Battery charging issue ??
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 10,163
From: Northern Jersey
Battery charging issue ??
Ok heres the deal. I have an Optima Red top. Got it charged and tested and its fine. I have had battery draining issues in the past, but with different batteries and it was all fixed with a trunk switch.
I tested the parasitic drain the other day and its not an issue. 0.09 after doors are locked and then down to 0.01 after sleep mode.
Heres my problem. I drive the car fine for a few weeks and then all the sudden the battery is too dead to start the car. The alternator is practically new from Nissan so I doubt its that.
Any other things I should check.
Is there a way with a multimeter to check the charging system of the car.
Heres a picture of the one I have. No idea of what setting to use
Heres some info on an old post.
I tested the parasitic drain the other day and its not an issue. 0.09 after doors are locked and then down to 0.01 after sleep mode.
Heres my problem. I drive the car fine for a few weeks and then all the sudden the battery is too dead to start the car. The alternator is practically new from Nissan so I doubt its that.
Any other things I should check.
Is there a way with a multimeter to check the charging system of the car.
Heres a picture of the one I have. No idea of what setting to use
Heres some info on an old post.
Assumming both your battery and alternator are fine, and you can get those tested relatively easily. I would focus on the connections common to the battery and alternator.
1) Make sure the connections from the negative terminal of the battery to ground are secure and clean. Not sure what that ground wire connects to (trans, or frame) but needs to be checked.
2) Make sure the ground connection of the alternator has a good clean/secure ground. This is the black wire running from alternator.
3) There is a thick black with red stripe wire that runs from the alternator to the underhood fusebox to fusible link "a" (which is 120 or 150Amps) from there it runs to the positive terminal of the battery. I would make sure these connections and the fusible link are all clean and secure because if they are not your charging circuit may not be fully recharging your battery as you drive.
A parasitic drain is also a possibility, but the above mentioned charging circuit is realtively simple and can be easily checked.
1) Make sure the connections from the negative terminal of the battery to ground are secure and clean. Not sure what that ground wire connects to (trans, or frame) but needs to be checked.
2) Make sure the ground connection of the alternator has a good clean/secure ground. This is the black wire running from alternator.
3) There is a thick black with red stripe wire that runs from the alternator to the underhood fusebox to fusible link "a" (which is 120 or 150Amps) from there it runs to the positive terminal of the battery. I would make sure these connections and the fusible link are all clean and secure because if they are not your charging circuit may not be fully recharging your battery as you drive.
A parasitic drain is also a possibility, but the above mentioned charging circuit is realtively simple and can be easily checked.
Do a voltage check when the car has set all night before you start it. Then check the voltage when the engine is running and again after you turn the engine off.
test 1 - no less that 12.3 volts
test 2 - about 14.3
test 3 - 12.5 to 12.7
test 1 - no less that 12.3 volts
test 2 - about 14.3
test 3 - 12.5 to 12.7
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 10,163
From: Northern Jersey
Standing alone out of vehicle - - 12.5
Running vehicle Start cold - - 14.5
Running vehicle after warmed up - - 13.5-13.7
I cleaned off all of the terminals and ground and so forth, so hopefully my issue is fixed. I will post back after I keep an eye on it. My drain is still holding strong at 0.01
-matt
Running vehicle Start cold - - 14.5
Running vehicle after warmed up - - 13.5-13.7
I cleaned off all of the terminals and ground and so forth, so hopefully my issue is fixed. I will post back after I keep an eye on it. My drain is still holding strong at 0.01
-matt
Do you have a system in your car? Ideally a red top is best suited for multiple battery set-ups, as the starter battery, and the yellow top is ideally used in single battery set-ups. Ive always heard the red-top is best for cranking amps especially in colder climates whereas the yellow top, which I have, is best for high accessory loads.
Newbie - Just Registered
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 12
A bad ground cable can cause issues too. An old buddy had a Capri that on occasion fried the starter wires to the point where he kept a spare set in the trunk. All that went away when he replaced the ground cable. His battery was under the rear seat.
Standing alone out of vehicle - - 12.5
Running vehicle Start cold - - 14.5
Running vehicle after warmed up - - 13.5-13.7
I cleaned off all of the terminals and ground and so forth, so hopefully my issue is fixed. I will post back after I keep an eye on it. My drain is still holding strong at 0.01
-matt
Running vehicle Start cold - - 14.5
Running vehicle after warmed up - - 13.5-13.7
I cleaned off all of the terminals and ground and so forth, so hopefully my issue is fixed. I will post back after I keep an eye on it. My drain is still holding strong at 0.01
-matt
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