If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
1997 Neon Battery Drain
I bought a 97 Neon from a local dealer 6 weeks ago and had a CD/radio
put in the dash. The problem is that the battery drains if left over night. The dealer can't find the problem and the local "auto electric" shop put it on a machine to monitor any drain and said the lights in the radio were flashing after sitting for an hour. I changed the radio back to a factory unit yesterday and this morning the battery was dead as a door nail. Can anyone help?? |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Measure the drain current using an ammeter. The amount of flow may give you
some idea of how it is being drained. Then start looking at the simple things like trunk and interior lights. If still can't find it, pull fuses one at a time to isolate the circuit that is causing the drain. Then take it back to the dealer and point them to the right circuit so they can find the problem. Keep in mind that it might be a pinched or frayed wiring harness as well. Does everything electrical currently work properly? Bob "futuredave" > wrote in message oups.com... > I bought a 97 Neon from a local dealer 6 weeks ago and had a CD/radio > put in the dash. The problem is that the battery drains if left over > night. The dealer can't find the problem and the local "auto electric" > shop put it on a machine to monitor any drain and said the lights in > the radio were flashing after sitting for an hour. I changed the radio > back to a factory unit yesterday and this morning the battery was dead > as a door nail. Can anyone help?? > |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
The "electric shop" measured the drain and it was within limits. After
an hour of watching the car the radio light began flashing and the meter showed the drain like it was bounging up and down. As I stated, I replaced the after market radio with a factory unit yesterday and still have a dead battery this morning. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Other than having to jump start the car everything seems to work great.
|
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Check the battery. If the voltage is below the minimum threshold, then all
kinds of funny things can happen with a computer controlled car. You may even want to remove the negative battery post and see if it is still dead the next Am. Bob "futuredave" > wrote in message oups.com... > The "electric shop" measured the drain and it was within limits. After > an hour of watching the car the radio light began flashing and the > meter showed the drain like it was bounging up and down. As I stated, I > replaced the after market radio with a factory unit yesterday and still > have a dead battery this morning. > |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
On 10 May 2005 04:15:31 -0700, "futuredave" >
wrote: >I bought a 97 Neon from a local dealer 6 weeks ago and had a CD/radio >put in the dash. The problem is that the battery drains if left over >night. The dealer can't find the problem and the local "auto electric" >shop put it on a machine to monitor any drain and said the lights in >the radio were flashing after sitting for an hour. I changed the radio >back to a factory unit yesterday and this morning the battery was dead >as a door nail. Can anyone help?? Has anyone suggested the obvious - a new battery??? Check the old one with a MidTronics transconductance tester - should be standard equipment at any well equipped auto-electric shop. |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Oh yea...I did have a new battery installed.
|
#8
|
|||
|
|||
the parasitic draw spec is .35 of a volt
any more than that and you have a dead battery by the way look at the top of the battery and make sure it's clean and dry if there is any acid connecting the 2 posts completeing the circut you have a draw futuredave wrote: > Other than having to jump start the car everything seems to work great. |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
On 11 May 2005 04:09:16 -0700, "futuredave" >
wrote: >Oh yea...I did have a new battery installed. Before or after the problem began? |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
On Wed, 11 May 2005 20:06:03 -0400, mic canic > wrote:
>the parasitic draw spec is .35 of a volt >any more than that and you have a dead battery > by the way look at the top of the battery and make sure it's clean and dry > >if there is any acid connecting the 2 posts completeing the circut you >have a draw > Draw is not measured in volts, but in anps and milliamps. If you put a voltmeter in line and use it for an ammeter, the actual value measured is a pretty worthless number, as the sensitivity of the voltmeter is not specified. A low sensitivity (say 500 ohms per volt) meter will read a lot lower than a high sensitivity (say 500,000 ohms per volt) meter. Now, how much draw DOES it take to kill a good battery? Depends on the capacity of the battery, but a typical 500cca battery might also have a 90 amp hour 20 hour rate. If so, to kill the battery (down to 9.6 volts) in 20 hours would require a constant draw of something like 4.5 amps. In 10 hours it would take something close to 9 amps. I have left the radio running (accidentally) for a whole long weekend (thursday night to Monday night) and still had enough power left to start the old SL6 Valiant with a several year old battery - so if this battery is going dead overnight from a parasitic draw, it should not be a hard one to find!! >futuredave wrote: > >> Other than having to jump start the car everything seems to work great. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
battery drain | Chris Etzel | VW water cooled | 10 | November 29th 04 06:02 PM |
battery question | Jim Beaver | General | 14 | November 6th 04 10:54 PM |
1997 Neon Espresso Coupe |
ZZ | Dodge | 2 | July 23rd 04 06:47 AM |