chick needs help wireing issue
 

ok so i think my battery is grounding out some where
my volt meter on my gauge cluster says it is at 10 when off and 12 when on.
i know its 13-14 when on and about 10 -12 when off. well its saposto be.
it could just be my gauge is messed up
but my batterie keeps dieing on me weather it be 5 min or 24 hours. it verrys between god knows what
it happend when i got the car it was doing it around this time last year. and all summer long i had no problems. now

come fall/winder cooler tempitures. its happening again


i have no idea wtf could make it do this just this time of year . and make it good for the summer.

:Kill1:

PLEASE respond this is KILLING me
my portible jump starter is even dead now.
AND I CANT STAND NOT DRIVING MY FC

Have the battery tested, possibly has a short in it and it needs to be replaced. I drove 25 miles on the interstate at night with no headlights jsut running off the battery because the alt went out and the battery had a short in it also, but it kept me afloat. The alt went out because the battery had a short in it, even though it was still powering me. Pretty much the alt just kept throwing juice at it even when it was full. In turn the battery short made the alternator go out. Had to replace both 8(.

Also you could hook up the battery in the car and pull a fuse.. test the battery.. if no change pull the next.. eventually you *might* find the subsystem that is draining power. Then check that out..


Likely the stereo if it is not stock.

battery is new. alternator was tested. tested alternator with volt meter yatta yatta.

sorry bout the spelling i really care less bout spelling as long as i get the message threw.

go to advance or autozone they test batteries for free, thats your best bet for now, if the battery and alt checks out then check back with us

if you just read above. i did do that. i did get a new battery. did have the alternator checked.

and by the way did you test the alt at a shop? just putting a volt meter up to it doesnt always do the trick to testing an alternator

If it keeps dying out on you its the alternator. Have it checked again. Some part of the wiring may have a tiny crack that becomes open at this temperature. As it heats and cools, your alternator may be alternately putting out low output, or not working at all. At the same time, this is harming your brand new battery.

I'd replace the alternator, and retest your battery to be safe.

well. i fixed it. i think. aparently the doom light has 3 settings. on . off. and door. well it was on "door"
the light doesnt come on when its on this. it has volts running threw but the light does not come on. hopefully thats the problem. we'll see hu?

oh. the alternator was tested i think this is the 3rd time of me saing this in this thread. the alternator was replaced befor i bought it.

the dome light cant be the only reason though cuz i most always close my door all the way unless i half ass it in the garage (like usual) and it doesnt close all the way

It is possible that a new battery is bad.

I had a friend in Denver that had had some wiring done who knows what idiot. With the ignition and radio on, if you opened the door or turned on the dome light, the antenna went down. Strangest thing I'd seen at the time.

Does the dome light come on when the doors are opened and do you have any aftermarket electronics installed, especially a stereo?

ok then. hook a testlight to the battery. Start pulling fuses one by one. If a fuse makes no difference, put it back in. When you find the one that makes the testlight go off, find the wiring diagram for everything on that fuse circuit. Test each component to locate your draw.

if its temperature related, its almost certainly the battery, whether its new or not.

there is NO WAY you could drain the battery in 5 minutes due to a short. if it drains in 5 minutes, then its not a short, its either a bad battery or it isnt charging. no argument, thats just physical fact. to flow enough current to drain the battery in 5 minutes, you would have smoke coming off the wires, and be welding shit together in the wiring harness.

take the battery to a reputable shop and have it tested. its free, and thats almost certainly whats wrong. just because the battery is new doesnt mean its good. i once got 3 junk batteries in a row from walmart. i ended up making them test the 4th one before i took it. its worth it for the walmart lifetime battery program tho (kill them purposefully before the warranty expires, take them back, get a new one, repeat every 2 years)

by the way, advertising that you are a chick will get you lots of attention, but not necessarily from people who know what they are talking about. you'd be better off not doing it, so that you get replies from those who know something, instead of just leg humpers

pat

ok. i got a new battery the other day.
i tested the alternator it is good.
i will try the test light i'll to a search on that to figure out how to do it right unless someone pm's me about the test light and pulling fuses.


me advertizing as a chick only would help me get an answer faster. cuz it was an imporntant issue. i need to go some where tonight in it.and i am trying all the things that i am getting suggested. i even tuned my tps. and check connections checked fuses.


i have an after market sterio that was perfetionaly installed

i did not have a problem with the battery dieing all summer till it started getting cold.

anything else i can cover.

did you read what i said? all the answers you got are from people who dont know what they are talking about. they are just guessing at it cause you are a chick.

THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN DRAIN A BATTERY IN 5 MINUTES. it just isnt possible. you would be pulling so much current that your wires would be smoking and shit, and your electrical system would be ruined in a day.

if it is going dead that fast, then its either not charging or a its a bad battery.

COLD CAUSES BAD BATTERIES TO STOP WORKING.

just because you got a new battery doesnt mean anything. NEW DOES NOT EQUAL GOOD. new batteries can be bad, right off the shelf.

i'll leave you alone now. if you want to ignore me, thats your problem. just trying to help.

pat

you say you tested the alternator and battery.... would you just verify HOW you tested these? im curious

If you are sure that the alternator and battery are good, use an ammeter and measure the current draw pulling all relays and reinstalling them. Do the same with the fuses. You'll find the power leak.

I was able to drive 1 hour on a dead alternator with a diehard gold battery. If your battery is truly new, then it should last a lot longer after fully charging while driving. Short trips will kill a battery. Put the battery on a charger overnight.
If problem continues the next day, replace the alternator. I DON'T CARE IF SOME HACK TESTED IT GOOD or if someone claims they replaced it. Also replace the belts.

It is also possible to have a bad new battery. They run down an assembly line, are shipped, and hang out at the store. Its best to use the best battery that you can afford. My favorites are the Interstate Megatron and Diehard Gold.

thats why i was wanting her to respond on HOW she tested the alt and battery, just putting a volt meter on the alt wont really tell you jack shit about it nor the battery.

Also if the battery doesn't have enough cranking amps you will have trouble all winter long. Cold slows chemical reactions which in turns makes your battery less powerfull. Chances are if you bought the $35 special at sears it will only have enough cranking amps to meet the oe spec and not much above it. Which is fine at around 60deg. and above but below that and you will start to have the "Dead Battery in the morning issues" even if the battery is fully charged.

The battery was probly "tested" with a voltmeter, or computerized vat. you need to take it to a dealer or something that will have a real vat machine. then they will test it and tell you your battery sucks.

battery was tested at autozone, they verified that both are good. stock gauge shows 10v when car is off. and 12v when car is running.

First thing you need to do is run at least one ground from your alt to a strut tower. Then jump the car and see what happens after you let it run to charge for about 15 mins. My alt wasnt properly grounded and it was killing the battery and it would constantly be pulling power. You're alt may or may not be hot too if it's not grounded as the electricity continues to pool in it until the battery dies and the charge can dissipate out through the engine. I ran two 10 gauge grounds off the alt bolts and it works fine now

I ran a jumper cable from the neg to the p/s bracket to test for grounding and it didnt seem to help any

Now, look at your gauge, while increasing the rpm's. Does it increase? Next, turn on each individual component, one at a time: lights, dome light , stereo, wipers, etc. Watching the changes on your gauge for each one. Next, hopefully it is still running, disconnect the negative terminal on your battery. What happens?

These are multmeters, voltmeters, etc. simple guide to eliminating certain things without a tester. Post some results!