For the past 2 weekends of not driving my cavy on the weekend (out of town or just don't go anywhere), I go out Monday morning to try and start my car and nothing happens. I have to use my g/f's impala to jump my cavy. I'm getting a lil frustrated as it just started happening. I installed my stereo, amp, and subs back around january 14th. didn't have a problem before.
I have to manually turn off my radio as we didn't hook up the wire correctly to have it turn off when I open my door. My guess is this is what is draining the battery cuz it's constantly getting power but nothing is turned on. Or it's just the cold and my cavy needs better treatment in the garage. Yes it does stay in the garage. I don't have any problems during the week of coming and going to work.
Possibilities?
my carDomain
Is your amp staying on all the time? You might have hooked up the wrong wire to that as well
i'd have to check. i believe we hooked up the remote wire to the amp to the correct remote wire on the back of the cd player.
my carDomain
Do you have any interior lights staying on?
If you hooked up your stereo to a constant, even though the car is off and the HU is off, you should be fine, Though its not hard to tap your Wiper fuse for a Switched 12v source.
El Fuego ( the unstable ) wrote:Do you have any interior lights staying on?
If you hooked up your stereo to a constant, even though the car is off and the HU is off, you should be fine, Though its not hard to tap your Wiper fuse for a Switched 12v source.
nope. no interior lights stayin on. yes we are goin to switch where we tapped in for power. but just trying to figure out if
a) battery is dying due to drainage
b) need a new battery
c) battery is dying due to cold (ac delco battery)
my carDomain
s1lver_N1p wrote:El Fuego ( the unstable ) wrote:Do you have any interior lights staying on?
If you hooked up your stereo to a constant, even though the car is off and the HU is off, you should be fine, Though its not hard to tap your Wiper fuse for a Switched 12v source.
nope. no interior lights stayin on. yes we are goin to switch where we tapped in for power. but just trying to figure out if
a) battery is dying due to drainage
b) need a new battery
c) battery is dying due to cold (ac delco battery)
No I'm sure your battery isnt dying because its cold. I would check to make sure your amp is turning off
Chris, I don't know about most people, but my experience with Delco Freedom batteries are that they are crap. My daughters went out 2 years after she bought her Cavalier brand new in 1998. Mine started to act up about 2 and a half years after I bought my car new. If you do not have a drainage problem, I would go have the battery checked and/or replaced with a better battery.
98 Z24
RIP Specks
hahaha i still ahve my stock battery in and my car was built in 2000..... its fine when it doesnt get below 0 deg outside then it has the tendency to not want to start. Right now i need a new battery but.....im broke and saving for other things.......
Thanx Charles
I had the same problem with my car, but during the summer.
I bought an Optima Yellowtop ($170) and a Streetwires Cap ($150) and been good since. If something is draining, now it can drain even longer!
Chevypower1977 has your answer for ya...
that battery isnt built for what you are doing...get a yellow top...and your problem will go away
i know...cause thats what i did...and i didnt buy a Cap...just the battery...($160)
im having the same problem with my car... its been happening since i hooked up my head unit. i know its not wired right.
Check out my build thread!
go figure. i come back from atlanta for the weekend. come back sunday nite. my keyless entry doesn't work. had to go jump it again. looks like i need a better battery. not sure i can swing $160 for a yellow top but may end up doin so anyways. thanks guys and good luck to the others.
my carDomain
So thats 2 times i count your battery being deep cycled
If it does even start your lights will flicker like crazy
get your DMM out and test the voltage of the car while running then test it when the car is not.If the voltage keeps dropping will doing this then i can say its not holding its charge
also take the battery right out of the car one night and take your reading and then in the morning see what it reads if it droped(IE) from 12.3 to 11.1 then you know
But no stock battery are even an optima can be deep cycled more
As to the radio,you should off just tapped into the ign wire with a fused wire.It sounds like you tapped into a constant battery lead meaning you always have to turn the radio off.
O and the only why i know for your radio to turn of when you open the door is to buy that metra module.
hopefully i can get the wirin changed soon (jason). so i dont have to buy another battery. tho an optima yellow top is in the works in the future. just not now.
my carDomain
have any of you guys actually tried taking your battery out and getting it CHARGED??
heres alittle something most people dont know...and alternator is NOT a generator..
if your battery dies..and you get it jumped..just because it runs afterward does NOT mean the battery is charged..as a matter of fact it will never be charged unless you manually take it to be charged..so you jumped your battery..(and im sure its cold outside) and you let it set over the weekend..is it a wonder why its dying?? the slightest bit of drain will kill it..take the battery to your local autozone and have it charged(probably for free) then try leaving it for a few days and see if it starts..
i know alot of people think that just letting the car run for a bit charges a battery..this is however not true...
mesra wrote:have any of you guys actually tried taking your battery out and getting it CHARGED??
heres alittle something most people dont know...and alternator is NOT a generator..
if your battery dies..and you get it jumped..just because it runs afterward does NOT mean the battery is charged..as a matter of fact it will never be charged unless you manually take it to be charged..so you jumped your battery..(and im sure its cold outside) and you let it set over the weekend..is it a wonder why its dying?? the slightest bit of drain will kill it..take the battery to your local autozone and have it charged(probably for free) then try leaving it for a few days and see if it starts..
i know alot of people think that just letting the car run for a bit charges a battery..this is however not true...
I agree to a point. No, letting your car sit there running will not charge the battery, but take it out for a spin. I've had to jump my car a couple of times (just from being underway with the Navy for 9-10 months) run it at highway speeds for about 15 minutes, and it will be fully charged. The alternator does charge your battery, that's why you shouldn't have to jump your car. If it didn't charge your battery, you'd have to constantly jump it from it losing power from starting your car.
parasitic drain its pretty simple to diagnose that one.
- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new
