hey guys, the battery in my car keeps goin dead after about 5 hrs and i cant figure out why. its not the battery because i tried 2 batterys and both are holding a charge but not when in the car. obviously i checked all the lights and easy stuff that could be on but everything seems fine. the only way i can keep the battery charged is by unplugging it everytime i drive it. the car starts and runs fine so i have no idea what it could be. anyone know where to start looking for the problem??? btw car is mostly stock.

 

multi-meter will be your best friend.
test alt output, test car for short, the battery.

 

change out your terminals and when you do file down the inside to assure good connections.

 

1) attach voltmeter across battery terminals to see how much current you are losing.

2) start pulling fuses to see where the volts are going.

3) fix problem circuits

 

if this guy isnt really that good wiht a voltmeter you need to instruct him on how to do this.

i have instructions on how to do a parasitic draw test i just forgot it atm.
Definetely test your alternator output with an amp clamp. possibility the voltage regulator is havin an issue and not doin its job correctly. and dont swap terminals just make sure there really clean. do a static voltage test first

 

yea im not sure howto checkthe alternator but i do have a voltmeter

 

this was happening to me, turned out to be one of the two wires that go in the engine bay fuse box towards the bottom...was shorting out

 

My damn ITR keeps dying after 4 or 5 days of not driving it. I think it's from having a GPS/alarm that's always searching for a signal? I need to get a trickle charger for it, unless it could be from something else?

 

Another option is to take your car to Pepboys, NAPA, etc. and have them test the alternator for free, right there in the parking lot.

 

This is a major problem if you are doing a cell phone gps tracking instead of a unit design to be in the car like a clifford 210c or mobileiq unnit.

Op you need to see what circuit in the car is pull all the extra current. Your car should not pull more then 0.07 at rest.

 

Yeah, I have the Clifford GPS but I hardly ever drive the car and it drains the battery pretty good. Guy I know w/ a Shelby GT has the same problem with his, he just bought a trickle charger.