Battery keeps draining
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
Battery keeps draining My battery keeps losing power. Enough to where the car won't start after a two to three days of sitting. Did an amp draw test and got very little on the reading - like less that .5 amps. Have a Optima Yellow Top - Brand new.
How much of a draw does it typically take to drain the battery over a couple days? Two things suspicious - have a Streetwire 1 farad capacitor hooked up to battery. Have a mini g-net computer hooked up (shouldn't draw hardly anything when shut off though - just memory power)
Any ideas?
How much of a draw does it typically take to drain the battery over a couple days? Two things suspicious - have a Streetwire 1 farad capacitor hooked up to battery. Have a mini g-net computer hooked up (shouldn't draw hardly anything when shut off though - just memory power)
Any ideas?
Is this if the Car sits for a Couple of day's NO driving?
Or is it over the course of a couple of days if you are driving/starting it up daily?
How are you getting the battery charged back up? Vehicle or Charger?
0.5 A is not enough to totally drain the system like that. Alternator would be suspect if you drove it and it wasn't charing the battery enough.
If you want to isolate the Battery as the Fault, Get a piece of wood (Must insulate the battery from the Concrete/Grass/basic ground.) and pull it out after it is charged up.
Test for voltage after 1 day, and 2 day's if you can. See if the battery looses voltage. Shouldn't drop alot from your initial test. only a couple 10th's like 12.5 to 12.2 after 2 days. More than that would be the Battery @ fault.
Did this just start Happening?
Cap can be suspect. Could un-hook it to see what happens.
Or is it over the course of a couple of days if you are driving/starting it up daily?
How are you getting the battery charged back up? Vehicle or Charger?
0.5 A is not enough to totally drain the system like that. Alternator would be suspect if you drove it and it wasn't charing the battery enough.
If you want to isolate the Battery as the Fault, Get a piece of wood (Must insulate the battery from the Concrete/Grass/basic ground.) and pull it out after it is charged up.
Test for voltage after 1 day, and 2 day's if you can. See if the battery looses voltage. Shouldn't drop alot from your initial test. only a couple 10th's like 12.5 to 12.2 after 2 days. More than that would be the Battery @ fault.
Did this just start Happening?
Cap can be suspect. Could un-hook it to see what happens.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
Yes, if the car sits a couple days with no driving. I just jump the battery and the alternator will charge it back up. If I drive it everyday, things are just fine. If I unhook the battery when I know it going to sit, then it's fine too.
Something has to be drawing from it while it sits hooked up.
I guess I need to unhook the capacitor and see what happens. Was just wondering if anyone else had that same problem.
One of my friends has a 01 Camaro and it will do that after about a week. It just has bolt-ons, nothing significant. Could the alarm system do it?
Maybe mine is a combination of the alarm system and capacitor.
It's been doing it for awhile. I got the car with no motor, no tranny, no wiring harness and built it from there. At first, I drove it everyday, so I don't know if it was a problem.
Guess I'll have to start unplugging things and see if it goes away.
If it is the capacitor.....why? Could it be bad, or just not suppose to leave them hooked up like that, or what?
Thanks for the help.
Something has to be drawing from it while it sits hooked up.
I guess I need to unhook the capacitor and see what happens. Was just wondering if anyone else had that same problem.
One of my friends has a 01 Camaro and it will do that after about a week. It just has bolt-ons, nothing significant. Could the alarm system do it?
Maybe mine is a combination of the alarm system and capacitor.
It's been doing it for awhile. I got the car with no motor, no tranny, no wiring harness and built it from there. At first, I drove it everyday, so I don't know if it was a problem.
Guess I'll have to start unplugging things and see if it goes away.
If it is the capacitor.....why? Could it be bad, or just not suppose to leave them hooked up like that, or what?
Thanks for the help.
Originally Posted by Richiec77
Is this if the Car sits for a Couple of day's NO driving?
Or is it over the course of a couple of days if you are driving/starting it up daily?
