Battery not holding charge?? - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

1980chevy4x4 · 02-29-2004, 03:24 PM

My batterys not holding charge. Its a brand new DieHard battery. We jumped my truck and it started just find, I let it run for about 20 mins, pulled it back into the garage and went to bed. When i went to try and start it in the morining and nothing! Anybody have any iders as to whats going on?

**swervin ervin** · 02-29-2004, 03:31 PM

You've got a dead short somewhere. Or it could be just a bad Sears battery. I've heard the quality of their batteries have went south the last few years, along with everything else they are selling, including their tools.

Try another known good battery and see what happens. Sometimes it's a matter of eliminations to fix things like this.

Seon · 02-29-2004, 03:51 PM

Either there's an dash or interior light drawing the battery over night or a bad battery as Swervin stated above.

He's a simple test. Loosen your negative cable and remove it from the battery post. Now barely touch the clamp back on the post. If you see a small amount of spark, then you have a short.
To find the short, simply to pull a fuse out one at a time then perform the above test with the battery cable and check if it still sparks. Repeat until you find a fuse that you just pulled out and the battery post/clamp didn't spark when touched...that's where the short is. Once you've identified what the fuse feeds, just check the wiring on that circuit. Good luck

lukecp · 02-29-2004, 03:52 PM

Any auto parts store shoudl be able to test that battery for free.

Blue Beard · 02-29-2004, 08:08 PM

Could be a bad diode in the alternator....

1980chevy4x4 · 03-01-2004, 10:36 PM

ARGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Today i jumped it with my dads truck, let it run for about 30mins shut it off and tried to start it agian-----NOTHING the batt was completly dead! This really pisses me off.

..Just venting..

1980chevy4x4 · 03-04-2004, 10:30 PM

TTT Does this sound like an alternater problem? Should there be wires that run from the alternator to the batt?

*Zilverado* · 03-05-2004, 01:07 PM

I had a similar problem come up literally overnight with my wife's Pathfinder. I drove the vehicle back to the shop that had sold me the battery a year earlier. They tested the entire system and within 10 secs. told me that the battery had a bad cell (internal short) - rare, but it happens. Within 1/2 hr. I was back on the road with a new battery.

Moral of the story....

I don't know where you live, but as previous members have suggested, have a shop do a quick (should be free) charging system check. This will eliminate the "simple" things quite quickly. Then, if it is a short somewhere, you can start huntin'. But try the easy and quick route first, I'd say.

Just my $.02

Gibble · 03-05-2004, 01:45 PM

Sounds like the alternator to me...but that's just me.

02-29-2004, 03:24 PM	#1
1980chevy4x4 Got Mud? Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 361	Battery not holding charge?? My batterys not holding charge. Its a brand new DieHard battery. We jumped my truck and it started just find, I let it run for about 20 mins, pulled it back into the garage and went to bed. When i went to try and start it in the morining and nothing! Anybody have any iders as to whats going on? __________________ Dan Got mud?

02-29-2004, 03:31 PM	#2
swervin ervin You get what you pay for Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Cherryville, NC Posts: 4,798	You've got a dead short somewhere. Or it could be just a bad Sears battery. I've heard the quality of their batteries have went south the last few years, along with everything else they are selling, including their tools. Try another known good battery and see what happens. Sometimes it's a matter of eliminations to fix things like this. __________________ Mike 1985 Chevy C-10

02-29-2004, 03:52 PM	#4
lukecp Formerly yellow72custom Join Date: May 2001 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 7,531	Any auto parts store shoudl be able to test that battery for free. __________________ '72 Chevy C10 Mild 350/TH350/3.07. Ochre/White. Old high school ride. '70 GMC C2500 '62 327 4bbl/SM465/4.56-geared Dana 60. White/White. Project or parts truck. '97 Saturn SL DD. 1.9/5-speed. 40+ highway mpg

02-29-2004, 08:08 PM	#5
Blue Beard Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Washington State Posts: 8,831	Could be a bad diode in the alternator.... __________________ 1970 Chev CST 2003 Harley Fatboy 1975 Chevrolet Step Van 1956 Chev Bel Air 1977 Blazer 2WD For Sale $3000.00 1978 Blazer 2WD For Sale $7000.00 1978 Silverado 2005 Monte Carlo

03-01-2004, 10:36 PM	#6
1980chevy4x4 Got Mud? Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 361	ARGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Today i jumped it with my dads truck, let it run for about 30mins shut it off and tried to start it agian-----NOTHING the batt was completly dead! This really pisses me off. ..Just venting.. __________________ Dan Got mud?

02-29-2004, 03:51 PM	#3
Seon Registered User Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Northern CA. Posts: 503	Either there's an dash or interior light drawing the battery over night or a bad battery as Swervin stated above. He's a simple test. Loosen your negative cable and remove it from the battery post. Now barely touch the clamp back on the post. If you see a small amount of spark, then you have a short. To find the short, simply to pull a fuse out one at a time then perform the above test with the battery cable and check if it still sparks. Repeat until you find a fuse that you just pulled out and the battery post/clamp didn't spark when touched...that's where the short is. Once you've identified what the fuse feeds, just check the wiring on that circuit. Good luck

03-04-2004, 10:30 PM	#7
1980chevy4x4 Got Mud? Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 361	TTT Does this sound like an alternater problem? Should there be wires that run from the alternator to the batt? __________________ Dan Got mud?

03-05-2004, 01:07 PM	#8
Zilverado Account Suspended Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Posts: 798	I had a similar problem come up literally overnight with my wife's Pathfinder. I drove the vehicle back to the shop that had sold me the battery a year earlier. They tested the entire system and within 10 secs. told me that the battery had a bad cell (internal short) - rare, but it happens. Within 1/2 hr. I was back on the road with a new battery. Moral of the story.... I don't know where you live, but as previous members have suggested, have a shop do a quick (should be free) charging system check. This will eliminate the "simple" things quite quickly. Then, if it is a short somewhere, you can start huntin'. But try the easy and quick route first, I'd say. Just my $.02

03-05-2004, 01:45 PM	#9
Gibble mmmm....Rye and Coke Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: MB, Canada Posts: 485	Sounds like the alternator to me...but that's just me.



Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.

Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.