1990 vettes battery loses it charge......
04-14-2008, 05:08 PM
#1
Cruising
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1990 vettes battery loses it charge......
If I don't drive this car at least twice a week its battery will go dead.I replaced the battery a year ago.Could something be drawing the battery down ? The alternator is putting out,no problem there.Any ideas?
I figured I'd ask were the knowledge is...........
Wayne K
04-14-2008, 07:24 PM
#2
Burning Brakes
Sounds like something is drawing to much current. You could put an ammeter on it and check if there is more draw than there should be.
Something more simple would be to disconnect the battery next time you let it sit and if it loses it's charge in that short of time, it's bad.
Batteries can be bad from the get-go so just because it is new doesn't mean you can rule it out as the problem.
Something more simple would be to disconnect the battery next time you let it sit and if it loses it's charge in that short of time, it's bad.
Batteries can be bad from the get-go so just because it is new doesn't mean you can rule it out as the problem.
04-14-2008, 11:16 PM
#3
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Whenever you have a battery go dead, ALWAYS charge it all the way back up with a battery charger, right away! If you don't, then you likely have a battery with little charge in it and it go flat again right away. Thinking that driving the car for 15 minutes or so after you get it started charges the battery back up is a serious mistake! Also, cars not driven very often should have a battery tender, a device that detects the state of charge of a battery and only charges to keep it fully charged. Lead acid batteries self discharge up to 1% each day even disconnected. Lead acid batteries don't like sitting idle for long periods (4+wks) and during discharge lead sulfate collects on the plates. Charging converts lead sulfate to lead and sulfuric acid. Lead sulfate sitting, gets hard and is an insulator and will no longer convert upon charging and reduces the amp hour capacity of the battery.
GM says leakage current should not exceed 50 milliamps, my 87 draws 27 ma. Excess leakage current can discharge a battery and you measure it by disconnecting the neg cable and placing an ammeter between the neg cable and the battery neg post. After the courtesy lights time out, switch down the ammeter to lower scales to measure the leakage current. At night check for underhood lights, vanity mirror lights, door map lights, center console light. Do you have a radar detector, CB, GPS, aftermarket radio, audio amplifier, or alarm? Check em. You can tell the state of charge in a lead acid battery by measuring its voltage at the battery terminals. 12.0 volts and below, discharged, 12.9 volts and above, fully charged and linear in between.
GM says leakage current should not exceed 50 milliamps, my 87 draws 27 ma. Excess leakage current can discharge a battery and you measure it by disconnecting the neg cable and placing an ammeter between the neg cable and the battery neg post. After the courtesy lights time out, switch down the ammeter to lower scales to measure the leakage current. At night check for underhood lights, vanity mirror lights, door map lights, center console light. Do you have a radar detector, CB, GPS, aftermarket radio, audio amplifier, or alarm? Check em. You can tell the state of charge in a lead acid battery by measuring its voltage at the battery terminals. 12.0 volts and below, discharged, 12.9 volts and above, fully charged and linear in between.
