Auto battery problem
Went out to the toad today and the battery was so dead, the door wouldn't even unlock and no click when I turned the key on. The battery has been low several times before over the past month and I've ...
Forum Discussion
Have you had the charging system checked? With a shorted diode in the alternator it can will still work, just not at full capacity and will drain the battery when the engine is not running.
As for passive drains on newer cars, I experienced that last year. I hooked up a 2 amp battery maintainer to our 2013 Malibu a few days before we were heading to FL. There was so much drain on the battery the maintainer went into check mode, defective battery. After several attempts I finally disconnected the battery and hooked the maintainer directly to it.
On a side note, you may not be able to use a power outlet/charger port to plug in a battery maintainer. On some new cars they're disconnected when the car is off. So don't leave your phone in the console thinking it's being charged when the car is off. Another thing I discovered with the new car last year. The TOAD, a few years older, does not disconnect the power outlets.
As for passive drains on newer cars, I experienced that last year. I hooked up a 2 amp battery maintainer to our 2013 Malibu a few days before we were heading to FL. There was so much drain on the battery the maintainer went into check mode, defective battery. After several attempts I finally disconnected the battery and hooked the maintainer directly to it.
On a side note, you may not be able to use a power outlet/charger port to plug in a battery maintainer. On some new cars they're disconnected when the car is off. So don't leave your phone in the console thinking it's being charged when the car is off. Another thing I discovered with the new car last year. The TOAD, a few years older, does not disconnect the power outlets.
