Jump to content

Battery Drain issue

HeadnSouth
 Share

Recommended Posts

HeadnSouth Enthusiast

HeadnSouth

Posted
Posted (edited)

2003 GMC Sierra I recently replaced my blower motor resistor and HVAC control module. I don't drive it much except for towing. Towing season is over and the truck will just sit. It doesn't more than a couple of days and the battery will dead. Battery is new, alternator charges fine.

A buddy suggested removing the NEG terminal and attach a test light to the battery post. The test light is lit so I started pulling fuses and relays but the test light stays on. On top of that I have no climate control whatsoever. Everything else is stock besides some LED lights that are switched independently.

Any suggestions on what else to look for?

Edited by HeadnSouth
Supreme Pizza Senior Enthusiast

Supreme Pizza

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, HeadnSouth said:

2003 GMC Sierra I recently replaced my blower motor resistor and HVAC control module. I don't drive it much except for towing. Towing season is over and the truck will just sit. It doesn't more than a couple of days and the battery will dead. Battery is new, alternator charges fine.

A buddy suggested removing the NEG terminal and attach a test light to the battery post. The test light is lit so I started pulling fuses and relays but the test light stays on. On top of that I have no climate control whatsoever. Everything else is stock besides some LED lights that are switched independently.

Any suggestions on what else to look for?

 

 

If the truck is not used much, I would just remove the negative battery post when its not in use.

 

 

 

715rhfUY73L._SL1500_.jpg

Supreme Pizza Senior Enthusiast

Supreme Pizza

Posted
Posted (edited)

Well, diagnosing a parasitic draw can be really hard or really easy - just depends on what the problem is.

 

First off, start with a measurement of the milliamps.

 

Some draw is normal, like from the computer or the clock. Some rigs are 20, some 50, some 85.

 

Also, make sure that your hood light is not throwing off your readings.

 

You can start pulling fuses and relays.

 

You can disconnect the starter, and the alternator.

 

You can disconnect the computer or body control module.

 

You just start pulling all the electrical connections until you see a drop in milliamps.

Edited by Supreme Pizza
Sharpz Enthusiast

Sharpz

Posted
Posted (edited)

you could have a skinned wire that is grounding out somewhere.  The test light from the negative battery will stay lit as long as your security works, clock memory, bcm memory etc.  They rely on your battery to keep them on, but shouldnt pull much to actually drain the battery in only a few days time.  Faulty cluster panels can be a cause of this. To test that remove the cluster and let your truck sit for the time it normally takes to drain, if it starts, there is a good chance your problem is here.  After market radios are another big fault problem if not done properly.   I see you say everything is stock except the added LED lights though, so that shouldnt be an issue.

Edited by Sharpz
HeadnSouth Enthusiast

HeadnSouth

Posted
  • Author
Posted
6 hours ago, Sharpz said:

you could have a skinned wire that is grounding out somewhere.  The test light from the negative battery will stay lit as long as your security works, clock memory, bcm memory etc.  They rely on your battery to keep them on, but shouldnt pull much to actually drain the battery in only a few days time.  Faulty cluster panels can be a cause of this. To test that remove the cluster and let your truck sit for the time it normally takes to drain, if it starts, there is a good chance your problem is here.  After market radios are another big fault problem if not done properly.   I see you say everything is stock except the added LED lights though, so that shouldnt be an issue.

Thanks for your reply. I'll look at what you mentioned and come to think of it. It does have an after market radio and I did install a tailgate lock. The TL being the newest addition. I'll start there.

swathdiver Senior Enthusiast

swathdiver

Posted
Posted
On 12/28/2021 at 4:43 PM, HeadnSouth said:

2003 GMC Sierra I recently replaced my blower motor resistor and HVAC control module. I don't drive it much except for towing. Towing season is over and the truck will just sit. It doesn't more than a couple of days and the battery will dead. Battery is new, alternator charges fine.

A buddy suggested removing the NEG terminal and attach a test light to the battery post. The test light is lit so I started pulling fuses and relays but the test light stays on. On top of that I have no climate control whatsoever. Everything else is stock besides some LED lights that are switched independently.

Any suggestions on what else to look for?

