Battery drains down over night how can I fix it?

Tiny
JNW66
  • MEMBER
  • 1994 HONDA ACCORD
Can a brand new battery be ruined from being drained one time. I had my car in the shop and I showed up to pick it up in the morning before the employees arrived and observed the car in the bay with the hood up and the radio on, which means the key was left in the accessories on position, and perhaps other things were left on overnight. The car was supposed to be ready but it was not. I picked up the car two hours later and forgot to mention the radio being on. I assumed either the battery had enough juice to start the car or the shop charged it. I drove it for about an hour that day. The next day I ran a short errand and the next time I tried to start it there was not enough juice. I put it on an automatic charger overnight, in the morning it was still charging, the charger would have turned off automatically if the battery reached full charge. The battery was still dead. I was then able to jump start it with my truck. I have confirmed the alternator is charging. The battery doesn't seem to be holding a charge. My question is could that one instance of the battery being drained cause a new battery to fail?
Friday, September 4th, 2009 AT 9:22 AM

32 Replies

Tiny
F4I_GUY
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,302 POSTS
Usually if you do a low amperage trickle charge for several hours, the battery should be fine. However, who knows how old that battery really is. I would try to go over these guides to help fix the problem.

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

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-battery-load-test

Please run down these guides and report back.
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Tuesday, September 8th, 2009 AT 5:25 PM
Tiny
SAMTHOR
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1994 HONDA ACCORD
Electrical problem
1994 Honda Accord

Well, I left my battery on a trickle charger for three days and overcharged it. Now it blows out the battery fuse if I connect the terminals (or replace the fuse). Any recommendations for a somewhat safe way to partially drain a car battery since I can't hook up to the car?
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Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 AT 3:55 PM (Merged)
Tiny
MHPAUTOS
  • MECHANIC
  • 31,938 POSTS
Hi there,

to discharge the battery you will have to place a load across it such as a light or an electric motor, but I feel that you have a short in the electrical system somewhere, I would be checking that out as well.

Mark (mhpautos)
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Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 AT 3:55 PM (Merged)
Tiny
TRESTA83
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1992 HONDA ACCORD
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 200,000 MILES
My battery keeps going dead. Replaced alternator twice still same problem.
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Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 AT 3:55 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,179 POSTS
Hi,

Is this something that happens overnight? Have you checked if the alternator's charge is making it to the battery?

Do me a favor. Here are two links I need you to look through. The first is how to test an alternator. I want you to determine if the charge is making it to the battery. The second explains how to find an electrical draw.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-a-car-alternator

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

Let me know.

Joe

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Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 AT 3:55 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JUNILAS
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1992 HONDA ACCORD
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 197,000 MILES
The car has new battery. I retest the alternator & starter and both came out working perfectly. I thought that the after market alarm was the one causing the problem (since alternator & starter are both good) and I decided to take the whole alarm out. Still won't start, but if you jump the car, it will start right away.
What could be the problem? Please help.
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Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 AT 3:55 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,815 POSTS
Hi JunIlas,

Test battery voltage and if possible do a high rate discharge test.

Check the battery terminals, clean them and retry.

Check if the ground cable at transmission end is broken. To test this, use jumper cable to connect battery negative terminal to engine ground.
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Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 AT 3:55 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BELINDABLU
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1992 HONDA ACCORD
Electrical problem
1992 Honda Accord 4 cyl Automatic 125000 miles

Car lost power and stopped. Next day it started and was taken to Stewart's auto repair shop and the distributor cap was replaced. Since then a new battery has had to be replaced at least 4 times, because if the car is not driven for a few days it requires a jump to start and when tested the battery is drained. The lights around the little car in the dashboard, that let you know if doors, etc. Are open, intermittently come on while driving. Can this be related to the distributor cap or is an electrical diagnosis by a professional needed?
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Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 AT 3:55 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,815 POSTS
Hi belindablu,

The door ajar indicator is not related to the distriutor cap.

When battery gets drained after sitting for extended periods, youneed to test for parasitic drains and it could be a bad relay or a light that is staying on and the door ajar indicator could be related to it.

Check if any of the doors are out of adjustment resulting in the door switches coming into contact and leaving the dome light on while parked.

With doors closed and sitting inside vehicle, push each door panel outwards to test which door is causing the door ajar indicator to work.
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Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 AT 3:55 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JDMFDK24
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
  • 1991 HONDA ACCORD
  • 4 CYL
Y. Does my 91 accord drains my battery
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Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 AT 3:56 PM (Merged)
Tiny
FIXITMR
  • MECHANIC
  • 9,990 POSTS
Have battery tested free at auto chain store, it may be bad.
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-2
Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 AT 3:56 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JDMFDK24
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Why does my car drains my battery the battery was new wen I bought it like 3 weeks ago
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Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 AT 3:56 PM (Merged)
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
  • MECHANIC
  • 20,757 POSTS
Does it drain when parked or when being driven?
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Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 AT 3:56 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JDMFDK24
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Park
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Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 AT 3:56 PM (Merged)
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
  • MECHANIC
  • 20,757 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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Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 AT 3:56 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JDMFDK24
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Cool do u think a micke mouse alarm is cosing it to draing
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Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 AT 3:56 PM (Merged)
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
  • MECHANIC
  • 20,757 POSTS
Anything that receives power with the key off can do it.
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Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 AT 3:56 PM (Merged)
Tiny
HMARTINE
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1990 HONDA ACCORD
Electrical problem
1990 Honda Accord 4 cyl Wheel Drive Type unknown Automatic 152000 miles

I have a Honda Accord EX 1990 2.2 L. The battery and the alternator are brand new, but there is something that during a week draw energy from the battery, and I can not find what is it. I already check for internal lights that stay on after turn the car off, and there is not any one. I made a visual check of the fuses and all of them are OK. So, Would you please tell me how can I test what is drawing the battery. Can I do it with a test light? If yes, how can I do it? Thanks
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Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 AT 3:56 PM (Merged)
Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
  • 75,992 POSTS
Get a test light and disconnect the negative battery cable now put the light between the cable and battery negative post is the light On? If so start removing fuses one at a time -the fuse that turns off the light is the trouble circuit. Then break out the electrical wiring diagram.

In the event you removed all the fuses and the light is still On disconnect the alternator batt. Feed and the connector-if this one turns off the light-the alternator has bad diodes.
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Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 AT 3:56 PM (Merged)
Tiny
ALISSA4621
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1989 HONDA ACCORD
  • 6 CYL
  • AWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 118,000 MILES
I have the code to reset the radio-it works. The car is making a jerking sound and keeps reving up and down like it isn't set to the computer chip or something- how can I reset it to stop idling up and down like it is?
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Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 AT 3:56 PM (Merged)

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