If the car sits overnight/several hrs, it won't crank!!
06-17-2016, 12:13 PM
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If the car sits overnight/several hrs, it won't crank!! I thought it was a simple bad battery. Had old battery tested & it would not take a charge. Fine, replaced that with new & good to go for a couple days. Then it starts not even cranking if it sits overnight or so. Sometimes the gauges also go crazy when I'm trying to start the car.
I then replace the alternator & I am still having the issue. I swapped the relays under the hood & that changed nothing. I checked all fuses as well. I also pulled the starter relay & jumped that. Starter works fine. I disconnected the negative cable from the battery hoping that would solve things for now, but nope! Dead the next day again.
I can get the car started again every time with either a jump or charging the battery, but it will go right back to not cranking the next day.
What should be causing this? It's an LS1 f-body fyi.
I then replace the alternator & I am still having the issue. I swapped the relays under the hood & that changed nothing. I checked all fuses as well. I also pulled the starter relay & jumped that. Starter works fine. I disconnected the negative cable from the battery hoping that would solve things for now, but nope! Dead the next day again.
I can get the car started again every time with either a jump or charging the battery, but it will go right back to not cranking the next day.
What should be causing this? It's an LS1 f-body fyi.
06-17-2016, 12:57 PM
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Did you check the charge on the battery (with a multi-meter, etc.) before you disconnected the negative cable? If the battery was already low on charge prior to disconnecting it, then you know you have a charging issue rather than a drain (although I guess you could still possibly have both issues.)
06-17-2016, 02:34 PM
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06-17-2016, 04:02 PM
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Stick a test light between the ground post and the ground cable on the battery. If there is a draw it should be lit up nice and bright. Next start pulling and replacing fuses one by one until that light dims or goes out. If the light only dims then you likely have more than one circuit causing issues. Once you know the circuit the problem is on you can get a wiring diagram and dig deeper.
06-17-2016, 04:42 PM
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Don't rule out your new battery just yet. I went through two duralast gold batts that tested fine at the store, but neither would hold a charge. Sitting on the bench with my meter attached they would lose 100th of a volt every few seconds. Picked up a Duracell branded East Penn battery a few months ago and even after sitting for two weeks she starts right up.
Also check your grounds - https://ls1tech.com/forums/stereo-el...s1-f-body.html My ground strap from behind the alternator had rusted through and was just hanging.
Also check your grounds - https://ls1tech.com/forums/stereo-el...s1-f-body.html My ground strap from behind the alternator had rusted through and was just hanging.
06-17-2016, 04:45 PM
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06-17-2016, 05:01 PM
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06-17-2016, 05:10 PM
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I just did a parasitic draw test & the whole time my meter was reading around 12.4. So that can't be right. At any rate, I pulled every fuse & none of them made any difference to the meter reading.
I now have both the negative AND positive terminals, vs just the negative last time, disconnected from the battery so we'll see if the car will start tomorrow.
06-17-2016, 05:12 PM
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06-17-2016, 05:30 PM
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This battery is brand new. It did this same thing with the old battery too.
I just did a parasitic draw test & the whole time my meter was reading around 12.4. So that can't be right. At any rate, I pulled every fuse & none of them made any difference to the meter reading.
I now have both the negative AND positive terminals, vs just the negative last time, disconnected from the battery so we'll see if the car will start tomorrow.
I just did a parasitic draw test & the whole time my meter was reading around 12.4. So that can't be right. At any rate, I pulled every fuse & none of them made any difference to the meter reading.
I now have both the negative AND positive terminals, vs just the negative last time, disconnected from the battery so we'll see if the car will start tomorrow.
06-17-2016, 05:37 PM
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01ss is correct, by using a TEST LIGHT, you are checking for amperage draw, not voltage. Do not use a meter, just an old school $5 incandescent bulbed test light.
It will look like this picture. http://honda-tech.com/attachments/te...5D-car-143.jpg
And remember, there is likely more than one fuse box in your car so you must check all of them.
But as you had previously said if it still causes issues with the cable unhooked overnight then there is no way for a draw to be made on the battery so they battery itself must be DOA
06-17-2016, 05:47 PM
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01ss is correct, by using a TEST LIGHT, you are checking for amperage draw, not voltage. Do not use a meter, just an old school $5 incandescent bulbed test light.
It will look like this picture. http://honda-tech.com/attachments/te...5D-car-143.jpg
And remember, there is likely more than one fuse box in your car so you must check all of them.
But as you had previously said if it still causes issues with the cable unhooked overnight then there is no way for a draw to be made on the battery so they battery itself must be DOA
It will look like this picture. http://honda-tech.com/attachments/te...5D-car-143.jpg
And remember, there is likely more than one fuse box in your car so you must check all of them.
But as you had previously said if it still causes issues with the cable unhooked overnight then there is no way for a draw to be made on the battery so they battery itself must be DOA
I followed this video to do the test. So he's wrong?
06-17-2016, 05:51 PM
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What was battery voltage showing, at the battery, at that time?
Absolutely correct. If you are disconnecting the negative terminal of a fully charged, healthy battery it will NOT discharge to the point of a no crank condition overnight - regardless of what sort of draw might be present when the battery is fully connected. This I know from experience.
Agreed as well. 
Absolutely correct. If you are disconnecting the negative terminal of a fully charged, healthy battery it will NOT discharge to the point of a no crank condition overnight - regardless of what sort of draw might be present when the battery is fully connected. This I know from experience.01ss is correct, by using a TEST LIGHT, you are checking for amperage draw, not voltage. Do not use a meter, just an old school $5 incandescent bulbed test light.
It will look like this picture. http://honda-tech.com/attachments/te...5D-car-143.jpg
And remember, there is likely more than one fuse box in your car so you must check all of them.
But as you had previously said if it still causes issues with the cable unhooked overnight then there is no way for a draw to be made on the battery so they battery itself must be DOA
It will look like this picture. http://honda-tech.com/attachments/te...5D-car-143.jpg
And remember, there is likely more than one fuse box in your car so you must check all of them.
But as you had previously said if it still causes issues with the cable unhooked overnight then there is no way for a draw to be made on the battery so they battery itself must be DOA
06-17-2016, 06:05 PM
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Right, pulling both cables will tell me if this new battery is bad. I already have a test light. I guess I will do it again with that instead this weekend.
I followed this video to do the test. So he's wrong?
How To Perform a Parasitic Draw Test - EricTheCarGuy - YouTube
I followed this video to do the test. So he's wrong?
How To Perform a Parasitic Draw Test - EricTheCarGuy - YouTube
You can use a meter as Eric has done, but you have to use it correctly, he was using the ammeter side of the meter where as when you were testing and getting 12.4 the whole time I have to guess your meter was set on the voltage side so this is where your testing faulted.
But at the same time it's a lot easier and quicker to watch if a light goes dim/out then have to focus on a screen and see if the numbers have changed.
06-18-2016, 02:26 PM
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