Drain on battery when car is asleep..

**Rich Z** · 06-02-2008, 06:34 PM

I've taken a look while my car is asleep at night trying to figure out why the battery will go dead if I don't drive my C5Z for two weeks. I figure something must be drawing current, and figured maybe it would be some sort of light that might be visible in total darkness. The ONLY thing I can see lighted is the button to the lower left of the steering wheel for the deck lid latch. There is nothing else lighted anywhere else on the car. Can you guys check your car at dark-o-thirty to see if that button is NORMALLY illuminated?

Thanks,

Rich Z.

Lady N · 06-02-2008, 08:13 PM

Rich Z 2 weeks is to long not to drive the car It is telling you something drive me ,drive me Im not a garage queen

In a more serious term how old is the battery ??? It is more than 3 years get a new one or get a battery tender.

coolassbrad · 06-02-2008, 08:19 PM

rich I'm having the same problem battery test fine usually takes 2 weeks I'm lost also

**Rich Z** · 06-02-2008, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lady N

Rich Z 2 weeks is to long not to drive the car It is telling you something drive me ,drive me Im not a garage queen

In a more serious term how old is the battery ??? It is more than 3 years get a new one or get a battery tender.

Battery is rather new. Couple of months at best. And it is the third one I have replaced since I started having this problem. The alternator is new as well, as I recently had a chromed unit put in.

The latest battery is an Optima red top. From what I have read, frequent discharges will be the premature death of the battery. Yeah, I like having an excuse for driving the car, but I'm about to get into my busy season, and I'd hate to think every time I finally get a chance to take a drive, I'm going to have to drag out the battery charger first, wasting time I really don't have to spare.

In any event, I can't really see any reason for ONLY the deck latch button to be illuminated so I'm wondering if that is the culprit or I just never noticed it before. I usually have the cover on the car, so I have no idea if this is a new development or it's always been that way. So I'm wondering if this is the case on other cars.

Lady N · 06-02-2008, 08:48 PM

There is something really draining your battery Brand new battery should not do that , Where is GM junkie when you need it .

I have gone a vacation for a whole month and when i come back it fire right on . My is a c3

The alarm light is allways blinking.

MRS. XTREME · 06-02-2008, 09:36 PM

From what I have heard the battery you have has has caused LOTS of ppl headaches. I know a few people who went through 3 of those batteries in one year!!!!!!!!
One ended up switching to Die hard gold and left his car for about 3 weeks not driven( had to leave on business) and it cranked up just fine no problems at all.

Just something to think about

gmjunkie · 06-02-2008, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lady N

Where is GM junkie when you need it .

It,is right here!!!

Just like the Lone Ranger Tonto!!

Now seriously Dudes.............

1.If I creep up on either my 01 Z06 or my 03 Z-51 in the dark there are No lights on anywhere in my cars!!

Rich,you may have a ground problem in the back!!

2.Where do you keep the keys and fobs to your cars when your not driving them?? How many feet away from the car??

Sorry I've not been around much for the last couple days,I've got roped in the Fixing a Ford for my son in-law!!

chris308 · 06-02-2008, 10:07 PM

the cars computer stays "on" 2ma current draw i believe while the car is in sleep mode. Two weeks of no driving will drain a battery.

**Rich Z** · 06-02-2008, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmjunkie

1.If I creep up on either my 01 Z06 or my 03 Z-51 in the dark there are No lights on anywhere in my cars!!

Rich,you may have a ground problem in the back!!

2.Where do you keep the keys and fobs to your cars when your not driving them?? How many feet away from the car??

Thanks for looking for me.

Any ideas where I should look for the problem ground in the back? Those STS turbos were put back there with the air inlet behind the taillights. Any likelihood that disturbed a ground nearby?

The keys/fob is always on my belt loop or else in the dresser drawer in the bedroom. The car sleeps outside under the carport which is about 40 ft away from the front door of the house. The carport is directly in front of the front door, so nowhere in the house is any closer than the front door to the car.

Does the FOB for a C5 have proximity detection? I would expect that in a C6, but not a C5.

Thanks!

**Rich Z** · 06-02-2008, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRS. XTREME

From what I have heard the battery you have has has caused LOTS of ppl headaches. I know a few people who went through 3 of those batteries in one year!!!!!!!!
One ended up switching to Die hard gold and left his car for about 3 weeks not driven( had to leave on business) and it cranked up just fine no problems at all.

Just something to think about

I'm not prepared to say it is a battery problem. The two batteries I had before this one were Exide Orbitals and the problem was consistent through all two Orbitals and now this red top. I really don't know exactly WHEN the problem began, but it seems to me I had the original Orbital in place around a year before the first case of my car going dead after sitting. Maybe I can find the invoice for the second one (which was replaced under warranty) and try to figure out what was done to the car within a couple of months prior.

The problem is that I really only want to use a gel type battery. I'm not comfortable with a box filled with sulfuric acid sitting right atop a bunch of electrical wiring.