Electrical

TOMMYBOY2718

MEMBER
1997 BUICK PARK AVENUE
6 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
190,000 MILES

I HAVE A 1997 PARK AVENUE, THE BATTERY DRAINS AFTER 3 DAYS AND WON'T START. I HAD THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TESTED AT AUTOZONE AND BATTERY
AND ALTERNATOR ARE GOOD. I HAVE CONNNECTED METER
INLINE AND AFTER THE LIGHTS GO OFF THE METER READS 180 MILLIAMPS FOR ABOUT 2 MINUTES THEN GOES
TO 35 MILLIAMPS. I AM WONDERING IF SOMETHING IS TURNING ON LATER TO DRAIN THE BATTERY AND WHAT TO CHECK.

3 Replies

JDL

MECHANIC
16,098 POSTS

35 milliamps is.O35, that should be close to normal. I'm not sure how you checked amp draw? It might be best not to disconnect cable. With top post batteries, you can usually use a jumper wire on post, under the cable, other end of jumper ties onto positive cable head. The take positive cable loose, there is still voltage through the jumper, then hook your meter up in series with cable head and post before taking jumper loose. With side post battery, you could hold the leads to the battery and cable while a helper carefully takes the cable loose, no disconnect.

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Tuesday, February 1st, 2011 AT 6:43 PM

TOMMYBOY2718

MEMBER
2 POSTS

Thanks JDL, I put my meter in series with the + cable and the battery..035 is in the normal range, do you think something could be turning on after the car sits and draining the battery? Does it
matter how I connect the meter? Thanks for your reply.
Tom

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Tuesday, February 1st, 2011 AT 6:56 PM

JDL

MECHANIC
16,098 POSTS

If you take the cable loose, something could be going dead with loss of voltage and not come back on till you start it and then never turns off, till voltage is lost again.

Your hooking up the meter ok. Yes, it is possible something is turning on?

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Tuesday, February 1st, 2011 AT 7:16 PM