Battery keeps dieing (Not keeping charge)
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
From: Fairfax Station VA
Battery keeps dieing (Not keeping charge)
A friend of mine needs some technical help. He owns a 2002 triple black C-5. It has been experiencing dead batteries lately. He sent it into the dealership for a warrenty replacement and when he got it back it was fine for about a week.
Then the battery died again. There's obviously a draw on the battery coming from something. So he sent it into the dealer a second time and they looked at it and said nothing was wrong.
He also says that the starter sounds a little weird. Not like it did when he first got the car.
Anybody run into this problem and/or has any suggestions???
Thanks for any help!!! :chevy
Then the battery died again. There's obviously a draw on the battery coming from something. So he sent it into the dealer a second time and they looked at it and said nothing was wrong.
He also says that the starter sounds a little weird. Not like it did when he first got the car.
Anybody run into this problem and/or has any suggestions???
Thanks for any help!!! :chevy
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,940
Likes: 5
From: Chesapeake VA
Re: Battery keeps dieing (RoidRage)
My battery dies too, but not that fast. It takes a few weeks of non-use to die. Someone on here once outlined a neat way to use an Amp-meter and pull fuses to find where the drain was coming from in a car. I don't remember the details though. Someone here should know. :seeya
[Modified by Square, 1:38 PM 4/30/2002]
[Modified by Square, 1:38 PM 4/30/2002]
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 2,562
Likes: 162
From: Louisville KY
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
C6 of Year Winner (performance mods) 2019
Re: Battery keeps dieing (Square)
Most batteries will lose there charge in your car after a couple of weeks of non use. After its gone dead you have to make sure you get a full charge on it. With either a battery charger or a very long drive to charge it back up. Some times just driving it doesn't fully charge the battery after its been dead, and it might go dead again. If thats the problem he might think about getting a battery tender, or disconnect the battery if he doesn't drive it for weeks at a time.
I've ruined a few batteries by Just letting them sit in the car with out starting or charging them for weeks at a time. I think the optima yellow top is more resistant to damage from constant discharging, but you could still have problems if you let it sit to long.
[Modified by pjazz, 3:05 PM 4/30/2002]
I've ruined a few batteries by Just letting them sit in the car with out starting or charging them for weeks at a time. I think the optima yellow top is more resistant to damage from constant discharging, but you could still have problems if you let it sit to long.
[Modified by pjazz, 3:05 PM 4/30/2002]
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 5,015
Likes: 508
From: Hilton NY
Re: Battery keeps dieing (pjazz)
Put an ammeter in series with one of the battery cables and you should see about 20 ma draw after a minute when everything is off. Remove the underhood bulb for this check.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 8,205
Likes: 40
From: Tucson AZ
Re: Battery keeps dieing (RoidRage)
If is a stock battery, it may not be taking a complete charge. The problem could be the alternator too. I would check that and then get an Optima battery, if all else fails. I put on a "Battery Tender" if I am not going to use the car for so time. Good luck.... :)
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
From: Fairfax Station VA
Re: Battery keeps dieing (RoidRage)
The car is a daily driver. So he doesn't let it sit for any long amount of time.
The alternator was the first thing that I thought of, but he says that when he starts the car up and looks and the readout on the DIC he can see the battery charge up to 14 were it should be.
So when he let's the car sit over-night, there's gotta be something that is pulling from the battery. Not sure what it could be.
The alternator was the first thing that I thought of, but he says that when he starts the car up and looks and the readout on the DIC he can see the battery charge up to 14 were it should be.
So when he let's the car sit over-night, there's gotta be something that is pulling from the battery. Not sure what it could be.
Pro
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 500
Likes: 0
Re: Battery keeps dieing (RoidRage)
Could check to make sure the glove box light is going out? Sometimes the latch works loose and doesn't kill the light. Although I thought this "timed out" like the rest of the interior lights.
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Pro
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 736
Likes: 0
From: Breese Illinois
Re: Battery keeps dieing (willi)
RoidRage,
Mine was setting in the garage for the last 18 days without any problem at all (stock battery). My guess would be glovebox, underhood, armrest, trunk or rearview mirror map lights are staying on. Should be easy to check in the dark.
Good luck,
later,
Mine was setting in the garage for the last 18 days without any problem at all (stock battery). My guess would be glovebox, underhood, armrest, trunk or rearview mirror map lights are staying on. Should be easy to check in the dark.
Good luck,
later,
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,654
Likes: 0
From: Downtown Chicago IL
Re: Battery keeps dieing (RoidRage)
My car's also having a lot of electric problems. Car's been at the dealer since Friday, and I won't have it back till this Friday or Saturday...I'll post what I find.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,248
Likes: 1
From: Newland US
Re: Battery keeps dieing (RoidRage)
RoidRage,
Maybe a bad diode in the rectifier bridge in the alternaor, allowing the battery to discharge back through the alternator to ground?
Good luck.
Mark
Maybe a bad diode in the rectifier bridge in the alternaor, allowing the battery to discharge back through the alternator to ground?
Good luck.
Mark
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,096
Likes: 0
From: Size Does Matter CA
Re: Battery keeps dieing (MDT)
Well I just bought a new battery because it was not charging anymore, needless I have 36,600 miles on the car original battery from dealer. It was reading 10 volts and was displaying Low Voltage on the DIC.
I charged it and ran fine, but 3 hours later the battery drained again, went and bought a Optima Red battery today.
One way to check if the alternator is bad is to disconnect the negative battery while it is running, if the car dies the car is running directly from the battery and the alternator is bad.
I spoke to a guy about this who dropped his one month old Vette at the dealer, he had the same problem as your friend, it turned out to be the alternator.
There might be something loose in the alternator or just plan bad. I would bet my money on this.
I charged it and ran fine, but 3 hours later the battery drained again, went and bought a Optima Red battery today.
One way to check if the alternator is bad is to disconnect the negative battery while it is running, if the car dies the car is running directly from the battery and the alternator is bad.
I spoke to a guy about this who dropped his one month old Vette at the dealer, he had the same problem as your friend, it turned out to be the alternator.
There might be something loose in the alternator or just plan bad. I would bet my money on this.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 4,411
Likes: 1
From: Wilmington NC
Re: Battery keeps dieing (2KVetteMan)
Well I just bought a new battery because it was not charging anymore, needless I have 36,600 miles on the car original battery from dealer. It was reading 10 volts and was displaying Low Voltage on the DIC.
I charged it and ran fine, but 3 hours later the battery drained again, went and bought a Optima Red battery today.
One way to check if the alternator is bad is to disconnect the negative battery while it is running, if the car dies the car is running directly from the battery and the alternator is bad.
I spoke to a guy about this who dropped his one month old Vette at the dealer, he had the same problem as your friend, it turned out to be the alternator.
There might be something loose in the alternator or just plan bad. I would bet my money on this.
I charged it and ran fine, but 3 hours later the battery drained again, went and bought a Optima Red battery today.
One way to check if the alternator is bad is to disconnect the negative battery while it is running, if the car dies the car is running directly from the battery and the alternator is bad.
I spoke to a guy about this who dropped his one month old Vette at the dealer, he had the same problem as your friend, it turned out to be the alternator.
There might be something loose in the alternator or just plan bad. I would bet my money on this.
The DIC should show all of these problems if it is the alternator, just push on gauges until the voltage comes up while driving.. A healthy alternator should show from 14.2 volts to 14.8. The 14.8 would be on a severely discharged battery, anything in the 12's means the alternator is not functioning.
