Battery Drains

ksekirby · 12-16-2008, 03:49 PM

For the past probably 3 months ive had problems with my battery. Ever since i got my new deck installed if i live the car sitting more then one day the battery is totaly dead and i need a boost to start it. I cant see my alternator being the problem because it charges it and runs if i use my car at least once a day. The battery is brand new so thats not a possible problem. Has anyone had this problem and has anyone fixed this with almost no budget.

CactusWill · 12-16-2008, 04:08 PM

Make sure the battery terminals are clean and not corroded. But it does sound like you've got a short somewheres.

Beholder88 · 12-16-2008, 04:49 PM

Double check the wiring behind your new deck. If the wires were spliced incorrectly, there will be a short and your battery will be draining. Does the head unit stay powered up when your car is off?

Redog · 12-16-2008, 06:26 PM

I agree, sounds like a loose connection or maybe a short

lonnie · 12-16-2008, 06:38 PM

New battery time! Is it original? Whats the age of it?

whiterider00 · 12-16-2008, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ksekirby

... The battery is brand new so thats not a possible problem...

dont think its the battery...

slvralero420 · 12-16-2008, 09:29 PM

It could be the battery, get it tested. Its not the first time that autoparts stores would be selling defective junk

clutch1 · 12-16-2008, 11:42 PM

Which system do you have? If you have the monsoon theres an amp that probably isn't turning off w/ your new radio installed. Put your head reaaaaally close to the speakers in the doors when it's completely still and silent, then listen for some static, or any sort of noise.

If that's the case you just need to bypass the amp. Unplug the amp, and jump from the input signal wires to the output signal wires on the connector to bypass it.

That's what the deal was with my Buick at least.

billytheman1188 · 12-17-2008, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lonnie

New battery time! Is it original? Whats the age of it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ksekirby

The battery is brand new

Reading pwns you

slvralero420 · 12-17-2008, 08:15 PM

just cuz a battery is new doesn't mean it's good, and depending on how many times the battery has been "killed" it can go bad from having drained and having to fill up again. I had something similar happen in my grand am when I had 2 12"s, the battery drained too many times and wouldn't hold a charge, even tho the battery was 2 months old I think, had it checked and it had fried.

ksekirby · 12-21-2008, 10:21 PM

i Just got the new battery a few months ago and they tested it and it was good. This never happened even with me original battery and no the deck shuts off after the car is shut off. Its just a walmart bought deck by dual so its ok i guess. I think its a short or a bad ground. Theres a shop down the road so ill take it there but when i use it every day it starts cuz the alternator charges the battery.

slvralero420 · 12-22-2008, 08:15 PM

thats sounds like what was happening with mine for a while, I have an optima red top now and it hasn't done it in a couple months. it might be your alternator, a friend of mine had a chevy 1500 doing the same thing and it was a diode in the alternator that failed and drained the battery. he went through 3 batteries before he got it figured out. his would die after sitting for a day tho.

clutch1 · 12-23-2008, 12:55 AM

The diode would have to short out for it to drain the battery.

If you wanna check it, disconnect the alt from the battery, and the ground on the battery, to isolate the alternator, get a MM, set it to diode, and put the leads to the + output and - ground of the alt. If it reads a voltage, that means it'll take that much voltage to pass the diodes in that direction. Next switch the leads, if it reads a voltage again, you have a shorted diode. Time to reaplce the alt. If it reads "OL" overlimit, or something like that, the diodes aren't shorted and won't drain the battery.

kbkchooch · 12-24-2008, 11:10 AM

Start with a battery draw test. This will tell you if anything is feeding off the battery. Since this all seemed to start after the new head unit was installed, this would be my prime suspect. If the head unit is drawing power, it amplifies the problem, because the BCM will see the draw and not shut off either! The BCM needs to see no electrical draws for about 20 minutes before it will go "to sleep".
Mine will do the same thing if it sits a few days with my radar detector plugged in. If I disconnect the radar detector, it can sit for a month without a failure.

Beholder88 · 12-24-2008, 11:17 AM

Have an idea, unplug your head unit and let the car sit overnight. See if the battery goes dead. Just another place to start I guess.