2000 LS1 C5 Vette: Battery Drained (Help!)
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 14
Likes: 2
From: New London CT
2000 LS1 C5 Vette: Battery Drained (Help!)
Hi All, I would appreciate any help or tips you can offer. Ill provide a concise summary below.
My Car:
2000 Corvette LS1
No engine Mods
Manual 6 spd.
16,000 miles!
Corsa Exhaust
Background: I bought the car April 8, 2006, and it is my daily driver. I have put about 1k miles on it in this time and no issues so far, except...
Symptoms:
I will admit that the battery was old and that may have been a contributor. However I can see that the current draw is real and I am having touble identifing it.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Acer288
My Car:
2000 Corvette LS1
No engine Mods
Manual 6 spd.
16,000 miles!
Corsa Exhaust
Background: I bought the car April 8, 2006, and it is my daily driver. I have put about 1k miles on it in this time and no issues so far, except...
Symptoms:
- Drove the car 27 miles to work and parked it in the garage.
- 4 hours later I went out and tried to open the door with the remote. Nothing happened.
- Everything indicated the battery was completely dead. The two exceptions were 1) the tiny light on my XM radio was still on. 2) there was a small clicking noise coming repeatedly from under the hood, forward of the battery compartment, probably as far forward as the headlight. Note that this clicking occured with the key removed from the ignition.
- I jump started the car and it ran fine, when the battery was charged, the clicking noise disappeared
- I noticed that the battery was the OEM from six years ago
- I replaced the battery with a Sears Diehard Gold and the car has not died again
- BUT!! when connecting the new battery, there was a ton of arcing. Also I could hear that the clicking noise was now a single, solid "snap" that would engage when the battery made the connection.
- I have been watching the battery gauge over the last few starts and I believe that the battery is being drained by this "snapping" device.
I will admit that the battery was old and that may have been a contributor. However I can see that the current draw is real and I am having touble identifing it.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Acer288
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,812
Likes: 2,029
From: eastern NC
The clicking sound you heard is the headlight motor. When the battery is very low for some reason this thing seems to be searching for a neutral position. I'm not sure why, but it just does. One of the best ways to monitor your battery is to check the voltage on the DIC when you turn it off and then check it again later, just before you start the car. In this way you'll have some data to throw up here for folks to comment on. These cars do have a pretty good electrical draw initially, but once the BCM goes to "sleep" after a few minutes, it drops to a very low level and should not be a significant drain.
Check out Bill Curlee's post in the sticky's above. It is a cornucopia of electrical information and lots of things to check if you think you're having a battery drain. You can also PM him directly if you have a specific question. He's exceptionally knowledgeable on the electrical systems in these cars and goes out of his way to help…
Good luck... GUSTO
The shop manual is a great source for troubleshooting this as well and gives the specific values for acceptable drain.
Check out Bill Curlee's post in the sticky's above. It is a cornucopia of electrical information and lots of things to check if you think you're having a battery drain. You can also PM him directly if you have a specific question. He's exceptionally knowledgeable on the electrical systems in these cars and goes out of his way to help…
Good luck... GUSTO
The shop manual is a great source for troubleshooting this as well and gives the specific values for acceptable drain.
Last edited by GUSTO14; Apr 20, 2006 at 11:55 AM.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Most likely,, everything is NORMAL!
When you first connect the battery, the BCM comes alive (wakes up) and powers up the approach lights, security system, interior lights, under hood light (you had the hood open ,,right?) ect ect... If you attached a (AMP meter) to the battery, you would see that it pulls right around 8-10 amps at initial hook up. With in 10-15 seconds or so, the BCM starts turning things off that are not being used. After 30-40 seconds, if the car is not active, the BCM puts the car into sleep mode and there is only about 20 milliamps being drawn off the battery to power the critical systems (security functions, PCM memory, BCM functions ect ect.
The clicking noise that you are hearing when you connect the battery into the system is the battery powered relays that are "NORMALLY" always powered on when the BCM wakes up.
So,,,,,,,,,unless your battery continuously gets depleted (say over night or over a few days, your fine.