 

Put a Battery Tender on it.  A Tech-2 can run a parasitic draw test on most models.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • twgraham
      Video processing module location

      By twgraham · Posted

      Can someone tell me where the video processing module is in a 2023 Silverado? I'm getting conflicting results that it's in the front passenger area or the rear passenger area behind the seat.
    • Chuck FB
      Missing thrust bearing? And oil selection

      By Chuck FB · Posted

      Yes I agree, its what amounts to free advertising to let people know about his UOA testing company, and not that there is anything wrong with that but certainly that is a motivator for putting out videos about the science of oil as well as other topics such as oil and air filtration etc. The interesting part I found with his last video is not only the physics behind the reason for the varying wear due to a diesels working torque range causing more bearing load and that higher viscosity oil is of benefit, it was also that the chemistry behind the GM Dexos 0W-20 and the Mobil Dexos licensed 0W-20 are far enough apart that its showing up with a difference in wear even though the two oils are matched in viscosity and in that comparison viscosity was not having the finger pointed at it.    There are a few youtubers out there or one anyway that I have watched a bit of who has gone through the pains of accessing various countries manuals for a certain engine platform and while in the US/Canada it may say use 0W-20 or what have you for some Toyota product, in some other countries it sings a very different tune for the very same engine with the typical traditional oil viscosity/ambient temperature charts to help choose which oil viscosity is correct for the conditions the vehicle will be used in and in some cases its taken an engine in a US manual that states only use 0W-20 as per warranty coverage and yet that same engine in certain other countries may have up to a 15W-40 etc oil option that meets the spec. Another words the guy who is driving through Death Valley or Phoenix and south weather at 120f is often being fed a line of bs by the US system that has forced vehicle companies to restrict the warranty to a specific low viscosity oil for anterior reasons as well as the long drain interval suggestions.    Thankfully youtube is free ( yet anyway ) for viewers to sift through information and of course comes with the good and the bad ( truth and lies ) and we can choose to turn off/not watch what a person finds is bs or just not interested in the topic.         
    • Atlas
      Missing thrust bearing? And oil selection

      By Atlas · Posted

      No doubt... But, as someone who doesn't pay for his services, but who has provided a few views/clicks on his Youtube platform, the data around the Mobil oil testing I think does have some value including to "freeloaders" like me.   A lot of what he's doing is likely showing the OE's work in their oil selection, something that many of us had kind of assumed was true all along, a good balance of both excellent protection and efficiency.
    • Z45
      Missing thrust bearing? And oil selection

      By Z45 · Posted

      Lake Speed is drumming up business for his company just by being in the spot-light so he has a vested interest in stoking the 0W-20 fire.  IMO  
    • Chuck FB
      summer road trips in the 2026 2500HD

      By Chuck FB · Posted

      I knew when I bought my truck that it had off road hill decent or craw control or whatever they call it and rolled my eyes at that but it gets throw on with other options my truck has, I just never had a heads up if the highway speed regular cruise setting had anything to do with the brakes and that took me by surprise. If you've ever been to the top of Pikes Peak and watched those ahead of you on the way down with their brake lights on constantly, one can guess they are probably not gearing down or not enough anyway if their vehicle will allow and a good reason their is a brake check spot part way down where they use an infra red heat gun to check how hot ones brakes are front and rear.    Your right that once one gets out of the front range by Denver and I've not been on that stretch of 285 between Denver and Fairplay myself but I know its high and Fairplay at 10000 feet, Buena Vista at 8000, it drops a bit from there but then your going back up and over the 11000 pass and Durango is at 6500 . So yes your definitely right that 6500 and a lot higher is the theme of going anywhere out in that direction from Denver but hey, the down hill sections give fantastic fuel mileage !.    I don't even look at the fuel pumps for what premium costs here, since I live on a farm and up to this point get fuel delivered I am rarely in front of a fuel pump and when I am, I am often using card lock bulk fuel stations so it tells me what the price is AFTER I buy the fuel. Looking up on gas buddy and converting to US gallons but in Canadian dollars, regular on average of the prices listed was around 5.95 and premium is around 7.00 . That was one reason I did not go for the 6.2 half ton aside from its lack of carrying/towing if one was going by the rule of using premium fuel and until recently one could only buy regular farm gas if playing the few cents off game for farm dyed fuel for a "farm licensed pickup". But yes I hear you on the fuel price difference and like the diesel theme with it often being more expensive then gas it doesn't have quite the charm to it either as it once did although right now here for some reason the price of diesel has come down more so its now inline with the price of regular gas. 

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...