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2001 chevy impala battery keeps draining?
I have a 2001 chevy impala and noticed for the past 2 months, the inside lights were working - then it would go out. There is nothing left on in the car overnight or even in the day, such as a charger. At night, I would have to use the high beams just to have the dashboard to light up. I went and purchased a brand new batter and a brand new alternator and once I did that, the first few days it went back to working correctly. After that, it started to have the same issues. Then after a while or a few days, the inside lights and daytime running lights will start back working.
When I get a boost, it starts right back up and good to go but then I would notice that as soon as I either leave out of the car or open the car, the inside lights are out again and I know what is about to happen.
Any idea of what could be going on? This is very frustrating. Someone mentioned that now it may be time to take it to an electrical show.
Please help! Serious replies only. Thanks in advance.
6 Answers
- TonyLv 77 years ago
This is the number one reason why you don't start buying new parts without knowing what is going on first.
I have a neighbor who had a Chevy that would drain the battery in a few days. His alternator and battery were fine. It was something draining the system. Here's how we figured out what was draining the battery.
Start with a fully charged battery. Put it on a charger over night. The next day you check the battery voltage WITH the charger still connected and charging. Then you disconnect the charger. Obviously the voltage will be falling. But that's what you need it to do.
You watch the meter. One by one you remove a fuse then reinsert it. When you pull the fuse that is draining the battery the voltage SHOULD go up for a moment. It may even keep going back up for a while.
What you've done is uncovered the circuit that was draining the battery. Make a careful note of it and you can start troubleshooting that circuit. In my neighbors car it was the power locks that was draining the battery. When we removed THAT fuse the voltage bumped up, indicating that the drain had gone away.
We COULD have gone through the circuit and fix it but he just elected to leave the fuse out. Which is fine if you don't need that circuit. But if it's something critical then you need to fix the problem and NOT guess by buying all new parts. Otherwise you could end up with a new car for your radiator cap.
Hope this helps.
'')
- 6 years ago
I started having the same issue. There is a brand new battery in my car. when i dont drive it for 3 days the car is dead now funny thing i went and used a charger and the car still wont start.I'm gonna try replacing the battery today and see what happens
- Anonymous7 years ago
You must have some sort of parasitic draw from some sort of electrical unit in the vehicle. This means even if the vehicle is shut off, there is something still drawing power from the battery. Even the slightest bit over a long period of time can drain your battery completely. These can be hard to find, and the most likely cause if you live in canada or in the northern united states is corrosion.
Source(s): Automotive apprentice - Country BoyLv 77 years ago
You have a parasitic amperage draw in one of the electrical circuits when you're not driving the car. The dealer of the car or a good electrical automotive mechanic will remove all the fuses one at a time and touch the contact prongs where the fuse was to see if the circuit is open (OK) or closed (not OK)
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