot of long term memory cells the last 20 years.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 18,475
Likes: 3
From: Quincy IL
Re: Battery Keeps dying (Jeff78)
i would have your alternator checked out, if a diode gets stuck open, you'll have a slow battery drain. also buy a 5/16ths box end wrench and just leave it in your vette. i have found that the side post batteries riding behind the seat seem to vibrate the battery posts loose once in awhile. i have been stuck twice with this problem, and once fixed a "non-starting" vette before a parade with my 5/16ths. the lady had driven 20+ miles for a vette parade only to haave a no start condition when it came time to line them up for the parade. good luck!
Thread Starter
Navigator
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: Beloit OH
Re: Battery Keeps dying (bustatc)
Thanks for all the help guys. So far I have installed a battery cutoff that I use whenever I park the car. I also inspected the connecter to the alternator and the hot wire was very freyed and the hole plug looked awful. So I picked up another one and spliced it on. I am not sure if that was the problem but it couldn't have hurt. Hopefully I will be able to depend on her starting up for me now.
Thanks again!!!!
Thanks again!!!!
