Battery Drain Problems Help! [SOLVED - alternator shorted internally]
Battery Drain Problems Help! [SOLVED - alternator shorted internally]
2001 nissan pathfinder if i let it sit for 2 days the battery runs down and the truck dosent start. Battery and charging system tested good. Dose anyone know any ways i can test to see if an acessory is draining my battery?
Last edited by EdBwoy on Tue Dec 05, 2017 11:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: updated title
Reason: updated title
Re: Batter Drain Problems Help!
who tested the battery? replace the battery.
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Chuck Tribolet
- Posts: 1490
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'87 Chevy Corvette
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Re: Batter Drain Problems Help!
One quick check is to charge it up, and then, with the key out, remove the negative cable. If you get more than the very smallest
of sparks, something is draining the battery. Or you can pull the negative cable, pull the positive cable, put a ampmeter between
the positive cable and the positive post, and put the negative cable back. If the battery is going dead in two days, your are
pulling at least an amp. Start pulling and reinserting fuses while a buddy watches the ampmeter. When you pull the fuse for the
problem circuit, the current draw will drop. Do check the FSM for fuse locations. There are a few that are NOT in the fuse box.
Chuck
of sparks, something is draining the battery. Or you can pull the negative cable, pull the positive cable, put a ampmeter between
the positive cable and the positive post, and put the negative cable back. If the battery is going dead in two days, your are
pulling at least an amp. Start pulling and reinserting fuses while a buddy watches the ampmeter. When you pull the fuse for the
problem circuit, the current draw will drop. Do check the FSM for fuse locations. There are a few that are NOT in the fuse box.
Chuck
Re: Batter Drain Problems Help!
Alex- Midas checked the battery a week ago battery was good as well as the starting and charging system and the battery is a optima red top battery purchased january of this year its barley a year old.Chuck Tribolet wrote:One quick check is to charge it up, and then, with the key out, remove the negative cable. If you get more than the very smallest
of sparks, something is draining the battery. Or you can pull the negative cable, pull the positive cable, put a ampmeter between
the positive cable and the positive post, and put the negative cable back. If the battery is going dead in two days, your are
pulling at least an amp. Start pulling and reinserting fuses while a buddy watches the ampmeter. When you pull the fuse for the
problem circuit, the current draw will drop. Do check the FSM for fuse locations. There are a few that are NOT in the fuse box.
Chuck
Chuck-Thanks for the info chuck i will do just that i was thinking that a small draw might might be coming from the stereo system.Would a multimeter on amp mode work the same as an ampmeter?
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Chuck Tribolet
- Posts: 1490
- Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 3:15 pm
- Car: '01 Nissan Pathfinder
'87 Chevy Corvette
'01 Toyota Camry daily driver
'98 Boston Whaler Montauk - Location: Morgan Hill, CA and Marina, CA
- Contact:
Re: Batter Drain Problems Help!
A multimeter on amp mode is an ampmeter. Do check whether it has more than one amp setting.
Chuck
Chuck
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Empty V
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1982 Chevy Corvette C3 Shark
Re: Batter Drain Problems Help!
I drained my optima yellowtop by leaving my headlights on for an hour while polishing the housings. AAA showed up and told me that my alternator was shot because it was sitting at 11v right after the vehicle was jumped. 
My alternator was fine, the battery just needed to build the charge back up. A lot of the time these guys are clueless. I've got a voltmeter built into my stereo and a month later it's still kicking at 13v+.
My alternator was fine, the battery just needed to build the charge back up. A lot of the time these guys are clueless. I've got a voltmeter built into my stereo and a month later it's still kicking at 13v+.Re: Batter Drain Problems Help!
Battery age makes a difference, but...
You must start with a known full charge battery tested after a full charge with a battery hydrometer to test the electrolyte in each cell at 1.25 or higher S.G. If battery is maintenance free cut off the 3 cell cover and inspect the electrolyte charge and level.
With the battery test and known good, hook up in the car with clean terminals, no grease. A helper may be needed.
