Charging problem: Need help!
01-12-2008, 07:06 PM
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Charging problem: Need help! OK, here it is. (2000 Z28 M6)I'm about to pull my hair out on this one. So my car has had trouble starting lately. I have a red top optima and charged it up over night. Car started and ran. Drove it around for a while and parked it, car didn't start again. I thought it might be my alternator so I replaced that w/ a 160amp replacement. Jumped off car, drove it on the freeway for a while and when I turned it off, it wouldn't start again. I've even checked my batt voltage with the car running, 13.8V. I had the battery tested(it's only 1yr old) and it was a good battery. The car will start and run but it's not charging the battery. I even was worried that there was something drawing power while the car was off so I disconnected the battery as soon as I parked it and checked the voltage: 11.2V. Connected the battery again in the morning and it would just click. Anyone else have any insight on the problem?
01-14-2008, 01:49 PM
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Need to check what might be discharging the batt.
Fresh off charging it ought to be above 12V. To pull
it down to 11V seems like a pretty large load.
I'd start with all the accessory fuses (basically all but
the PCM, save that for last since it'll bother the trims
that have been learned). Look at the battery volts
(key on, not running) as you pull them one by one.
Anything makes the battery volts rise up, you're onto
something. Note that it might take a second to show
as the batt or your meter can be slow to react.
Fresh off charging it ought to be above 12V. To pull
it down to 11V seems like a pretty large load.
I'd start with all the accessory fuses (basically all but
the PCM, save that for last since it'll bother the trims
that have been learned). Look at the battery volts
(key on, not running) as you pull them one by one.
Anything makes the battery volts rise up, you're onto
something. Note that it might take a second to show
as the batt or your meter can be slow to react.
01-14-2008, 06:35 PM
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I think the problem is that the battery is just not charging at all. I replaced the alternator w/a 160amp one and got the battery checked at two places and was told it was good and it was charged up both times. I'm now thinking it's a connection from the alt, to the batt that's failing. What else should I check.