Bill Curlee
When you first connect the battery, the BCM comes alive (wakes up) and powers up the approach lights, security system, interior lights, under hood light (you had the hood open ,,right?) ect ect... If you attached a (AMP meter) to the battery, you would see that it pulls right around 8-10 amps at initial hook up. With in 10-15 seconds or so, the BCM starts turning things off that are not being used. After 30-40 seconds, if the car is not active, the BCM puts the car into sleep mode and there is only about 20 milliamps being drawn off the battery to power the critical systems (security functions, PCM memory, BCM functions ect ect.
The clicking noise that you are hearing when you connect the battery into the system is the battery powered relays that are "NORMALLY" always powered on when the BCM wakes up.
So,,,,,,,,,unless your battery continuously gets depleted (say over night or over a few days, your fine.
Bill Curlee
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 14
Likes: 2
From: New London CT
Okay I understand what you are both saying. Thank you very much for the quick response to my query, it has been a nice "welcome" to the corvetteforum boards.
I just checked the DIM after a 4 hour off period and it is reading 12.1 Volts. Therefore I am thinking that you are correct and everything is back to normal. I will continue to monitor the DIM before each time I start the car for the next week.
Two brief questions: I perused the boards and found reference to the C6 needing the manual shifter in a reverse position when shutting down. Unless told otherwise, I will assume this is not true for the C5.
I may show my car at the local show this summer. Any tips on how to clean the engine and engine cavity without creating an electrical disaster?
Thank you again,
Acer288
I just checked the DIM after a 4 hour off period and it is reading 12.1 Volts. Therefore I am thinking that you are correct and everything is back to normal. I will continue to monitor the DIM before each time I start the car for the next week.
Two brief questions: I perused the boards and found reference to the C6 needing the manual shifter in a reverse position when shutting down. Unless told otherwise, I will assume this is not true for the C5.
I may show my car at the local show this summer. Any tips on how to clean the engine and engine cavity without creating an electrical disaster?
Thank you again,
Acer288
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Originally Posted by Acer288
Okay I understand what you are both saying. Thank you very much for the quick response to my query, it has been a nice "welcome" to the corvetteforum boards.
I just checked the DIM after a 4 hour off period and it is reading 12.1 Volts. Therefore I am thinking that you are correct and everything is back to normal. I will continue to monitor the DIM before each time I start the car for the next week.
Two brief questions: I perused the boards and found reference to the C6 needing the manual shifter in a reverse position when shutting down. Unless told otherwise, I will assume this is not true for the C5.
I may show my car at the local show this summer. Any tips on how to clean the engine and engine cavity without creating an electrical disaster?
Thank you again,
Acer288
I just checked the DIM after a 4 hour off period and it is reading 12.1 Volts. Therefore I am thinking that you are correct and everything is back to normal. I will continue to monitor the DIM before each time I start the car for the next week.
Two brief questions: I perused the boards and found reference to the C6 needing the manual shifter in a reverse position when shutting down. Unless told otherwise, I will assume this is not true for the C5.
I may show my car at the local show this summer. Any tips on how to clean the engine and engine cavity without creating an electrical disaster?
Thank you again,
Acer288
As for washing the engine,,,, DONT!!!!! You can spray a degreaser like Super Clean on it and wipe it down but it is NOT recommended to hose it off! There are two Knock Retard sensors mounted under the intake manifold. (ONLY ONE PLUG IS SHOWN!!)
The knock sensors are under the two black rubber plugs on top of that plate. They are NOT sealed very well and if you get water on top of the plate, it can leak in the wells under the plugs and kill the sensors requiring you to remove the intake and replace the sensors. $$$$
Cleaning is good,,,hosing off is BAD!
That shut down procedure only applies to the 05 C6 manual cars. I have an 06 C6 Z51 MN6. Never have had any DBS with it!
Bill
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 14
Likes: 2
From: New London CT
Water Hose = Bad. I got it.
You guys are a great help - Thank you for the input.
As an update, all is good with the battery situation. I have been monitoring the battery before starting for a week and voltage is at 12.1 Volts everytime. I even left it for a day without driving it and still came back to 12.1 V.
Thanks Again,
Acer288
You guys are a great help - Thank you for the input.
As an update, all is good with the battery situation. I have been monitoring the battery before starting for a week and voltage is at 12.1 Volts everytime. I even left it for a day without driving it and still came back to 12.1 V.
Thanks Again,
Acer288
