Battery keeps draining

Hi,

There could be an issue with the battery. What I suggest is this. Have it charged and load tested at the parts store. They most likely will do it for free.

Now, since the vehicle sat for a long time, there is a good chance that mice or other animals may have damaged wiring. Tell me. When you connect the battery, how quickly does it die? Also, do the battery terminals get hot? If something is drawing that much power, the cables should be extremely hot to the touch.

Next, have you checked to make sure grounds are clean and tight. There is a main ground between the battery and the engine block that can be corroded causing the starter to not function properly.

Let me know as much as you can. Also, let me know if you are still able to start the vehicle.

Joe

I have had the battery charged and tested multiple times. They tested it recently and said it was at 51% power and that it was probably damaged from the old alternator. The car pretty much shuts off instantly as soon as i connect the battery. The grounds for the connectors though are in bad shape and looks like they were beat with a hammer. I will try again tomorrow and i will clean the connectors thoroughly. Also how would i find/clean the main ground?

Hi,

If you follow the ground cable from the battery, it will lead you to the engine block. That is the one I'm referring to. Make sure the cable itself is in good condition and the connection is clean and tight.

I have to be honest. If the battery drains as quickly as you mentioned, that has me concerned. First, are the terminals getting hot? I ask for a couple reasons. First, the battery under a full discharge like that could burst. Also, if something is drawing that much power, it could overheat and cause a fire. If you can, let me know if you noticed them getting hot.

Joe

Hello, I'm Danny.

Since you've mentioned the battery and alternator are new it sounds like you might be having a battery drain through the cars wiring.Maybe for sitting so long you might have rodent/chew damage. First thing I would suggest to do if you have access to a DVOM (digital volt ohm meter) is with the car running test the alternator output to see if it's actually charging the battery. With car running it should be 12.5-14.5 volts. Here is a tutorial showing what is involved and one showing how to use a test light:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-battery-dead-overnight

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-a-test-light-circuit-tester

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-wiring

Also, Another good way to test the wiring is by using a electrical test light. Disconnect the negative battery cable,install test light between the battery terminal and the battery clamp.Usually most cars will light the tester up slightly due to clocks and misc electrical draw. Then remove the fuses one at a time.When you find the suspect circuit the light will dramatically dim.That will be the electrical circuit/component giving you the battery drain.Hope this helps and thanks for using 2CarPros.

I don't have the money to get a DVOM and just spent what last i had on the alternator. I do have access to the light bulb testing thing on the other hand.

When i connected the battery before it got drained so quickly, i went to make sure the terminals were tight and they were not hot. I was able to touch and grab them. It's currently dark out rn but tomorrow i will check the ground cable to the engine block. I was also inspecting the engine quite a bit and the wiring seemed fine to me. I will definitely clean the battery area out though and double check the wiring. I will also take a video tomorrow so you can actually see the engine and what could be wrong.

Hi,

Sounds good. Since the terminals aren't hot, I have a feeling it is a connection issue. Let us know.

Joe

Sure will.

Hi,

Have you had any luck with the checks? Also, I wanted to ask if the ground cable that I mentioned originally is not only clean and tight on the engine block, but also is it in good condition.

Let us know.

Joe

I got the car running and i left the battery connected overnight and through the day and it's staying charged and turns on. I replaced the battery and the terminals. The cords are all in good condition. Now the only problem is the car overheats.

Hi,

That is both good and bad news. I hate to ask this, but if you could possibly start a new post with the overheating issues, we can try to help. We try to keep the links specific to one topic so they are more helpful to others. I hope you understand.

Let me know.

Take care,
Joe

Hello,

For your convenience here is the link to post your new question:

https://www.2carpros.com/questions/new

Thank you and have a great rest of your day!

Renee