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Something keeps killing my battery

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Old Apr 30, 2003 | 04:13 PM
  #1  
Gripenfelter's Avatar
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Something keeps killing my battery

1 yr old battery.

New alternator.

As long as I keep driving the car I'm fine.

As soon as I let the car sit for 24hrs I have to boost the battery.

My amp is off but there is current at the speaker wire terminals.

No sound coming through speakers at all when car is off so its not that.

Deck is off.

What else could it be?

Alarm?
Old Apr 30, 2003 | 06:28 PM
  #2  
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Run a draw test. If you have DMM, insturctions on it will be in the manual.
Old Apr 30, 2003 | 08:16 PM
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DMM?
Old Apr 30, 2003 | 09:03 PM
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Digital Multi-Meter...Good ones range from 1-$300+. YOu can get a nice Craftsman for $40-50 tho.
Old Apr 30, 2003 | 09:21 PM
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your alarm draws almost no current,its definitely not that. I think you need a new alternator or a battery, I replaced mine last year when it went out a couple times if I was cleaning my car for 10 min or so the battery would die. It works fine now
Old Apr 30, 2003 | 10:49 PM
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Sounds like a shotty battery, maybe you just got a bad one that won't hold charge. Go down to Autozone they will test it for you for free.
Old May 1, 2003 | 12:00 AM
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Sounds like the battery.
Old May 1, 2003 | 12:49 AM
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I have this same problem!

New battery and alternator too. (Well a couple months old now since I haven't drove it in a while. Maybe 7 mths old max)

Anyways, I've tooken the car in and had them test the whole charging system and battery. They said everything was great.

I've tried swapping batteries with friends. My battery in thier car will do fine but no more than 2 or 3 days went by until thier battery would start to do it. Then we'd swap back and thier battery would be fine and a couple days later my battery would be back to acting up again.

If I don't start it for atleast 5 mins. a day the next time I go to start it, the dumb thing will need jumped. It never goes down enough to reset the clock or anythign just enough to "click" when you try to start it.

I have no clue what it is so just another f-bod thing I guess. If you find out please inform me. I am really wanting to solve this.

This is almost as bad as my tire problem. Let the car set for 24 hrs or more and the rear passenger tire will be flat. I've swapped every tire around and also some from friends. No matter what one is on thier, it will be flat within 24 hrs. Took the dumb thing to 4 tireshops and they all said "Nothing's wrong with them. Are you sure it's losing air?" I swear they all hire rejects. So after I get finished with the front end, I just going to have to leave the car at one of the shops for a couple days. Then see what they have to say when they walk out there and the battery is dead and the rear tire is flat. I guess it just wants to be driven.....
Old May 1, 2003 | 01:30 AM
  #9  
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If you suspect the amps remove the power wire fuse under the hood and let the car sit for a few days and see if it drains it. First thing I would do is get the battery tested though.
Old May 1, 2003 | 02:08 AM
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qoute - x7x7
If you suspect the amps remove the power wire fuse under the hood and let the car sit for a few days and see if it drains it. First thing I would do is get the battery tested though
---------------

Not to steal the thread form Gripenfelter but I've already tired that before and it still has the same symptons.
Old May 1, 2003 | 08:42 AM
  #11  
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Originally posted by x7x7
If you suspect the amps remove the power wire fuse under the hood and let the car sit for a few days and see if it drains it. First thing I would do is get the battery tested though.
Tried that a couple days ago.

Still drains.

Time for a deep cycle. $$$
Old May 1, 2003 | 11:15 AM
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Then that pretty much rules out the amps. do you have any signal proccessors? have you wired up any switches lately or did any wiring? Have you had the battery tested yet?
Old May 1, 2003 | 12:17 PM
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I'll have the battery tested tonight.

I have those new switches on my dash.

They control neons, rad fans, line lock, and PCM controls but I've ruled them out because I disconnected them and it still drained.

Its been getting worse since last summer which makes me suspect the battery as well.

If I drive the car every few hours its fine which means the alternator does a good job of charging it.

I'll have them both tested tonight.

Damn Walmart Energizer battery.
Old May 1, 2003 | 03:20 PM
  #14  
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I love Part Source.

They actually teach you stuff.

Told me to disconnect the positive cable and stick the DMM between the positive battery terminal and the positive battery cable and measure the voltage.

If the draw is less than 0.9 amps that means the car is normal and the battery is bad.

If its more than 0.9 amps then there is something staying on in the car and I have to start pulling fuses until it goes below that to see what it is.

I'll try it tonight.

Last edited by Gripenfelter; May 1, 2003 at 06:27 PM.
Old May 1, 2003 | 06:28 PM
  #15  
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12.54 volts with the car off and only 0.1 amps drawn.

With the interior light on it draws 0.5 amps.

I guess dead battery.



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