How are you getting the battery charged back up? Vehicle or Charger?
0.5 A is not enough to totally drain the system like that. Alternator would be suspect if you drove it and it wasn't charing the battery enough.
If you want to isolate the Battery as the Fault, Get a piece of wood (Must insulate the battery from the Concrete/Grass/basic ground.) and pull it out after it is charged up.
Test for voltage after 1 day, and 2 day's if you can. See if the battery looses voltage. Shouldn't drop alot from your initial test. only a couple 10th's like 12.5 to 12.2 after 2 days. More than that would be the Battery @ fault.
Did this just start Happening?
Cap can be suspect. Could un-hook it to see what happens.
Or is it over the course of a couple of days if you are driving/starting it up daily?
How are you getting the battery charged back up? Vehicle or Charger?
0.5 A is not enough to totally drain the system like that. Alternator would be suspect if you drove it and it wasn't charing the battery enough.
If you want to isolate the Battery as the Fault, Get a piece of wood (Must insulate the battery from the Concrete/Grass/basic ground.) and pull it out after it is charged up.
Test for voltage after 1 day, and 2 day's if you can. See if the battery looses voltage. Shouldn't drop alot from your initial test. only a couple 10th's like 12.5 to 12.2 after 2 days. More than that would be the Battery @ fault.
Did this just start Happening?
Cap can be suspect. Could un-hook it to see what happens.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,157
Likes: 1
From: Texas
Richie summed it up good for you.
Could be the battery, altenator, or something that is draining the battery.
To determine if its the battery.
1. Charge the battery
2. Disconnect the battery from the car completely
3. Check the voltage and write it down
4. Next couple of days check the voltage again. It should be the same. If its not then you have a bad battery.
THEN if the battery is good...
To determine if its the altenator
1. Check the voltage with the car off (and the battery charged)
2. Start the car and watch the voltage. It should come up some (+2-3 volts). If your voltage does not come up you have a bad charging altenator.
THEN if your alt and battery are good
To determine if you have an component draining the power.
1. With the battery charged and the car completely off (make sure ignition is off and key is out with all the doors shut). Basically EVERYTHING must be turned off.
2. Take a volt meter and monitor the amerage draw by disconnecting the batt terminal and connecting each seperate side to each of the meter.
3. If your amperage draw is high then you have a component draining your battery.
4. Depending on which component it is...this can be a hard thing to trouble shoot further.
Good luck. Let us know the results
Could be the battery, altenator, or something that is draining the battery.
To determine if its the battery.
1. Charge the battery
2. Disconnect the battery from the car completely
3. Check the voltage and write it down
4. Next couple of days check the voltage again. It should be the same. If its not then you have a bad battery.
THEN if the battery is good...
To determine if its the altenator
1. Check the voltage with the car off (and the battery charged)
2. Start the car and watch the voltage. It should come up some (+2-3 volts). If your voltage does not come up you have a bad charging altenator.
THEN if your alt and battery are good
To determine if you have an component draining the power.
1. With the battery charged and the car completely off (make sure ignition is off and key is out with all the doors shut). Basically EVERYTHING must be turned off.
2. Take a volt meter and monitor the amerage draw by disconnecting the batt terminal and connecting each seperate side to each of the meter.
3. If your amperage draw is high then you have a component draining your battery.
4. Depending on which component it is...this can be a hard thing to trouble shoot further.
Good luck. Let us know the results
Launching!
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 297
Likes: 1
From: Chicago
Originally Posted by 2MuchRiceMakesMeSick
To determine if you have an component draining the power.
1. With the battery charged and the car completely off (make sure ignition is off and key is out with all the doors shut). Basically EVERYTHING must be turned off.
2. Take a volt meter and monitor the amerage draw by disconnecting the batt terminal and connecting each seperate side to each of the meter.
