my battery kept draining until i bought a new alternator and battery. i have tightened the belt on the alternator but it still die
My cars battery was always draining until i was told that it could use a new alternator. I bought a new alternator and a new battery. I tightened the belt on the alternator as much as i could (i dont want it to snap) but the same situation still occurs. Within 2 days my battery is fully drained. Some tell me that it could be a wiring issue, others tell me it could be the starter. Please give me some hope and let me know if you can help me out to fix my situation on my car. Thank you
My car has an automatic transmission.
My car has an automatic transmission.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hi there. The best way to diagnose why a battery would constantly drain is to review it’s job and how it is recharged. The battery is responsible for powering all electrical systems until the vehicle is started. At this point, the alternator takes over and also continually charges the battery while the vehicle is in use. A battery will drain when one of two things occurs. First, a battery will drain if it is constantly in use; supplying power to an electrical component even if the key is not in the ignition. Second, the battery will eventually die if the battery is not being charged frequently. However, since this is happening every two days, my initial thought would be that some electrical component on your 86 Olds is continuing to draw power from the battery. This is known as a parasitic drain. The best way to determine the source of this battery issue is to have one of our professional mobile mechanics come to your location and complete a battery will not hold a charge inspection.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
What Causes a Car Battery to Keep Dying? 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 A Bad Alternator Can Drain a Battery. Contrary to its purpose, an alternator can drain a battery. It`s rare, but it`s possible. A draw on the battery only occurs if there`s a problem with either a component in the alternator itself or connections to it.
What may drain a car battery when it`s off are things such as interior lights, door lights, or even bad relays. While your engine runs, the alternator recharges the battery — which is why you typically don`t have to worry about the battery dying while you`re blasting the radio on your drive to work!
The question is, can a faulty alternator destroy a new car battery? The answer is that a bad alternator, does not always affect the car battery, especially if the battery is new. However, there are chances that the faulty alternator can kill your new battery.
“Electrical devices or lights left running, a defective charging system or alternator, and extreme weather are some common reasons but maybe it`s just time to get a new battery.”
If you`ve replaced your battery but the engine still won`t start, it could actually be an engine problem. A seized engine won`t turn over, and that often resembles a bad starter or dead battery. If you suspect that your problem stems from an engine issue, it could take hours to diagnose and repair.
A corroded or defective alternator diode will faultily continue charging the circuit even when the car off. This, in turn, will drain your car battery and cause the car not to start.
Bad Voltage Regulator Symptom #1: The Battery Is Dead
There are many reasons your car`s battery might be dead, and one of them happens to be a broken voltage regulator. This is because when this part burns out, the battery will no longer charge, meaning it will eventually die.
The most common causes of excessive parasitic drain include faulty relay switches, malfunctioning alternators, damaged wiring or connections, and electronic devices left connected or powered on when the vehicle is off.
The ignition relay is essentially an electrical device that works as a switch for the power to the ignition system. Its job is to make sure electricity flows from the battery to the different components that need power. A bad relay will drain your battery and make it difficult to start the ignition.
If your wire connection to the battery is loose. Your batter will drain over a period of time. I have personally experience it. If the ground wire was touching the metal then it would have drained the battery.
Symptoms of a burnt out diode:
The engine will begin to run rough, lack power and eventually stall and not start again. The battery warning light will turn on, warning you that there is a problem with your alternator charging system. The headlights will become dim due to reduced battery voltage.
Wiring issues or bad wiring. an accessory is overloading your car`s electric systems. The battery isn`t grounded properly. Fluid leaks (oil, engine coolant, power steering fluid, washer fluid, etc.)
If your vehicle is losing battery voltage (i.e. your battery light is on) the problem may be your battery. You have a new alternator, so if your battery is bad, it won`t hold the charge from the alternator. The problem could still be a defective alternator or improper installation. A fuse could also be the cause.
Wiring issues or bad wiring. an accessory is overloading your car`s electric systems. The battery isn`t grounded properly. Fluid leaks (oil, engine coolant, power steering fluid, washer fluid, etc.)
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
my battery kept draining until i bought a new alternator and battery. i have tightened the belt on the alternator but it still die
ANSWER : Hi there. The best way to diagnose why a battery would constantly drain is to review it’s job and how it is recharged. The battery is responsible for powering all electrical systems until the vehicle is started. At this point, the alternator takes over and also continually charges the battery while the vehicle is in use. A battery will drain when one of two things occurs. First, a battery will drain if it is constantly in use; supplying power to an electrical component even if the key is not in the ignition. Second, the battery will eventually die if the battery is not being charged frequently. However, since this is happening every two days, my initial thought would be that some electrical component on your 86 Olds is continuing to draw power from the battery. This is known as a parasitic drain. The best way to determine the source of this battery issue is to have one of our professional mobile mechanics come to your location and complete a battery will not hold a charge inspection.
