girls car keeps dieing/draining batt, any ideas?

[Supergumby5000 5,000+ posts]

I'll just make it short.

Girlfriends car starts dieing repeatedly, gets to the point where it has to be jumped every time she starts it.

Found out it was alternator, got it replaced, worked for a while.

Same thing happens, we have to start jumping it every once in a while, then more and more frequently. Now we have to jump it if its left sitting for more than 24 hours.

Got a new battery for it, same problem persists.

Any ideas? We got the new battery BEFORE replacing the alternator, so could the alty have ruined the new battery?

I installed a stereo after the new alternator was put in, but i dont know why that would be the cause. Im gonna rip the substage out of it tonight because she's selling the car as soon as we figure out whats going on.

It doesnt seem any lights are staying on. No under hood light, trunk light turns off, all interior lights are turning off.

Car is a 99.5 Jetta. The only thing i can think of is maybe the alarm system is somehow draining the battery, because thats the only thing i can think of that is left on all the time.

any input would be awesome.

Click to read more...

 

[revrider1 5,000+ posts]

The bad alty could have ruined the new battery, yes...

 

[Supergumby5000 5,000+ posts]

The bad alty could have ruined the new battery, yes...

any tests i can do to test if the battery is worthless or not?

 

[brian84corvette 10+ year member]

get a dmm.

check from positive on battery to chassi ground, with the car turned off.

start pulling fuzes. check the meter for a change with each fuze pulled.

take notes.

when you find the fuze that you pull out and the meter drops voltage - thats your drain.

now figure out what is connected to that fuze by factory diagrams + hunting down that electrical path looking for bad wires / or a splice hack in to a wire for something else.

autozone will load test your battery for free.

 

[nickolas_j_t 10+ year member]

I think he's right. The bad alt hurt the new battery.

 

[revrider1 5,000+ posts]

Take it to Auto Zone, let them test the battery

 

[SPL-Master 10+ year member]

take one of the battery cables off and put a test light between them and see if there's a draw, if there is start pulling fuses 1 by 1 and find where its at

 

[Supergumby5000 5,000+ posts]

get a dmm.
check from positive on battery to chassi ground, with the car turned off.

start pulling fuzes. check the meter for a change with each fuze pulled.

take notes.

when you find the fuze that you pull out and the meter drops voltage - thats your drain.

now figure out what is connected to that fuze by factory diagrams + hunting down that electrical path looking for bad wires / or a splice hack in to a wire for something else.

I've done this..... twice //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

Guess i'll go get the battery tested.

 

[loopkiller 10+ year member]

You for sure have a parasitic drain somewhere. They are usually a bish to nail down, but it is necessary to figure it out.