bikendan
Camano Island, Wash.
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w2dart wrote:Do a Battery Load Test
AND a hydrometer test.
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midnightsadie
ohio
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swap batteries from another car. just for a test.
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Dick_B
Palos Heights, IL USA
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Similar problem. I had the dealer change the battery under Delco warranty. The old one was a little over a year old. The dealer said they have found bad batteries in cars just off the truck from the factory. Either the batteries are not as good as they used to be OR the newer cars have parasitic draws that drain the battery even when turned off.
I'd get the battery replaced asap.
I bought a battery jumper. Cheap insurance against being stranded.
Dick_B
2003 SunnyBrook 27FKS
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Groover
Pulaski, TN
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If you are not ready yet to change the battery you might want to run a few more tests. Keep in mind that what really matters is the voltage to the starter. Connect your positive voltmeter lead directly to the starter and your negative lead to the block and see what voltage the starter is getting. If it is more than a volt or so lower than what you have been finding at the battery you may have a problem with the wiring.
Check battery + terminal to starter during starting to find the drop in that wire and engine block to battery negative terminal to find the voltage drop there. The return circuit is often overlooked but more critical than the hot side. A failure in the return circuit can cause seemingly unrelated problems elsewhere, like axle bearings. A bad ground strap from the engine to the battery can lead the return current to find an alternate path and the wheel bearings is one of them. Try to check the voltage drop across any connections or relays.
I tend to agree with the opinions that you most likely need a new battery but these tests are pretty quick and cheap so you may want to do them anyway.
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rjstractor
Maple Valley, WA
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jornvango wrote:We have been to Autozone / O'Reilly's multiple times and every time the battery, alternator and starter tested 'good'.
Question- did they remove the battery and do a full load test? Just checking the static voltage in the car right after driving it only tells you that the battery has a surface charge and that the alternator works. A specific gravity test (hydrometer) was suggested but that's a little tough (impossible) to do on a sealed battery. I'm with the others, the battery is almost four years old and is toast.
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wopachop
Who run bartertown
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Still under autozone warranty? If the battery dies on you but still passes their load test you have to purposely kill the battery worse. Turn on 12v incandescent lights and run it down super low. If it still passes their load test talk to the manager. They have to power to call the battery bad.
Same thing happens to us during our mild winters. Truck wont start in the morning but the battery tests ok at autozone.
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blofgren
Surrey, B.C.
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Grit dog wrote:jornvango wrote:Krusty wrote:You should get a battery charger and charge the battery up fully. Also, if the battery and charging system test good, perhaps there is something drawing the battery down overnight.
We ended up driving a few hours today. Upon arrival at our campsite, the battery showed 12.2 and a few seconds later 12.0
Is there any way to test if there is a draw on the battery while the car is turned off?
This tells ya it's the battery. Even with a parasitic draw, the battery would be fully charged after a 3 hour drive. And if the alternator wasn't working, you wouldn't have made it to your destination.
Reminds me of your alternator story with your Tahoe! ![[emoticon]](https://forums.goodsamclub.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/biggrin.gif "biggrin")
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jornvango
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rjstractor wrote:jornvango wrote:We have been to Autozone / O'Reilly's multiple times and every time the battery, alternator and starter tested 'good'.
Question- did they remove the battery and do a full load test? Just checking the static voltage in the car right after driving it only tells you that the battery has a surface charge and that the alternator works. A specific gravity test (hydrometer) was suggested but that's a little tough (impossible) to do on a sealed battery. I'm with the others, the battery is almost four years old and is toast.
Thanks. No, what they do is attach their testing tool while the battery is in its regular place. While monitoring the past few days in mild overnight temps, the car starts fine. For example, the past 2 days, we didn't drive the car and it started fine. Battery was at 11.9V before we started it, which probably means there's nothing drawing it very low while we're not using the car. Which also probably means that it's a battery problem then as many have suggested ... time to replace.
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Groover
Pulaski, TN
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I had a really weird situation a few years ago with a Sable that would pull the battery down overnight. It seemed to have an excessive draw with the engine off. After trying several several things myself and a couple of mechanics I took it to the dealer and he put in a new battery, that was all. That didn't sound right to me but it did fix the problem. I did have the presence of mind to ask for the battery that the dealer had taken out and ended up putting it in my F250 with a motor 2 and half times as big. It worked fine in the F250 for several years.
I am still puzzled as to why that battery did the job in vehicle but not another one that should have been easier for it.
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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blofgren wrote:Grit dog wrote:jornvango wrote:Krusty wrote:You should get a battery charger and charge the battery up fully. Also, if the battery and charging system test good, perhaps there is something drawing the battery down overnight.
We ended up driving a few hours today. Upon arrival at our campsite, the battery showed 12.2 and a few seconds later 12.0
Is there any way to test if there is a draw on the battery while the car is turned off?
This tells ya it's the battery. Even with a parasitic draw, the battery would be fully charged after a 3 hour drive. And if the alternator wasn't working, you wouldn't have made it to your destination.
Reminds me of your alternator story with your Tahoe!
Lol!
Kinda wishing I hadn’t sold that thing now!
"Yes Sir, Oct 10 1888, Those poor school children froze to death in their tracks. They did not even find them until Spring. Especially hard hit were the ones who had to trek uphill to school both ways, with no shoes." -Bert A.
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