Battery drains quickly, New battery,Heavy drain, Replaced alternator , drain still there,goes away when bat. main 2 fuse is pulled
ANSWER : Hi there. It’s quite possible that you have one of two things causing the drain to the battery. First, you have a bad ground somewhere in the main relay or fuse box or an exposed wire somewhere that is not allowing the circuit to complete from the alternator to the battery. This can cause a battery draining issue as you’re describing, but it could also be one of multiple other electrical problems. The best way to pinpoint the exact source is to have a professional mobile mechanic come to your location and complete a battery will not hold a charge inspection.
I got a new battery new alternator put in but my battery just gets drained I keep having to buy new batterys
ANSWER : This may be a sign of a failing voltage regulator or potentially a bad grounding problem causing a draw on the system. The voltage regulator is a unit that regulates the charging of the battery by the alternator. Often times this will result in the alternator allowing too much power to be delivered to the battery resulting in damaging wires and prematurely sometimes destroying the battery. In other cases it may result in the alternator not supplying enough power to the battery, resulting in undercharging the battery or not charging it at all. In either case, I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose your vehicle’s charging system.
We have a new battery, new alternator, new coil pk, new master fuse and the car still won’t hold power.
ANSWER : Hi there. The only thing that I could think possible is causing your problem is that something may not have been correctly installed while your son was completing this maintenance. However, if your engine was difficult to start before this service, it’s possible there are different components that are damaged that simply didn’t resolve the issue. The only way of knowing what is going on with your Trailblazer would be to have one of our mobile mechanics in your area come to your location and complete a car is hard to start inspection.
I have Chrysler 300c. Battery light came on, changed battery and alternator but power still getting drained and battery light still comes on.
ANSWER : Hi, thanks for writing in. This may be a sign of a failing starter relay. The starter relay is a small unit near the starter that directs power to the starter from the battery. When this fails, it may cause a clicking sound and will not allow the starter to engage the flywheel when you turn the key. I would suggest having a professional from YourMechanic come to your home to diagnose your starting issue to determine the solution to get you back on the road.
New battery and alternator but there is still no power in my 204 Xterra onve I turn it off.
ANSWER : Hi there. It sounds like you either have a defective alternator or there is another issue within the circuit for the charging system. I usually start by checking the output of the alternator. If it is not putting out the right voltage or amperage then it needs to be replaced. I would then check to see if the alternator is getting the correct signal to turn on. These would tell me if the output if correct. If the alternator is putting out the right voltage then the positive battery cable may have failed and may have high internal resistance. If you need to have this checked out, consider YourMechanic, as a certified mechanic can come to you to [diagnose why the vehicle is losing electrical power] https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/electric-problems-inspection
Just put a new carburetor, battery, starter relay, alternator, car stalls out while driving and battery dies when restarted
ANSWER : The battery should be load tested. Simply charging the battery or measuring voltage is not adequate. Measure charging output, too. You want to confirm that the ignition system, including for instance the ignition coil and ignition switch, are not intermittently cutting out. Coils can fail as temperature rises (resistance increases with temperature) so if you run the car for a while and all of a sudden it quits, measure the resistance of the coil windings to see if that provides a clue. Apart from that, the ENTIRE primary side ignition circuit has to be checked, using voltage drop testing (and testing of the hall effect sensor in the distributor), to rule the primary side in or out. If you want the required diagnostic steps performed by a certified Mechanic, dispatched by YourMechanic right to your location, please request a stalling diagnostic and the responding certified mechanic will get this taken care of for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
Battery good, alternator good, brand new alternator cable, still not charging.
ANSWER : Hi There,
The first diagnosis of the bad voltage regulator is likely the cause of your charging system not properly charging the battery. When the voltage regulator is not working properly, this may result in the alternator allowing too much power to be delivered to the battery resulting in damaging wires and prematurely sometimes destroying the battery. In other cases it may result in the alternator not supplying enough power to the battery, resulting in undercharging the battery or not charging it at all. In some cases when a battery is too weak or damaged, it may no longer hold a charge for any length of time, in which case the alternator may be doing its job, but the battery is just simply too weak to hold a charge. In either case, I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose your vehicle’s charging system.
The first diagnosis of the bad voltage regulator is likely the cause of your charging system not properly charging the battery. When the voltage regulator is not working properly, this may result in the alternator allowing too much power to be delivered to the battery resulting in damaging wires and prematurely sometimes destroying the battery. In other cases it may result in the alternator not supplying enough power to the battery, resulting in undercharging the battery or not charging it at all. In some cases when a battery is too weak or damaged, it may no longer hold a charge for any length of time, in which case the alternator may be doing its job, but the battery is just simply too weak to hold a charge. In either case, I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose your vehicle’s charging system.