3. If your amperage draw is high then you have a component draining your battery.
4. Depending on which component it is...this can be a hard thing to trouble shoot further.
1. With the battery charged and the car completely off (make sure ignition is off and key is out with all the doors shut). Basically EVERYTHING must be turned off.
2. Take a volt meter and monitor the amerage draw by disconnecting the batt terminal and connecting each seperate side to each of the meter.
3. If your amperage draw is high then you have a component draining your battery.
4. Depending on which component it is...this can be a hard thing to trouble shoot further.
In #2 above, the meter should be set to measure AMPS, not volts (and DC AMPS at that).
You should disconnect one of the cables from the battery, pos or neg, doesn't matter. The meter then goes inline (ie. in series) between the battery and the disconnected cable.
It would not hurt to start the readings with the meter in the largest scale the dmm provides (usually 10amps).
I'm leaning towards the Battery. You say the car charges it up fine. Also, I had a Bad A/F meter that eventually went out and cause a major headache to trouble shoot why my O2 reading where 1/10 of normal. Auto Meter.
Caps can leak extra Current through too ground also. Might not catch that on a Meter.
If the battery is bad, it will leak down. If the Battery is good, then it has to be something else. I'd try to charge it up 1st and test for Voltage daily (like every 6 hours at the least.) for a couple of days. Sounds like you can afford the time to do it.
What is the AH (Amp hour) rating of the battery. I'll look up on Optima's site also to see what it is too, but just incase I can't find it.
Figure 0.5 A for a couple of days, Basically 0.5 A per hour drain.
If it's like 120 A/H then it should take 240 Hours @ that current draw to discharge below 10.5v.
What is the Reading if you just measure it? In the 10's, 11's 12's?
Caps can leak extra Current through too ground also. Might not catch that on a Meter.
If the battery is bad, it will leak down. If the Battery is good, then it has to be something else. I'd try to charge it up 1st and test for Voltage daily (like every 6 hours at the least.) for a couple of days. Sounds like you can afford the time to do it.
What is the AH (Amp hour) rating of the battery. I'll look up on Optima's site also to see what it is too, but just incase I can't find it.
Figure 0.5 A for a couple of days, Basically 0.5 A per hour drain.
If it's like 120 A/H then it should take 240 Hours @ that current draw to discharge below 10.5v.
What is the Reading if you just measure it? In the 10's, 11's 12's?
Trending Topics
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,157
Likes: 1
From: Texas
Originally Posted by GPz1100
To clarify
In #2 above, the meter should be set to measure AMPS, not volts (and DC AMPS at that).
You should disconnect one of the cables from the battery, pos or neg, doesn't matter. The meter then goes inline (ie. in series) between the battery and the disconnected cable.
It would not hurt to start the readings with the meter in the largest scale the dmm provides (usually 10amps).
In #2 above, the meter should be set to measure AMPS, not volts (and DC AMPS at that).
You should disconnect one of the cables from the battery, pos or neg, doesn't matter. The meter then goes inline (ie. in series) between the battery and the disconnected cable.
It would not hurt to start the readings with the meter in the largest scale the dmm provides (usually 10amps).
I said amps
Originally Posted by 2MuchRiceMakesMeSick
To determine if you have an component draining the power.
1. With the battery charged and the car completely off (make sure ignition is off and key is out with all the doors shut). Basically EVERYTHING must be turned off.
2. Take a volt meter and monitor the amerage draw by disconnecting the batt terminal and connecting each seperate side to each of the meter.
3. If your amperage draw is high then you have a component draining your battery.
4. Depending on which component it is...this can be a hard thing to trouble shoot further.
1. With the battery charged and the car completely off (make sure ignition is off and key is out with all the doors shut). Basically EVERYTHING must be turned off.
2. Take a volt meter and monitor the amerage draw by disconnecting the batt terminal and connecting each seperate side to each of the meter.
