Dead battery......again....
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 656
Likes: 5
From: McAlester Oklahoma
Dead battery......again....
About two weeks ago I went out to start the car and it was dead. Nothing, zip, zero, not a click. So, I took the battery in, had it tested and it was done. So I bought a new one and havent had a problem since. Well, I hadent started the car since last Sunday, when out to it last night and it was almost dead again. It tried to turn over this time though, so it wasnt completely dead.
So I am guess I have a short somewhere. Where in the hell do I begin to diagnose what the problem is? I have a friend who is a master electrician and I think he will lend me a hand if needed.
So I am guess I have a short somewhere. Where in the hell do I begin to diagnose what the problem is? I have a friend who is a master electrician and I think he will lend me a hand if needed.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 656
Likes: 5
From: McAlester Oklahoma
Thanks 8!!! I hope that some people who have experianced this will write or point me to their thread that explains what they did to cure it.
I do have the post about it in the electrical thread bookmarked!
I do have the post about it in the electrical thread bookmarked!
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,454
Likes: 1,163
From: Dyer, IN
This is not a "one size fits all" issue. Did you read the thread 8Vette7 directed you to? Starting with post #590? Follow Bill's suggestions so you can isolate the problem.
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
When discussing electricity,,,when you say the word SHORT,,, it should bring to mind blown fuses, very hot wires, fire, burnt things. What your expierencing is a paracitic drain. Something is either being left ON, staying on when it is shut off or turing on after the car is shut down.
There are a few very common things that cause this issue:
Drivers seat motors
Drivers seat Lumbar pump
Passengers seat motors
Bose radio amp relay sticking on
Head light control module
Interior light being left on.
Radar detector, GPS, phone charger ect.... being left on
Under hood lght
Defective alternator diode allowing it to draw current whe the engine is off. (you can put the amp meter in series with the BATT terminal and read the current draw. It should be zero)
So,,,the only way to figure out if you have a parasitic drain is to test for it. You will need to get a DC AMP meter capable of measuring at least 10 amps. Connect it in SERIES with the battery/battery cable negative terminal.
The procedure is in the referenced post. Your optimum current draw is 2.5 ma or less. I normaly see around 2ma and sometimes 3 ma. With a 2ma draw,,,my car can sit idle with out a charger for 30-35 days and NOT have any issues starting the engine.
BC
There are a few very common things that cause this issue:
Drivers seat motors
Drivers seat Lumbar pump
Passengers seat motors
Bose radio amp relay sticking on
Head light control module
Interior light being left on.
Radar detector, GPS, phone charger ect.... being left on
Under hood lght
Defective alternator diode allowing it to draw current whe the engine is off. (you can put the amp meter in series with the BATT terminal and read the current draw. It should be zero)
So,,,the only way to figure out if you have a parasitic drain is to test for it. You will need to get a DC AMP meter capable of measuring at least 10 amps. Connect it in SERIES with the battery/battery cable negative terminal.
The procedure is in the referenced post. Your optimum current draw is 2.5 ma or less. I normaly see around 2ma and sometimes 3 ma. With a 2ma draw,,,my car can sit idle with out a charger for 30-35 days and NOT have any issues starting the engine.
BC
Pro
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 652
Likes: 16
From: Upton MA
When discussing electricity,,,when you say the word SHORT,,, it should bring to mind blown fuses, very hot wires, fire, burnt things. What your expierencing is a paracitic drain. Something is either being left ON, staying on when it is shut off or turing on after the car is shut down.
There are a few very common things that cause this issue:
Drivers seat motors
Drivers seat Lumbar pump
Passengers seat motors
Bose radio amp relay sticking on
Head light control module
Interior light being left on.
Radar detector, GPS, phone charger ect.... being left on
Under hood lght
Defective alternator diode allowing it to draw current whe the engine is off. (you can put the amp meter in series with the BATT terminal and read the current draw. It should be zero)
So,,,the only way to figure out if you have a parasitic drain is to test for it. You will need to get a DC AMP meter capable of measuring at least 10 amps. Connect it in SERIES with the battery/battery cable negative terminal.
The procedure is in the referenced post. Your optimum current draw is 2.5 ma or less. I normaly see around 2ma and sometimes 3 ma. With a 2ma draw,,,my car can sit idle with out a charger for 30-35 days and NOT have any issues starting the engine.
BC
There are a few very common things that cause this issue:
Drivers seat motors
Drivers seat Lumbar pump
Passengers seat motors
Bose radio amp relay sticking on
Head light control module
Interior light being left on.
Radar detector, GPS, phone charger ect.... being left on
Under hood lght
Defective alternator diode allowing it to draw current whe the engine is off. (you can put the amp meter in series with the BATT terminal and read the current draw. It should be zero)
So,,,the only way to figure out if you have a parasitic drain is to test for it. You will need to get a DC AMP meter capable of measuring at least 10 amps. Connect it in SERIES with the battery/battery cable negative terminal.
The procedure is in the referenced post. Your optimum current draw is 2.5 ma or less. I normaly see around 2ma and sometimes 3 ma. With a 2ma draw,,,my car can sit idle with out a charger for 30-35 days and NOT have any issues starting the engine.
BC
.02 Amps which equals 20 mA. 20 to 30 mA is about what I remember for a load after the computers go into low draw mode.
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
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 656
Likes: 5
From: McAlester Oklahoma
Thanks for the info. If I can get my friend over today to check it I will post my results. Say that when we check it, it is drawing more, how do you pinpoint what it is?
I am NO good with electricity......
I am NO good with electricity......
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,454
Likes: 1,163
From: Dyer, IN
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
