1998 Chevrolet Lumina battery.

SDOEPEL49

MEMBER
1998 CHEVROLET LUMINA
110,000 MILES

Battery will either go completely dead after sitting for a day. Or will struggle to start. Like something is draining the battery. I have had the battery AND alternator tested. Last week I had to have the starter replaced cuz it went bad. But still having battery issues.

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WRENCHTECH

MECHANIC
20,758 POSTS

There is a procedure for finding a battery draw like that.

You will need a digital ammeter and a jumper wire with clips on the ends to do this.
First rig any door switches so you can have a door open without triggering the interior lights and unplug the hood light. Remove one battery cable and attach the meter in series between the battery cable and battery post. Take the jumper wire and also attach it the same way. Leave the jumper wire on for at least 10 minutes to expire all the automatic timers. Now remove the jumper wire and read the meter. Anything over 50ma is too much draw. The way you locate this is to start removing fuses one at a time until the meter drops to normal level. This will be the circuit with something staying on. Determine what components are part of that circuit and check them individually until the problem is isolated.

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Tuesday, October 29th, 2013 AT 9:29 AM

SDOEPEL49

MEMBER
4 POSTS

Soooo. This morning I had to have my back windshield replaced because it just literally shattered when my daughter got int my car. And I had had my car on about 15 mins prior to that. When they replaced my windshield the guy said the plug at window for rear defrost was melted. And thinks maybe the power surge made the windshield bust. And I do know that the rear defrost has been erratic. Some days it works. Some days it doesn't. Soooo. Maybe this was killing my battery!

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Tuesday, October 29th, 2013 AT 11:40 AM

WRENCHTECH