PAULEB07

A friend has a 2012 Auto, base 3lt. He is having a problem keeping the battery charged. He bought the car about 2 months ago. Car was doing fine, then let it to sit for 3 days. Keeping a tender or trickle charge on it. Then wanted to take it out and nothing. Battery was dead. He changed the battery, then 3 days later battery is dead. He bought it (the car) from a dealer so he has 90 days. The dealer told him the problem was the radio. I don't know what they did, he picks it up today.

Has anybody had this problem?

4SUMERZ

Oh Oh! That sounds expensive.
There is a GM Document ID# 1953881 Subject: Battery Drain Checklist For Corvettes that does indeed have the radio as a culprit for draining the battery.
You can see what GM used to check for in the attached document.

Landru

Yup, sure have.
Someone even explained how it happens, can't recall details.
He'll know soon enough if they nailed the issue or not, thankfully he's covered under warranty. This kind of crap can rack-up $, fast.

CadVette

Maybe it's time for a nice aftermarket head unit.

PAULEB07

If he just change out the unit and installed an after market one, will that eliminate the problem altogether?? Thanks I will pass the information on.

ruxvette

Not necessarily...what has he done to the car lately? Anything electrical?

PAULEB07

Not sure what has been done. I won't see him till Sunday.

RoadkingC6

I seem to remember reading a thread with a similiar problem and the cause of the battery drain had something to do with the Onstar system.

Turbo6TA

Yup ....

Here is the thread:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ead-again.html

RILimey

Yep, I have the same issue. If I don't keep the car connected to a battery tender, the battery goes down in anything between 8 hours and a few days.
I'm trying to diagnose it, but I'll probably end up taking it to a stealership.
BTW I pulled the OnStar fuse, but no change.

4SUMERZ

There are a few things that you can check if you have access to a volt meter.
I've attached a PDF of some of the areas that have caused parasitic drain on a C6 in the past.
Good Luck

Bob3700

My 05 had the battery drain problem. The cure was a $900 body control module.

Hope you avoid that.

p2v

Mine just started doing this and it has an aftermarket
nav radio. It also has been doing weird stuff like not coming on sometimes...have to shut the car down completely to get it to come back on...I am going to do the fuse pull stuff and then pull the radio and put the original back in...what a pain that is. Oh well, back to my phone for GPS.

Glen1224

When I had my 2007, the battery would go almost dead in a few days while sitting in the garage so, I tried a dumb thing. I left the drivers door open and took the fobs to another part of the house well away from the car. Then I came back and locked the car using the door lock button. Strange but it worked ! I told the dealer and they reflashed the door locks and after that it stopped as long as the fobs were well away from the car.

and yes , if the car was going to sit longer than a few days I'd put it on the battery tender.

p2v

Interesting analysis. Nothing surprises me about those FOBS. Thanks, will keep that in mind.

Dano523

FYI, there was an update firmware flash that should have solve the problem without having to replace the entire BCM. Hence the reflash get to the BCM to go into sleep mode a lot faster/simpler instead.

If the problem was at the BCM (sticky relay or bad solder joint), if the work was not covered under warranty, then it not had to pull the BCM apart to fix the problem yourself in a few mins isntead.

Hence if you fix the problem on the module already programmed to the car, then you don't have to reprogram in new module isntead.


As for the opts problem of the car draining the battery, easy enough to trouble shoot the problem with a multi meter.

You just unplug the hood liner lamp if if it has one, wire the meter between the positive wire and the battery in line, and see what the amperage is that the car is pulling from the battery after you close the doors and the car should go into sleep mode. Most meters have a 10amp setting, and works fine so long as you don't try to start the car.

If the car is pulling more than an amp when it suppose to be in sleep mode, then you start pulling fuses one by one until the car stops pulling more than an amp instead in sleep mode. Some times you can luck out by just pulling fuses from the hood block, while other times you have to pull fuses at the passenger hood well instead.
Once you have figured out what fuse is causing the problem, then it just a mater of figuring out what the fuse is powering up isntead.

As for the big hits, it often either the Vcim with a ON star module not in service, since even with you not subscribed to on star, on start still trying to call home at strange hours isntead. Some times its the XM radio or Pal module that is having problems, and not going into sleep mode instead. If an after marker radio with amps was installed, then that often a problem with the after market module adapter not wired correctly, and still pulling major power when the car is supposed to be in speed mode instead.

markab

having the same issues, and I'm getting frustrated, i hear this ticking noise while driving, parked the car for up the next day and couldn't even get in, had to use the manual process, then tried to charged it and the charger started smoking, the battery did have some carrion on it, I'm seriously thinking about getting rid of the car and i love the car but this is frustrating

PAULEB07

Update..
I spoke to my friend on Sunday and he said the dealer changed out a resistor. He doesn't know from what part of the radio or from where. You know sometimes our friends have NO clue!! Just saying.

p2v

I moved my keys to my desk, which is farther away from the garage. Started up strong every day since...thanks.

Now for the analysis. It was obviously coming out of the sleep mode because the key fob was too close.

IS THERE ANY WAY TO TELL WHAT MODE THE CAR IS IN??? OBD or attaching some LEDs would be nice!!!!