With a cold engine, and with a voltmeter at 20 VDC, read the meter as the motor is started. Read the meter as the motor fast idles, read the meter as the idle comes down to normal and fin ally read the meter as the RPM is upped to 2500.
Expected readings:
After recharging the battery and testing with an hydrometer must have 12.7 V
No hydrometer get one, battery terminal voltage at least 12.7VDC
While starting cold motor and battery hooked up, during starting or cranking no less than 10 VDC.
At cold higher idle at least 13V to 13.5
At warm engine 750 idle at around 13.25
At 2500 RPM at full voltage of 15 VDC
If all is good, shut the engine.
With a good multimeter set to 10 A maximum for Amps and test leads correctly placed on meter, with one lead as common and one lead at the amps 10A whole. Remove the + lead from the battery with all the wires/cables. Clean the battery + terminal and the + lead that you disconnected.
With the car off, all lights off hook the meter probes one to the + terminal of the battery and one to the + wire/cable that you removed.
Read the meter in Amps. record this number and tell us.
Expectations:
An off engine and all off car will still draw some power. Power is needed for:
The alarm system
The main computer or controller
The radio for presets and clock
And anything aftermarket.
Remember that an automotive battery when depleted 20% is considered dead. Voltage of 11V is a dead battery as far as delivering any amps. A new battery at 400 CCA at 11V will not deliver this same CCA.
If the battery is not charged enough it will not deliver its amps.
Depending on the age of your car, the starter may also be suspect.
Winter is a killer, At 0C, 32 F a new battery is about 20-30 % depleted just being in the cold and the colder it is the worse it gets.
So start your testing with a known good battery.
You must start with a known full charge battery tested after a full charge with a battery hydrometer to test the electrolyte in each cell at 1.25 or higher S.G. If battery is maintenance free cut off the 3 cell cover and inspect the electrolyte charge and level.
With the battery test and known good, hook up in the car with clean terminals, no grease. A helper may be needed.
With a cold engine, and with a voltmeter at 20 VDC, read the meter as the motor is started. Read the meter as the motor fast idles, read the meter as the idle comes down to normal and fin ally read the meter as the RPM is upped to 2500.
Expected readings:
After recharging the battery and testing with an hydrometer must have 12.7 V
No hydrometer get one, battery terminal voltage at least 12.7VDC
While starting cold motor and battery hooked up, during starting or cranking no less than 10 VDC.
At cold higher idle at least 13V to 13.5
At warm engine 750 idle at around 13.25
At 2500 RPM at full voltage of 15 VDC
If all is good, shut the engine.
With a good multimeter set to 10 A maximum for Amps and test leads correctly placed on meter, with one lead as common and one lead at the amps 10A whole. Remove the + lead from the battery with all the wires/cables. Clean the battery + terminal and the + lead that you disconnected.
With the car off, all lights off hook the meter probes one to the + terminal of the battery and one to the + wire/cable that you removed.
Read the meter in Amps. record this number and tell us.
Expectations:
An off engine and all off car will still draw some power. Power is needed for:
The alarm system
The main computer or controller
The radio for presets and clock
And anything aftermarket.
Remember that an automotive battery when depleted 20% is considered dead. Voltage of 11V is a dead battery as far as delivering any amps. A new battery at 400 CCA at 11V will not deliver this same CCA.
If the battery is not charged enough it will not deliver its amps.
Depending on the age of your car, the starter may also be suspect.
Winter is a killer, At 0C, 32 F a new battery is about 20-30 % depleted just being in the cold and the colder it is the worse it gets.
So start your testing with a known good battery.
Re: Batter Drain Problems Help!
ARKQX33V6 i will do these tests on sunday and let you know the numbers that i get. i also have a quick question how could a starter cause this problem drain im curious? because twice in 2 weeks my starter has acted up by cranking halfway and jamming up and then crank again but the second time it starts and catches this has only happened twice you think i could have a shorted starter drawing in apms after the car has been turned off? Thanks in advance for all of your help guys
Re: Battery Drain Problems Help!
dont eliminate the chances of a bad battery this soon. I had a Johnson Controls (same company that made your red top) battery go bad (dead cell) in only 8 months!
