Battery Dies!
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
Battery Dies!
I have q 94 C4. Replaced the battery about 6 months ago. If I do not drive it for 2 days, the battery goes dead. Alternator seems to be charging ok. Any ideas on what might be killing the battery?
I have the antenna disconnected, that went bad ages ago and I found that that killed the battery. So what could be draining the juice?
Thanks, in advance, for any help.
I have the antenna disconnected, that went bad ages ago and I found that that killed the battery. So what could be draining the juice?
Thanks, in advance, for any help.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 610
Likes: 12
From: Seattle Wa
You have a short somewhere. I would put a voltmeter on the battery, then pull fuses 1 at a time, til you see a different reading on the meter. That will at least narrow it down, and you can leave the fuse out til you find the short. h
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
A sticking relay will do this. A relay, downstream from the radio fuse, on my 92, was causing this.
You can check the amp draw with a multi-meter. I did this. I set the meter up so I could see it and just pulled and replaced fuses until I saw the amp drop. I had a .227 Amp draw with the fuse in. When I pulled the fuse the amp draw reduced to .027 Amps. After you isolate the circuit causing your issue, that's when the fun of finding the actual problem begins.
You can check the amp draw with a multi-meter. I did this. I set the meter up so I could see it and just pulled and replaced fuses until I saw the amp drop. I had a .227 Amp draw with the fuse in. When I pulled the fuse the amp draw reduced to .027 Amps. After you isolate the circuit causing your issue, that's when the fun of finding the actual problem begins.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
Dead Battery
A sticking relay will do this. A relay, downstream from the radio fuse, on my 92, was causing this.
You can check the amp draw with a multi-meter. I did this. I set the meter up so I could see it and just pulled and replaced fuses until I saw the amp drop. I had a .227 Amp draw with the fuse in. When I pulled the fuse the amp draw reduced to .027 Amps. After you isolate the circuit causing your issue, that's when the fun of finding the actual problem begins.
You can check the amp draw with a multi-meter. I did this. I set the meter up so I could see it and just pulled and replaced fuses until I saw the amp drop. I had a .227 Amp draw with the fuse in. When I pulled the fuse the amp draw reduced to .027 Amps. After you isolate the circuit causing your issue, that's when the fun of finding the actual problem begins.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,079
Likes: 1
From: Niagara Falls ON
Sometimes shorts can be in the starter.
Are there any aftermarket products in the car? Stereo? Alarm? Radar? If so check the wiring.
Use a digital volt meter and pull one fuse at a time to see where the big drop is. That will tell you the circuit to look at. Take out the light fuse while testing because if the door is open then the interior lights will be on and that will cause a draw on the battery.
Are there any aftermarket products in the car? Stereo? Alarm? Radar? If so check the wiring.
Use a digital volt meter and pull one fuse at a time to see where the big drop is. That will tell you the circuit to look at. Take out the light fuse while testing because if the door is open then the interior lights will be on and that will cause a draw on the battery.
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Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
Sometimes shorts can be in the starter.
Are there any aftermarket products in the car? Stereo? Alarm? Radar? If so check the wiring.
Use a digital volt meter and pull one fuse at a time to see where the big drop is. That will tell you the circuit to look at. Take out the light fuse while testing because if the door is open then the interior lights will be on and that will cause a draw on the battery.
Are there any aftermarket products in the car? Stereo? Alarm? Radar? If so check the wiring.
Use a digital volt meter and pull one fuse at a time to see where the big drop is. That will tell you the circuit to look at. Take out the light fuse while testing because if the door is open then the interior lights will be on and that will cause a draw on the battery.
Still checking. The temporary fix is to put a battery switch on the battery, turning it off until I find the short. When the battery goes dead, the doors lock. Fortunately I have a door key to open it up. The doors also lock if the car is running and I make the mistake of getting out and closing the door.
Is there anything that uses the battery power when the car is off and locked ?
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 11,889
Likes: 8
From: Whitefish Falls Ontario
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
One of the main users of battery power is the computer. I would recommend a battery tender over the battery switch, as every time you disconnect the battery you reset the computer and reset any radio presets. 
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 10,036
Likes: 346
From: Anaheim CA
Keyless entry systems have to be powered all the time so they can pick up the fob signal.
The radio probably has flash RAM for its settings, so that's probably not powered.
I don't know if your car has a CTSY/CLK fuse (it might have a different name). The power for most of the dashboard goes through that fuse, so it's a good one to start with. One thing you can do is probe all the fuses in the fuse panel with the ignition off to see which ones have power on them all the time.
One possibility is the electric seats (if you have them). They can get into a weird mode where they don't really turn off. This is fairly common if you put the seat all the way back to get in and out of the car.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 855
Likes: 36
From: Crystal Springs MS
The underhood lamps...I've seen times when they would stay on with the hood down, bad mercury switch (or something). They have their own fuse, under the hood on the driver's side where the side marker wiring is located.