Questions tagged [battery-drain]

A loss of electrochemical potential between positive and negative terminals a car's battery, creating a loss of power, sometimes to the point of being unable to start the vehicle.

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17 votes
9 answers
42k views

Why don't some modern cars automatically turn off headlights when stopped?

I forgot the lights on overnight on a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta and 16 hours later when I came back to the car the lights were still on but the car wouldn't start. Can't the car check the battery level ...
Dan Dascalescu's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
19k views

Battery drops to 10.5 volts after charging

A few days ago, my 97 Corolla had trouble starting. It cranks but doesn't start, maybe due to a problem with the carburetor. Figured I might discharge the battery, so I stopped my attempts at starting....
demiglace's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
48k views

Car battery dead for a while... now it won't charge?

So, my car battery died 4 months ago while it was unused in my garage during the summer (interior dome light left on for months). I went to jump start it this morning, ran it 20km ( 30 minutes ) to ...
Trogdoriffic's user avatar
8 votes
9 answers
75k views

2 Volts on Car Battery

My car battery has gone completely flat after leaving my car parked up for about a month. Tried turning over the car today, and none of the lights on the dash light up. Ran a multimeter across the ...
Nick's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
7k views

What would cause a slow drain of a battery?

Have a 2002 Toyota Camry, I got a switch to disconnect the battery, but before that the battery would slowly drain if you left the car for about a week. The solution is fine for now, but how would I ...
user379468's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

How do I keep an idle/unused battery ready for immediate use?

I have purchased an Exide Power MF Battery 120 A/H for my home inverter. I need to use that inverter only when there is no electricity. That can happen once a month or like that. So my question is, If ...
Sampath's user avatar
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6 votes
3 answers
6k views

battery fully discharged, got a jump-start, but what do I do now?

My battery was fully discharged (forgot to turn off headlights for a few hours). The car wouldn't even unlock from the remote. What should I do after getting a jumpstart?
cnst's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
3k views

1999 Ford Ranger Battery Drain

I have had a slight battery drain on my Ford Ranger, enough to kill the battery after a few days of sitting. The battery is new. This is the troubleshooting I have done so far: Tested the battery ...
Bryce Frank's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
15k views

Starting Enfield with low/dead battery

My bike has a very low/dead battery and it doesn't start. What I did though was, kick the bike for few minutes and later it started, but when I tried to move the vehicle by putting it in first gear it ...
Karthikeyan Santhanagopalan's user avatar
6 votes
5 answers
74k views

Car battery won't charge above 50%

I had a problem starting my car after not driving it for two weeks. After charging the battery with a CTEK trickle charger via the cigarette lighter socket, the car started fine. I had my car battery ...
SilverlightFox's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
592 views

Help with Strange Intermittent yet predictable parasitic battery drain?

I'm having an issue where while testing circuits for the offending drain, I will see NO drain for about 30 seconds and then a 6-9 amp drain for about 10; rinse and repeat. Anybody have an idea what ...
Matt Hardy's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
2k views

How much current should 2007 Mazda6 draw when off?

I've been finding my 2007 Mazda6 battery low in the mornings. This morning, with moderate temperatures, I had to jump it to start the engine. I put a clamp ammeter on the battery cable and pulled ...
feetwet's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
729 views

What would cause a short to ground while driving - how to locate the problem?

So I was pulled up at the traffic lights yesterday in my 1980 Nissan Urvan (E23) diesel after just coming off a 30 minute commute on the freeway when all of a sudden the engine cut out and a few ...
norlesh's user avatar
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5 votes
3 answers
2k views

Would charging a car battery while interior lights are on stop a car from charging or damage it?

Could charging a fairly modern car with lights on (or any other electronics on) damage it? My car battery drained to a voltage of 5.5V (very low I know) because I left the interior light on for 2 days....
Resquiens's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
1k views

Motorcycle won't turn over immediately after a pit stop

Motorcycle: 1980 Honda CB900 Custom. After refilling the battery with distilled water, getting it charged and letting the motorcycle sit for a few days... I then went for a ride yesterday. The ...
Kent Pawar's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
367 views

1999 Dodge Durango won't start after backwards jump

1999 dodge durango will turn over but not start after a friend put jumper cables on backwards.when i try to start vehicle security light blinks ,flashers and dashboard light blinks for approx a min ...
Louann Effenberger-Stephens's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
327 views

Battery Draw while car is off at 3.24

I have a 2007 Saab 95 wagon... For about 6 months at random about once a month my car has been dead. After calling AAA and they told me there is a draw from the battery at apx 3.24 which is should be ...
amy's user avatar
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4 votes
4 answers
4k views

Nearly drained battery for 2 weeks - how much damage was done?