Re: Battery Drain Problems Help!
Never under estimate the potential PITA that a battery can cause. Having full voltage and full amps from that battery is critical. A starter motor is about a 1 HP series wound DC motor. It is designed to work at about 300%. That means at 12 V a 1HP, 746 Watt motor draws about 62 A, but this starter will easily draw up to 186 Amps and be normal. This motor needs to be loaded by the ring gear of the internal combustion engine. Just taking out the starter and bench testing tells nothing of its rated abilities other than it turns.
Over time these motors get dirty with worn carbon brushes and that carbon dust is a semi-conductor until you go and start that motor and then that dust is a conductor taking amps away from the motor and shoving them to ground.
The starter acts weaker, the battery displaces more current and so the alternator must make up all the losses in amps, but you do not drive at higher speeds long enough to charge that battery and bang...no start or weak start the next time. With the colder weather the battery becomes weaker by the cold.
So you must charge that battery up to full, hydrometer test and voltage test, test the range of operating conditions . Hydrometer test will tell you if all cells are good, a load test will tell you if it delivers what it should, a voltage test will test all cells as a series test, thus a battery test. But you can not rely on a single 1 of these tests, you need to combine them to get an over all look at the condition.
It is possible to have 12 V but no sufficient amperage.
When you know the battery is good test for off condition loading as written earlier.
It is a must that the battery being tested be in as good a state as possible and that no assumptions are taken. It that battery cannot be fully charged and tested good at the very start it is time to replace. And if you are starting over with a new battery learn how to care and feed it.
When taken care of a 8-10 year life span is normal, but the more abuse, neglect and over use without time to cool, refuel and kept clean and snug 2-5 years is normal.
Over time these motors get dirty with worn carbon brushes and that carbon dust is a semi-conductor until you go and start that motor and then that dust is a conductor taking amps away from the motor and shoving them to ground.
The starter acts weaker, the battery displaces more current and so the alternator must make up all the losses in amps, but you do not drive at higher speeds long enough to charge that battery and bang...no start or weak start the next time. With the colder weather the battery becomes weaker by the cold.
So you must charge that battery up to full, hydrometer test and voltage test, test the range of operating conditions . Hydrometer test will tell you if all cells are good, a load test will tell you if it delivers what it should, a voltage test will test all cells as a series test, thus a battery test. But you can not rely on a single 1 of these tests, you need to combine them to get an over all look at the condition.
It is possible to have 12 V but no sufficient amperage.
When you know the battery is good test for off condition loading as written earlier.
It is a must that the battery being tested be in as good a state as possible and that no assumptions are taken. It that battery cannot be fully charged and tested good at the very start it is time to replace. And if you are starting over with a new battery learn how to care and feed it.
When taken care of a 8-10 year life span is normal, but the more abuse, neglect and over use without time to cool, refuel and kept clean and snug 2-5 years is normal.
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miamiheat3332
- Posts: 1211
- Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2008 12:43 pm
- Car: 2002 Nissan Pathfinder SE - 2006 BMW X5 4.8is - 2001 Audi A4 1.8T Quattro Sport
Re: Battery Drain Problems Help!
Just something to chime in and its simple to check, i had an issue where i thought my starter went, about 2 months ago, so i did a couple simple checks, but then i realized my negative terminal was a tad bit not on all the way, and tightened that down and worked fine, i remembered like a week or 2 before this issue i was working on something quick which involved unplugging the negative. Everything was fine after. I guess it worked after i put it back when i worked on it, but then it came a little more loose over the week or 2, especially cause i have a hard suspension also.
Re: Battery Drain Problems Help!
Well guys i figured it out i retested the battery it came out bad and i replaced it for free(warranty). After i installed it i hooked up my mulit meter to see it was still drawing amps so i started pulling fuses and when i pulled the alt fuse the amps went down to normal so i pulled out the alternator and had it bench tested to find out that the alt was shorted out by the diode triode thast in the alternator and that was causing th draw in power so hopefully this will help some other people out.