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fastgirlonwheels
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Joined: 25 Apr 2004
Posts: 752
Location: Michigan
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 Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 5:28 am Post subject: electric concern |
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I have had some issues with my battery, it was about 4 years old and was not holding a charge. So I was to Kmarts and got a brand new one they are made by Die Hard, but called, "ever start". So, I am looking at the voltage output on my AFCII that shows battery current while the car is running, shows 14.1 most of the time. I checked the new battery with a meter, it read 12.80 volts, which is a full charged battery. Now I run my car for a few days thinking my problems are solved. I check the battery after the car was sitting engine off, and I could see the volt meter going down slowly, until it went down about 13 volts to just 12.2 volts with the engine being shut off for about 20 minutes.
So, do I have a charging problem or drain on the battery even with the car shut off? I have no way to do what the manual calls for a "load test", all I have is a digital volt/amp meter.
I felt that alternator must be working ok as it shows a 14.1 charge going to the battery when the car is running. Any and all input would be appreciated, as of right now the manual does not give me an answer as to what would be the problem, or is it normal for my battery to slowly lose some voltage charge after I shut my car off?
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sllywhtboy
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Joined: 21 Feb 2004
Posts: 2060
Location: royal oak
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| Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 8:19 am Post subject: |
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.. disconnect the battery from the car after running and see if the voltage sits or falls.
it's likely something in your car draining the battery.
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| Greg wrote: | | Heh. Good riddence. |
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fastgirlonwheels
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Joined: 25 Apr 2004
Posts: 752
Location: Michigan
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| Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 5:57 pm Post subject: key off |
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The battery in the car now is only a few days old. It showed tested new before placed into the car 12.80 volts. Just now I drove the car, turned the key off and watched the voltage slowly go down as I was sitting in the car with everything turned off including the key.
Concerns: Would a starter going bad drain a battery with key off? Or the alternator? Or should I look to other possible issues with electrical units or wiring? The car starts fine even with the weaker voltage for the moment, but before I replaced the battery the car had to use a booster charge to start.
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I will always think of goodness and kindness when I think of Dan, as known as GEEZER to all of us. You will never find a more giving friend. Helen Cooper |
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dawm
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Joined: 05 Jul 2004
Posts: 5174
Location: Taylor, MI
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| Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 9:50 pm Post subject: |
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Do you have something plugged in the cigarette lighter? Its always HOT on 1g's
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07 Caliber R/T FWD 5SPD
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fastgirlonwheels
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Joined: 25 Apr 2004
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Location: Michigan
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 1:12 am Post subject: no.... |
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| dawm wrote: | | Do you have something plugged in the cigarette lighter? Its always HOT on 1g's |
No, everything is off, nothing plugged in at all.
So far it is still starting, but I would like to find what is causing the battery draw. I was thinking I could place my volt meter on the battery and pull out each of the fuses in the power distribution box to see if any of those show a different reading, and then try to do the same on the fuse box inside the car. That may at least give me some clue what circuit or wiring i would have to trace down for the cause. Both my starter and alternator are old, never been replaced but they are working as far as I can tell.
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I will always think of goodness and kindness when I think of Dan, as known as GEEZER to all of us. You will never find a more giving friend. Helen Cooper |
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dodgeshadowchik
Joined: 16 Aug 2005
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Location: trenton
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 2:31 am Post subject: |
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You say you check at the battery with a meter and it was 12.8 volts was that when it was running?
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1989 Shelby CSX-VNT
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fastgirlonwheels
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Joined: 25 Apr 2004
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Location: Michigan
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 4:29 am Post subject: |
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| dodgeshadowchik wrote: | | You say you check at the battery with a meter and it was 12.8 volts was that when it was running? |
No, the 12.8 volts was what the battery was at before installing into the car, a few days ago brand new. When the car running a digital readout of the voltage from a SAFCII reads at 14.1 to 14.3 depending on the load {fan turned on, headlights, etc.}, so I am sure it would read the same on the terminals with a volt meter when the car is running.
