Battery keeps dying

[Lindquist]

I have an 01 Tahoe. First encountered the problem last week on Thursday went out after work and it didn't start. Started after only a minute hooked up to other vehicle. Charged when I got home and started the next morning just fine. After work on Friday dead again. Didn't drive all weekend started right up Monday morning dead Monday night after work. Tuesday morning fired right up now tonight dead again. Ideas?

 

[HiHoeSilver]

I have an 01 Tahoe. First encountered the problem last week on Thursday went out after work and it didn't start. Started after only a minute hooked up to other vehicle. Charged when I got home and started the next morning just fine. After work on Friday dead again. Didn't drive all weekend started right up Monday morning dead Monday night after work. Tuesday morning fired right up now tonight dead again. Ideas?

Are you sure it's actually dead and not just an intermittent connection? Did you voltage test it?

 

[Lindquist]

I checked the terminals and cleaned them although they weren't that bad. Hooked it up to a snap on EECS350 it said I had 80% cca and to replace battery. Battery is only two years old and an interstate to boot

 

[PatDTN]

A friend was at a shop describing his similar problem when a mechanic popped his head out of a car he was working on and asked if he had a Tahoe. He does. Apparently there's a separate amp that can sometimes stay on when you turn the key off. That was what his problem was. It's usually the NNBS with this but his is NBS.

 

[Lindquist]

So did he just unhook the amp then?

 

[PatDTN]

I believe he set up a relay.


Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk

 

[corvette744]

I checked the terminals and cleaned them although they weren't that bad. Hooked it up to a snap on EECS350 it said I had 80% cca and to replace battery. Battery is only two years old and an interstate to boot

If it failed a battery load test replace the battery.

 

[PatDTN]

Can batteries still short a cell like the old days when plates could warp?

Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk

 

[RaiderRodney]

Accessory outlets also stay powered on all the time. If you have anything plugged into those it keeps another part powered on (can't remember the name of it). This can cause weaker batteries to go dead if it sits a few days. Sounds like yours is dying pretty quick though so not sure this would be the problem?

 

[Danny3737]

I've always found the quickest way to narrow down a load draw is to hook up a meter to the battery and start pulling fuses until I found which circuit had the problem and then diagnose from there. It may be the old school way, but it's always worked for me. Don't always trust a load test done at a parts store. I've had 2 that have tested good, but both had weak cells. Good luck

 

[Rocket Man]

Any auto parts store will test the battery and alternator for free.

 

[Lindquist]

I was getting 14.6 v with multimeter hooked up to battery with Tahoe running.

 

[Rocket Man]

I was getting 14.6 v with multimeter hooked up to battery with Tahoe running.

OK so the alternator is probably charging but that says nothing about whether the battery is good or bad. It needs a load test and a multimeter isn't the answer for that. Have the battery tested.

 

[swathdiver]

In thirty plus years of driving, I've never had a decent Interstate Battery. None lasted more than a year down here in Florida, most didn't even make six months.

Our trucks don't always completely shut down when the key is off. Some components like the emissions for example, run tests and open and close valves and such. Any of this going on will quickly expose a weak battery.

 

[JayC33]

I had similar problems in my 03 Suburban, and my wife's 06 Trailblazer. In the Suburban, it turned out to be the gauge cluster.
The TB apparently has multiple parasitic draws. I the heaviest seems to have been the OnStar module. Still chasing the remaining draw, when she can leave it home so I can mess with it.

 

[Hardisky2]

I have a 03 Tahoe and had the same problem I’m also was a GM mechanic for 10 years ...I replaced my battery and yes my gauge cluster was bad the gauges worked when they wanted to after replacing my battery cables to do the big 3 I found that the cluster was to blame I had a buddy at work look up the tech notes and the cluster when bad creates a parasitic draw and weak batteries have no chance

 

[907spc]

I have a 03 Tahoe and had the same problem I’m also was a GM mechanic for 10 years ...I replaced my battery and yes my gauge cluster was bad the gauges worked when they wanted to after replacing my battery cables to do the big 3 I found that the cluster was to blame I had a buddy at work look up the tech notes and the cluster when bad creates a parasitic draw and weak batteries have no chance

also check the abs relay. pretty much my issue on my 05 denali

 

[about20ninj45]

Parasitic draw. Happens all the time to me. Main culprit is the radio amp/fuse, cluster, and OnStar module and aftermarket alarm if you have one. What you need to do is hook a meter in series with the battery or get an amp clamp and monitor current draw after the vehicle has been "asleep" for about 15 mins. Start to pull fuses until your draw goes down. Do not reinsert fuses after pulling because this will make the modules wake back up. Acceptable parasitic draw is between 25-80ma on the conservative side. Anything higher will kill a battery in a mater of hours/days. To combat the draw if you don't feel like chasing it, get a deep cycle battery with a deep reserve.
Sorry if spelling or punctuation is off, I'm on meds and on mobile.

 

[Michigan]

Just had the same issue last night. Posted this in another thread

I just bought a 2004 Tahoe z71 exactly a week ago as well. I drove it home 2 hours the day I purchased it and it has sat since. I've started it throughout the week with no issues and also I started it today a slower crank then tried starting again about a few hours later and just clicking. I jump started it and fired up. Turned it off and started it right back no problem.

About another few hours later go out to see if it starts and no start. I just so happened to have a yellow top optima at home model number D34/78. So I put it in and it starts right up.

Battery that was in it was an autocraft silver 75-2.

The reason I haven't been driving it is I haven't had it registered and insured but I will this week.

Do you guys think that this is simply a case of the battery just dying or another underlying problem like the OP? The autocraft battery has a date of 1/14 on it.

Does anyone know the life span of these battery's? I did a quick search but seen different answers. Hope this doesn't have any electrical problems that are killing battery's because before I purchased the truck i did a Carfax and it showed that it was in a shop to have electrical system checked and when I asked the seller about it they said it had an aftermarket alarm sytem that caused the horn to beep or something. Can't remember exactly what he said

I will take the battery in to advance auto shop to have them check it out. Also the alternator was recently replaced from prior owner

Last edited: Today at 12:54 AM
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