|
|
Post by raingler on Jul 16, 2011 8:30:05 GMT -5
i have a 09 chevy impala the battery is about a year old now. Since we got it back in august 2010 if the car sits for more then one day it will not start. I have had the battery tested several time by local mechanics and the dealer i got it from. The alternater has been tested by dealer too. It is starting to get frustrating every time we need the vehicle it is dead and have to wait for a jump. Ive took it into the dealer three times for stupid electrical problems and tell them about this everytime they have told me it was my phone charger. what is the next step to check or even to do hate to pay for a car that is just a pain.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave-ECIA on Jul 16, 2011 8:44:59 GMT -5
Sounds to me like there is something draining the battery. Could be as simple as a trunk light switch that does not shut off. You can't see it, but it's there.
Glove box light, engine compartment, that kind of stuff.
|
|
|
|
Post by raingler on Jul 16, 2011 9:33:13 GMT -5
ive unplugged all uneccary lights trunk hood and glovebox i never leave anything plugged into the ciggarette lighter no more. when the batteries go dead the tire sensors are always messed up and changes the remote settings and it just gets old
|
|
SMASH
Hired Hand
doo-rag dude
Posts: 197
|
Post by SMASH on Jul 16, 2011 9:49:19 GMT -5
Take a test light, pull your positive battery cable off(I think its the pos one.) then put your light be between the post and cable. If light comes on you have a draw some where. Finding the short is the hard part.
If you don't drive it very often. A quick fix is to pull the cable off every time, or install a battery disconnect switch.
|
|
|
|
Post by 4430 on Jul 16, 2011 9:53:16 GMT -5
I have several old trucks that I can't find the drain on so I put a common light switch to disconnect the battery and all works find unless I forget to throw the switch !
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave-ECIA on Jul 16, 2011 9:53:19 GMT -5
Damn, I was hoping it was an accy light.
Smash is right, the next thing is to chase down a short. I'd rather do it with an continuity tester, but use what you've got.
Battery disconnect switches suck. I guarantee you'll forget to flip it off.....
|
|
|
|
Post by raingler on Jul 16, 2011 9:59:13 GMT -5
yea i dont think the switch is plausible it is my wifes car she drives it almost every day its the weekends when it goes dead i think it is short somewhere also. i will test to see if it does have a draw on the battery this evening
Thanks
|
|
|
|
Post by MoJeeper™ on Jul 16, 2011 10:42:39 GMT -5
Take a voltmeter and see and put it between the the positive post and positive cable and see how many amps it's drawling. (kinda like what SMASH said) There is and acceptable amount of drawl, which you'll have to find out.
We have also had batteries test good, but be low on acid, or the battery is cracked loosing acid. That happened just this spring on a tractor.
|
|
|
|
Post by jd9600guru on Jul 16, 2011 16:10:25 GMT -5
Jeeper's idea of test amp load is a great idea.
My idea would be to unhook the alternator wire and touch in back to the post and see if you get a spark...... might have a diode set burnt out in it.
|
|
cowboycorn
Hired Hand
schpellin and gramer natzee
Posts: 155
|
Post by cowboycorn on Jul 16, 2011 20:43:04 GMT -5
Finding the short shouldn't be that hard if you get a lamp to light up as smash said, then go to your fuse box, and just start pulling and replacing fuses until the light goes out. This would tell you which circuit it's in, then go on your fine tune search.
|
|
Bristol Hillbilly
Hired Hand
Sentinel aka "Bouncer"....Sitting by the door....
Posts: 215
|
Post by Bristol Hillbilly on Jul 16, 2011 23:03:11 GMT -5
I agree with all the above. I've had a couple alternators do what guru is talking about. I did'nt think on the newer vehicles you could do the old test light trick because of all the brain stuff. The way it was explained to me was if you do the test light trick you need to hook it in line before unhooking the battery cable. Otherwise the test light will show a draw even if there isnt one. Ive have not tryed this but was told but a very trusted mechanic.
|
|
|
|
Post by gr ecks on Jul 17, 2011 8:52:34 GMT -5
We ran into one car that the trunk light worked when it was shut but not when it was open. My old Chevy pu at the farm gave me fits with battery, sometimes it would sit for a day or two and be dead and sometimes it would sit for a week and be alright. In the back of my mind I kept thinking the radio. I put it on a separate switch one and that was it. It still keeps the time alive.
|
|
|
|
Post by Sheep Herder on Jul 17, 2011 11:30:45 GMT -5
Had a battery drain once. Started pulling fuses out until I isolated where it was. It's a headache, that's for sure.
|
|
|
|
Post by bcreech on Jul 17, 2011 12:15:02 GMT -5
I had this happen on my ford service truck just last month you could drive it and start it all day long NO problem let it sit overnight and it would be dead
I thought battery even tho it was only a couple months old
went ahead and put a new one in it and was dead the next day
turned out the altenator was draining the battery changed it and haven't had a problem truck can sit for a week and still fires right off
My alternator also tested good when we tested it
|
|