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I will always think of goodness and kindness when I think of Dan, as known as GEEZER to all of us. You will never find a more giving friend. Helen Cooper |
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dodgeshadowchik
Joined: 16 Aug 2005
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 4:45 am Post subject: |
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How fast does the voltage drop off and does it drop off and cause a no crank condition?
_________________
1989 Shelby CSX-VNT
1995 Eagle Talon TSi - AWD is fun! www.midsm.com for all your MI DSM needs!
"I heard that if you get an Eclipse instead of a Talon you can make 594 more hp and 3lb-ft of torque because of the JDM stuff. " -Mazda787b |
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fastgirlonwheels
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Location: Michigan
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 5:34 am Post subject: |
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| dodgeshadowchik wrote: | | How fast does the voltage drop off and does it drop off and cause a no crank condition? |
Well, so far the car will still start, but the voltage will go down to about 12.2 volts in about 5 minutes from being shut off. At first when the car is shut off, the voltage is over 13 but I watch it slowly but steady go down to around 12.2 in about 5 minutes after turning the car off.
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I will always think of goodness and kindness when I think of Dan, as known as GEEZER to all of us. You will never find a more giving friend. Helen Cooper |
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dodgeshadowchik
Joined: 16 Aug 2005
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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Does it continue to drop after 15mins or does it stabilize and stop dropping?
_________________
1989 Shelby CSX-VNT
1995 Eagle Talon TSi - AWD is fun! www.midsm.com for all your MI DSM needs!
"I heard that if you get an Eclipse instead of a Talon you can make 594 more hp and 3lb-ft of torque because of the JDM stuff. " -Mazda787b |
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SRT_inc
Joined: 13 Aug 2005
Posts: 2550
Location: Rochester
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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don't mean to hijack threads but something similar happened to my sister this morning.
as she tells me (she drives an 05 SXT auto):
·started the car around 9 to go to the post office
·turned car off to go in
·came back out and battery wouldn't click or turn over.
·waited 5 minutes and tried again and it started.
she does have the OEM battery (something like 5-6 years old) so i thought it was just dead or maybe a ground broke and it was leaking power. But what puzzles me is that it was resurrected back from the dead and turned over after 5 minutes.
has anyone ever heard of a problem that would cause something like this?
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fastgirlonwheels
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Joined: 25 Apr 2004
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Location: Michigan
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| Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 11:15 pm Post subject: |
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| dodgeshadowchik wrote: | | Does it continue to drop after 15mins or does it stabilize and stop dropping? |
This morning I skipped work, checked the battery voltage it was right at 12 volts. So after sitting all night, it was right on 12 volts.
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I will always think of goodness and kindness when I think of Dan, as known as GEEZER to all of us. You will never find a more giving friend. Helen Cooper |
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dodgeshadowchik
Joined: 16 Aug 2005
Posts: 764
Location: trenton
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| Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 2:25 am Post subject: |
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| fastgirlonwheels wrote: | | dodgeshadowchik wrote: | | Does it continue to drop after 15mins or does it stabilize and stop dropping? |
This morning I skipped work, checked the battery voltage it was right at 12 volts. So after sitting all night, it was right on 12 volts. |
You may have a draw but more likely your making a problem out of nothing. I would watch it and see if it changes almost any car you check will drop some voltage from a battery when key is turned off most modules have a shut down procedure that can take 15min.. Also things like radio, alarms, ect... will draw a slight amount of power for memory feature. I would just keep an eye on it and may check when its running that there is 14volts at the battery. But if it seems to have a slow crank or something like that than check for that draw.
The easiest way to find a draw is to start pulling fuses one by one. I always use a test light between the battery cable and post because most meters have a fused amp meter and if its pulling more than the fuse it blows and than you got to get a new one. Once your sure your not drawing over 10amps than switch over to the meter on amp setting. (hook up a jumper wire from the cable to post wait 15min and than before removing jumper hook up meter or you could also blow the fuse ) If there is a draw pull the fuses under the hood until you find the one that stops the draw. If its not on those fuses make sure the IOD fuse is pulled and than do the same to the interior fuses. More than likely if there is a draw you will find it on the IOD fuse. Fuse control most memory features and interior lights and such.
