What is draining my car battery when its off?

Even while your car is off, your battery provides power to things like the clock, the radio, and the alarm system. These things shouldn’t have a major impact on your battery. What may drain a car battery when it’s off, however, are things such as interior lights, door lights, or even bad fuses.

How do I find out what’s draining my car battery?

Pull the negative off the battery. Put the test light between the post and the ground wire. If the light illuminates, you have a draw. Use the fuse pull method to find the draw; when the light goes out, you found the draw.

What causes the alternator to drain the battery?

Defective Alternator If your alternator has a bad diode, your battery can drain. The bad alternator diode can cause the circuit to charge even when the engine is shut off, and you end up in the morning with a car that won’t start.

Can a bad relay drain a car battery?

A failed ECM power relay can also cause a battery drain or dead battery. If the relay shorts it can leave power on to the computer, even when the vehicle is turned off. This will place a parasitic drain on the battery, which will eventually cause it to go dead.

Why does my battery keep dying overnight?

Some of the most common reasons for a car battery to die repeatedly include loose or corroded battery connections, persistent electrical drains, charging problems, constantly demanding more power than the alternator can provide, and even extreme weather.

How do I know if my battery is bad or my alternator?

Some of the things to look for are no-starting and trouble starting, dimming lights and problems with stereo system output. If your car starts but stalls when you’re underway, your battery is probably not being recharged due to a faulty alternator.

How do you tell if it’s your battery or alternator?

An illuminated dashboard light can indicate a problem with an automobile charging system. However, a very simple way to check if the alternator is working is to run the car and disconnect the positive terminal of the battery. If the vehicle stops running, then you probably have a bad alternator.

What are the symptoms of a bad ECM relay?

Common Signs And Symptoms That You Need to Replace An ECM Power Relay

• Engine does not start.
• Battery is being drained as ECM is malfunctioning.
• Vehicle is performing poorly.
• Check Engine Light is lit.

Can you jump start a car with a bad alternator?

While jumpstarting a vehicle with a bad alternator may technically be possible, do not leave jumper cables connected between vehicles longer than necessary as it can result in damage to sensitive electronics.

Why is the battery draining in my Chevy Impala?

The charging system checked out, but while working on the vehicle they heard some clicking sounds under the dash. The following Real Fix summarizes the interaction between members of the community that led to the solution.

How many times has a Chevy Impala battery died?

The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Impala. When the ignition was turned to the off position, the key failed to eject from the ignition. As a result, the battery died. The failure recurred three times. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Are there any problems with the Chevy Impala?

Chevrolet Impala owners have reported 27 problems related to battery dead (under the electrical system category). The most recently reported issues are listed below. Also please check out the statistics and reliability analysis of Chevrolet Impala based on all problems reported for the Impala.

Is there a recall on a 2003 Chevy Impala?

The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 82,000. See all problems of the 2003 Chevrolet Impala .