Battery goes dead...not sure why
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Car: 87 Trans Am GTA
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Battery goes dead...not sure why
Searched the site and haven't found much. So my battery goes dead after starting the car a few times. If it's fully charged, it starts right up, but after four or five starts of progressively more difficult starts, the car cranks but refuses to start. When I pull the battery off at this point, it still puts out ~12.55 V. The dash gauge used to read ~10 V before cranking, then near 14 V when running, but now it doesn't even read 13 V when running. The battery is less than a year old, the alternator is even newer. After doing a draw test, I have about 10 mA with the radio and remote start/keyless system connected. I'm wondering if there is a wiring issue with the starter, since it appears to have enough voltage but won't start? Any ideas on what to check are greatly appreciated, as always. I'm just tired of having to charge the battery twice a week. Thanks.
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Car: '89 IROC-Z
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Re: Battery goes dead...not sure why
check the water level on the battery and fill it with distilled water if its low and make sure you wear safety glasses i dont care how carefull you are being i got battery acid in my eye yesterday and it wasnt fun. You could also get the battery tested to see if its any good just to rule that out, i've had batteries go bad after one year so that doesnt mean anything. What kind of battery is it and whats the CCA? Something could be draining on the battery also, try pulling the radio fuse out
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Car: 87 Trans Am GTA
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Re: Battery goes dead...not sure why
check the water level on the battery and fill it with distilled water if its low and make sure you wear safety glasses i dont care how carefull you are being i got battery acid in my eye yesterday and it wasnt fun. You could also get the battery tested to see if its any good just to rule that out, i've had batteries go bad after one year so that doesnt mean anything. What kind of battery is it and whats the CCA? Something could be draining on the battery also, try pulling the radio fuse out
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Transmission: 700r4 edge 3000 stall
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Re: Battery goes dead...not sure why
Only "maintance free" sealed batteries can't be serviced (ie AC DELCO, CARQUEST), the kind that have the caps you pry up with a screwdriver can. I'd get the battery tested just to rule it out, a lot of places will do it for free, it will tell you the state of health/charge % and the measured and rated CCA.
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Re: Battery goes dead...not sure why
Only "maintance free" sealed batteries can't be serviced (ie AC DELCO, CARQUEST), the kind that have the caps you pry up with a screwdriver can. I'd get the battery tested just to rule it out, a lot of places will do it for free, it will tell you the state of health/charge % and the measured and rated CCA.
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Re: Battery goes dead...not sure why
sounds like youre alternator isnt charging....
DO you go for drives in between these 4-5 starts?
Do the simple stuff first. Trace all the wires from your alternator and make sure they are connected!!! If you moved stuff around there recently it may have just come off. Check your ground and ground straps.
Have you relocated your negative terminal (from battery) to a new location (at the other end of the wire?)
DO you go for drives in between these 4-5 starts?
Do the simple stuff first. Trace all the wires from your alternator and make sure they are connected!!! If you moved stuff around there recently it may have just come off. Check your ground and ground straps.
Have you relocated your negative terminal (from battery) to a new location (at the other end of the wire?)
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Re: Battery goes dead...not sure why
Wow! Sounds like you and I were in the same boat. I would be in the process of trying to find my power drain and the battery would go dead from the drain. Interestingly enough I was charging the battery for the billionth time when I noticed the gauge on my charger moving once and a while. I pulled out fuses one by one until I found the LID fuse would spark when I pulled it out and the gauge would act normally. It might not be the LID fuse, but you might narrow down the circuit causing the power drain.
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Re: Battery goes dead...not sure why
sounds like youre alternator isnt charging....
DO you go for drives in between these 4-5 starts?
Do the simple stuff first. Trace all the wires from your alternator and make sure they are connected!!! If you moved stuff around there recently it may have just come off. Check your ground and ground straps.
Have you relocated your negative terminal (from battery) to a new location (at the other end of the wire?)
DO you go for drives in between these 4-5 starts?
Do the simple stuff first. Trace all the wires from your alternator and make sure they are connected!!! If you moved stuff around there recently it may have just come off. Check your ground and ground straps.
Have you relocated your negative terminal (from battery) to a new location (at the other end of the wire?)
Wow! Sounds like you and I were in the same boat. I would be in the process of trying to find my power drain and the battery would go dead from the drain. Interestingly enough I was charging the battery for the billionth time when I noticed the gauge on my charger moving once and a while. I pulled out fuses one by one until I found the LID fuse would spark when I pulled it out and the gauge would act normally. It might not be the LID fuse, but you might narrow down the circuit causing the power drain.
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Re: Battery goes dead...not sure why
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Re: Battery goes dead...not sure why
Its not a drain, he mentioned his battery is good ie: 12.55V out of the car, and he has a 10mA draw when everything is hooked up which is nill....
My freind's faulty alternator showed a draw of about 3A, we though it was a shorted light bulb or something somewhere, but it drained the battery dead in about 14 hours.
Im fairly certain your alternator isnt charging, so the circuit isnt completing somewhere.
Also, while your going through your wiring, remove both battery terminals, clean them off, and reattach the wires (tighten properly). You probably just have a bad connection somewhere.
My freind's faulty alternator showed a draw of about 3A, we though it was a shorted light bulb or something somewhere, but it drained the battery dead in about 14 hours.
Im fairly certain your alternator isnt charging, so the circuit isnt completing somewhere.
Also, while your going through your wiring, remove both battery terminals, clean them off, and reattach the wires (tighten properly). You probably just have a bad connection somewhere.
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Re: Battery goes dead...not sure why
I would say go have the alternator tested again.
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Car: 87 Trans Am GTA
Engine: 5.7L TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.27
Re: Battery goes dead...not sure why
Its not a drain, he mentioned his battery is good ie: 12.55V out of the car, and he has a 10mA draw when everything is hooked up which is nill....
My freind's faulty alternator showed a draw of about 3A, we though it was a shorted light bulb or something somewhere, but it drained the battery dead in about 14 hours.
Im fairly certain your alternator isnt charging, so the circuit isnt completing somewhere.
Also, while your going through your wiring, remove both battery terminals, clean them off, and reattach the wires (tighten properly). You probably just have a bad connection somewhere.
My freind's faulty alternator showed a draw of about 3A, we though it was a shorted light bulb or something somewhere, but it drained the battery dead in about 14 hours.
Im fairly certain your alternator isnt charging, so the circuit isnt completing somewhere.
Also, while your going through your wiring, remove both battery terminals, clean them off, and reattach the wires (tighten properly). You probably just have a bad connection somewhere.
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