Battery only holds for a week or so
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
From: South Bay, CA
Battery only holds for a week or so Hi guys. My 2000 Camaro SS's battery dies out if I don't drive her for any longer than about a week. She's got no other electrical problems that could be related as far as I can tell... that is, no other symptoms I've noticed. Everything seems to act the way it should... just if I don't drive her for a week, she'll struggle to start, and if it's any longer than a week she won't be able to start without a jump. Any ideas? Thanks in advance!
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,003
Likes: 3
From: Champaign/Chicagoland
have you checked for any drains yet? with car off, pull neg battery terminal and put and ammeter in its place...around zero is expected (some expected obviously for clock, pcm mem, alarm..etc), if it seems high (1A etc..), start pulling fuses and check the ammeters reading after each one. If it drops, you have found the circuit drawing power... Probably safe to start on ANY circuit you have ever worked on, touched, or even looked at.
TECH Resident
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 863
Likes: 0
From: Showing Italians the power of LS1
What kind of battery is it? The stock sealed one? If it is an aftermarket one you can check the electrolyte levels in, see if it is low- add some distilled water to it and take it for a drive. This will fix your problem if:
-the problem isn't a current draw (see post #2)
-you don't have a sealed battery (if so, buy a new one)
-the problem isn't a current draw (see post #2)
-you don't have a sealed battery (if so, buy a new one)
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by fredmr39
have you checked for any drains yet? with car off, pull neg battery terminal and put and ammeter in its place...around zero is expected (some expected obviously for clock, pcm mem, alarm..etc), if it seems high (1A etc..), start pulling fuses and check the ammeters reading after each one. If it drops, you have found the circuit drawing power... Probably safe to start on ANY circuit you have ever worked on, touched, or even looked at.
Hell, even a smaller 200mA (1/5 amp) will cause problems over time. On a stock car it should be drawing about 20mA or so. An excessive drain pulling the voltage down every night and then you charging it back up will eventually ruin the battery so that it won't hold a charge worth a damn. I can't even go a weekend with my car. (200mA drain) I got a new battery 6 months ago, but it's slowly gotten weaker and weaker.
How old is your battery?
If your only driving it once a week, it's possible that the stock drain (20mA) and the lack of driving may have just combined and made your battery weak. A new battery and you should be fine. Then make sure to crank it up every few days or else put a battery minder on it.
How old is your battery?
If your only driving it once a week, it's possible that the stock drain (20mA) and the lack of driving may have just combined and made your battery weak. A new battery and you should be fine. Then make sure to crank it up every few days or else put a battery minder on it.
Launching!
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 252
Likes: 1
From: Jamaica, NYC
I have this problem every year. Usually with a good battery I will need to start the car once every two weeks during the winter (without fail). This winter though my battery(ies) took a crap, with the ls1 battery not lasting more than a week between a jump. I believe the combination of the cold weather and the weak state that it probably was in was what did it in. I probably have some things that are draining it as well (such as an aftermarket alarm and a powered sub). I plan to switch to optima, and while the car is stored I will have to occasionally charge the battery with a charger.
Good luck with your problem. I know the feeling....
Good luck with your problem. I know the feeling....
Trending Topics
Optima's are good because thier sealed. If you get the yellow then it can be deep cycled and then brought back, but the even with a regular battery you may just need to add a trickle charger over the winter. Or else take the battery cable off.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 717
Likes: 0
From: Georgetown, DE
I always get a new battery every 2 to 3 years. Haven't had charging problems with any vehicle in well over a decade using this philosophy.
A mechanic friend of mine once told me the alternator was designed to last the for life of the car. The main reason they go bad is from trying to charge a dead or dieing battery.
A mechanic friend of mine once told me the alternator was designed to last the for life of the car. The main reason they go bad is from trying to charge a dead or dieing battery.