Dead Battery?!?!?!? (Long...)

['96explorereddiebauer]

I had a dead battery earlier today and I couldn't figure out why. My car was parked since last Saturday (5 days ago). I got in my car so I can go to the post office and when I turned the key...no cranks!! So I looked at the instrument panel, the lights were dim so I knew right there that my battery was dead so I called the school's Public Safety to help me jump start my car.

Anyways...when I looked inside while waiting for the cop to show up, I was checking what was left on and I couldn't find anything that was left on. The only thing that was left on was the rear wiper. I left it in the intermittant setting but I know that thing turns off when the engine is off so that's not it. The headlights weren't on. All the doors were shut and none of the interior lights were on so that rules it out.

I think the only thing I can think of that may cause the power drain is the LED lights installed in the cup holder three weeks ago. I connected the positive (red) wire to the ashtray light and the negative (black) wire to the cigarete lighter. Do you guys think the ground wire cause the battery drain??

EDIT: Comes to think of it, I don't think it's the LED because I installed them on 2/8/03. Drove back to school on the 9th and left it there until the 14th. When I started the car that day, it started fine so I seriously don't know why.

 

[section525]

It was probably just it's time to go. Your EB cuts off all power to the truck after being on (while not running) after about 45 minutes, doesn't it? A battery will just stop working over night. I doubt theres any sort of drain on your system.

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

It can't be time to go though. All I know was that it cuts power to the interior lights after 40 minutes. I got this new battery installed a month ago so I rule that out too.

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

Anyone??

 

[BradE.]

It's possible you had a weak cell in the new battery, it happens. It's happend to me before. Let a weak battery (new or not) sit for 5 days in the cold and it can absolutly crap out.

 

[Texan01]

Probably the battery, I've seen them fail right off the shelf so I know it's possible.

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

I'm gonna go back to Merchants and demand a new battery. Should I tell them that I've had this battery for a month and it has been dead "3" times already. Does this sound good??

 

[BradE.]

Most batteries have a replacement warranty. Didn't the one you purchased have a warranty? Take it back, they should give you a new one.

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

Yeah, they have a warrenty. I took it to Merchant's Tire (that's where I bought it) and they said that the battery is fine and they told me that serpentine belt is cracked. I guess I'll be working on that next weekend when I get home.

 

[dogfriend]

Serpentine belt is cracked? Unless it fell off, it wouldn't cause your battery to go flat (it would still turn the alternator).

Is the circuit that you hooked your LED to always hot? Im thinking that the drain from the LED plus the cold weather was enough to drain your battery after a week.

 

[Digger196]

sorry that happened billy. the LED ARE NOT THE PROBLEM!

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

I thought the LED's were at fault but then again, if you really think about it, when they aren't on, no power will supply to the lights.

The only wire that was connected was the ground (black) wire at the accessory plug which is located at the side of the center console and the other is connected to the red wire at the ash tray light. So when I turn my lights on, the ash tray light will turn on, then the power will direct to the LED's and they'll turn on and when the lights are off, the LED's will go off too.

Dave, thanks for being pity. Haha...I'll get it worked out. Promise!!

The serpentine belt isn't at fault but that's what they found when they were check it out. But the estimate was $52 for the belt itself and $53 for labor. That sounds like a rip off to me. What do you guys think??

 

[dogfriend]

Originally posted by '96explorereddiebauer
I thought the LED's were at fault but then again, if you really think about it, when they aren't on, no power will supply to the lights.


The serpentine belt isn't at fault but that's what they found when they were check it out. But the estimate was $52 for the belt itself and $53 for labor. That sounds like a rip off to me. What do you guys think??

I wasn't sure from your first post, but if you are sure that it is off, then that isn't the problem. Do you have an alarm, or any other accessories that could drain the battery?

I paid $30.78 from the dealer for my serpentine belt. It wasn't too difficult to replace, maybe 15 min and that was the first time I had done it. So, yes, I think $105 is a ripoff for changing the belt.

Im pretty sure there is a thread on it under the Useful Threads forum.

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

Dogfriend, I'm gonna change the belt next weekend since I'll be home and this weekend's weather isn't as well. They're forecasting thunderstorms. Thanks for the tips!!

My truck is pretty stock. The only alarm I have is the factory alarm and an aftermarket cd changer that can be controlled by the factory deck and it's plugged into the factory amp so that can't be it. If that happens again, I'll think about taking the wires off the LED's and see if it works better.

 

[BradE.]

Hmmmm, if possible take the battery somewhere else and get it load tested. They might be handing you a line of BS just so they don't have to replace the battery.

$105 for a belt replacement is a joke. If you have a 3/8" ratchet you can change it yourself pretty easy. I replaced mine about 2 months ago, took less than 10 minutes.