Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have a mini-van with some kind of electrical issue. The battery drains frequently. At first, I thought it was because I forgot to unplug my GPS but I broke it a couple months ago and the problem persists.
I know there is something in the door that turns off the CD player/radio because it doesn't always work. I have to close and reopen the door to get it to shut off.
I plan to go get a battery this week but will probably face the same problem since I don't know what's draining the current one.
I have been home with some medical complications and don't drive as much lately because of that. However, it's just as stressful to have to charge the battery every week.
Any ideas or suggestions for how I can isolate the problem?
Get an amperage meter and measure the amperage drain on the battery with the car off. Pull one fuse at a time to see which circuit is draining the battery. Many times this can be due to do-it-yourself electronics improperly installed / wired.
If you don't know how to do the above, take it to an automotive electrical shop or learn yourself.
Note auto parts stores still only sell multimeters which will ONLY work on a 1900's model T car (10 amps maximum)! They for some reason do not realize that cars these days have 100 or 150 amp alternators and similar high amperage drains with everything turned on. They do make 600 amp capacity DC "clamp" amperage meters and these are sold at stores other than auto parts stores.
BostonMike, I saw your response in another thread about a battery. You indicated that it's not a good idea to start a vehicle for a few minutes versus letting it sit unstarted for several days. Can you expound on this for me, please? I've been starting my van a few times a week to prevent it from completely draining but I don't want to cause some other issue by doing this. Why is it bad?
BostonMike, I saw your response in another thread about a battery. You indicated that it's not a good idea to start a vehicle for a few minutes versus letting it sit unstarted for several days. Can you expound on this for me, please? I've been starting my van a few times a week to prevent it from completely draining but I don't want to cause some other issue by doing this. Why is it bad?
Couple of reasons.
First of all, starting a car and not letting it get to operating temperature can foster the development of sludge in your engine.
Secondly, and possibly related to your issue, starting the car is a major drain on the battery. If it's started but not allowed to run long enough for the alternator to recharge the battery it will eventually drain the battery enough that it won't turn the starter, especially if the battery is older and starting to get weak.
He may have had something else in mind, but those are two things I'm aware of.
Thanks for explaining this. My van will start fine if it starts. It doesn't do that "trying to start" thing at all. It will either start or it won't which is why I think it's related to something draining it while it's sitting there.
I couldn't find the meter but will look again tomorrow.
Here's the problem with the DMM method.. An Ammeter has to be in series with the circuit to measure the amps. You can't just stick the leads on the positive and negative terminal of the battery and read amperage draw.
You have to actually take off the positive cable, one lead on the positive cable, other on the positive post of the battery.
The reason this is a problem.. Because, I have this issue now.. The phantom draw on my battery apparently stops happening when power is disconnected from the battery. I have a feeling it's the BCU that's causing the draw in my truck, but.. The 'simple' method of testing doesn't fly.
The plan I have.. Since I think it's the BCU or the radio (That does have a stuck CD in it).. I'm going to disconnect the radio over the weekend, and let it sit, and see if the battery goes flat. If not, then it's likely the BCU, which, the reason I feel it may be the problem is that it controls damn near everything else. The reason I think maybe it's the radio.. I have an 05 Colorado, and 08 models were recalled for this exact issue with the radio.
Good point. My first vehicle had an alarm system installed a couple weeks after purchase and somehow it would go off whenever it rained. Apparently, the hood was slammed down incorrectly causing rain to hit the sensor in just the right spot under the hood. It wasn't even noticeably off with the naked eye. It took quite a bit of detective work and desperation in rain storms to shut it off and figure out what was causing it.
I hope you figure out what's going on with yours.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
