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Battery keeps going dead???

21K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  calliffy2 
#1 ·
A couple weeks back the battery on my sons car goes dead, so I take it back to AutoZone and they replace it, problem solved.

A week later, its the same thing, I pull the alternator, they test and replace it (warentee) and I charge the battery, problem solved II.

Yesterday sone calls me up and the car is dead, I take a spare battery and it fires right up.

So the battery tested good, the car runs fine without the battery, I replaced the cable ends a while back and they are good, connections are all clean dry and fine.

So what do you think could be killing the battery or preventing it from charging?

Ken
 
#3 ·
I had some electrical issues on my 2000 ES. Alt checked out, battery was brand new but some how the battery kept draining. I ended up probing all of the battery cables with a multi-meter and found the problem was the battery cable from the alternator had a break it in. I don't know how the battery cable layout is on a 1st gen but on a 2nd gen the alternator cable is mixed in with the engine wire harness. I just bought a 78inch battery cable, two stereo grade battery ring terminals. I hacked off both ends of the old cable and ran the new cable.

A week later I ran into another issue. I kept loosing power. The negative cable from the battery to the frame some how ended up with a break in the cable and had to replace that one as well.
 
#5 ·
does he have a large stereo system installed with spare battery? I had a issue where my spare battery was draining my car battery.. I put in a Stinger 200 amp relay at the spare battery to turn it off when the car is off.. worked out for me.
 
#6 ·
check your negative battery cable , all the way down to the starter, it may be corroded. mine was doing the same thing,well, not as bad, until i replaced the cable .

a lot of times, ive seen, the cable looks good but is corroded where you cant see and it wont charge the battery.....IMO
 
#8 ·
yep, sounds like a draw somewhere
 
#9 ·
In a 1st gen the charge wire for the alt goes directly to the PDC, then a wire comes off the PDC and goes to the battery. *its the black wire on the positive terminal with the quick disconnect on it* I'd check the quick disconnect for corrosion *it looks like a fuse, but just pulls apart*. You can also pull this apart when parking the car to keep the battery from being drained.
 
#10 ·
I xchecked the car for sources of a draw last night. No big amps or lights on anywhere I can tell. I pulled apart the charge wire that goes from the PDC to the battery, cleaned it and loaded it with dielectric grease. The battery sides of the cables look good, I am going to chak out the other side tonight.

The car starts fine every time and then after a few day you can leave it for 5 minutes and come back and the battery is completly dead. I have a feeling its just not getting a charge and after a week or so worth of starting it has just had enough.
 
#12 ·
Have a '99 Dodge Intrepid with the battery being drained. Got in to start it and nothing. My neighbor took a look under the hot and wiggled a cable on the right side and voila. Ran good for 3 days and is now at my mechanics for the same issue. It was there overnight after being towed, he goes to try it and it starts the next day! Now he doesn't know how to look for the initial cause and I am getting very frustrated.
 
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