I recently made a mistake of starting my car, and only driving it for a short trip multiple times in below-freezing weather without letting the car fully warm up. This was after the car had sat for ...
slothstronaut's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
2k views

Is my car battery charger not working?

My old car battery died because I leave it parked too long. I replaced with new battery and this time hooked a solar trickle charger to it to keep it from discharging. (it's parked in public space) ...
Altoban's user avatar
  • 203
4 votes
4 answers
3k views

Does draining a battery typically leave it in a state that it won't take a charge?

My son borrowed a car and the battery seemed fine, car started fine every time. However it died after my son left some overhead lights on in the car overnight. We jumped it, and he drove about 20 ...
Fauxcuss's user avatar
  • 143
4 votes
1 answer
6k views

How long can a car battery be uncharged before it is ruined?

I believe if a car battery is left uncharged, it will eventually ruin the battery's ability to hold a charge due to irreversible chemical reactions in the car battery. How long would it take for the ...
Mark Rogers's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
44 views

2010 Hyundia i30 - Should I keep the batter lead removed in order to prevent the battery from flattening out?

I drive 2010 Hyundia i30. I recently had my battery flat out after I did not use it for 3 months. The mechanic who helped with the battery situation suggested that I can keep one of the battery leads ...
Suhas's user avatar
  • 143
4 votes
1 answer
2k views

When to replace a battery jump-starter?

I have a battery jump-starter for many years (more than 5). I wonder if I should replace it now. How can I tell if it needs to be replaced?
leeyuiwah's user avatar
  • 143
4 votes
1 answer
2k views

Honda Odyssey: Neutral/unlocked steering wheel without draining battery?

I need to tow (front-wheel dolly) my 2014 Odyssey Elite about 50 miles. Which means that it needs to be in neutral, and the steering wheel needs to be unlocked. Unfortunately, the normal condition ...
RoUS's user avatar
  • 141
4 votes
2 answers
1k views

result of battery drain

done a parasitic test on battery(new) showed up as 1.74 amps,removed fuses 1 by 1 and found that the 20amp fuse for the coupe console when removed dropped the amps to 0.49, i have a 56 renault scenic ...
dan farrell's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
3k views

Help tracking down a battery drain issue on a 2007 Vauxhall Corsa

I'm really hoping someone can help track down a battery drain issue with a 2007 Vauxhall Corsa. We've been back and forth to a Vauxhall garage with this car since we bought it and have had a hell of ...
robertmegone's user avatar
4 votes
5 answers
11k views

What could be causing battery drain on a 2009 Honda Pilot?

My sister has a 2009 Honda Pilot that's got some issues with the electrical system. The battery frequently drains overnight (every other day or so). When driving a lot (several hours or more) the ...
Wayne Werner's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
185 views

1998 BMW 318is excessive current draw - possible starter issue

My 1997 BMW 318is started making a whirring noise that varies with engine speed, and an electrical burning smell after driving, and the battery goes flat very quickly. I measured the current draw ...
johna's user avatar
  • 183
4 votes
1 answer
173 views

Avoid flat battery from door left open

Is there a cheap device, or circuit I could make up, which alerts people to car doors being left open for more than X minutes, to avoid batteries being completely drained? I know of a device which ...
Terry's user avatar
  • 143
3 votes
2 answers
174 views

How do electric car batteries cope with the car standing idle?

I usually drive low-mileage runs and could easily charge an electric car at home. But what happens when I go on holiday? I charge the car at home, drive to an airport, then leave the car in a car ...
Peter Bill's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
6k views

Battery voltage drops from 12.3V to 11.2V in 5mins

I was in my car, while snowing, with the radio and the heating turned on but the engine off. I checked the battery's voltage, which dropped from 12.3V to 11.2V in 5mins. Is this behavior normal, or ...
apt45's user avatar
  • 131
3 votes
1 answer
915 views

Why won't my car even crank?

While inspecting the wires under the hood of my 1995 Camry LE (v6) I noticed that a wire ending at my alternator was loose. Note that before I disconnected anything, my car would start fine... So I ...
Nathaniel Davidson's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
4k views

Do all 12V batteries produce the same amount of current?

I have a car battery which is roughly 12 V. Sometimes, I will not use the car for a week (I bike instead), and the battery voltage drops to 9.5 V ~ 10 V. This low voltage makes it hard to start the ...
user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
203 views

How did the tyre shop flatten my battery?