_________________
1989 Shelby CSX-VNT
1995 Eagle Talon TSi - AWD is fun! www.midsm.com for all your MI DSM needs!
"I heard that if you get an Eclipse instead of a Talon you can make 594 more hp and 3lb-ft of torque because of the JDM stuff. " -Mazda787b |
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dodgeshadowchik
Joined: 16 Aug 2005
Posts: 764
Location: trenton
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| Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 2:31 am Post subject: |
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| SRT_inc wrote: | don't mean to hijack threads but something similar happened to my sister this morning.
as she tells me (she drives an 05 SXT auto):
·started the car around 9 to go to the post office
·turned car off to go in
·came back out and battery wouldn't click or turn over.
·waited 5 minutes and tried again and it started.
she does have the OEM battery (something like 5-6 years old) so i thought it was just dead or maybe a ground broke and it was leaking power. But what puzzles me is that it was resurrected back from the dead and turned over after 5 minutes.
has anyone ever heard of a problem that would cause something like this? |
Could be a bad starter or the power or ground wire to the starter. Do a voltage drop test on the cables. Battery is pretty old the lift expectance of a battery is only 3 years so you could go get it tested just to make sure. Although you should start your own thread about the problem.
_________________
1989 Shelby CSX-VNT
1995 Eagle Talon TSi - AWD is fun! www.midsm.com for all your MI DSM needs!
"I heard that if you get an Eclipse instead of a Talon you can make 594 more hp and 3lb-ft of torque because of the JDM stuff. " -Mazda787b |
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fastgirlonwheels
wall of text
Joined: 25 Apr 2004
Posts: 752
Location: Michigan
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| Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 8:14 am Post subject: |
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| dodgeshadowchik wrote: | | fastgirlonwheels wrote: | | dodgeshadowchik wrote: | | Does it continue to drop after 15mins or does it stabilize and stop dropping? |
This morning I skipped work, checked the battery voltage it was right at 12 volts. So after sitting all night, it was right on 12 volts. |
You may have a draw but more likely your making a problem out of nothing. I would watch it and see if it changes almost any car you check will drop some voltage from a battery when key is turned off most modules have a shut down procedure that can take 15min.. Also things like radio, alarms, ect... will draw a slight amount of power for memory feature. I would just keep an eye on it and may check when its running that there is 14volts at the battery. But if it seems to have a slow crank or something like that than check for that draw.
The easiest way to find a draw is to start pulling fuses one by one. I always use a test light between the battery cable and post because most meters have a fused amp meter and if its pulling more than the fuse it blows and than you got to get a new one. Once your sure your not drawing over 10amps than switch over to the meter on amp setting. (hook up a jumper wire from the cable to post wait 15min and than before removing jumper hook up meter or you could also blow the fuse ) If there is a draw pull the fuses under the hood until you find the one that stops the draw. If its not on those fuses make sure the IOD fuse is pulled and than do the same to the interior fuses. More than likely if there is a draw you will find it on the IOD fuse. Fuse control most memory features and interior lights and such. |
Thank you, I will do as you suggest. The old battery that I just replaced the other day was only reading 11.7 volts at the post with my voltage meter after the car was shut off for only a few minutes and I had to use a booster starter battery unit to start the car a few times as it would not crank over just gave that clicking noise when I turned the key on to start. That was an old battery, purchased in 2006 according to the punch out holes on the top of the battery itself. The new battery is from Kmarts but it is made by Die Hard called an "Ever Start", seems to be cranking the engine over faster than the old one ever did. I think I got a good deal on it, was only $49.00 {had to give them the old one for a core}.
_________________
I will always think of goodness and kindness when I think of Dan, as known as GEEZER to all of us. You will never find a more giving friend. Helen Cooper |
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