3. If your amperage draw is high then you have a component draining your battery.
4. Depending on which component it is...this can be a hard thing to trouble shoot further.
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Staging Lane
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
One thing I forgot to mention was that I had a brand new Optima Red Top before the Yellow Top and I had thought the same thing...that the battery was discharging on its own. So, I told Autozone the battery was bad and they gave me credit towards the Yellow Top.
I really think the battery is okay, cause if I disconnect it and let it sit for a few days, I can hook it back up, and it'll start just fine.
I'm gonna unhook that capacitor and see what happens. You said that sometimes they can leak power through to the ground and not show up so much on the meter. That's what I wanted to hear. The cap is 5-6 years old, so I was leaning towards that anyway. Its really not necessary on my stereo setup...it was from an old setup in a different car and that's where the power came off of for the amps. I just didn't want to have to change it....laziness.
Maybe I'll charge it up and then self destruct it. Isn't there a way to make those things blow up?!!
I really think the battery is okay, cause if I disconnect it and let it sit for a few days, I can hook it back up, and it'll start just fine.
I'm gonna unhook that capacitor and see what happens. You said that sometimes they can leak power through to the ground and not show up so much on the meter. That's what I wanted to hear. The cap is 5-6 years old, so I was leaning towards that anyway. Its really not necessary on my stereo setup...it was from an old setup in a different car and that's where the power came off of for the amps. I just didn't want to have to change it....laziness.
Maybe I'll charge it up and then self destruct it. Isn't there a way to make those things blow up?!!
Originally Posted by Richiec77
I'm leaning towards the Battery. You say the car charges it up fine. Also, I had a Bad A/F meter that eventually went out and cause a major headache to trouble shoot why my O2 reading where 1/10 of normal. Auto Meter.
Caps can leak extra Current through too ground also. Might not catch that on a Meter.
If the battery is bad, it will leak down. If the Battery is good, then it has to be something else. I'd try to charge it up 1st and test for Voltage daily (like every 6 hours at the least.) for a couple of days. Sounds like you can afford the time to do it.
What is the AH (Amp hour) rating of the battery. I'll look up on Optima's site also to see what it is too, but just incase I can't find it.
Figure 0.5 A for a couple of days, Basically 0.5 A per hour drain.
If it's like 120 A/H then it should take 240 Hours @ that current draw to discharge below 10.5v.
What is the Reading if you just measure it? In the 10's, 11's 12's?
Caps can leak extra Current through too ground also. Might not catch that on a Meter.
If the battery is bad, it will leak down. If the Battery is good, then it has to be something else. I'd try to charge it up 1st and test for Voltage daily (like every 6 hours at the least.) for a couple of days. Sounds like you can afford the time to do it.
What is the AH (Amp hour) rating of the battery. I'll look up on Optima's site also to see what it is too, but just incase I can't find it.
Figure 0.5 A for a couple of days, Basically 0.5 A per hour drain.
If it's like 120 A/H then it should take 240 Hours @ that current draw to discharge below 10.5v.
What is the Reading if you just measure it? In the 10's, 11's 12's?
Hell yeah. I would suspect that cap numeral Uno. That is the 1st place to start. Just take it out of the system and go from there. That is probably the Problem.
What happens is the Caps in the Amplifier's or other Electronics will still want to Discharge to ground. HAving that large of a Capacitor shows a larger load to the Battery when The Cap starts to Drop off enough.
Basically it is like having Multiple resevoir's in the system, but the Large 1 farad will show a large enough load for the Battery to discharge. A normal Car battery has a Higher Resistance to Discharge vs a Capacitor. That is why they help with Bass notes. It allows for storage in between Notes.
What happens is the Caps in the Amplifier's or other Electronics will still want to Discharge to ground. HAving that large of a Capacitor shows a larger load to the Battery when The Cap starts to Drop off enough.
Basically it is like having Multiple resevoir's in the system, but the Large 1 farad will show a large enough load for the Battery to discharge. A normal Car battery has a Higher Resistance to Discharge vs a Capacitor. That is why they help with Bass notes. It allows for storage in between Notes.