I bought a 'new' (2004) Subaru Forester last week. The other day, I took it in to have the wheel alignment checked, and once they had finished aligning it, they came back and said "the battery was ...
Nick C's user avatar
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3 votes
4 answers
68k views

Acceptable battery voltage drop overnight

This is a follow up to this question that I asked previously. Since asking that question, I have kept my same commute, but have been driving consistently 30+ miles on the weekend. In addition, I have ...
hchc1992's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
1k views

Battery implication to keep doors open while engine is off

Can there be significant battery draw if I keep the doors open while the engine is turned off? In my case I park a minivan (Town&Country 2016, although I'm asking more in general, not specific to ...
IsaacS's user avatar
  • 153
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

Temporary loss of engine power when headlights flashed after jump start

I had a battery drain on my 1986 Porsche 944S which left the battery completely drained (solved, it was the radio). I jumped it successfully and took it on a drive to charge the battery up. As I was ...
GdD's user avatar
  • 16.2k
3 votes
1 answer
304 views

1998 Nissan Altima Slowly Discharging Battery with New Alternator

Our 1998 Altima needed a new alternator. Everything is fine, except overnight the new battery gets drawn down to 8 volts and the car will not start without a jump. For some reason when we test the ...
Mike's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
2 answers
1k views

Calculate current drain from the battery in a drive

Control module voltage is one of the OBD PID. It signifies the car battery voltage. Is there any way to calculate how much current is drawn in a drive (say 7 km from my office to home). The voltage ...
Soumya Sen's user avatar
  • 1,521
3 votes
1 answer
104 views

Battery draining whenever the headlights come on

My car (2001 Toyota Camry) drives fine as long as the headlights are not on. As soon as it gets dark and the automatic headlights come on the battery light comes on and my car dies. What's going on? I ...
Confused's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
4k views

Battery Drains Every 1-3 Weeks

I have been experiencing a slow draining of the battery for the past 1-2 months wherein the vehicle will be fine and suddenly the vehicle will not start. First thought was the battery, as the ...
N8sBug's user avatar
  • 285
3 votes
1 answer
130 views

2009 Honda Pilot 4WD

I replaced a 7 year old battery 3 days ago. The solenoid was clicking so I figured it was the battery. The old battery had an 11.5 amp draw . The new battery just went out again today and solenoid ...
J rich's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
2 answers
750 views

2003 Honda Civic battery won't stay charged

My 2003 Honda Civic sometimes won't start. It will start with a Jump, and then may be fine for a couple of weeks, or a couple of days. This has been going on for a while. The Starter and battery are ...
REK's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
1 answer
205 views

Prius 2004 (generation II): problem with brake drained hybrid battery

For background, I bought my Prius used in the early 2015 with about 160,000 on it. After a few months I noticed that the hybrid battery would be systematically drained or nearly so upon starting the ...
Eric Anonymous's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
172 views

Battery terminal connection issue

I have a dodge caravan 2012 and I recently got an electronic anti-rust device installed. 3 weeks after, I experienced a first problem. I started the engine then it stopped after 2 seconds. I ...
The_Black_Smurf's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
42 views

Radiator cap, / coolant flange and batter drainage issues

I wanted to enquire regarding some work that my mechanic carried out recently. All issues appear to be resolved now but I need to assess what happened at each stage. Apologies in advance for the long ...
Christianp's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
1k views

Nissan Note 2012 battery drain

I have had problems with my 2012 Nissan Note (the boxy model). The battery would be flat after a couple of days, even when driving occasionally. After leaving the car parked and locked for 20min, ...
Nic's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
0 answers
68 views

Battery gets discharged...sometimes!

This is one of those intermittent issues driving mad any car driver: What I have: New battery, new alternator brushes, new current regulator, new belt. Polished brushes tracks. All properly ...
Aram Alvarez's user avatar
  • 3,336
3 votes
2 answers
755 views

What are "normal" battery recharge needs for modern cars?

I just bought a brand new car (Honda Accord Touring 2017). Its battery recharge characteristics are: - loses 1/3 of its charge in 4 days (if the car is resting. See test attached) - loses 1/3 or its ...
sambaMan's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
479 views

How often do i need to drive my car when it's cold?

My Volvo S40 -00 with a 12v battery has been standing still in a cold garage since Thursday, it has been around -6 at night and -4 and -7 degrees celsius each day, how often do i need to drive to keep ...
Liam Rabe's user avatar