The last two times I travelled and didn't use my 2002 ZX5 for two weeks the battery was dead. It's a new battery. What runs all the time that would drain the battery in 14 days? The security system?
2002 ZX5 dead battery...again
Jun 03, 2004
4 Replies
Most likely the security system. Many times while shopping for a new car the things had dead batteries when I demo'ed them. They always blamed the security system as well as some electronics that are never off (radio controls memory, computer, etc.).
Well, you could disconnect one of the battery terminals and connect it through an ammeter. Make sure the meter's rated for 10A at least and DO NOT start the engine. Check the current reading when everything is off. It's hard to say what a good value would be, but it should definitely be significantly less than 500mA. (Maybe around 100mA or even less) If there's too much current, you could start pulling fuses to find the culprit.
I experienced this same issue in my '98 Ford Taurus. They found there was a power draw coming from the radio controller/box in the trunk.
Hmmm. Ford had just replaced my cd player/radio just before the dead battery problem started.
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