Chrysler neon flat battery

Hi, i have a neon that has a battery that goes flat after 36 hours. The battery has been tested and appears to be fine so does the alternater. I?ve put a multi meter on the battery terminals and it has a drain of 0.032 amps. If i remove fuse number 4 from the dash it drops to 0.002 amps and the same happens if i remove fuse 13 from the under bonnet. Both these fuses appear to effect the interior lights. the fuse 13 also does the radio. I?ve checked that the lights are not being left on and have even disconnected them but does not effect the amp reading, i?ve done the same with the radio too. I?ve try?d to locate the auto dimmer relay for the lights but can?t find it? Has anyone got any idea where it is or any other ideas what the problem could be? Thanks for looking, i look forward to hearing from you.

Reply to
Gingertim
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Something is wrong. If you're really only drawing 32mA, a 700 amp/hour battery should last over 21,000 hours. Something is wrong either with whoever tested your battery, or you're losing a lot of additional current somewhere other than where you're measuring it.

You mention it's been tested, and that you've used an ammeter to measure the current draw. So... just want to be sure that you didn't put a voltmeter on the battery as the test: it has to be tested under load. If you didn't take it to your favorite auto parts store and have them put it on a tester, you need to.

Reply to
Joe Pfeiffer

Check the battery cable connections...

Reply to
Ron Seiden

Same with the alternator -- a 'good' output voltage is meaningless without a load. Assuming it tests good under load, there should be some Field current... a few amperes at full load. No field current = no output. If no Field current, look 'upstream' from the Field connection. A wiring diagram will help you troubleshoot it if that's the problem.

Bryan

Reply to
Bryan

1) Park car. measure voltage across battery. Start car. Measure voltage across battery terminals again. It should be higher by at least a volt, better 2 volts. stop car. 2) disconnect negative battery cable from battery for 36 hours 3) Reconnect negative battery cable. 4) Start car. Does it start? If so, battery is fine. If not, battery has a shorted cell or high internal leakage current. These may not always show on a battery tester.

If the battery will not hold a charge and is still under warranty, and you are unable to convince the retailer of the battery that the battery is dead, then go to a wrecker and buy a used battery. Park car, turn on headlights and leave on for 36 hours until the existing battery is stone dead. Replace existing battery with used battery. Leave dead battery sitting for 1 month and drive on used battery. Take dead battery in for testing. There will be nothing they can do that will make it fool the tester into believing that the battery is good. You will get your warranty battery. Take out the used battery and store it in the garage and charge it every couple months until you need it again.

I had to do that to a Sears DieHard once, after that I swore that I'd never buy a battery from an auto parts store or service center. Now I get them from the mass retailers like a sporting goods store or walmart or a tire store. Those guys do not have "know enough to be dangerous but don't know enough to know what they are doing" people who work for them and who will argue with you over a battery warranty. And the batteries I get from the mass marketers have far fresher date codes, and last many years longer, and are cheaper.

Ted

Reply to
Ted Mittelstaedt

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Gingertrim

Two possibilities. Your battery is not really being properly charged and/or it has a bad cell.

So when you think it is properly charged monitor the battery voltage and turn on the headlights. If you have a bad cell it will promptly drop at least 2 volts. Maybe more.

Also check the charging system for a voltage drop between the alternator output and the battery. Usually less than .3 volts. I imagine the spec is .5 volts but all that I have tested are less than .

3 volts.

Also check for clean tight battery and battery cable connections.

Hope this helps. Bob AZ

Reply to
Bob AZ

I agree with Ted but would like to point out that 2v change at running to not running might be about it. Years ago there were huge changes because alternators had two charge rates. High and Low. In the 60's, Shell had a 'Tips for Drivers' handbook they gave out free (when's the last time oil companies gave out free stuff?) that had tip to charge your battery faster after a jumpstart, turn on the lights. That was because on most vehicles, it would force the regulator to high charge rate.

Nowadays, charging is computer controlled with a variable field, and the alternator 'tracks' the battery to just a bit above what it should be at and compensates for electrical load. That's why batteries last an incredibly long time even with the tremendous demands modern cars put on them.

But the concept should still be you see the battery voltage HIGHER when the vehicle is operating.

Also, check your voltage under different conditions. Get a cigarette lighter plug and make an adapter to your meter, and see what is happening when the vehicle is being driven, not idling in the driveway. I had an old Mustang once that would charge at idle, but not on the highway. I took a 6 hour trip, and it ran the battery down. Was as simple a solution as tightening the belt.

Reply to
Mike Y

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