Battery Gremlin - '99 FRC
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 251
Likes: 9
From: Western Massachusetts
Battery Gremlin - '99 FRC
I don't drive my Vette in the winter - it stays in the garage (not heated, not icy). I fully charge the battery before putting it away. When I try starting it 7 - 10 days later - the battery is dead. I make sure all lights are out; the portable XM is out of the car, both power outlets are unused; the car is in reverse, and both doors are shut tight. I repeat the whole charge/check procedure only to have the same result when I try to start it 7 - 10 days later. Any thoughts and/or suggestions appreciated.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,952
Likes: 338
From: Shell Point (Crawfordville) Florida
Your battery shouldn't die that fast unless maybe you have some unforeseen current draw pulling it down. If you have a multimeter, disconnect the negative ground cable from the battery, and with the one lead of the meter connected to the negative battery terminal and the other lead on the cable, measure the amount of current passing through there. If I remember correctly it should be maybe 20 miliamps. If it's much higher than that, something is draining the battery and then you have to start disconnecting fuse boxes and then fuses to find it. It could be a seat motor, many possibilities.
If you have no excessive draw, then charge up your battery fully and then get it load tested to see if it's any good. If it is, your last choice is to get a trickle charger and leave it on when you don't use the car.
What are you charging the battery with? Is it a regular charger or a "maintainer"? ie, how many amps are you charging with?
I'm sure others will also chime in and give you more insights.
If you have no excessive draw, then charge up your battery fully and then get it load tested to see if it's any good. If it is, your last choice is to get a trickle charger and leave it on when you don't use the car.
What are you charging the battery with? Is it a regular charger or a "maintainer"? ie, how many amps are you charging with?
I'm sure others will also chime in and give you more insights.
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
From: Houston TX
My 99 has a gremlin like that too. It's been happening ever since I bought the car 3 months ago. I can let the car sit for a week and the battery is fine, I can let it sit for 1 day and it's dead. Made absolutely no sense. Neither I nor my troubleshooting guy could find anything draw on the battery or anything wrong with the battery itself. So he let me borrow one of his loaner batteries and I ran that for a week and didn't have any battery issues. So I just went ahead and bought a new battery. If that ends up not working out for me I'll find the facepalm emoticon and come back to this thread.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,067
Likes: 46
From: Springfield IL.
Oldtimer
My car did the same thing when I bought it. The guy I bought it from used to unhook the battery when he stored it for the winter. Well I didn't and the first time I tried to start it after sitting for a month it was dead, not flat but it wouldn't start. So I charged it up and kept an eye on it. About 3 weeks is all it stay up. I charged it up and had it tested. It was bad. Replaced it and all is good. I do leave it on a tender during winter storage.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 2,507
Likes: 9
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Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
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From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
THE SECRET!!!!!!
What is your cars battery sleep current draw AND,,,,, What condition is your battery in?
Does it have proper RESERVE CAPICITY?????
If you have the best battery in the world, it will go dead if the electrical system drawing excessive current. The car was designed to draw 20-25 milliamps.
What is yours drawing???????
Bill
What is your cars battery sleep current draw AND,,,,, What condition is your battery in?
Does it have proper RESERVE CAPICITY?????
If you have the best battery in the world, it will go dead if the electrical system drawing excessive current. The car was designed to draw 20-25 milliamps.
What is yours drawing???????
Bill
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,150
Likes: 890
From: South Western Ontario
Yes, test the battery and the sleeping current draw. The car should easily be able to sit 3-4 weeks and still start.
14 months on a battery - yikes. What are you doing to them to kill them so fast? My last cheap one in the C5 was 6 years old and was good until I loaned it to my uncle and he ran it down which killed it.
14 months on a battery - yikes. What are you doing to them to kill them so fast? My last cheap one in the C5 was 6 years old and was good until I loaned it to my uncle and he ran it down which killed it.
Racer
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 278
Likes: 0
From: Gering Nebraska
THE SECRET!!!!!!
What is your cars battery sleep current draw AND,,,,, What condition is your battery in?
Does it have proper RESERVE CAPICITY?????
If you have the best battery in the world, it will go dead if the electrical system drawing excessive current. The car was designed to draw 20-25 milliamps.
What is yours drawing???????
Bill
What is your cars battery sleep current draw AND,,,,, What condition is your battery in?
Does it have proper RESERVE CAPICITY?????
If you have the best battery in the world, it will go dead if the electrical system drawing excessive current. The car was designed to draw 20-25 milliamps.
What is yours drawing???????
Bill
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 8,629
Likes: 15
From: York PA
Check the DIC & dimmer button lights at total darkness.
I happened to stumble upon my 99 FRC lights staying on after sleep mode.
It's a problem with the Instrument circuit board.
I ended up cutting the wiring to those lights (bulbs aren't removable)
Maybe someday I'll get another board & fix the wires or tap into another source
I happened to stumble upon my 99 FRC lights staying on after sleep mode.
It's a problem with the Instrument circuit board.
I ended up cutting the wiring to those lights (bulbs aren't removable)
Maybe someday I'll get another board & fix the wires or tap into another source