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Battery drains

Tiny
IZAAKP
  • MEMBER
  • 2009 MITSUBISHI GALANT
  • 2.4L
  • 4 CYL
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 148,000 MILES
My battery keeps dying. First I had the battery checked. Good battery. Then I replaced the alternator and fully charged the batter drove it for about 10 maybe 15 minutes and it died again. If I get a jump it starts right up but dies within minutes. If I fully charge the battery it lasts a little longer. I fully charged the battery again and had both the battery and the alternator tested both came back good but the terminals on the battery were a little loose so I tightened them. Again drove for about 10 maybe 15 minutes when I first shut it off it started back up so I thought I was in the clear but when I came back out to leave about 30 minutes later battery was dead again.
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Friday, May 3rd, 2019 AT 5:48 AM

16 Replies

Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
Good morning,

It sounds like you have a charging system issue.

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

Have you checked the voltage at the battery with the engine running to verify the alternator is working? It needs to be 14 to 14.5 volts.

This guide can help as well

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

I attached a wire diagram for you and you need to verify voltage to the highlighted wires with the key on.

Roy

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Friday, May 3rd, 2019 AT 6:19 AM
Tiny
ARCH_89
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
  • 2002 MITSUBISHI GALANT
  • 155,000 MILES
My car battery got drained out.I replaced with another battery. And that also died. My mechanic says hes not able to figure out the problem. Can you pls help me
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Saturday, May 23rd, 2020 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,870 POSTS
So does the battery drain with the engine running or the engine off?
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Saturday, May 23rd, 2020 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
ARCH_89
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
When the engine's off
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Saturday, May 23rd, 2020 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
ARCH_89
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
And the mechanic says thers no problem with the starter
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Saturday, May 23rd, 2020 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,870 POSTS
Did you a parasitic draw test on a car?
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Saturday, May 23rd, 2020 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,870 POSTS
Also was the alternator tested and tested for a bad diode?
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Saturday, May 23rd, 2020 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
ARCH_89
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
The mechanic told me that ther r no issues with the starter. He told me that I have to consult an electrician coz hes not able to find any fault
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Saturday, May 23rd, 2020 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,870 POSTS
I asked about the alternator being tested not the starter. Also you need to have a parasitic draw test performed.
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Saturday, May 23rd, 2020 AT 11:27 AM (Merged)
Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,815 POSTS
How long does it take for the battery to drain before you are not able to start?
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Saturday, May 23rd, 2020 AT 11:27 AM (Merged)
Tiny
TREVOR LANCELIN
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
  • 1994 MITSUBISHI GALANT
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 200,000 MILES
I have changed the alternator four times and the battery twice and my alternator fuses are good. What can be stopping my car from charging? It only drains when it is running.
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Saturday, May 23rd, 2020 AT 11:27 AM (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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Saturday, May 23rd, 2020 AT 11:27 AM (Merged)
Tiny
HARRY P
  • MECHANIC
  • 2,293 POSTS
Check your battery cables and terminals. If they are loose or corroded that can happen as a result. Be sure to follow the cables to the other ends and make sure that they are completely tight and the connections are clean there too. If you want, you can take pictures and post them on here so we can look too. Let us know.
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Saturday, May 23rd, 2020 AT 11:27 AM (Merged)
Tiny
TREVOR LANCELIN
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Checked the cables today and they are tight and clean I'll post pics in a few
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Saturday, May 23rd, 2020 AT 11:27 AM (Merged)
Tiny
TREVOR LANCELIN
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Any ideas anyone?
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Saturday, May 23rd, 2020 AT 11:27 AM (Merged)
Tiny
HARRY P
  • MECHANIC
  • 2,293 POSTS
Let me ask you this. What exactly is the car doing? Is it running fine and then dead in the morning? If so then it's charging fine, and then discharging over night for some reason (maybe a bad battery or some sort of electrical drain on the system). Let us know.
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Saturday, May 23rd, 2020 AT 11:27 AM (Merged)

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